One final U.S. hurricane as BlackBerry Storm gathers speed
by Stevie Smith - Oct 10 2008, 18:19
RIM looks to whip up a smartphone Storm with its newest BlackBerry. Image: RIM.
When it comes to fighting the considerable smartphone temptation conjured up by the BlackBerry product line, some tech lovers may choose to look towards Nokia’s N96 or Apple’s iPhone. However, BlackBerry creator Research In Motion (RIM) is keen to keep consumers tied to their CrackBerry addiction by offering up its new BlackBerry Storm handset.
Exclusively available later this fall in the United States through the 3G (EV-DO) Verizon Wireless network, and through Vodafone’s high-speed HSPA networks in Europe, India, Australia and New Zealand, the tantalisingly named Storm smartphone arrives boasting all the prerequisite RIM features that make the BlackBerry range so attractive to general consumers and business users alike.
As well as including stalwart aspects such as powerful communication tools, global connectivity and personal productivity, the Storm also comes equipped with touch-screen technology and a “world’s first” clickable touch feature that responds much like a physical keyboard in interpreting single-touch, multi-touch and gesture commands for enhanced interfacing.
“The BlackBerry Storm is a revolutionary touch-screen smartphone that meets both the communications and multimedia needs of customers and solves the longstanding problem associated with typing on traditional touch-screens,” enthused Mike Lazaridis, president and co-chief executive officer at Ontario-based RIM. “Consumers and business customers alike will appreciate this unique combination of a large and vibrant screen with a truly tactile touch interface.”
That enthusiasm is mirrored by Frank H. Rovekamp, global chief marketing officer for the Vodafone Group, who commented that the Storm’s unique clickable touch-screen provides access “to all the desirable multi-media features and services such as browsing, music and video, turn by turn satellite navigation, messaging and social networking, and BlackBerry’s mobile heritage and strong business reputation, the BlackBerry Storm is being brought by Vodafone into the consumer world.”
Beyond providing tangible feedback by physically depressing and “clicking” at the touch of the user’s finger on the screen, the Storm also adds support for multi-touches, taps, slides and other touch-based gestures that allow customers to easily highlight, scroll, pan, and zoom with a sense of smooth navigation.
Factor in elements such as the full QWERTY SureType keyboard and onboard accelerometer that switches the screen automatically between landscape and portrait views based upon how the handset it being held, and the Storm certainly looks the part beside certain other trendy smartphone alternatives.
The Storm also features a full HTML Web browser supporting both landscape and portrait online navigation, file downloads, audio and video streaming, and built-in RSS capabilities.
Other appeal-boosting attributes include SMS, MMS, built in GPS, 1GB of onboard data storage (and an included 8GB microSD memory card), a 3.2 mega pixel camera, an onboard media player, an 11 preset equaliser, Bluetooth support, and a 3.5mm stereo headset jack.
Included software bundled with the Storm include BlackBerry Internet Service, BlackBerry Unite!, BlackBerry Professional Software, BlackBerry Enterprise Server support, and DataViz Documents to Go -- which allows users to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly through the handset.
Helping it cut the technology mustard and not the cheese, the Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530 will function on 3G EV-DO Rev. A/CDMA technology and (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM for global use, while the Vodafone BlackBerry Storm 9500 will support (2100Mhz) UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM networks.
The official regional release dates and respective price points are expected to be released in the next few weeks.
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