Makers of
BlackBerry launch new model to take on rival
iPhone
09-10-2008
New
York: Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), makers of
the BlackBerry, is taking on Apple Inc. with a
touch-screen phone that puts a new twist on the
technology.
RIM is known for its e-mail-oriented phones with
large keypads. With the new model announced
yesterday, the Storm, RIM is for the first time
giving up the physical keypad in favour of a
large screen, just like that on Apple's iPhone.
But RIM has listened to users who find the
iPhone's glass screen awkward to type on because
its virtual buttons provide no tactile feedback.
The Storm's whole screen is backed by springs,
and when pressed, it gives under the finger.
The long-rumoured Storm will be available from
Verizon Wireless in the US and from Vodafone
Group overseas before the holidays, the
companies said. No price has been disclosed yet.
In an unusual twist, the phone will work both on
Verizon Wireless' network and on Vodafone's,
even though they use incompatible technologies.
International roaming
Like a few other Verizon Wireless handsets
before it, the Storm will be equipped with
radios to handle both networks, making
international roaming a possibility. The iPhone,
carried by AT&T Inc. in the US, can already roam
internationally.
The addition of a touch-screen phone to the
BlackBerry lineup, the mainstay of
e-mail-addicted executives and managers, is a
testament to the effect of the iPhone. RIM's
share of the US smart-phone market has stayed
above 50 per cent, but the iPhone has clearly
helped expand that market.
Over the last year, technology buyers at large
corporations have found their employees
demanding a touch-screen phone, said Mike Lanman,
chief marketing officer of Verizon Wireless.
Movie clips
"Everybody eventually leaves work ... and
becomes a person," Lanman said.
The iPhone's facility with Web browsing and
movie playing are big reasons for its appeal.
The Storm will initially lack an equivalent of
Apple's iTunes movie store, though shorter clips
will be available through Verizon Wireless'
VCast service.
As a Web browser, the Storm more closely
emulates the desktop experience than the iPhone
does. That's because the screen can distinguish
between light touches and firm presses. A light
touch can move around a cursor, while a firm
press activates a link, much like moving a mouse
cursor has a different effect from clicking a
mouse button, said Mike Lazaridis, RIM's
co-chief executive.
Verizon Wireless is the last of the four
national US brands to unveil a flagship
touch-screen model.
AT&T has the iPhone, Sprint Nextel Corp. sells
the Samsung Instinct, and T-Mobile USA just
announced the G1, the first phone to run Google
Inc.'s software.
Verizon Wireless does have other touch-screen
phones in its lineup, but none that it has
promoted with as much vigour as other carriers
have.
New
York: Research in Motion Ltd. (RIM), makers of
the BlackBerry, is taking on Apple Inc. with a
touch-screen phone that puts a new twist on the
technology.
