Storage

There is a lot of room to store media and other files on the Storm, with its 1GB on-board memory that exceeds most other BlackBerry smartphones. The Storm also 128MB of flash memory and room for a microSD memory card. Fortunately, the Storm from Verizon comes with an 8GB SanDisk microSD card. As with many phones, the slot for the card is behind the removable panel on the back of the phone but with this phone, RIM located the slot so users at least do not have to remove the battery to reach it.

Connectivity

The Storm has Bluetooth 2.0 and supports the following profiles: Headset for wireless headsets, Handsfree for carkits, Object Push to allow users to transfer data from one Bluetooth device to another, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile to listen to stereo music via compatible headphones, and Serial Port Profile.

Conclusion

The BlackBerry Storm provides a wealth of opportunities for business users to stay connected to email and other critical information wherever they are, and it also offers decent multimedia applications. The SurePress technology needs work to integrate it more seamlessly on the phone, but it is an interesting idea to combine the touch screen with tactile navigation.

The Storm has more potential as a fun phone than other BlackBerrys and it draws closer to the iPhone's camera, screen and high-quality touch screen than many other phones on the market. With a less sensitive camera and video reproduction that seemed slightly more washed out in comparison to the iPhone, RIM could still improve these media functions of the phone.

One outstanding question is whether BlackBerry's planned application store will rise to the level of the Apple App Store, which is a major attraction for some iPhone users. The variety and quality of new BlackBerry Storm applications will help determine whether the phone eventually appeals more to users interested in entertainment. For now, the phone is still best suited for business people, not users who want to play with a wide range of applications.

For users who can accept the challenges of typing with SurePress and some slight delays with the transition from portrait to landscape view and vice versa, the Storm is appealing as a BlackBerry PDA with a sleek design that approaches the iPhone's aesthetic appeal and functionality.

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