BlackBerry Storm vs. BlackBerry Storm 2

Maggie Holland

We pit RIM's touchscreen smartphones against each other in our BlackBerry Storm and Storm 2 comaprison

Published on Dec 24, 2009

It's a clash of the touchscreen BlackBerry titans as we see how the original Storm (9500) stacks up against the newly released Storm2 (9520). When Research in Motion (RIM) unveiled the BlackBerry Storm users were shocked. It was the first device from the Canadian mobile giant that missed one historical vital ingredient: the keyboard.

The Storm (9500) was a touch screen beauty, but despite the innovations it brought to the market, it wasn’t without irritation for some users. Fast-forward and we now have a younger sibling having just arrived on the scene in the form of the Storm2 (9520).

So is the second generation better than the first or, just like sequels in films, is the original hard to top? We put the two devices head to head to find out. Looks From a distance the Storm and Storm2 look twin-like. Both feature a very minimalist design and put the lavish, large display centre stage as the main attraction. However, on closer inspection, there are a few subtle differences.

On the second generation Storm, RIM has done away with the gap between the screen and outer casing that attracted dirt and grim and generally annoyed users. The call and menu keys are also now part of the touch screen themselves, rather than attached but somehow separate. While it’s a subtle design change, it looks much sleeker.

Another key difference between the two is how the touchscreen kicks into action. The first generation Storm operated in a see-saw like fashion, where you pressed and the whole screen moved down or up. It was a bit off putting and you couldn’t really gain any speed in typing without a great deal of practice.

The Storm2, on the other hand, still boasts a depressing screen, but it’s much more subtle in how it responds to user commands, thanks to four electrical actuators under the hood. Although, some may argue, the Storm2 is so responsive that you may find yourself accidentally pressing buttons and letters you didn’t intend to.

The twin-like status continues when you take into account the main vital statistics of each handset. Both sport a 3.25in (360x480 pixels resolution) display that serve up the reddest reds and the blackest blacks you can imagine.

Both handsets measure in at 62.2mmx13.95mmx112.5mm (WDH). Interestingly, there’s a slight weight difference between the two with the Storm2 5g heavier than its older sibling at 160g. The real difference emerges when you look at connectivity options. While the Storm boasted HSDPA, A-GPS and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi was notable by its absence.

Thankfully, this makes a late, but much needed, appearance at the party in the form of the Storm2. The two siblings also share the same tastes when it comes to camera ratings, with 3.2 megapixels a piece with flash, auto focus and 2x digital zoom. When it comes to memory, however, the Storm2 gains a lead again with 256MB of Flash memory to the original Storm’s 128MB.

The former also comes bundled with a 2GB microSD card, while the Storm comes with just a 1GB version. When it comes to battery life, there’s a slight different between the two siblings. Both claim to offer six hours of standby, but they differ when it comes to talk time.

Much of this can be put down to the addition of Wi-Fi in the Storm2, as that’s likely to consume quite a bit of juice if you’re a regular user. The 3.5mm headphone jack is also flushed within the casing on the Storm2 adding further to its aesthetics.

That’s not to say the first generation Storm was ugly. Far from it. It was and still is a thing of beauty, but RIM has just added a touch more finesse. Let’s not forget that the 9500 made its debut in a James Bond film too, so it clearly does have some level of sex appeal.

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