It is true, the iPhone 3G is the current smartphone king. I own one and I enjoy it plenty, but there are still too many features that it’s missing that I think it needs to take on the new competitors to the smartphone market. T-Mobile and Google have recently put out their new G1 that I have tested and I must report works pretty well so far given the limitation of T-Mobile’s 3G network. Verizon is coming out with their 1st official iPhone 3G competitor which they are getting exclusive rights to in the U.S. I believe it will be a great smartphone and yet another notch in BlackBerry’s belt as far as innovation goes, but I don’t think the exclusion of Wi-Fi was the right idea. The BlackBerry Storm is packed with features including: EV-DO Rev A wireless data, a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, video recording, wireless email, web browser, BlackBerry Maps, Assisted GPS, SMS+MMS, and an organizer but it excludes one of the most important features to many people in a smartphone these days. That’s the one feature that the BlackBerry Storm doesn’t include and ironically its the one feature the iPhone 3G does have, and thus can ultimately lead the iPhone 3G to trump the Storm in the wireless data department. I really hope that Verizon changes this, even at the last minute to make sure that they are ready to take on the iPhone 3G come November.
My Overall Prediction: The BlackBerry Storm will not only stay an exclusive to Verizon in the U.S. but will also help Verizon to grow as a company due to many new subscribers who thought they had to get an iPhone 3G to have fast wireless data, excellent multimedia features, and an advanced touchscreen packaged into one.
Sales Prediction: 500,000+ units in the 1st year of sale.
