Blackberry to Storm Touch-Screen Market

[admin]

The makers of Blackberry tossed its keychain into the touch-screen fishbowl this week. As it dives into the same market as iPhone, RIM hopes to attract some crossover Apple unfaithful. But is the Waterloo tech firm taking a risk introducing the new Blackberry Storm in the midst of a financial world-storm?

Discuss "Blackberry to Storm Touch-Screen Market" here. Read the article.

 

[bandphan]

3g crack, im in

 

[emorphien]

I prefer a "real" keyboard... I am quite happy with my Curve and not terribly fond of the iPhones I have used. I'm not sure this will be significantly better even if it does have the clicky screen.

 

[MidnightSensi]

I'm interested in if the browser will be any better. The browser on my Curve absolutely sucks. The lack of wifi may be because Blackberry has battery life standards they have to meet for big businesses that buy them. I'll try the keyboard and see if it works for me.

 

[j_garcia]

I have a LG Dare and I have no problem with the touch keyboard - it works surprisingly well even compared to the tiny hard button keyboards on the Berries. I just got it and am still within the return period. I was hoping Storm would be available sooner because I was interested, but I heard the official street date is Nov2. My Dare also has a 3.2mp camera with variable zoom/autofocus as well as GPS features. I really just don't like the iPhone.

 

[aberkowitz]

The really cool thing about this phone is that it allows you to use 2 different types of keyboards depending on how you hold the phone. Hold it vertically and you have the "pearl" type of abridged keyboard (2 letters per key), but switch it horizontally and it automatically switches to a full QWERTY keyboard.

If you go to blackberry.com you can actually download a simulator that let's you "use" different functions of the phone.

 

[j_garcia]

The Dare does something similar too (I think all of the touch phones do this) - gives you a standard phone keypad if you hold it vertically and gives you QWERTY when you rotate it horizontally.

 

[EJ1]

Looks sweet but I need tactile feedback, so I'll stick with my BlackJack.

 

[j_garcia]

Meaning what? You like physical buttons? These things all have the little "vibrate" upon key press feature, but I don't like it; it was the first thing I turned off.

 

[EJ1]

Meaning what? You like physical buttons? These things all have the little "vibrate" upon key press feature, but I don't like it; it was the first thing I turned off.

Ah, I didn't know they had that but yes, physical buttons. That's why I'm looking at some HTC phones because they offer both.

 

[j_garcia]

Yep. I love the G1 but no way I am going to go with T-Mobile.

 

[aberkowitz]

I figure I'll try it out for 30 days for free... if I hate the touchscreen I'll switch back to my 8830. My wife & I looked into both switching over to the iPhone, but the service package is not much cheaper than what we pay with Verizon (even with corporate discounts) and AT&T has notoriously bad service in NYC.

 

[j_garcia]

The one and only thing I hate about touchscreen is fingerprints. Easy to clean, impossible to prevent.

 

[Wayde Robson]

I've been using the HTC Touch for awhile now and I am fully used to its touch screen. I downloaded a third party full screen keyboard that works wonders over the basic Win Mobile touch keyboard.

I think it's whatever you're used to, it's easy to adapt. I'm inhereting a Blackberry Curve at work and I think I'll retire the HTC Touch for it. I don't want to carry around multiple devices. The curve looks like it'll carry a modest 'workout' playlist for my runs so I can use as a portable music player as well for runs.

 

[EJ1]

I've been using the HTC Touch for awhile now and I am fully used to its touch screen. I downloaded a third party full screen keyboard that works wonders over the basic Win Mobile touch keyboard.

I think it's whatever you're used to, it's easy to adapt. I'm inhereting a Blackberry Curve at work and I think I'll retire the HTC Touch for it. I don't want to carry around multiple devices. The curve looks like it'll carry a modest 'workout' playlist for my runs so I can use as a portable music player as well for runs.

I can take that HTC Touch off your hands.

 

[jonnythan]

I've had an Instinct on Sprint for about two weeks now. I really, really love it. It has a horizontal on-screen QWERTY keyboard with auto-correct that works great. I'm starting to be able to type pretty quickly on it.

Streaming TV and radio and turn-by-turn GPS FTW.

I bet the Storm is going to be awesome, too.

 

[EJ1]

My phone of choice if I could afford it, haha.

 

[jonnythan]

My GF will probably be replacing her Moto Q9c with the Touch Pro some time next year, if it's not too expensive.

 

[Wayde Robson]

I can take that HTC Touch off your hands.

Off the top of my head I think I'd sell it for like $100 US. I really don't know what it'd be worth.

I'm not trying to turn this into a sales thread but...

It's unlocked. I have none of the stuff that came with it and to be honest it's not in mint condition but it's well been cared for. It bears only a couple of minor scratches that I don't think you'd even notice unless it was pointed out.

There is a strange area on the screen that is slightly discolored though. I don't know how annoying that would be. It's an are of about a few px x a few px that just seems to stay a little darker than the rest of the screen. It's been that way since soon after I got it. I should have sent it back but it was so minor I seldom even notice it.

I may not ever get that much for it, I have no idea of its market value today. I haven't done the first search on kijiji or ebay to see what people are selling for these days.

 

[Wayde Robson]

My phone of choice if I could afford it, haha.

In a year it'll be worth half what it's worth today.