It seems to me that the two phones (even though I've only touched one) are pretty even.
The iPhone has huge advantages in a few areas where the BlackBerry likely can't touch it:
--The App Store...nothing BlackBerry has now is even close to competing with the App Store through iTunes
--Wi-Fi...Verizon's 3G is much more reliable than at&t's, and much more widely available. Nevertheless, you can't underestimate Wi-Fi in this day and age, especially when "unlimited" plans are capped at 5GB of data.
--MobileMe...yes, yes, I KNOW this has been a disaster so far, but all signs point to Apple rectifying the problem by years end.
--The iPhone's cachet...no matter the product, it seems Apple can do no wrong. BlackBerry is certainly its closest competitor in the phone market--and is more popular, judging by the overall sales numbers--but no matter what argument you use, the average, uneducated citizen has the permanent idea that the iPhone is the best phone on the market, bar none. Even BlackBerry can't get people to stand in line for hours, even days to pick up its latest devices.
The Storm, however, seems--based on the released specs--to have a many smaller advantages over the iPhone.
--Verizon's network...as Verizon's slogan states, a phone is only as good as the network it's on, and the network aspect can't be underestimated.
--The Storm will have a better camera, with video capture capability
--The Storm will have removable battery and memory capabilities, making these aspects theoretically superior to the iPhone's.
--The Storm will have BlackBerry's push e-mail, which is assuredly superior to Apple's push attempts so far.
--Storm will likely have a better screen for texting/e-mail, though this is highly subjective.
--The Storm will have a slightly higher resolution.
--The Storm will have a speaker phone.
--The Storm will incorporate SMS Picture messaging.
The iPhone's success and admiration seems to stem from Apple's ability to make the "impossible" possible. The iPhone has taken mobile internet, media, and gaming to another level. Nevertheless, the iPhone lacks some of the most basic functionalities of other phones, like the inability to send picture messages, the lack of a speakerphone, and the lack of a video-recording capabilities. Some of the iPhone's downfalls are included on even the most outdated "dumphones."
I'm sure there are several things I've left out, but I don't know what's important to everyone else. Only time will tell how this phone truly compares to the iPhone. Thoughts on the importance of these features, or the future of the Storm, anyone?