Well, I have posted quite frequently about my interest in Blackberry cellphones in the past. I often lamented the fact that the Bold was delayed terribly especially since my phone is getting old in the tooth and desperately needs replacement.
As the old adage goes, "When it rains, it pours", I have gone from having no new options to two brand new choices. AT&T announced the Blackberry Bold which is the newest QWERTY BB. This phone is essentially the newest version of the traditional BB form factor device. It has been delayed incessantly and is finally available. Definitely a good choice although it is simply an enhanced version of the existing platform.
The other option is the Blackberry Storm from Verizon. This is the new touchscreen Blackberry and will be released on 11/21. This is a completely new design with no QWERTY keyboard and instead has a touchscreen only ala the iPhone. Of course, the design is very different than the iPhone and includes RIM’s historic strong email integration.
Which to choose? The answer is largely dependent on the user. The way I see it, the Bold is a known quantity. It is an enhancement on a design that most users are familiar with and so will not need much explanation or testing. In contrast, the Storm is completely new and so it could be really good, really bad or anywhere in between and we have nothing to go on since it is RIM’s first touchscreen design.
Personally, I am going with the Storm. The reason is that I am comfortable with the Bold and understand how it works, and want to experience the newest device. The other piece is that Verizon Wireless offers a free 30 day return policy and so I can try out the Storm for 30 days and if I don’t like it, I can return it for a ATT Wireless Bold.
I am excited about the Storm and hope to pick it up on 11/21 when it is released.