BlackBerry Storm Cellphone Plans
09/09/09
The software update addressed several concerns, but it is RIM's very first touchscreen phone good enough for BlackBerry fans wanting much more cooler cellphone plans, use a invisibleshield blackberry stormfb to protect the screen. Should they wait for at least a slimmer BlackBerry Storm on a cellphone plan?
Right now Storm cellphone plan is bulkier and heavier than we would like, weighing a hefty 5.5 ounces (compared to 4.8 for the iPhone 3GS). The 480 x 360 screen is bright and crisp sharp. Uniquely, the screen physically clicks downward when you press on the display; icons and keys light up before you press them. However, clicking requires effort, and even with the latest software our Storm often didn't respond immediately to our presses.
The user interface is bland, but we like the nifty transitions when moving between applications. The screen now is faster than before.
It offers the same great push e-mail experience as other BlackBerry's cellphone plans, it is a very easy simple setup to process. Typing now feels a bit more natural in landscape mode, and we like that there's a new full QWERTY layout in portrait mode. As opposed to sure type, avoiding errors need to be very slow and accurate movements.
On Verizon Wireless EV-DO network, the Storm's Web browser was pretty fast. We pulled up The New York Times home page in less than 28 secs. Screen redraws are a bit slow as you pan through pages, but the double-tap-zoom feature works well.
The Storm's GPS shines, using both assisted chip. VZ Navigator for $10 per month cellphone plan, optimized for this device, adds live traffic, and in plotted a route in just 15 secs.
The speakers phone's is loud at medium volume, and the music app displays large album art. The Storm supports the V Cast Music with Rhapsody service, which delivers unlimited tunes for $15 per month cellphone plan.
The 3.2 megapixel camera took sharp pictures with good color saturation. But, the camcorder quality is just OK, the footage looked pixelated on the Storm's screen.
Calls on the Storm came very clear and loud. Our test caller said we sounded better on this device than we did on the Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Curve.
After heavy data usage and making a few calls over the course of 7 hours, the Storm had less than 45% of its juice left. You will probably need to recharge the device again for at least every other day or get more battery more mobile phone accessories.
The BlackBerry Storm improved enough to give from 2 to 3 stars, but we have to recommend everyone to wait for the Storm 2 on cellphone plan, which will have a better enhanced touchscreen and Wi-Fi.