[rsarno]

Made in Mexico
shipped with .75, wiped and upgraded to Bell .76 i think? And then wiped to install .83

I should preface this with the fact that i am a new BB user, and i currently also use an iphone, so many of my frustrations come with settings/configurations/how-to/etc.

Not for any particular reason other than i actually own both phones, i will do my own personal comparison as i go against the iphone.

So my initial thoughts a week ago were to quote "oh damn what have i gotten myself into" and ill explain this a bit ...
iphone 1 (initial reaction to iphone was "wow this is amazing")
storm 0

SETTINGS
The device is overwhelming! A zillion settings. Different configurations. Different options. Different apps. Seems like no matter what you do, it requires to first go through some sort of settings. I am a tech guy (work in software development and live on my pc) and i had trouble understanding some of this stuff. I do not know how a 60yr old contractor who knows nothing about pc's is going to get along with this phone ... i would venture to say it may be impossible without having some decent PC knowledge.
iphone 1 (iphone is extremely easy, any monkey can use it without screwing it up)
storm 0

PHONE
After going through the billion settings to learn what was what, and how to do what i like, i finally got to make some calls. I LOVED IT! People i was speaking to thought i was on a landline ... meanwhile i was walking on Wall St in Manhattan and i had my headphone/mic on! Fantastic, this thing is crisp, clear, and i love it on my end as well.
iphone 0 (everyone always tells me i sound like sh*t when on iphone)
storm 1

EMAIL
We all know BB wins this hands down. No questions, no feedback needed. Ask me specific questions if you need answers.
iphone 0
storm 1

CUSTOMIZATION
While i hate the billion settings, this really does allow for a nearly unlimited amount of customization! I guess its the sweet and sour of this phone. Sound profiles, keyboard settings, camera settings, phone settings, contact settings, on and on and on.
iphone 0 (very little customization is offered)
storm 1

CAMERA
I think as of THIS MOMENT i like the iphone camera better only because it is snappy! However, because the storm has soooo many useful settings for the camera (see white balance, flash settings, res, etc) the point definitely goes to the storm. My gripe with the cam are that it is laggy, flash is too bright at times, auto focus is slow, etc. But interface is nice and i think it has potential to be way better than the iphone once the software is ironed out. I haven't even tried the video camera, but the fact its there is good lol.
iphone 0
storm 1

ACCELEROMETER
Despite what you may have read, or other reviews ... i actually think it is much nicer on the storm. More responsive by far! However, it drives me F'ing nuts that it flips into landscape mode when sitting on desk. Simple software fix though, so lets keep fingers crossed. I think even with its flaws, te storm at this moment has a much nicer accelerometer than my iphone.
iphone 0
storm 1

MMS
Doesn't exist on iphone, and this is a HUGE feature for me.
iphone 0
storm 1

MEDIA
you cant deny iPhone does this better, but that's fine because that's their business built on the ipod they have had years to perfect it. However, i have been extensively using the storm and i think while not as perfect as the iphone, it is definitely sufficient. And yes im a heavy user ... 3hrs per day on the subway Anyway just for pitty sake, ill let iphone take this point without too much argument hehe
iphone 1
storm 0

APPS
lets not even go there lol ... the few that are released, seem to be buggy or non functional. I miss my facebook app!!!
iphone 1
storm 0

BROWSER
I am using standard BB browser. Apart from Crackberry site, all other sites seem to load quick! The paging and loading of sites is FAR better on the storm. The only thing the iphone has is the ability to "flick" to the bottom .... but if the page isnt loading fast enough, what good is the flicking? lol
iphone 0
storm 1

KEYBOARD
for 2 days i hated it because i was used to the iphone. NOW, i cannot live without it! GENIUS idea to give it tactile feedback! I think it can use some tweaking such as word correction, curser moving (improving upon) etc, but overall it is brilliant.
iphone 0
storm 1


----------------------------------------

GRIPES
1. When i get a phone call and im on headphones, it rings on the handset. IMO it should ring in the earbuds only!

2. Landscape when sitting on the desk. Super annoying

3. Silence button on top right appears to be non-functional. I would like to have this put my entire phone into VIB mode when pressed, but its not working
**Im being told this works if you hold the button down ... i will test, if so that is great thanks!

4. LOCK button on top left should be INSTANT! The iphone really nailed this. There should be no delay at all when i hit that button .. hit the button = LOCKED

5. groups in email. WTF? This phone should be a BEAST with email functionality. How is it that i cannot create groups in outlook and sync them into the storm?? i should be able to send emails to "Team A" and it goes to whoever i specify to be in that group. I don't think this is possible because when looking at the contacts page, i dont see a way to view "groups"
**again not tested, but apparently if you categorize contacts in outlook you can then "filter" by those categories within Storm by hitting the BB button! Thanks!

6. While sending an SMS how the he|| do i pull up my contact list to select names from? Yes i can begin typing their names, but i have way too many to remember who i want to send stuff to. I do it by sight.
**im being told that while composing an SMS to hit the BB button and there is an option to "show all contacts" if it works, thanks!

7. Battery pulls. Are you friggin serious?! This is absurd that i have to do battery pulls on a brand new device in the year 2009. This should have come with a built in feature that cleans memory every 10min or something, and the apps should be thoroughly tested or not released. There is no reason i should be getting "app error" and forced to do a bat pull.

8. NO BEJEWELED! no device is complete without this game. Screw up the maps app, the weather app, and even the voicemail app .... but give me a bejewled game and ill be happy forever hehe

In conclusion. I think this device was prematurely released. I think the hardware is in check (although they could seal the cracks eh?) but the software aspects of the device, and most apps are just needing a lot of work. However, because of the potential of this device i hav a feeling i will be keeping this through my 30 day return date.

For the most part i think my bugs/glitches can be corrected with a software fix ... so lets all cross our fingers and pray for a few really good updates!

Thanks everyone, sorry for the long wined post.

and feel free to ask me some questions, id love to help some of you .... lord knows this board puts up with enough sh*t from me, might as well pay some back hehe

[SeattleGrace]

I'm not going to read all of this, I just want to say that as far as the settings go, they're in-depth for a reason. BB strives to make a phone that can be perfect for anyone, no matter who you are and what you need it for. Everyone has different expectations and requirements for the phone - BB wants to accessible to everyone.

[rsarno]

I'm not going to read all of this, I just want to say that as far as the settings go, they're in-depth for a reason. BB strives to make a phone that can be perfect for anyone, no matter who you are and what you need it for. Everyone has different expectations and requirements for the phone - BB wants to accessible to everyone.

ok, well thanks for not reading it lol

had you read it, you would have seen this:

CUSTOMIZATION
While i hate the billion settings, this really does allow for a nearly unlimited amount of customization! I guess its the sweet and sour of this phone. Sound profiles, keyboard settings, camera settings, phone setings, contact settings, on and on and on.
iphone 0 (very little customization is offered)
storm 1

[lapeter#CB]

When phone is locked (as when it is in the BB holster and you take it out) and you push and hold down the top right MUTE button, the phone goes into vibration mood. I really like that. I also really like the BB holster.
PS- good, right on review

[rsarno]

oh and please post and let me know what you think of my review, it took a long time to write and my fingers hurt so at least share with me your opinion

[chuckh0308]

I would mostly agree with you except for your browser choice. Even with it's notorius crashes, the Safari browser on the iPhone, IMO, is far superior to the BB browser. Perhaps your problem there has more to do with your connections speeds where you are using it?

The keyboard thing is definitely a matter of personal preference. To be honest, I don't like either one...I would prefer a physical keyboard. That said, I think I would give the Storm a slight edge over the iPhone simply because it offers the keyboard in landscape mode. Sometimes I find the click through frustrating and annoying though, even after a month of using it.

I'd say it's a tie in the media department. The iPhone offers better sound quality, superior organization and ease of use, and a prettier interface. But, the Storm has something that iPhone doesn't and that's stereo bluetooth support. Since that is more important to me (and quite important overall) than a pretty interface, I might actually give the Storm a bit of a lead based on that alone.

I found the lock and unlock to be extremely frustrating at first. I would push the button and think nothing happened, so I would push it again. Then it would proceded with both actions. So if I were trying to lock it then it would lock and then unlock again immediately since I pushed the button twice...irritating! However, after upgrading to .83 OS it locks right away and I haven't had that problem. Are you still getting slow response with the .83?

Overall, I like both phones, but I'm not one of these people who refuses to see shortcomings and both these devices have them.

[asmallchild]

excellent review, i really appreciate info like this!

[lapeter#CB]

I just did above. Thank you

oh and please post and let me know what you think of my review, it took a long time to write and my fingers hurt so at least share with me your opinion

[SeattleGrace]

ok, well thanks for not reading it lol

had you read it, you would have seen this:

CUSTOMIZATION
While i hate the billion settings, this really does allow for a nearly unlimited amount of customization! I guess its the sweet and sour of this phone. Sound profiles, keyboard settings, camera settings, phone setings, contact settings, on and on and on.
iphone 0 (very little customization is offered)
storm 1

Well, I read that part, that's why I commented on it.
And I didn't say you were wrong...just sharing a fact on the matter.

[texas1]

great thread i liked it and i believe the comparsions are fair and just to both phones but take into account the iphone its on its 3rd one this is the storms first and we compare it to the 3rd set of iphones so that shows me rim will master this and when those needed software updates and released the device will be flawless i hope and when themes come out it will be even more customizable the only thing i'm afraid of are the gaps in the screen and the overall build of the product, but if it stays togetherit will be a great phone!

[JoshH37]

I also was a long time iPhone user and will agree with almost all point except that I love the customization and can understand this would be difficult for new smartphone users whereas the iPhone is pick up and go.. And I think the iPhone browser is still superior as of now. Other than that I fully enjoy the keyboard/email/settings the blackberry has to offer.. Battery pulls could go but I hardly notice it. The one thing I am left desiring is an application manager similar to something on the winmo phones. Thanks for the review and I am sure it will help users torn between carriers!

[smasha]

very nice comparison....fair and impartial....respect.


I gotta say that though the iphone seems so much more "flawless" i'm becoming more and more addicted to this storm....learning new things everyday

[arsocwkr]

Thanks for this. Though I love my curve, I have been lusting after both of these phones for some time. Anytime I can get a "real" users opinions, especially with a compare/contrast it helps. Thanks again and great review!

[jason1332]

Well done OP.

[Stang68]

Great job. I agree with most of the points you made. The iPhone is a great device, but the Storm trumps it. Once they get the App Center out in March and the OS is totally stabilized soon, it will be amazing.

[fecurtis]

Very well written. Also, I'd like to add that I like the fact that the iPhone has a ".com" button on their keyboard. A very small gripe but very convenient while browsing.

The OS just needs to catch up to the hardware and once that happens this phone will be solid.

[RockGun]

Made in Mexico
shipped with .75, wiped and upgraded to Bell .76 i think? And then wiped to install .83

I should preface this with the fact that i am a new BB user, and i currently also use an iphone, so many of my frustrations come with settings/configurations/how-to/etc.

Not for any particular reason other than i actually own both phones, i will do my own personal comparison as i go against the iphone.

So my initial thoughts a week ago were to quote "oh damn what have i gotten myself into" and ill explain this a bit ...
iphone 1 (initial reaction to iphone was "wow this is amazing")
storm 0

SETTINGS
The device is overwhelming! A zillion settings. Different configurations. Different options. Different apps. Seems like no matter what you do, it requires to first go through some sort of settings. I am a tech guy (work in software development and live on my pc) and i had trouble understanding some of this stuff. I do not know how a 60yr old contractor who knows nothing about pc's is going to get along with this phone ... i would venture to say it may be impossible without having some decent PC knowledge.
iphone 1 (iphone is extremely easy, any monkey can use it without screwing it up)
storm 0

PHONE
After going through the billion settings to learn what was what, and how to do what i like, i finally got to make some calls. I LOVED IT! People i was speaking to thought i was on a landline ... meanwhile i was walking on Wall St in Manhattan and i had my headphone/mic on! Fantastic, this thing is crisp, clear, and i love it on my end as well.
iphone 0 (everyone always tells me i sound like sh*t when on iphone)
storm 1

EMAIL
We all know BB wins this hands down. No questions, no feedback needed. Ask me specific questions if you need answers.
iphone 0
storm 1

CUSTOMIZATION
While i hate the billion settings, this really does allow for a nearly unlimited amount of customization! I guess its the sweet and sour of this phone. Sound profiles, keyboard settings, camera settings, phone setings, contact settings, on and on and on.
iphone 0 (very little customization is offered)
storm 1

CAMERA
I think as of THIS MOMENT i like the iphone camera better only because it is sappy! However, because the storm has soooo many useful settings for the camera (see white balance, flash settings, res, etc) the point definitely goes to the storm. My gripe with the cam are that it is laggy, flash is too bright at times, auto focus is slow, etc. But interface is nice and i think it has potential to be way better than the iphone once the software is ironed out. I haven't even tried the video camera, but the fact its there is good lol.
iphone 0
storm 1

ACCELEROMETER
Despite what you may have read, or other reviews ... i actually think it is much nicer on the storm. More responsive by far! However, it drives me F'ing nuts that it flips into landscape mode when sitting on desk. Simple software fix though, so lets keep fingers crossed. I think even with its flaws, te storm at this moment has a much nicer accelerometer than my iphone.
iphone 0
storm 1

MMS
Doesn't exist on iphone, and this is a HUGE feature for me.
iphone 0
storm 1

MEDIA
you cant deny iPhone does this better, but that's fine because that's their business built on the ipod they have had years to perfect it. However, i have been extensively using the storm and i think while not as perfect as the iphone, it is definitely sufficient. And yes im a heavy user ... 3hrs per day on the subway Anyway just for pitty sake, ill let iphone take this point without too much argument hehe
iphone 1
storm 0

APPS
lets not even go there lol ... the few that are released, seem to be buggy or non functional. I miss my facebook app!!!
iphone 1
storm 0

BROWSER
I am using standard BB browser. Apart from Crackberry site, all other sites seem to load quick! The paging and loading of sites is FAR better on the storm. The only thing the iphone has is the ability to "flick" to the bottom .... but if the page isnt loading fast enough, what good is the flicking? lol
iphone 0
storm 1

KEYBOARD
for 2 days i hated it because i was used to the iphone. NOW, i cannot live without it! GENIUS idea to give it tactile feedback! I think it can use some tweaking such as word correction, curser moving (improving upon) etc, but overall it is brilliant.
iphone 0
storm 1


----------------------------------------

GRIPES
1. When i get a phone call and im on headphones, it rings on the handset. IMO it should ring in the earbuds only!

2. Landscape when sitting on the desk. Super annoying

3. Silence button on top right appears to be non-functional. I would like to have this put my entire phone into VIB mode when pressed, but its not working

4. LOCK button on top left should be INSTANT! The iphone really nailed this. There should be no delay at all when i hit that button .. hit the button = LOCKED

5. groups in email. WTF? This phone should be a BEAST with email functionality. How is it that i cannot create groups in outlook and sync them into the storm?? i should be able to send emails to "Team A" and it goes to whoever i specify to be in that group. I don't think this is possible because when looking at the contacts page, i dont see a way to view "groups"

6. While sending an SMS how the he|| do i pull up my contact list to select names from? Yes i can begin typing their names, but i have way too many to remember who i want to send stuff to. I do it by sight.

7. Battery pulls. Are you friggin serious?! This is absurd that i have to do battery pulls on a brand new device in the year 2009. This should have come with a built in feature that cleans memory every 10min or something, and the apps should be thoroughly tested or not released. There is no reason i should be getting "app error" and forced to do a bat pull.

In conclusion. I think this device was prematurely released. I think the hardware is in check (although they could seal the cracks eh?) but the software aspects of the device, and most apps are just needing a lot of work. However, because of the potential of this device i hav a feeling i will be keeping this through my 30 day return date.

For the most part i think my bugs/glitches can be corrected with a software fix ... so les all cross our fingers and pray for a few really good updates!

Thanks everyone, sorry for the long wined post.

and feel free to ask me some questions, id love to help some of you .... lord knows this board puts up with enough sh*t from me, might as well pay some back hehe

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I for one agree with your review and echo most of what you have revealed. The STORM is an absolute and most of us who pay for this phone and the calling plan will enjoy it more as they continue to work out the bugs. I'm patient....are the rest of you BB-ers?

[bobswi]

5. groups in email. WTF? This phone should be a BEAST with email functionality. How is it that i cannot create groups in outlook and sync them into the storm?? i should be able to send emails to "Team A" and it goes to whoever i specify to be in that group. I don't think this is possible because when looking at the contacts page, i dont see a way to view "groups"

6. While sending an SMS how the he|| do i pull up my contact list to select names from? Yes i can begin typing their names, but i have way too many to remember who i want to send stuff to. I do it by sight.

5. I worked out how to do groups the other day, you have to create a group in contacts then you can just add the group in to the "To:" field.

6. When the "To:" field is selected if you hit the blackberry key to bring up the menu you can "Choose Contact" then it brings up all your contacts.

[CSSVT]

My only gripe with....well all reviews that I've seen....your review is with regard to media. My roommate has an iPhone that I've used multiple times and, minus the ability to download songs OTA (which they technically have with rhapsody) I fail to see how the iPhone is really *THAT* much better with regards to media.

I guess it's prettier? but honestly I don't see any differents other than a few unimportant (IMO) things and volume? I dunno, maybe I'm just missin something but a media player is a media player to me....if it plays songs and videos and allows me to shuffle, go back, go forward, pause, play and stop....then that's all I need.

[BB_Wyo]

Good job and thanks.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jeffmvr]

My only gripe with....well all reviews that I've seen....your review is with regard to media. My roommate has an iPhone that I've used multiple times and, minus the ability to download songs OTA (which they technically have with rhapsody) I fail to see how the iPhone is really *THAT* much better with regards to media.

I guess it's prettier? but honestly I don't see any differents other than a few unimportant (IMO) things and volume? I dunno, maybe I'm just missin something but a media player is a media player to me....if it plays songs and videos and allows me to shuffle, go back, go forward, pause, play and stop....then that's all I need.

I agree 100%.

The media on the Iphone isn't as great as everybody makes it out to be. Sure it's good, but seriously... just because it's made by Apple doesn't mean it will never be beat. The two phones are equal when it comes to media, IMO.

[rsarno]

In fairness to both I did not test bluetooth or wifi

And I'd like to add a gripe ... No bejeweled on storm yet!

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[chrisb1231]

i pretty much agree with everything you said except the browser, my sister has a ipod touch and ive used it on the toilet quite a bit...that has stopped since upgrading from my pearl to the storm because the safari is vastly better than the one on the storm but its still better.

media on the iphone is better, storms isnt bad but still iphone is better

but as for everything else i really enjoy the storm much more

[CSSVT]

I agree 100%.

The media on the Iphone isn't as great as everybody makes it out to be. Sure it's good, but seriously... just because it's made by Apple doesn't mean it will never be beat. The two phones are equal when it comes to media, IMO.

Actually, when you add the capability to use bluetooth headphones (even though they may not be perfected yet) and I'd have to say that makes up for what the media player might be lacking on the storm.

[Tdubby]

Good review.. I hated hated that landscape switching when you set the phone down that was annoying plus you lock the phone and come out of lock and it's stuck in landscape... That was my main annoyances with the phone.. I decided to keep my existing curve till they fix all the bugs. I'll be switching services in a few months hopefully everything is good..