BlackBerry Storm2 Official - On BB.com website

[DivideBYZero]

No more secrets, no more lies. The Storm2 is official:

http://na.blackberry.com/eng/

As posted before, I have a couple of them, one is retail hardware revision and the other is an early H/W rev. Both devices are the Voda branded ones(9520), but essentially this will be no different to the 9550 Verizon units.

Gone live for Pre-oder on Vodafone UK. Shipping Oct 26th according to their site:

Pre-order - expected delivery 26 October

Major Device improvements:

* Enhanced SurePress Technology (SurePress is all electronic in Storm 2 - there are no mechanical moving parts)
* Overall device performance (i.e. rotation speed, etc?) is enhanced
* JavaScript is now On by default
* Wi-FI 802.11 b/g
* 256 MB Flash Memory (Storm 1 had 128MB)
* 2GB Onboard Media Memory (Storm 1 had 1GB)
* Sleeker Design (tinted chrome ring, etc.)
* Integrated touch navigation keys
* BlackBerry Handheld Software v5.0
* Internet browsing enhancements (i.e. faster page loading)

Major UI improvements:

* Inertial Scrolling w/Snap Back (Flick Scrolling!!)
* Enhanced SurePress input
o Probability-based entry with advanced auto-correct
o Multi-touch for ALT and SHIFT
o Key rollover for faster typing
o Optimized pressure for comfortable text entry
* Fine Cursor Control (for text editing)
o Improved sensitivity and accuracy
* Multi-touch text selection enhancements (for copy/paste)
* Updated spin boxes
o Clock, calendar, date/time, etc...
* Phone enhancements
o Face detection(!)
* Actionable touch buttons (Send in Messaging, Save in Calendar/Contacts, etc)
* Enhanced SMS UI - notifications, emoticons, threaded chats

 

[HopJokey]

How's the battery life (compared to Storm1, BB Curve 8330)?

 

[Pliablemoose]

Multi tasking?

 

[Deeko]

Hasn't Blackberry always had multitasking? I know non-Storms did, but never actually used the Storm.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

how is the piezo touch and how does it compare to the pos middle click button of S1?
how easy is it to type (lack of typos) compared to S1 and iphone?
is there lag between clicking something and the device actually responding?
how is the browser? (compare it with the old bb browser and iphone's)

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
how is the piezo touch and how does it compare to the pos middle click button of S1?
how easy is it to type (lack of typos) compared to S1 and iphone?
is there lag between clicking something and the device actually responding?
how is the browser? (compare it with the old bb browser and iphone's)

- The piezo click is very interesting and absolutely must be experienced. The screen doesn't move, yet it feels like it does. The click is super fast and as it's 100% electronic you don't have the rebound speed problems you do with S1.
- Typos are typos, in so much as you'll make them even on a full comp KB! But there is prediction(you can turn it off) and now as well as the blue glow around the key you also get a letter popup flag just above you finger. That helps a LOT.
- No noticeable lag in this device. The transitions are using OpenGL for the first time on this device so they're smooth as silk. Saying that, there's no lag on my S1 after OS update either, but the S2 feels 'snappier', even though it's based on the same MSM6700 chipset.
- Browser is quicker than my S1, but I have not been able to test against too many sites due to NDA issues. Seems snappy on content rich sites such as news.bbc.co.uk, but doesn't render AJAX yet. An update to the Torch Mobile based Webkit browser next year will resolve all browser issues, but this is a good base for now.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: HopJokey
How's the battery life (compared to Storm1, BB Curve 8330)?

About the same. Again, I've seen (a large number) of OS's, with differing battery life. The final builds are going a little longer than S1, but this can be impacted greatly by use, network type and 3rd party apps. Until I run one as a daily device I can't comment fully.

An S2 we have that was replaced by a later hardware revision ran for FOUR DAYS, but this had no SIM module in it. It was driving me mad, as it had been left somewhere in the house with a morning Alarm set and it took four days to find it. The battery would have lasted longer, but my sanity was worth more than that test...

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Deeko
Hasn't Blackberry always had multitasking? I know non-Storms did, but never actually used the Storm.

Yeah. CrackBerry are just reinforcing it, I think. :shrug:

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
how is the piezo touch and how does it compare to the pos middle click button of S1?
how easy is it to type (lack of typos) compared to S1 and iphone?
is there lag between clicking something and the device actually responding?
how is the browser? (compare it with the old bb browser and iphone's)

- The piezo click is very interesting and absolutely must be experienced. The screen doesn't move, yet it feels like it does. The click is super fast and as it's 100% electronic you don't have the rebound speed problems you do with S1.
- Typos are typos, in so much as you'll make them even on a full comp KB! But there is prediction(you can turn it off) and now as well as the blue glow around the key you also get a letter popup flag just above you finger. That helps a LOT.
- No noticeable lag in this device. The transitions are using OpenGL for the first time on this device so they're smooth as silk. Saying that, there's no lag on my S1 after OS update either, but the S2 feels 'snappier', even though it's based on the same MSM6700 chipset.
- Browser is quicker than my S1, but I have not been able to test against too many sites due to NDA issues. Seems snappy on content rich sites such as news.bbc.co.uk, but doesn't render AJAX yet. An update to the Torch Mobile based Webkit browser next year will resolve all browser issues, but this is a good base for now.

thanks.

on a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest), how would you rate the S1 and S2?
heck, lets throw the iphone 3g(s) in there while we're at it, if you've used it.

 

[DivideBYZero]

I'm too biased to offer an objective view, BlahBlah. I have not used a 3G or 3GS for any real length of time (over a week, for example).

IMHO the S2 is the device BB should have released last year. I love my S1, but I went through the same pain as everyone else did with the early OS code. I ran it for three days before updating to a Beta OS.

 

[Muadib]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I'm too biased to offer an objective view, BlahBlah. I have not used a 3G or 3GS for any real length of time (over a week, for example).

IMHO the S2 is the device BB should have released last year. I love my S1, but I went through the same pain as everyone else did with the early OS code. I ran it for three days before updating to a Beta OS.

Does the screen of the S2 have the same feel of the S1's ?

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: Muadib

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero
I'm too biased to offer an objective view, BlahBlah. I have not used a 3G or 3GS for any real length of time (over a week, for example).

IMHO the S2 is the device BB should have released last year. I love my S1, but I went through the same pain as everyone else did with the early OS code. I ran it for three days before updating to a Beta OS.

Does the screen of the S2 have the same feel of the S1's ?

No. Screen doesn't move, just feels like it does. No movement, no rattle, no light leakage., just a solid unit.

 

[Muadib]

I know you say that you are biased, but I'm going to guess that's towards the iPhone, so I'll ask this:

Are you going to keep the S1, replace it with the S2, or wait for the next new BB, ie the Bold 2?

 

[DivideBYZero]

I've absolutely loved my S1. It's a real powerhouse and allows me to get stuff done, have fun and everything in between. It's also been great to duke it out with my iPhone loving friends down the pub with dumb apps... However, I'll go S2 as soon as I can.

I should have got a look at the new Bold on Wednesday, but the guy with it didn't turn up at the event I was at. I have been told it really is a very nice unit, so I could be tempted...but once you go touchscreen....

I can't always jump too soon as my BB has to be on my corporate BES and is a work tool, however my other half's device is always a beta of some sort or other.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

the 9700 got very good reviews for the trackpad, which is a step above the trackball.
the trackball on my curve, pearl, world edition always got stuck every now and then.

 

[DivideBYZero]

You can check out the track pad on any Curve (Gemini) 8520 device you see in stores. It's exactly the same.