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Wed, 19 Nov 2008 Smartphone smackdown: iPhone 3G vs. BlackBerry Storm

How does RIM's new touch-screen BlackBerry stand up to Apple's king of the ring?

Mark Hattersley & Brad Reed, NetworkWorld

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Not wanting Apple and O2 to take all the smartphone glory, Research In Motion (RIM) has finally brought out its touchscreen BlackBerry Storm. It's taken a long time (longer than we thought, if truth be told) but the results are interesting.

Unlike other smartphone manufacturers, RIM hasn't just "aped" the iPhone 3G. In fact, it's created a very different kind of device with a lot of interesting new features, some of which bat the ball firmly back into Apple's court.

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Let's start off with the main attraction. The BlackBerry Storm sports a "clickable" screen that the company says simulates the feel of a physical keyboard. The Storm can connect to either EV-DO Rev. A or HSPA 3G cellular networks and features 1GB of onboard memory storage and a card slot that allows for up to 16GB of additional storage.

But while Vodafone is hoping that the BlackBerry Storm will be its own "iPhone killer," questions remain about whether the offering can match the popular Apple consumer device in several key areas. Here's a look at some early considerations.

Pricing details
The BlackBerry Storm slightly beats the iPhone for pricing, with a £35 per month contract with the handset free. Although you do need to sign up for a lengthy 24-month contract. For that you get 600 minutes, but unlimited texts and data usage. This compares favourably to the iPhone's £99 handset charge and £35 per month contract. More information is available from the Vodafone Shop.

Enterprise features
The iPhone is seen as a legitimate enterprise device now that it has access to Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync, a licensed data-synchronization protocol whose built-in support will give IT departments the ability to set password policies, set up VPN settings and perform remote data wipes on iPhones that have been lost or stolen. The iPhone also took a big step forward when it gained access to Cisco IPsec VPN, which Apple says will "ensure the highest level of IP-based encryption available for transmission of sensitive corporate data." However, as some analysts have pointed out, the BlackBerry still sets the standard for enterprise wireless devices due to its larger array of security policies, including the ability for IT departments to disable its digital cameras; to enable or shut down specific Bluetooth profiles and set how long the device is "discoverable" using Bluetooth; and to define which applications on a BlackBerry can access GPS capabilities.

In the keys
This could be an intriguing matchup, since neither the iPhone nor the Storm has a physical slide-out keyboard like the T-Mobile G1 does. However, RIM says that it is changing the game of how touchscreen keypads work with what it calls a "clickable screen." This means that users can actually press down on the digital keys on the screen and feel them being pressed and released just like they'd feel a mouse button being pressed and released. Thus, users will in theory be able to type much easier by having the touch of a standard qwerty keyboard on the digital screen of their smartphone.

Our early tests are favourable, with the physical clicking feel both intuitive and likeable. It also works beyond the keyboard in applications such as the Web browser, where you move around the screen by touching, and select links by clicking. Clever stuff.

This "clickable" keyboard could be a game changer, moving touchscreen technology on from Apple's great start.

NEXT: Multi-touch and Mac syncing

Continued...
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Comments received


Richie said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

I don't think clickable touch screen is a smart move, the purpose of a touch screen is to be touch not pressed as that leads you right back were you started from, the button.

Best off on a Laptop's track pad, just like Apple do today, touch screen is touch and buttons are pressed.

Mike said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

I just used it. It actually does have multi-touch and I used it to copy and paste... uh-oh iphone:(

Chewie said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

Very nice and no iTunes!

MacWorld Reader said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

OK, there are some incorrect elements to this article (although I haven't used one yet, this info is on the web) - the phone does not cost £300, and it is not dearer than the iPhone - it is cheaper. It is free on £35 per month tariff with unlimited data and 600 mins (24 month contract; £40 per month for 18 month contract). There is also some iTunes syncing, and tethering for modem use (missing from iPhone). If you are looking for a cheaper smartphone alternative how about the Nokia E71 - wi-fi, bluetooth, modem tethering, ability to create and edit office documents, push email, google maps, gps, and out of the box VOIP (no messing about with Fring) - £22.50 a month, free phone (three mobile). The competition is hotting up.

Macworld Staff said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

Apologies. Vodafone appears to have adjusted the price and contract details. We were originally told £300 plus £35 per month, this has changed. We have updated the story with correct pricing.

MickF said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

Anything is better than the iPhone. My partner is quickly falling out of love with her's. She just tried to fwd an SMS. Just lacking so much functionality it is a joke.

A better article said on Wed, 19 Nov 2008

This is so far the best iPhone v Storm article I've seen. All the others simply list out the Storm's features as if every different feature were a benefit. This one is solidly on the money. Enterprise use is Blackberry's strong suit. Jury's a bit out on the click rather than touch screen. That could eventually come down to personal preference. It's certainly good news for everyone that RIM has come out with what is in fact a super-duper Blackberry, rather than an 'iPhone killer' (read 'soon to be failed iClone').
Nice going, guys.
Martin Turner

willduo said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

For people who use the iPhone as a phone primarily I am sure the competition is hot on Apple's heels but for me the phone bit is just the annoying bit I have to have, that world is still not very elegant. It is the other things that the iPod provides that i like and one of those I only just got to use. I bought a cable which now allows me to use my iPhone to watch BBC iPlayer programmes on my TV...much more convenient than going upstairs to use my computer. This is one of many things the iPhone does that is miles away from the phone part which I also love because I always hated mobile phones before it came along.

Jemster said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

Don't forget, if you want e-mail integration with anything other than POP3 (or web) it's gonna cost you an additional £16 / month, see: www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/19/storm_bes/

Also... most glaringly obvious... where's the damn Wi-Fi?????

Charlie said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

"iClone" - I don't think so. Why would you want to clone an overated bit of bling like that.

Nokia 5800. It's the future. Good camera, voice bluetooth, MMS, text forwarding, no DRM tie in, video calls, replaceable battery (without any extra weight!!), stereo bluetooth, flash player, expandable memory and no bloomin iTunes. The sort of things Apple should have included as standard.

Arnie said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

But the Blackberry is a business phone and the iPhone is a "style over substance" phone. Totally different markets.

"where's the damn Wi-Fi?????" - No business worth talking about uses Wi-Fi.

AppleObserver.net said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

Apple and O2 really need to do something on the price of the iPhone. You'd think they'd have done something to steal the Storms thunder when it launched but nope they let it slip.

MacWorld Reader said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

Did you hear that? The sound of the G1 price dropping (now £30 per month free phone, T-mobile). Let the game of dominoes begin.

Ian K said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

The G1 was always going to fail, however, the OS has more potential than most people think. I have programed it and the iPhone, I know where I would put my money in the long term.

MacWorld Reader said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

@Ian K: I'm afraid you're being a bit ambiguous for me. Are you saying Android or iPhone will succeed? The thing that I can't see is the best developers going to the Android and giving away apps (and having a smaller audience) when they can charge money for them on the iPhone. Of course Open Source has brought us a long way, but increasingly, especially in this economic climate people want to be paid for the work they do.

Ian K said on Thu, 20 Nov 2008

The best developers don't touch phones, only hard up ones. The lack of real functionality will be the undoing of the iPhone. It has reached saturation in a market that is only just opening up, anyone can look good.

MacWorld Reader said on Fri, 21 Nov 2008

Well the O2 online store has been in a state of maintenance all morning displaying a picture of the iPhone in place of the store and informing us that the tariff page is still available - must be pretty annoying if you were going to order a phone this morning. Anyway, looks like the price drop prediction might be coming true. So at least there might be one good thing to come from this recession - more affordable smartphones at last.

MacWorld Reader said on Fri, 21 Nov 2008

Well the O2 online store has been in a state of maintenance all morning displaying a picture of the iPhone in place of the store and informing us that the tariff page is still available - must be pretty annoying if you were going to order a phone this morning. Anyway, looks like the price drop prediction might be coming true. So at least there might be one good thing to come from this recession - more affordable smartphones at last.

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