Review: New BlackBerry Storm Improves On Original

RACHEL METZ

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The first touch-screen BlackBerry phone, the Storm, got a few things right, but generally it was a chore to use.

Good thing a lot can change in a year. Though not without flaws, the latest version of the device, the BlackBerry Storm2, is the phone Research In Motion Ltd. should have released last year: It's faster, smarter and more fun to use.

The Storm2's face is still dominated by a large, bright touch screen. The buttons that previously sat just below the screen have been integrated, making most of the phone's face one big, slick slab.

From the start, I found the Storm2 more responsive and accurate than its predecessor. When I reviewed the original Storm last November, I found the screen often took an irritating amount of time to change from portrait to landscape mode when I flipped the phone to one side or another. On the new Storm, there's little to no delay.

Owing to the latest BlackBerry software, the phone also makes it easier to scroll through lists of contacts and messages, though I still sometimes wished the scrolling was even quicker to bypass a block of text or bevy of e-mails.