BlackBerry Storm 2The first impressions of the Storm 2 were outright surprise. After the initial release of the original Storm, many thought that RIM should steer clear of transmissive TFT LCDs. The SurePress feature made the original Storm difficult to use, the quality of the device was reported to be bad (some of the keys easily fell off apparently). Worse, the finish of the device was clumsily executed; there were gaps along the edge of the screen which were clearly visible when the backlight was on (some reports that dirt would enter these gaps and cause problems). Still, RIM pushed through with a second device; not stubbornly too. They took into account all the criticisms and comments about the old Storm and made sure to improve it.

Doing Better

BlackBerry Storm 2 reviews are unanimous, the new BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 (or Storm 2 for short), is a great improvement over the previous one. To quote many other reviewers who all said the same thing, “this is what the first Storm should have been”. While the Storm 2 did feature hardware upgrades over the previous one, what really made the Storm 2 a great phone is the fact that it fixed all the old issues. Most notable is the touch screen; the entire screen of the Storm 2 has four sensor areas on all corners instead of having one sensitive area in the center like the Storm 1. The new screen also recognizes multi-touch, which is an essential feature for all devices that rely on a virtual keyboard.

Still, the transmissive screen has its limitations. Pressing two keys beside each other is difficult and can be cumbersome.

Out Now

BlackBerry Storm 2 9520 deals are currently available from Vodafone. Subscribers can get the device for free with plans of 35 Pounds per month (for individuals, Vodafone offers a different plan for businesses).