RIM Blackberry Storm 2
When it comes to Rim’s Blackberry devices people immediately think of email on the go and that’s about it. This used to be the case but the Blackberry devices.
The Storm 2 is Rim’s second touch screen Blackberry device and has met a mixed bag of opinions. There doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground with this device. People either love it or they hate it.
Construction and Build:
The first thing that really jumps out about the Storm 2 is that even though it’s a smart looking device it is a very thick device. Don’t get me wrong it’s still pocket friendly but the size doesn’t do the Storm any favours. Unlike the HD 2 which was large due to the massive screen the Storm is just fat with nothing major gained by this.
Screen clarity is great and the picture quality really stands out. Using the device in sunlit areas is easy enough is sunlight legibility is up to standards. Due to the device using a full touch screen the display looks much better than on standard qwerty Blackberrys as there is so much more room.
It’s pleasing to see the camera hard keys included on the right hand side of the device which enables some pretty good shots to be taken.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is a nice inclusion which shows RIM’s dedication to ensuring that Blackberrys are not only internet and email devices but a reliable and easy to use multimedia phone to.
Camera:
When it comes to Blackberry we have become accustomed to a below average camera performance. However my experience with the 9700 has given my a completely different opinion. With the help from the dedicated camera keys you can get a really clear shot. The auto focus and LED flash really complement the camera quality enabling you to capture some really impressive photo’s. It doesn’t compete with the top end camera phones obviously but its certainly a massive improvement over what we are used to!
There are a couple of issues with the camera however. It’s pretty basic when it comes to shooting modes and editing. There’s not a massive amount of features available. It’s not essential but it is a shame.
UI & OS:
Not much has changed since the last set of Blackberrys hit us last year. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Blackberry lay out the first thing that you will see on the home screen are your favourite apps and features listed in a row of icons along the bottom of the screen. You also have easy access to phone profile settings and connectivity settings which saves you having to scroll through your menus.
By tilting the handset your display will automatically switch to landscape due to the built in accelerometer.
Once you hit your menu icon you’ll be taken into a grid layout of applications and features. you’re looking for. It’s just a case of clicking the application or feature that you are looking for.
If you’re a long time Blackberry user then this will all be very familiar to you. The most striking update is the theme and look of the whole user interface which looks much more up to date and user friendly. Historically we’re used to bland looking icons littering our screens so the newest build of software brings a welcome refresh to the style.
The onscreen keyboard can be modified to suit your preference giving you a choice of full qwerty keypad or a two letters per key layout like seen on the Blackberry Pearls. The keypad and the way the screen works is something completely different to your standard touch screens as RIM have used a technology that makes the icons and keys on screen feel like they are hardware based. This is great if you are doing lots of typing but sure does take some getting used to. It’s definately something you have to feel for yourself before committing to the device purely because most people either love it or hate with very little in between.
I’m going to touch on some of the unique Blackberry features. When you hear about them second hand or read about them they don’t seem particularly unique and users of other Smartphone’s often ask the question “why would I have a Blackberry when my current phone does all of those things and more?” The answer is pure and simple, the Blackberry does it amazingly well.
RIM’s push email and set up support is top class. I’m an iPhone user myself and found that setting up any of the Next Gen email accounts on my iPhone or even my desktop for that matter is a complete pain in which I have to edit all of the settings. When I first picked up my Blackberry I registered with RIM direct and was then asked for my email addresses and passwords for my accounts. I entered these and got a confirmation that my emails were set up. I laughed and thought to myself that I’ll give it 15 minutes and I’ll receive a message asking for my settings. I didn’t receive that message, instead I began receiving my emails. The ease of set up compared to other devices has me really impressed and really shows off why you should consider Blackberry for anything email related.
The Blackberry PIN to PIN messenger comes in rather handy to. It’s not particularly useful if you don’t know many people who also have a Blackberry device but for anyone who travels abroad on a regular basis this can come in very handy. The PIN messaging uses such a tiny amount of data that your network wont normally charge for this even when roaming which means you can substantially lower your international charges. The great thing is due to RIM’s support and push services it’s all completely instant.
Sound:
The overall sound quality of the Storm 2 leaves users with a good experience. In call quality is top class and really holds it’s own in noisy environments. Also the ability to change holster settings is pretty useful in ensuring you never miss a call or an email.
The loud speaker is great with little loss of quality when on full volume.
Other Features:
Blackberry’s App store is gradually growing which adds to the customisation of the device. The major drawback at the moment with their app store is the pricing. Apps are generally more expensive than what you would find on the iPhone and also the majority of the apps are chargeable.
The Blackberry offers full Facebook integration, enabling you to synchronise your contact information with your Blackberry device and Facebook account. You will also receive push messages alerting you about any updates on your Facebook account.
As I mentioned previously the Storm 2 offers a good multimedia system. The MP3 player is well organised and gives a great quality playback both through headphones and on loudspeaker. The video playback quality looks great. You could quite comfortably sit and watch a movie on this device. The larger screen size really shows off how good the display is and after a while you will forget you’re watching a movie on a small screen device.
Conclusion:
I must admit I do like the Storm 2. It’s received lots of criticism especially based around the unique touch screen technology. I however found that the onscreen keyboard was great to use and in my opinion nicer to use than any Blackberry with a physical key pad. Users beware if you’re migrating from something like the iPhone the touch screen is a completely different experience and wont suit everyone. I definitely recommend giving it a try otherwise you might end up stuck with something you hate.
The Blackberry wont be for everyone but if you are a medium to heavy user of email then I definately recommend you have a look at this device because it really does offer the best email experience on the market at the moment.
Even if you’re not a heavy email user this device may suit you. It’s got great multimedia functions combined with a good battery life and social networking applications. So really there’s a little something for everyone!
Advantages:
- Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 2100 MHz 3G with HSPA support
- 3.25" 65K-color capacitive touchscreen of 360 x 480 pixel resolution
- Improved touchscreen experience with piezo-electric touch feedback system
- 3.15 MP autofocus camera, LED flash
- Blackberry OS 5
- Wi-Fi and built-in GPS with Blackberry maps preloaded
- 2 GB internal storage and a hot-swappable microSD card slot
- Landscape on-screen keyboard is as close to hardware keys as we have seen on a touch phone
- Nice looks and great build quality
- 3.5mm standard audio jack
- Accelerometer sensor for screen auto-rotate
- Bluetooth v2.1 and USB v2.0
- Document editor
- Good audio quality
Disadvantages
- No email support without Blackberry Internet Service account
- Interface not as quick as competitors
- Chubbier than most touchscreen phones with similarly-sized displays
- Mediocre camera
- No FM radio
- No web browser Flash support
- No dedicated video-call camera