Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!
By Jacob Schulman 
posted May 14th 2009 11:44PM
posted May 14th 2009 11:44PM
[Thanks, BBninja1389]
posted May 14th 2009 11:44PM
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Sim card? So theoretically, it _might_ be made to work on the AT&T network?
This phone is an anorexic fashionista.
It seems that RIM has a serious problem keeping their unreleased products from leaking.
Maybe its me, but it looks just like the first one... I cannot tell difference between the first and the second...maybe a few color changes. Just doesn't seem that ground breaking (yet)
If you still have to wait for the screen to go down and up before you click another letter, typing will still be slow...
The touch buttons below the screen are a step down from the Storm 1.....
But let's see if the speed and fluidity were really the only thing that was wrong with the Storm...
>> "If you still have to wait for the screen to go down and up before you click another letter, typing will still be slow..."
For real... A couple of my friends had the Storm... so I played with it a little bit. And I tried it at the store too.
I ended up getting a Curve... I just like having a real keyboard. My Curve only cost $30 after my upgrade credit and online purchase. It does everything I need it to do... Opera Mini for the browser, PodTrapper for podcasts, Facebook, Twitter, music, videos, everything. I'm happy!
I just don't see the point of the click screen. My girlfriend has an iPod Touch, and a few friends have iPhones. It makes sooooo much more sense to just *touch* the touchscreen of the iPhone... instead of mashing it down on the Storm. Having a movable screen makes the Storm feel cheap too. You know how flimsy things feel when they flex in your hand? The Storm screen flexes on purpose! In contrast... the iPhone screen is rock solid and actually give a more positive feel. When you touch it... it registers the click. On the Storm you actually have to press to make it register the click.
Sure, a large screen like the Storm looks great... nice, big and bright... but they junked it up my making it click. How did this pass quality control?
I went on a typing speed site the other day on my Storm. Most comments say, "i typed 30wps on my iphone! yay!"
I tried it on my Storm. 40wps was easy. The 'click' works for a lot of people..
Indeed, I can type a lot faster on a storm than I can on an iphone. However the traditional kepads are far quicker. But then the choice is over either a bigger better screen or a faster typing experience. I love the storm but if you need to send a lot of long emails every day then the more traditional Blackberrys are obviously a better choice.
Monkey: I'm not going to challenge that you like using the Storm's screen/clicker more than an iPhone. But you are in a very small minority. Very few other people are interested in devoting themselves as you have done to make the Storm experience a pleasant one. The device just didn't inspire that in people, screen clicker or not, the software wasn't up to snuff.
I messed with one the week it came out and it was not acceptable to me. Maybe this one will be nicer.
No full Qwerty tactile keyboard, no thanks
How have we not gotten something like this for the Pre?? Something with a battery cover off, or anything!?
FIRST!
If only RIM would listen to me! How to make the storm highly successful:
1) Use an OMAP3 chip or equivalent with at least a 600Mhz ARM Cortex-A8 and PowerVR graphics.
2) Spend time optimizing the OS! The faster processor will cut you some slack but the original Storm was terrible. A major change that is essential is to write a new interface layer on Blackberry OS that takes advantage of HARDWARE GRAPHICS ACCELERATION! a smooth, lag-free interface on the OS and 3rd party applications is essential in a next-gen smartphone. (see Android, iPhone, Palm Pre)
3) Immediately replace the browser with a webkit derivative. If possible, just use the open source browser from Android or purchase any number of small developer houses making advanced mobile browsers. Related to this is the hardware graphics acceleration which will dramatically improve the user experience with sleek zooming and panning of accurately rendered web pages.
I think it's possible that Blackberry just doesn't need to go into this market space. Just as Apple hasn't offered a phone with a physical QWERTY, maybe Blackberry is just going against the "currant" (also a berry; get it?...Ok. Never mind, strike that...) current of what people want from a Blackberry: seamless e-mail integration and robust typing. For many Blackberry users, the touch-screen Storm was like the WORST of both worlds: A Blackberry with all the inconvenience of touch-screen iPhone typing without the awesome OS and software of the iPhone.
Obviously Monkey and the other guy have hit typing levels not often reached by those burdened with owning the first-gen Storm, so typing on one is possible, but perhaps the typical Blackberry customer doesn't want to spend time developing that skill, although I do feel that you simply get accustomed to what you have. The first weekend I had my iPhone, I was wondering if I had made a serious mistake - the typing was arduous. But within the week things were cool, I was using both thumbs, and within two weeks I hit a level where I can honestly say I doubt Monkey or coolblue would best me in a typing contest, I think it would likely be a tie. I now dislike typing on a phone with a physical keyboard because it requires pressing, where the iPhone typing is a light touch across glass. But again: I think you get fast on whatever you have.
My hand smell fish, I wonder why...
does it still have the click sceen? I wish it was a little more "box" shaped then the weird curved look that blackberry's have. I wonder if the browser is any better.
POStorm2
Yes the POStorm has the worst of both worlds: a touchscreen that you have to push . Even better, when you push a letter, it often skips to the letter next to it . I think that at some point in the future, the iPhone will either be available with a hard button keyboard or as an accessory to a touchscreen iPhone.
Doesn't look as good and refined as the iPhone, RIM should be disappointed.
Have they abandoned the clicky screen yet?
Please Blackberry Focus on the Web browser.
For real this time. the Bold browser suuucked so much at first (now it's ok but not great yet ..)
Why don't you use webkit ? Or let Opera take care of it.
Opera mini is cool but Opera Mobile is so much better !
It look the same as the first one, epic lame :(
Looks like it has CDMA in it.
MEID located, and inked out on the bottom of the internal sticker under the battery.
and has Activation Required located at the top of the screen.
which,
if i remember correctly,
doesnt show up on GSM only,
because of the SIM card being required to be inserted for function.
storm 1 had the screen that clicks in aka SurePress
storm 2 has the screen that doesnt click in aka TruePress
I noticed one constant in these comments, this is a blackberry designed to compete with the iPhone, it’s not a blackberry iPhone or the Apple Storm. It’s a phone for those that love their blackberries but would also like to have the features of the next gen smart devices.
I have both, the iPhone definitely wins in the streaming videos, Music, and Gaming aspect But i love the navigation on the Storm and using it to check my all of my emails and i also use it to type more than i do on my iPhone. I complete understand and enjoy the idea behind the button screen although its not as solid as one would like, in my eyes it is one of many ideas that can be Incorporated to touch screen phones in order to bring texting to the next level. I am glad RIM took the risk and went in this direction; this can only lead to better things down the line. The only thing I am concerned with is the price on an upgrade.
Now if there was a way to make these to phone mate and produce a mutant of a smart phone unlike any other!!