RIM assumes no obligations or liability and makes no representation, warranty, endorsement or guarantee in relation to any aspect of any third party products or services. RIM has decided to venture into the touchscreen phone market with the new BlackBerry Storm . Unlike other companies’ offerings, the Storm has a touchscreen that clicks when you press it. RIM had to make some sacrifices to bring the Storm to Verizon for less than $200. This isn’t a device that RIM could stamp out from its standard QWERTY template.
Rim has tweaked the familiar BlackBerry user interface for the touch screen, and in general these changes worked well. You select the menu item or icon you want with a light touch, then press down on the screen to activate or confirm your choice. RIM has implemented some multi-touch features. For example you can copy and paste text by dragging to select what you want, pressing the Menu button and selecting copy. RIM has put the Blackberry OS 4.7 in the Storm, a new version that supports the touchscreen better than previous versions. It also adds some very nice HTML browsing that we’ll address in a bit.
RIM’s concern with the user experience is very apparent, so I expect it to be cleaned up when the final version ships in November, though I’m not holding my breath for flash support. RIM declined to comment for this story. RIM hasn’t officially launched the new device yet — and it declined to comment on the leak — but the Storm is clearly a direct assault on Apple’s iPhone 3G and T-Mobile’s G1. It’s also an attempt to wow consumers with both a jazzy new design and an App Center filled with games and other add-on programs.