Storm Proves Worthy Rival to iPhone

The BlackBerry Storm hits the US tomorrow, with the iPhone squarely in its sights. The new smartphone is an interesting mix of traditional BlackBerry and the hugely popular Apple gadget, with a few twists, Walt Mossberg writes for the Wall Street Journal. The keyboard is the Storm's calling card: "The entire glass display is one large button, mounted on a mechanical substructure that allows it to be depressed when pressure is applied."

Sounds cool, but the feature "didn’t magically turn the Storm’s touch interface and virtual keyboard into their physical counterparts," writes Mossberg, who also questions the keyboard configuration and the decision not to make the gadget WiFi capable. But overall, the $250 gadget stacks up well against the iPhone and "will appeal to BlackBerry users who have been pining for a touch-controlled device with a larger screen."
(More BlackBerry Storm stories.)