RIM’s mondo hype generating debut BlackBerry touch phone, the Storm, is a curious beast. Instead of trying to match the every multi-touch move of the pioneering iPhone like its ticklish rivals, the LG Renoir, Samsung M8800 Pixon and T-Mobile G1, this smartphone has taken its own unique path to touch glory. The boys in the BlackBerry labs have conjured the first ever clickable touch sensitive screen.
Clickable touchscreen? It just doesn’t sound right. Perhaps RIM is trying to appease a generation of phone punters weaned on a mechanised world and are hesitant to join this new touchie-feely revolution. But, whatever the reason, this unorthodox approach actually plays out rather intuitively.
The Storm lets you gleefully trace your pinkie over the expansive and stunning 3.25 touchscreen without fear of provoking a reaction. It’s not until you press down on your highlighted selection and feel the click that action is taken. Like Marmite, you’ll either love or loathe the reassuring physical response.
Unfortunately, there is occasional processor lag that slows the Storm down but we’re assured this glitch has been remedied with a firmware upgrade. And if messengers are concerned about typing on this new-fangled touchscreen, don’t be - the virtual QWERTY and SureType keypads are great for efficiently tapping out those long emails.
With such a capacious screen central to operation, the Storm unsurprisingly hangs out with rival king-size ticklers like the HTC Touch HD and the T-Mobile G1. It’s certainly going to fill the trouser pouch.
But while it may be a smartphone heavyweight in size, the Storm, is bit of lightweight in the connectivity department. RIM has, bizarrely, taken Wi-Fi off the menu. Pressure from the data hungry networks? May be, but at least you have 7.2Mbps-flavoured HSPDA fall back on for web browsing and download duties.
You could argue the absence of Wi-Fi affects the Storm’s top table smartphone status but with built-in GPS for sat nav, an integrated 3.5mm headphone jack and an Application Centre for app downloads, the Storm just about qualifies. Although, the autofocus-led 3.2-megapixel snapper is disappointingly average.
Verdict
The clickable touchscreen may lack the grace of other rival touch phones and but it’s still a user-friendly tickler that will attract CrackBerry fans in their droves, even despite some glaring feature omissions.
Best features
Clickable touch-screen
Thummable on-screen virtual keyboards
Stunning 3.5-inch display
Integrated 3.5mm headphone jack
Not so good
Some traces of processor lag
No built-in Wi-Fi
Average 3.2-megapixel camera
Blackberry Storm full specifications >>
Check out the BlackBerry Storm photo gallery:
Closest rivals
HTC Touch Diamond
This uber-stylish touch phone not only tarts ups the clunky Windows Mobile OS but comes furnished with features galore – HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a 3.2-megapixel snapper for starters.
Samsung i900 Omnia 16GB
Another Windows Mobile fuelled tickler bursting with feature muscle. 16GB of internal memory joins the likes of HSDPA, Wi-Fi, GPS and a five-megapixel snapper.
Nokia E71
If you don’t fancy joining the touch phone revolution but demand smartphone moves and email on the jog, then this slimline and stylish QWERTY Symbian phone is worth a gander.
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