Since the emergence of the iPhone, many manufactures have been attempting to create their own type of iPhone. So when Blackberry first unveiled the Storm, it looked like the iPhone was going to meet its match. Unfortunately, like a projected winter storm in Middle Tennessee, it never lived up to the hype.
Using the Storm can be disappointing, especially if you have previously used an iPhone. (Sorry for the comparison to Apple’s iPhone, but it is obvious that Blackberry created the Storm to directly compete with the iPhone.) For starters the touch keyboard is confusing. When selecting a key it will highlight when touched, but nothing happens until the whole screen is depressed or clicked. This makes the whole user experience counter-intuitive. Ever since the invention of the typewriter, we have been used to hitting a key once and getting a character on a piece of paper or on the screen. This may seem like a small matter, but a simple thing like typing a character should be a one step process (not two) and it shouldn’t require retraining.
Another disappointment, which seems to be common with all Blackberrys, is the navigation of menus and settings. The layout of where things live on the phone takes a bit of time to learn. Also, when setting up the phone for synchronization with email, you have many different options to consider for everything to work properly. However, this is much simpler if you are not part of a business with a server.
To add insult to injury, the process of turning the phone on its side and the screen switching from portrait to landscape mode is downright terrible. Other than typing, this is probably the most frustrating function. When going from portrait to landscape, it takes a bit longer than expected for the screen to transition. This makes you think you did something wrong and thus starts a frustrating sequence of turning the phone back and forth trying to command the screen to do your will. Not a pleasant experience.
With all the shortcomings, there are a few things that Blackberry got right. The first thing is that the display looks really nice. It’s bright and the colors are rich and beautiful. Plus, the glass display makes it easy to wipe the finger smudges off. The other very nice feature is the size. It feels very comfortable when you hold it and presents a very good build quality. Also, if you aren’t an old west phone slinger, the Storm fits very nicely in your pocket.
Although some weather events can promise to bring spectacular lightning, wind, and thunder, this Storm just blows over. Also, it’s hard not compare this phone and others to the lofty standard set by Apple’s iPhone. A new benchmark was set and now everyone is racing to meet or beat it. With all of that said, the Storm is not a phone I can recommend. Meanwhile, if you are a Blackberry user (and love it), I would look at their other available phones. In the meantime, we will have to wait and see if they can meet or surpass the new standard of multimedia handhelds.
-Kevin Hipp