I am a firm believer in the saying "If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if it is broke, try to fix it before you run out and get a new one". As such, I have had a total of 2 different cell phones in my 7 year cell phone career. Some people go through 2 phones a year! For those of you who change phones every time you change the oil in your car, I challenge you to do the "Lloyd Check" before purchasing your next phone.

Up on deck is the Blackberry Storm by Verizon. At first glance, this device looks like an iPhone or G1 clone. Sure all these devices have their unique features, but what sets the Storm apart from the rest of the field? Lets take a closer look.

So the end is in sight for my current device, the i730. This PDA has endured the abuse and love only Gurus can give it (Yue has one also!)

Well, at first glance the Blackberry Storm looks like the adult version of the i730. In fact, if you really look closely, the Storm looks like the offspring of the i730 and Apple iPhone!

The Touchscreen

The Storm features a touchscreen like both the i730 and iPhone, but its touchscreen differs from the rest of the field by implementing a feature called ClickThrough. ClickThrough essentially turns the entire screen into a physical button, so when you want to select an item on the screen or letter on the keyboard, you depress the entire screen, and it makes a click similar to any other hardware button. This dynamic is only one feature that sets it apart from the rest of the field. Having had all touchscreen phones in my phone career, I welcome the ClickThrough interface, as it may make typing on a touch screen more feasible.

Multitouch

Like the iphone, the Storm features multitouch capabilities. Some uses for the multitouch are selecting and copying text on the screen. Blackberry is known for being the device for the busy person on the go, and with the added multitouch capabilities, this will only make life easier.

www.gizmodo.com

Internet Email and Browsing

Blackberrys are highly regarded for their messaging and email support, and the Storm is no different. There is access to messaging and sms right from the home screen, and notifications appear as soon as you get a new email or text. The browser is full browser and very functional. However powerful the device may be, it IS still a handheld, so there are limitation on what you can view from the web.

Network

The Storm is has both EVDO and HSPA for data downloading and uploading. EVDO is the 3G, or third generation, network for Verizon. HSPA is the "3.5G" network, and offers faster download speeds where it is available. The one thing missing from it is wifi, which would make browsing on the internet a breeze, especially if you have FiOS at home.

Other goodies

The Storm strikes with other features including GPS, Bluetooth, VZ Navigator, Blackberry Maps, micro-SD expansion slot, and all the traditional goodies you can expect in Blackberry devices. To top it off, if you get the storm and you travel overseas, the device will work in some locations in Europe! Verizon offers a plan for discounted international rates.

Now of course as a developer, the biggest thing I am curious about is how developers feel about the device. Check out the video after the break for a look at Viigo development on the device.

Posted by Guru Lloyd | tagged: blackberry storm, Lloyd, phone