The Blackberry storm is part of a new series of smartphones developed by RIM intended to compete with the new iPhone, the T-Mobile G1, and various other touchscreen phones. It is the first touchscreen phone offered by RIM and it notably features haptic feedback, a feature where the phone simulates the sensation of pressing an actual button instead of a flat smooth surface. It is available through Verizon Wireless in the United States, Telus and Bell in Canada, Vodafone throughout parts of Europe.
The Blackberry Storm’s screen measures 3.5 inches and can display 65,536 colors. Text input is accomplished through a virtual keyboard using the haptic feedback touchscreen. An onboard accelerometer allows the keyboard to be reoriented into a landscape mode if so desired. Other features include a 3.2 megapixel camera and 1GB of onboard memory which can be expanded using the microSD slot. By default, the Storm is SIM locked.
The Storm’s introduction brought a mixed response. While reviewers praised the device’s standard Blackberry capabilities, there were numerous criticisms over the subpar web browser, sluggish performance, and general glitches that seemed to affect the unit. A firmware update was released in December of 2008 to address some of the issues mentioned.
