BlackBerry Storm 2 review
Updated, but is it improved?
RIM’s new touchscreen device, the Storm 2, has been unleashed to right the wrongs of the original BlackBerry Storm. Problems with the clickable screen belied an innovative design on the original, so has a complete redesign created a genuine Apple iPhone 3GS rival?
- Watch our BlackBerry Storm 2 hands-on video and hands-on pics
The Storm 2 looks very similar to the original, although feels a little heavier in the hand. The chassis now packs rubberised buttons on the outside, and the front keys have been integrated into the LCD after stories of these falling off earlier models.
The clickable screen - which still uses RIM’s SurePress technology, where you push the screen down to register a touch input - has been overhauled to allow multi-touch, so you can now press two virtual buttons at once for a speedier message input.
While it’s an improvement on the original Storm, we’re still not fans of having to push the screen down to register each input. The screen itself is slightly unstable under the touch as well, so doesn’t bring the premium feel you’d expect.
Texting is a real pleasure though, with the auto-correct so intuitive we think we could mash it with our nose and simply think our message, and the Storm 2 would enter it correctly.
However given RIM’s core market is the power-emailer, changing the way users input text is always going to be dangerous, and clicking the screen to enter text over a long period of time can get tiring.
The benefits of a touchscreen are well realised on the Storm 2, with a variety of virtual keyboard to choose from for text input, and copy and paste as simple as touching the text and dragging the relevant section.
Emailing was also a dream on the Storm 2, with push technology working as well as it has on all other BB devices, delivering messages as soon as they’re sent.
It seems the push technology does drain the battery a little though, as once we enabled 3G and connected to our email account the battery life dropped to around a day.
While the Storm 2 is great for messaging, calling wasn’t anywhere near as stable. A single call cut out mid-conversation between one or three times on average, which led to a lot of frustrated friends.
One advantage of a touchscreen is the ability to use media more simply, and the Storm 2 does that well. Video looks cracking, despite the screen resolution not being the sharpest on the market, and music playback simple too. We especially enjoyed how the library instantly auto-refreshed tunes when a new memory card was inserted, so grooving could be commenced more speedily.
We like the overall feel and responsiveness of the touchscreen, and for this reason the Storm 2’s internet browser was pretty slick, and flipping through web pages a dream.
However having to click the screen to hit links was a little fraught with danger - the accuracy isn’t the greatest, so there’s always an element of trepidation when trying to click through on the right part of the page.
Despite packing multi-touch support, there’s also no pinch-and-zoom on the Storm 2, meaning double clicking the screen to view text, which felt like a bit of a palaver at times.
Overall, the Storm 2 is a decent-enough device. It’s certainly an improvement on the original Storm with intuitive text support and an improved screen - it’s a testament to RIM’s innovation that it manages to keep pace with the likes of the Palm Pre, iPhone 3GS and HTC Hero.
The SurePress screen works well enough, but is likely to divide opinion among BlackBerry enthusiasts. We’re not entirely convinced by it, but you can understand RIM’s reasoning and if it’s a success the Storm 2 will stand out from a plethora of iPhone-a-like handsets on the market.
Link: BlackBerry
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The benefits of a touchscreen are well realised on the Storm 2, with a variety of virtual keyboard to choose from
| Our Rating |  |
|---|---|
| Price |
WE LOVE
Premium feel to itSlick device
Touchscreen is a cinch to use
Text input is almost magic in its ability to work out what you're trying to say
WE HATE
Poor call stabilityUnpractical screen
WE SAY
Certainly an upgrade for RIM, but that wasn't particularly hard from the original Storm. We like the direction the Storm range is taking, but given a choice between this and the Bold 9700, we'd plump for the latter's physical keyboard every timeEssential Mobile Apps
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