Full Review: Blackberry Storm 2 9550
The new Blackberry Storm 2 fixes the first Storm’s touch screen, and introduces RIM’s new Blackberry OS 5
On-screen keyboard – the learning curve
As with every other on-screen keyboard implementation, users’ mileage will likely vary when it comes to typing speed and accuracy. In my short time with the device, I did not find my typing particularly fast or accurate, although I’ve been improving gradually.
However, I was grateful to see that various keyboard options are now available to the user. For example, when in landscape viewing mode (the accelerometer recognises the shift in orientation to switch the screen, as the iPhone does), the on-screen keyboard is QWERTY. In portrait mode, the device defaults to a SureType keypad (organized like the keyboard on a Blackberry Pearl), but the user can easily change it to QWERTY here, as well.
Under the covers, the Storm 2 doubles the amount of onboard memory and storage that came with the Storm 9530. The Storm 2ships with 256MB of Flash memory and 2GB of storage built in. The Storm 2also comes with a 16GB MicroSD card preinstalled, so there’s plenty of headroom for documents and media files.
The Storm 2 comes with the same processor as the Storm 9530, but the increase in memory and updated software make the new device seem faster than its processor, with response to orientation changes notably improved.
Like its predecessor, the Storm 2 is designed to be a world phone, with on-board cell radios to support both CDMA/EVDO Rev. A networks (800 and 1,900MHz bands) and GSM (850/900/1,800/1,900MHz), with HSPA/UMTS (2,100MHz) for international functionality. The GSM/UMTS radio is locked to Verizon’s international partners, however, and the devices come with a Verizon/Vodaphone SIM preinstalled.
When using Verizon’s network, I found call quality to be quite good when using either the handset or a corded headset, although callers on the other end of the line consistently reported that my voice sounded tinny or mechanical. The speakerphone was adequate, but not capable of anything close to the rich, full sound of the speakerphone in HTC’s Touch Pro 2.
Now with Wi-Fi
In a welcome improvement over the previous model, the Storm 2 comes with a Wi-Fi radio, adding support for 802.11b/g. As has been the case since RIM began shipping Wi-Fi on its phones, profile wizards are easy to use, wireless security support is absolutely outstanding, and Wi-Fi troubleshooting tools are quite handy. Of course, mobile administrators can configure and deploy all of these settings via Blackberry Enterprise Server.
