Blackberry Storm 9530 Review

This is, after all, a smartphone and a Blackberry.  It does everything that a smartphone should do, and more.  It is first and foremost a Blackberry, though, meaning that email utility is superb, as always, and the calendar is as useful as ever.  BIS/BES service, together with a Gmail account, the Gmail application, Google Talk, and Google Sync, makes this device the most connected thing I’ve ever owned.  It has your contacts, your emails, your maps, your internet access, your chats, your pictures and music and movies…it slices, it dices!  For as much as I’ve harped on it, the Storm does just about everything, and it does it all pretty darn well.  Your connected world is quite literally at your fingertips.  I absolutely adore this phone, even with the memory leakage.

To be sure, there are hurdles to overcome; but RIM has shown that they are willing to break the mold and do something different – I trust that they will also learn to adjust to the different challenges that a purely touchscreen device presents, and for the love of tacos amp up the processor in the next revision for even more awesome.

Bottom line: For the first time, I feel truly free of my desk.  There are some things that I will continue to rely on my desktop and laptop for, but all in all I am satisfied to a ridiculous degree with my Storm.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a personal or business device who is not satisfied with the alternatives.

	REPORT CARD : Blackberry Storm 9530 category rating comments Quality 4 Good physical construction.  Apps don’t have the polish of the iPhone, but has all the functionality. Innovation 5 If you’re a Blackberry fan, this is the best one yet. Performance 4 Limited RAM and memory leakage issues.  Not plagued with reboots like Windows Mobile. Installation 3 You can make dinner while waiting on it to start up.  Usability is a little different, but you get used to it. Value 4 Cheaper than iPhone, but apps are limited and generally cost more than Apple’s App Store. FINAL VERDICT: 4 out of 5 stars