U.S. & World

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― The Blackberry Storm is the first blackberry touch screen Smartphone. The iPhones debut showed mobile world touch screen technology revolutionized Smartphones, and it wasn't long before Google tried to get in the game with the G-1 sold by T-Mobile.  Now, Blackberry is hoping to take the market by storm with its own touch screen device, which pushes the technology to the next level. Technology Reporter Stephanie Abrams got a preview, one day before it goes on the market.

The Blackberry's screen glides smoothly just like the iPhone screen and the G1, but this screen feels different because you have to push and click to select an application. Their slogan is "Press and Be Impressed!"

The technical director at Verizon, Harry Martin, explained that avoids one of the main frustrations for touch screen users, "People are launching applications without intending to.  This phone has the hover capability, then you have to click the application to confirm that's what I intended to launch." 

The Blackberry Storm also has some other great features.  It's got strong multi-media capabilities with 9 gigabytes, a beautiful screen for playing videos, and a powerful audio player.  This phone even has Bluetooth stereo.  Another nice feature is the 3.2 megapixel camera that also captures video.  Something the iPhone and G1 don't do. 

Here are more of positives: it's a global phone, connects well for business users just like most blackberries, has a high capacity removable battery, and a pretty good web browser.  One more, it's built in GPS is not satellite sensitive, so you don't have to walk around or angle your phone to get directions.  Thanks to Verizon's features, this navigator even talks to you.

The biggest negative: no Wi-Fi. If you've gotten used to the wireless connectivity of the iPhone it's unlikely you'll make the switch.  Still Verizon's technical director says the phone was built that way because unlike other services, Verizon doesn't need to depend on Wi-Fi.  He says Verizon's 3G internet service is strong enough in most places across the country, leaving little need for a Wi-Fi connection.  Talk to other phone users, and that assessment is up for debate.

Now back to the push sensation of the touch screen.  We asked a few folks on the street to give it a try and got mixed reviews.   Brandon Davis who lives in Philadelphia said it felt just like typing on a keyboard, which made it more appealing than other touch screen phones.  But Taryn Flood of Elkins Park had trouble navigating through the touch screen with her nails.  She said she just couldn't seem to get the right letter to come up on the screen when trying to type an email.

Bottom line, the Storm is a very strong competitor because it's feature rich and connects well with business users.   That click sensation is a touchy subject, that's why it's best for you to get a feel for it yourself before you make a decision.  The phone costs 200 dollars after the rebate from Verizon.  It goes on sale starting at 8 a.m. Friday morning.  It's available at any store that sells Verizon phones.

We've uploaded a separate video of the phone itself for you to see how it looks without our narrative.  Watch our report on the new phone to see how people are reacting to the new phone, and hear directly from Verizon.

 

RELATED LINKS:

Go to Blackberry's website to see all the specifications. http://na.blackberry.com/eng/

Also the Wall Street Journal has a detailed review of the phone and compares all the specifications of the Blackberry Storm, the iPhone, and the G1, side by side.

Here's the Link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122714533895043229.html?mod=djemptech

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