RSSBlackBerry Storm 2 vs. BlackBerry Storm: The complete specs
By Tim Conneally | Published October 15, 2009, 12:17 PM
As expected, Research in Motion today released the specs for the BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550), and it really does appear to be mostly the same as its predecessor, except with crucial improvements in the areas that disappointed users most.
| BlackBerry Storm 2 (9550) | BlackBerry Storm (9530) | |
| Size | 4.43" x 2.45" x .55" | 4.43" x 2.45" x .55" |
| Display | 3.25" (480 x 360) capacitive multitouch/gestural | 3.25" (480 x 360) capacitive touch |
| Memory | 256 MB Flash, 2 GB on-board storage | 125MB Flash, (192 MB RAM), 1 GB on-board storage |
| Network Support | Dual Band CDMA/EV-DO Rev A., Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, single band UMTS/HSPA | Dual Band CDMA/EV-DO Rev A., Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, single band UMTS/HSPA |
| Connectivity | 802.11b/g/d/i, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR1) Integrated GPS with A-GPS Capabilities | Bluetooth 2.0, Standalone GPS, A-GPS |
| Battery | 1400 mAhr Li-Ion, 5-6 hours of talk time, 11.2-12.7 days of standby time | 1400 mAhr Li-Ion, 6 hours talk time, 15 days of standby time |
| Imaging | 3.2 MP Video/ 2x zoom AF camera with flash and image stabilization | 3.2 MP Video/ 2x zoom AF camera with flash |
Weight| 5.64 oz. | 5.47 oz. | |
The major upgrades in the Storm 2 are the inclusion of Wi-Fi, the increase in storage, and the "next-gen" Surepress interface. Surepress was intended to mimic the click of a mouse with a touchscreen, where any contact with the screen would highlight selections, but actions only took place when the screen was pressed into and clicked. Unfortunately, with a single point of contact behind the screen, the original Surepress user experience was somewhat unrefined. Research in Motion is promising much better accuracy with the new Surepress, which has four points of contact instead of just one. The company says this gives the onscreen keyboard (especially the portrait mode keyboard, which was highly imprecise) better responsiveness, and should provide a more engaging touch experience.
The Storm 2 is going to launch later this month in the US (through Verizon), Canada, and the UK. In Canada, it's expected not only on Rogers Communications, but also BCE Inc. and Telus. In the UK, it's expected to arrive on Vodafone, where the device will reportedly be free with a two-year contract of at least £35 per month. American carriers have not yet disclosed how much the handset will be subsidized.
got this (the original) storm to replace a Treo 700wx... it's night and day how much better the blackberry is. Performance isn't nearly as good as the keyboard blackberry devices, but it's substantially better than anything WinMO (read: no crashing)
the storm 2 looks nice, and the added wifi and multitouch are great, but I'd imagine that Storm 3 would be the one to upgrade to...
can't compare this with an iPhone to be honest, yes, they're both touch screen phones, but the BB isn't designed as a toy, and was never meant to be one, it's a multitasking secure digital communications device, as opposed to a speedy pretty single task toy with 10 billion apps (only 9 million of which are fart simulators)
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|no crashing? Are we using the same Blackberry Storm?
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|yawn. iPhone 3GS kills this just like the first Storm. My wifes father got a Storm from his work and that thing was a total turd. I was embarrassed for him. My aunt just got a 3GS today and that thing is so fast it is nuts. I am going to have to sell my iPhone 3G and get the 3GS as soon as i get back from vacation.
Score: -1
|I never understood the Storm. It seems is only done to please people that like to have a big screen instead of a real keyboard. I still prefer a keyboard based BlackBerry.
Can't run multiple applications at the same time (ie. Instant Messaging, Internet Radio, Browser, Calculator, Game...) yes, I'm really embarrassed.
Score: -1
|Two things:
1) iPhone 3GS is newer tech than the original Storm, so you'd be better comparing Storm2 to iPhone 3GS if you're going to make the comparison.
2) iPhone 3GS was the third version of the iPhone, Storm is the first version. What did you expect from someone's first attempt in the touch screen market?
Score: -1
|"embarassed for him"...ah, the poor plebes who have not been blessed by the touch of His Holiness, Jobs....
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|(UK): I am so very very tempted to get this phone. Even more so now that Vodafone's exclusivity deal comes to an end when they get the iPhone. If the Storm 2 manages to get on Orange, then it's a win win situation for me. iPhone is going to Orange and if Storm 2 goes to Orange as well then it's luvvly jubbly. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these to have a play around with. My iPhone contract expires March 2010 and I'm not waiting further until July 2010 for the next version of iPhone. Heck I may even reduce my current monthly plan from £35p/m to £30p/m and then just buy out the contract (I can sell my iPhone for £210). This news of the release of Storm 2 is fantastic news for the customer. I also believe you can get Opera Mini on Blackberry, what about the new Firefox mobile (Fennec I believe)?
Score: -1
|I believe Fennec is available just on certain Nokia phones at this time. Opera Mini on the BB works pretty well. I use it on my 8900.
Score: -2
|Opera Mini 5 is quite good as a replacement for the bundle browser. Support tabs and renders quite well sites. It's decently fast and easy to use.
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