What’s New about Blackberry Storm2 & BlackBerry Bold 9700 in Malaysia
I was invited to attend the launching of Blackberry Bold 9700 and Blackberry Storm2 9520 in Malaysia. Let’s see what’s new about these two smartphones.
Together with the media were Gregony Wade, Managing Director and Calvin Wee, Marketing Manager of Research In Motion (RIM), Southeast Asia. RIM has been awarded as the Fortune’s World’s No.1 Fastest Growing Company 2009.
Table of Contents
Blackberry Bold 9700
- Memory: 256MB storage, 256MB RAM
- Expandable memory: supports up to 32GB microSD card
- Battery: up to 6 hours talk time, up to 21 days standby time
- Display: 2.44″, 480 x 360 pixels
- Camera: 3.2MP camera with auto focus, image stabilization, flash and 2x digital zoom
- Connection: Bluetooth, WiFi
- GPS: integrated GPS with A-GPS ready
- Video format supported: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV9
- Audio format supported: AAC, AMR, MP3, WMA
- Size: 109 x 60 x 14.1mm
- Weight: 122g
Recommended Retail Price: MYR$2,300
What’s new about Blackberry Bold 9700 over Bold 9000?
Blackberry Bold 9700 is the revised version of Bold 9000 (read my previous review here). It is slimmer and less weight.
Bold 9700 has twice of RAM. A better camera with higher megapixel, auto focus and image stabilization.
However, the build in storage has been cut from 1GB (Bold 9000) to only 256MB. You needs a microSD card to expand the storage.
First impression of Blackberry Bold 9700
The new Bold 9700 is light. The design is sleeker and sexier.
One major changes that you could notice is the use of trackpad, instead of trackball in Bold 9000. With trackpad, no more stuck trackball problem. The trackpad navigation is surprisingly smooth and fast response time.
I also love the back design of Bold 9700 which move the camera and flash to top of the phone, instead of the center at the back of Bold 9000.
Blackberry Storm2 9520
- Memory: 256MB flash memory, 2GB eMMC
- Expandable memory: supports up to 16GB microSD card
- Battery: up to 5 hours talk time, up to 12.7 days standby time (GSM)
- Display: 3.25″, 480 x 360 pixels
- Camera: 3.2MP camera with auto focus, image stabilization, flash and 2x digital zoom
- Keyboard: One screen portrait/landscape keyboard with SureType technology and multi-tap
- Connection: Bluetooth, WiFi
- GPS: integrated GPS with A-GPS ready
- Video format supported: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV9
- Audio format supported: AAC, AMR, MP3, WMA
- Size: 109 x 60 x 14.1mm
- Weight: 122g
Recommended Retail Price: MYR$2,500 (availability: Feb 2010)
What’s new about Blackberry Storm2 over Storm?
Comparing to BB Storm, Storm2 now supports WiFi (at last..)! Storm2 also has more build in storage. Touch screen input has been enhanced.
First impression of Blackberry Storm2
The Storm2 has a stylist all black design. The size might slightly bigger for small hands but fit in my palm just well. The touchscreen is sensitive and responsive.
Unlike iPhone’s tapping, on Storm/Storm2 you touch to select and press to “click” an item on screen. It gives the “feeling” of QWERTY keypad.
As far as I tested, thumb is the best finger to type on Storm2 because I need to press rather hard to type…which, also means I need to hold Storm2 with two hands when typing.
Clarification: I am a Apple iPhone user.
Maybe, I can be trained to type much better on Storm2 if I get a chance to play the gadget a little more time. ;)
App World Malaysia?
App World is the official app store for Blackberry users. But it is not available for Malaysians although we have many BB users here. When can we get it?
Bad news.
No date for App World in Malaysia yet. That’s the answer we got from Gregony Wade, Managing Director, RIM Southeast Asia.
Over to You
Are you a Blackberry user? What’s the pro/con of BB? Would you get the new Blackberry smartphone?
