In January 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled the mythical iPhone to the world, showing all handset makers how a smartphone should be built, both in hardware and in software. Research In Motion, a Canadian handset manufacturer based in Waterloo, famous for the most successful smartphone brand for corporate users (BlackBerry), paid close attention to Apple's entrance into the smartphone industry, and thought that, if Apple could build such a revolutionary device in its first attempt, surely they could do something better, as they too, focused on high-quality products and had an established set of exclusive customers.
Thus, they set a target release date of 2008 for the new device, and started working on a new consumer-focused, revolutionary touch-screen smartphone.
Introduction
Upon release, many loved the new iPhone, but many also pointed out the lack of feel while trying to type with the device's virtual keyboard; it was an extraordinary move forward, but it lacked the feel of RIM's QWERTY keyboards, for example. The iPhone also targeted the consumer market, so for RIM, it was important to build a new product, offering a touch-screen alternative for its customers, but also a new alternative for mainstream consumers. But how? Building a device with a touch-screen like the iPhone's using a virtual keyboard for text input wouldn't satisfy its customers, as they took pride in their BlackBerry's keyboards, and it would be simply marketed as another iPhone clone for mainstream consumers, just like all of the iPod's rivals. The solution? Try to be revolutionary, like the iPhone.
The aim
RIM's engineers came up with a patented techonology called SurePress; basically, this allowed the new device to use a big touchscreen as input, but it would also allow the users to get the feedback provided by physical buttons. How? The screen itself, would be a giant button, used to register actions, providing the users with a familiar "click" sound. This also meant the touchscreen could be used for selection, since in the iPhone and today's modern smartphones, tapping is clicking, but with SurePress, tapping becomes selecting, and pressing the screen becomes clicking,
Though RIM is a very fast-growing company, it does not have Apple's resources, and building such a device with this new technology proved to be a very big feat. However, RIM started publishing in the media that it would release its own "iPhone-killer" with a revolutionary technology that would allow users to use a touch-screen and, at the same time, get the feedback of a physical keyboard. Even though the device's development suffered many drawbacks, RIM chose not to delay the device and lose the momentum it had built up, and released the device in time for it to reach the stores for Black Friday 2008, the day where Christmas shopping kicks off in the US.
The rushed Storm
The Storm looks gorgeous. It has a 3.25" screen, the biggest in any of RIM's other devices, with a resolution of 480x360, it sported a good pixel density screen (more pixels in less space makes images look crisper) with sixty five thousand colors, great for video and images, and it allowed clever multi-touch for copy/paste; all you had to do is put your fingers between the text you wanted to select, and automatically, it'd get selected, and using the BlackBerry button, you could chose what to do with the selected text; very good, especially since we're talking about Q4 2008, many months before Apple's cut/copy & paste implementation.
The BlackBerry Storm was released with version 4.7 of the BlackBerry OS (it can be upgraded to version 5 now), which adapts the previous 4.6 version running in the BlackBerry Bold (9000) to the Storm's touch-screen, allowing the OS to recognize some gestures, like swipes, scrolling through lists, copy/paste, multi-touch, the SurePress technology, etc. The OS, as expected, is nothing less than exceptional for handling e-mail accounts and for synchronizing with enterprise servers, what RIM's corporate users expect. Since the Storm is also RIM's effort to gain mainstream consumers, it offers a decent video player, a standard music player, and a decent web-browser, much better than BlackBerry OS 4.6's. The Storm was also praised for its voice quality, and, like all modern BlackBerrys, the Storm also supports multi-tasking.
At a hardware level, the Storm uses Qualcomm's MSM7600 platform, which is based on an ARM11 core for handling applications supported by an ARM9 processor for handling the voice calls, theoretically improving the device's performance using applications while on a call, and came in two versions, the 9500 and the 9530. The 9530 was the version sold in the US; the Storm 9530 works on Verizon's CDMA network as well as the GSM networks used by T-Mobile and most of Europe and Asia's network operators, meaning the Storm is a world phone, being able to work in more than 150 countries; the 9500 sold in Europe is the same as the 9530, only lacking the CDMA radios. For today's standard, the ARM11 is outdated, but for November 2008, the Storm's hardware was acceptable, and with all these radios (specially the US version), it was very compelling for travelers.
However, the beauty of the Storm stopped in these details. The SurePress technology, though impressive to look at, makes composing e-mails (the primary use of RIM's corporate customers) a mixed experience, because the idea of pressing the screen to get clicks is amazing, but doing it, is different. It's weird in the beginning, and you can get used to it, but what made the technology frustrating sometimes, is that when you try to get speed while typing, you start clicking on a new key just after releasing one with your other thumb, and since the screen only registers key-downs, your letters are missed.
Technically, it is very easy to explain why this happens. The screen has a big button right underneath it, on the center. When you click, you press the screen down, and when you do, it registers the click; if you do not let the screen rise to its standby position, for the button mechanism, you've not clicked again, and therefore, the fast "thumbing" BlackBerrys are famous for, does not work in the Storm. (Image of the Storm's screen button below)
This means our typing speed is limited to the screen's maximum speed (time the screen takes to return to its normal position), forcing our minds to "wait" for the screen. Another issue with the SurePress technology is that when typing long e-mails (common with BlackBerry users), it gets tiring, specially taking into account that the Storm's text prediction is not as good as it should be; clearly not in the same league as Android and the iPhone in this department.
However, we believe, these issues can be passed by its users, since they'll get used to not using it for long e-mails, and because we believe hardcore BlackBerry users won't like the feel of the screen immediately, and will simply want to return to their Bolds and Curves. There is one point where the Storm is really frustrating though, and that is the OS.
The Storm shipped with an OS which was, by no means, ready. Both reviewers and early adopters suffered with a device which would continuously keep crashing, got locked up, would not go into landscape mode (the accelerometer took a long time or wouldn't bother), was slow while switching from one app to another, and many other bugs. Users also suffered because the screen would not turn off by itself during a call, so many people accidentally performed clicks while on a call, leading to accidental hang-ups, and they also became frustrated since the device could only hold as many contacts as the internal ROM memory allowed. Another annoyance users had to get used to, was the fact that scrolling was not inertial, so once your finger lifted up from the screen, it would stop scrolling; terrible for long lists. Eventually, many of the OS's bugs and inconsistencies where fixed with software/firmware updates, but this didn't change the fact that RIM released a device with an OS that wasn't ready.
The Storm, months after release, was deemed sort of a failure, not only because the device was depressing all by itself, but also because it didn't break the market like RIM expected it to do (though it was a success from a sales viewpoint); the Canadian company, stood up for its device, and claimed (referring to the OS) that all smartphones ship with bugs.
Adding the OS's problems, we believe RIM was really wrong in shipping the device, and should've waited to get it ready, and with the extra time, RIM should've improved the SurePress technology, too. We also don't get why RIM did not add Wi-Fi to the Storm; it's a must-have for smartphones, especially when we want to travel abroad and take our phones with us. (Review by Phonescoop below)
The BlackBerry Storm (2)
Months after the original Storm's release, rumors started appearing over the web about a BlackBerry Storm 9520, which would have a Wi-Fi chip. Eventually, there was no Storm 9520, there was a new BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 and 9550, which, in just a couple of words, should've been the Storms released by RIM, and not the 9500/9530.
Why? It solves, issue after issue, all of the original Storm's drawbacks, except one: there's still SurePress. It looks mostly the same, only this time, it comes with Wi-Fi, BlackBerry OS 5.0, twice the amount of RAM (there original having 128MB, this one 256MB), twice the amount of ROM memory (original: 1GB, Storm2: 2GB), a better browser, and many other details.
For example, the build quality. The original Storm was well built, but had light leaking through the buttons underneath the screen, and the screen itself could be moved up and down at least one centimeter, which would cause it to get damaged on the edges (I did it myself with a Storm at a Vodafone shop, and trust me, it hurt to see it was true); this has been fixed. The new Storm2 also knows when you're keeping the handset close to your face (it has a proximity sensor), so it automatically turns of the screen, preventing you from hanging up by clicking the screen like in the original Storm; the BlackBerry OS 5.0 finally delivers (it has inertial scrolling, for example), and even though the Storm2 has the same CPU (albeit with more memory) as the original, it feels a lot faster because of the OS. The Storm, after upgrading, will also be faster, but the Storm2 is bound to be better with twice as much RAM memory. The screen is also better in the Storm2, especially if you compare them side by side.
With the OS solved, it's time to look at SurePress. RIM's improved the system, and where the Storm had one mechanical button, the Storm2 has four piezo-electric buttons near the corners of the screen, making the typing a lot better, especially if you keep your thumbs separate on the screen. The new piezo-electric buttons can be adjusted with electricity, and RIM's used this to make the Storm2 unable to click when the screen is off, so there's absolutely no way you can click the screen while on a call. It also makes the phone look more premium, and it improves the lifespan of the device, since you won't be making unnecessary clicks while the screen is off. To top it all, RIM's improved the prediction algorithms, which means that this time they'll actually be helpful while typing.
The fact that the Storm2 has four buttons, allows it to be much, much better, and the piezo-electric nature of the buttons allows RIM to tweak how fast the buttons "recover" after registering a click, thus making the typing speed faster than the original. The only doubt we have about SurePress, is whether it needs to exist; RIM invented SurePress because it wanted to bring the feel of typing on a physical keyboard to touch-screens, but nowadays, where we're all getting used to touch-screen soft-keyboards, we just wonder where does SurePress stand, and if RIM will include it in future devices.
Generally speaking, the BlackBerry platform is not as advanced as iPhone, Android and webOS; it's built for corporate use, and it's really good at it, but RIM is trying to make it more mainstream with its own applications store (App World), and we actually doubt BlackBerrys can become mainstream. However, the App World could prove to be useful for existing BlackBerry users and developers, since there have been BlackBerry applications for years lying around the forums, and the App World allows users to get them from one source, improving application discoverability, user satisfaction, etc.
Back to the phone, it's just very easy to see that the Storm2 is the device the original Storm should've been, and we're happy that RIM finally fixed the BlackBerry Storm, but there's so much more to this, than just a fixed device. (Review by Phonescoop below)
Conclusion
The Storms are ok; they aren't perfect, but they're ok. In fact, they're ok because they mean RIM wants to be more than just "the BlackBerry's manufacturer", it wants to contribute to the mobile industry with more, and moreover, all platforms are incorporating enterprise functionalities, enabling them to be used as BlackBerry stand-ins, which means RIM has to open new markets, and that's what it's trying to do with the Storm in its lineup.
If you ask us though, it's sort of not the way. If RIM wants a touch-screen device for the consumer market, it needs to build a completely new image around it, and it's better if it drops the BlackBerry line. This, however, is not easy, and it's probably why RIM stuck with the BB line with the Storm; to use another brand, RIM would also need to differentiate it from the BlackBerrys, not just use another name; it would need a new look in the OS, at least in terms of UI, to make it a bit more consumer-friendly, and even though RIM keeps on growing and making profits quarter after quarter, it might seem a risk for them. The Storm shows RIM is making efforts, but these efforts are left there; the Storms are not going to be mainstream consumer devices like the iPhone because they carry that enterprise feel, and only those users looking explicitly for a hybrid BlackBerry experience or those coming from iPhone OS/Android/webOS (though this seems unlikely, as these platforms are a lot more developed) wouldchoose a Storm over a Curve, Tour or Bold with their famous hard-keyboards; this is why we believe the Storm is not what RIM wants.
If RIM wants to dive into the mass consumers market, it needs a new device with a fresh design, appeal and good hardware, but since BlackBerry OS can't be changed for this, RIM should choose between making an Android or a webOS device, and if you ask us, we believe Waterloo should build a big touch-screen webOS device with BlackBerry email and im applications, and no SurePress; that'd be a huge asset, for both RIM and Palm.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_in_motion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry
http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/19/blackberry-storm-review/
http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/rim-blackberry-storm-verizon/4505-6452_7-33311850.html
http://gizmodo.com/5093715/blackberry-storm-review-verdict-not-quite-a-perfect-storm
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/698/1
http://www.phonewreck.com/2008/11/21/blackberry-storm-review-and-teardown/
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a7600&c=qualcomm_msm7600
http://crackberry.com/storm-9520-and-3g-pearl-8200-flip-heading-rogers
http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/12/blackberry-storm2-hands-on-and-impressions/
http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/blackberry-storm-2-645018/review?artc_pg=1
http://crackberry.com/blackberry-storm2-review
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