by Jessica Bosari

Created on: March 07, 2009

If you have not jumped on the iPhone bandwagon yet, you may be wondering how some of the new touch screen phones compare. There is really only one phone that even comes close to the iPhone. It is the Blackberry Storm. Here is a handy little guide to help you decide which is best for you.

The Screen

The iPhone has a decent sized screen at 3.5 inches, or 320 x 480 pixels. The Blackberry has the mother of all screens at 480 x 360.

Operating System

The iPhone uses Apple's incredible operating system. It is simple, intuitive and easy to use. Blackberry uses Windows Mobile, which gives you more functionality, allowing you to edit and save documents. The downside for the Blackberry: Windows is harder to use and more prone to frustrate users.

Memory

The iPhone has the best memory hands down! Even the scaled down version, at 8G, has much more memory than even an upgraded Blackberry. You can get the 16G iPhone for $100 more. The Blackberry cannot even touch the iPhone, having only an expansion card for 1G memory.

Wi-Fi and Blue Tooth

The iPhone has Wi-Fi and is Blue Tooth enabled. Blackberry does not have Wi-Fi, forcing you to do all your work via the Verizon Network, which a bit unreliable.

Camera

Blackberry has the iPhone beat with the camera. iPhone has a 2.0 mega-pixel still camera. Blackberry offers you a 3.2 mega-pixel camera, plus video recording capability.

Weight

The iPhone is the lighter of the two at 4.8 ounces. The Blackberry is a hefty 5.5 oz.

Keyboard

The Blackberry touch keyboard cannot compete with iPhone, being quirky and difficult to use. However, the Blackberry works with a stylus, a feature that many iPhone users wish they could get.

Battery

While the two have comparable battery life, the Blackberry Storm has the advantage of an easily switchable battery, allowing you to carry along a spare and get more done without a recharge.

Network and Plans

Verizon cannot touch AT&T for speed or price. The AT&T plan gives unlimited data and ample voice for about $70. You can get 200 texts for $5 or instead add unlimited text for $20. The comparable plan at Verizon will cost you at least $100 and their network is slower.

Phone Pricing

Ever since AT&T began subsidizing the cost of the iPhone, it has become very affordable at $199 for the 8G model and $299 for the 16G model. The Blackberry costs $199.

Sizing up the Competition

The iPhone still outperforms the competition for fun. With a large touch screen, intuitive interface and loads of special features, it cannot be beat. iPhone also has the jump on competition in price, having the lowest network plan cost for unlimited data, with a hefty allowance of free calling.

But for business, the Blackberry might have iPhone beat. It will depend on what level of frustration you are willing to put up with from the Blackberry keyboard and how much you are willing to pay for Verizon services. It will also depend on how important document editing on the go is for your business. You may be better off simply bringing you laptop with you when you need to get some work done on the road.

Learn more about this author, Jessica Bosari.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.