We've seen a lot of so called iphone killers come to the market over the last year or so. And so far, none of these companies have actually killed the iphone. The latest device from the BlackBerry maker RIM, is called the Storm. And this device also isn't going to put Apple out of business / anytime soon. But it is the first in a long line of touchscreen devices to bring something that's truly new and innovative to the table.
The most compelling aspect of this phone is its clickable touchscreen. What this does is it actually lets you press down on the screen when you are tapping on an icon or trying to type out an email. You can actually press the keys, and it even makes a small kind of clicking noise. That kind of tactile feedback might seem like a minor feature. But that's could be huge for corperate users in particular who spend a lot of time typing out emails on their BlackBerries and other smartphones. This‘s actually been one of the top complaints about the iphone, the lack of tactile feedback on iphone's touch screen. That has made it a little bit difficult for some people to type out emails because they have to actually stare on the device/ as they are hitting the keys, to make sure their hit the right key.
In general, though the Storm falls short in some other areas. RIM is really trying to go after the broader consumer supermarket. Not just its core base/ of businesses users. And they still have a long way to go in meeting that goal. And this device does not come with, as mature of an / Apstore as what's you find on the iphone. The iphone has done a really good job, of delivering all sorts of mobile applications, like navigation features, sociable networking features to its consumers.
BlackBerry is also supposed to come out the similar Apstore. But going to be available until later next year. So obviously, /still way too early to tell how that will pan out for the company.
But RIM is really, really focused on boardening its devices out. That's why they come up with flash earphones like the Storm, like a recently released flip phone, that came out with the BlackBerry Pearl as well. But really, I think the Storm is going to appeal mostly to businesses users, the type of corperate users, who want the reliability of the BlackBerry's email service but also want a touchscreen. So it's not the next iphone killer. But it does bring something really new and innovative to the table. I wouldn't be surprised, therefore, see more clickable touchscreens on other devices in the future.