Hi James,
at the moment I’m not very decisive when it comes to mobile phones.
Maybe you, with your hands-on experience, could help me.
The Storm just isn’t made for me.
Then there’s android vs iPhone.
I read several posts that the G1 touchscreen isn’t as “snappy” as iPhone’s. Can you approve this?
I’m a fanatic Google user. What exactly is so great about the integration in android? Does it allow login via Google Apps for Gmail? And for the iPhone are different apps for sync and integration, too.
Another thing that really scares me is that the iPhone should crash often with certain apps. Is that problem solved with firmware 2.2?
When it comes to additional software the android OS theoretically has advantages because of the stupid restrictions from Apple. But practically there more and better apps for the iPhone (even from Google). On top of that there many special customized web versions from popular sites for the iPhone, too.
Can you count the boot loading time and give me a comparison?
I know it’s a lot but those phones aren’t cheap and I want to be sure.
Thanks so far.

if only other networks were made like verizon..
haha well i went to the verizon store and checked out the blackberry’s, and found that i had absolutely NO problem (contrary to progue’s review) with the “clicky” screen, honestly its nice to know the damn thing isn’t going to just highlight or click everything on screen unless you want it to.

Thanks for the review. For me, the biggest difference between these three are the carriers behind them. If the iPhone were from Verizon, there wouldn’t be any comparison. But it’s not, and I need reliability on voice and data more than features. So though I’m a huge fan of all things Apple, the carrier used undermines the quality of the iphone. So that narrows it to two for me, and since I’m with Verizon already, I’ll go with a strong name in mobile devices: Blackberry. Though I’m waiting until some of the issues are ironed out, which I’m confident they will be. Apple had initial problems as well.

Pocket PC phones have been around since 2003, giving users web and email access away from the desktop. The only thing the iPhone did was make the experience better and make it idiot-proof for the 95% of cellphone users. Mind you, there are still things I can do with my 4-year old HP pocket PC that even the iPhone 3G can’t do. While the three handsets you review do bring the pocket PC phone experience to the mainstream and have improved and made it easier, I would still not dismiss the Pocket PC as the superior communications device, especially for the tech savvy crowd.

Google Reader is web-based and has no special app for it.

There is an Application Market on the Storm with a few apps in it so far.

You forgot to mention the App store which is behind iPhone and Market behind G1 and Nothing behind Storm.

James I thought I heard that the G1 does not have the great Google Read as a native application. Is that correct?

I’m enjoying my Touch Pro as well. The VGA resolution makes for much sharper text and images. Although I find it less business-friendly since I no longer have immediate access to my task list or more than one calendar appointment on the main screen. Otherwise, it is a fantastic device.

I find the new HTC Touch Pro even more appealing, mainly due to the full VGA resolution.
Will you be getting one of these for review?

Dave, don’t overlook the larger screen of the Storm. It’s what makes the web browsing experience better on all three of these phones.

Sumocat, I just took all three phones out in direct sunlight. The Storm and G1 are usable but not as bright as the iPhone. I could fully work with all three however.

James, how do the screens hold up in sunlight? I was about three months into using my iPhone 3G before I noticed how visible my screen was in sunlight. It’s one of those features you don’t notice until you remember all your other devices that don’t have it (like my Tablet PCs, Pocket PC, old iPod, and old phone).

As another blogger said, the Storm isn’t even the best Blackberry. The Bold holds that honor and once it gets the Storm’s browser, it’s all over. For Verizon Blackberry fans, I’d suggest waiting for the CDMA Bold… you’ll thank me.