The BlackBerry Storm will be available exclusively on Vodafone on a variety of price plans.
This release sees RIM branch out from its usual stronghold of business users to take on the consumer market – dominated by Apple’s iPhone. The move to a touch-screen model as well as custom-built social networking applications like Facebook and mobile instant messaging and photo uploader programs are seen by many to be an attempt to take on the iPhone.
The 3.2 megapixel camera beats the iPhone’s 2 megapixel offering and the Storm can also record video, which the iPhone cannot.
The phone also features a responsive screen – said to send a subtle signal to your finger when you are typing. RIM claims this is more representative of a real keyboard.
The Storm also remains faithful to RIM’s business users. It boasts the capabilities to edit Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files – another feature the iPhone does not have.
It is not surprising that RIM has made a move into this market. Apple announced profit increases of 26% in October 2008 for the same period the previous year on the back of impressive iPhone sales. Sales of 6.9 million iPhones helped profits soar to $1.14bn on revenues of $7.9bn.
RIM’s second quarter results, released in September 2008 showed an 88% jump in revenue and a 72% leap in net income compared to the previous year to $2.58bn $495.5m respectively.
