Review: RIM BlackBerry Storm

The BlackBerry Storm is a lot of things: It's the first touchscreen device ever made by RIM, it has a 3.2-MP camera and it features cut-and-paste tech. But then there's an even longer list of what the Storm is not: The software isn't fully realized, the handset is no lightweight, the battery life is poor. Most of all, this isn't the iPhone killer RIM was hoping it would be.

How the hell do you brew up an iPhone killer?

Short of cracking open Steve Jobs' head and slurping out his big thinky brain, you could create a half-assed imitation that masters one aspect of the Jesus phone and fumbles the snap on virtually every other feature. That seems to be the model handset manufacturers have been using for almost two years as they churn out a seemingly endless line of touchscreen-enabled iPhone imitators — icones. There have been Instincts, Dares, Beholds, Diamonds, G1s — even something with the obtuse moniker of Viewty, but none of these come remotely close to knocking the iPhone off its perch as King of All Touchscreens. And heaven forbid any one of them improve on the flaws (and there are many) that the iPhone possesses.

That's where the Storm is different. The first device from RIM to carry a full touch-sensitive screen seeks to not only match the iPhone in terms of performance but also kick its ass in areas where Cupertino's wunderkind falls short. Yep, that includes video function (with a superior 3.2MP camera), cut and paste capabilities, and an innovative screen that solves the issue of touchscreen input ambiguity.

The main problem with touch phones is that there is no real way of indicating when you have pressed a key or selected an application. The haptic buzzing found on various iClones is a joke. And the iPhone's complete lack of force feedback is almost as bad. Remember the first time you picked up an iPhone and started text messaging with it? Sucked right? You had no clear physical indication when you selected a key. That's the crucial difference with the Storm: the 4-inch, 480x360 screen is essentially one huge button. When you want to select anything, be it a multimedia app or the number five, you have to press the screen down a millimeter, it's roughly the same sensation you get when clicking a mouse. But that small press makes a huge difference. Text messaging is amazing — pounding out a long-winded SMS (with a lot of compound words and no abbreviations) is just as easy as typing one out on a MacBook's keyboard. This is the single killer feature of the Storm and if not for a few glaring flaws, a good reason to go out and buy one right now.

Also making an appearance is a very capable 3.2-MP camera. While it lacks the fancypants lenses found in better camera phones (cough, Carl Zeiss, cough) it does have a flash and snaps off some pretty decent, noiseless pics. Also included is a video recorder — take that iPhone!

Web surfing on the device is good, not great. The fully realized browser pulls up pages quickly but also suffers from a lack of flash support. Cut-and-paste functionality works almost perfectly, as does text editing. All of RIM's e-mail goodness and top-shelf messaging are also effortlessly integrated into the device. For better or for worse, you never forget that you are using a BlackBerry.

But all is not well with the Storm.

When we first looked at the device in October, most of the comments about our preview post had to do with the seemingly inexplicable lack of WiFi. Come on guys, you should know why this was done. Verizion (the only carrier offering the Storm) wants to line its pockets with cash squeezed from data plans. Silly goose, they don't want you patching into a WiFi network for free! But this is unnecessary and frankly a little myopic — although Verizon's data network is speedy, it can't beat even a decent WiFi network in a broadband drag race. Plus other handsets (including the iPhone) offer WiFi compatibility.

Battery life skews toward the pathetic. While not as atrocious as the iPhone 3G's, it still ran out of juice after a solid day of use. Granted we were riding the Storm hard — constant web browsing, phone calls and messaging — but you had best not stray far from a charger while on the road.

After spending a lot of quality time with the Storm, it's apparent that it really is the carrier that cripples this phone. The hardware that RIM has produced is completely original, wholly impressive and poised to affect the way every phone manufacturer approaches touch technology — including Apple. But Verizon's insistence on controlling the operating system is obvious and, well, aggravating. The phone's OS has a rushed, shoddy feel. That, coupled with a tendency to freeze and lag when pulling up applications, is flummoxing. I get the feeling Verizon pushed RIM to get the Storm launched before its software was completely ready.

Would we recommend the Storm? If you're locked into a contract with Verizon, want a touchscreen phone and are willing to put up with an OS that moves like a tranquilized yak, then yes the Storm is for you. Otherwise, your best bet is an iPhone or the very capable BlackBerry Bold. In any case, Apple need not fret; even in the face of a legitimate iPhone killer, they still offer more touchscreen goodness for the money and will undoubtedly, ahem, weather this storm.