In-Depth Comparison: BlackBerry Bold vs. BlackBerry Storm
Since the BlackBerry Storm just came out, we thought it’d be necessary to stack the Storm against its main rival on the enterprise side: the BlackBerry Bold. On the outlook, the functions of the device are similar, although the BlackBerry Storm has a vastly different way of navigating than its larger brother. Furthermore, they’re offered on different networks, meaning different chips, different speeds, and even a different customer base.
So what does each device have to boast about? Read on!
Each chart in this post provides a relatively objective comparison between the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm. A green highlight indicates that the function executed particularly well, while a red highlight indicates that the function lacks in comparison. White indicates that it is on par with competition and is acceptable.
Technical Specifications
First up, we compare the actual specifications from the two phones. It’s surprising how much is integrated nowadays, as the capabilities of the Storm (on paper) stack up nicely to the larger and fatter Bold. Check these out below:
The exclusion of Wi-Fi on the Storm was designed out from the beginning, so it is very likely that given the circumstances, the Storm’s form factor (and the size of the PCB) could be capable of integrating Wi-Fi. The Storm is able to keep a slimmer profile due to the integration of GPS, audio codecs, high-speed USB, and graphical capabilities in one single processor, the Qualcomm MSM7600. On the Bold (teardown), each of these are separate ICs – SiRF, Wolfson, Cypress for the GPS, audio, and high-speed USB respectively.
The MSM7600 has interfaces that support CDMA2000/1xEV-DO as well as HSDPA/EDGE/GRPS/GSM, has a 400MHz ARM11 Apps Processor, a 274MH ARM9 Baseband Processor, and two high performance DSPs. Unfortunately, as this is their first implementation, and RIM’s first graphic-intensive device, the launch firmware and integration came up a little short. Most elements requiring the intensive processor capabilities, proved to be frustrating to use, and nigh unusable. The latest firmware (unofficial, but much improved) provided many improvements to the accelerometer, browser, navigation, and general bug fixes. We do think this processor is capable; however, we believe that there is too much for this one processor to handle.
Browser
BlackBerry Bold: Browser 4.6.0
BlackBerry Storm: Browser 4.7.0
In this section we compare the browsers of each phone. The BlackBerry Storm generally fared very well, with many improvements to speed, a more intuitive scrolling than the cursor in the Bold, and a large screen to boot. However, most formatting issues from the Bold still exist in the Storm. In some cases, like the media-intensive Gametrailers, the Storm was actually a step down in formatting from the Bold.
We’ve posted various websites, in order of increasing bandwidth usage. Note: this chart depends heavily on network availability and coverage – so take these statistics lightly. We made sure we had really good connections, but of course, speed varies heavily depending on your location. Update: We’ve split these tests into Javascript-enabled, and Javascript-disabled. Caches were cleared when performing these tests. And the Engadget site is the full site, not the mobile version.
It’s also important to note that, while the Storm has many improvements over the Bold, browsing is not up to par with its competitors. Browsing on the Storm is generally pleasant, but we really believe that RIM needs to redo their entire browser rather than improving upon it. Perhaps a WebKit development is in order, similar to its Safari and Chrome-lite competitors.
Update!! So it appears the Storm’s browser’s default settings turn off Javascript support, where as it supports it by default on the Bold. Running Javascript does slow down these numbers a lot, which accounts for the differences between the Bold and the Storm. We’ve updated the numbers above. We apologize for the wrongful comparison. But the comment remains: with Safari and Chrome-lite-ish blazing through Javascript, BlackBerry definitely needs an upgrade to its browser.
Sideloading
This section compares the sideloading performance of each phone. We found this section particularly important, because media content nowadays are increasing both in quality and in density. In the most recent iterations of BlackBerry, we found that dragging and dropping music albums, tv shows, and movies were particularly fast, which was good for porting content on the go. So, following a recent EE Times article comparing the Bold and other recent phones, we decided to do our own comparison of the Bold and the Storm comparing USB transfer times.
BlackBerrys were traditionally fast at sideloading, but with a whole new chipset and architecture, I believe RIM kept the Storm to the processor’s integrated solution. Unfortunately, their performance slowed down dramatically from past BlackBerry devices. This is unfortunate, since before, it was easy to keep BlackBerrys plugged into the computer for charging and loading purposes. Now, to transfer a movie, it was actually painful waiting for a movie or even a music album to transfer.
Camera
The cameras made it tough to determine a winner. The chart below illustrates this problem.
On one hand the BlackBerry Bold was quick and simple to use. Even under low light situations, the Bold took quick snaps of whatever was in front. On the other hand, the 2.0MP camera is limited, doesn’t have strong image processing capabilities, and is very susceptible to graininess under low light. The Storm on the other hand produces relatively decent pictures, even under low light. It has some sort of focusing mechanism even though none of its offficial specifications seem to list it. However, this focusing mechanism causes the picture taking to be insanely slow. If you wanted to ever “catch the moment”, you’d definitely miss the moment using the Storm. Granted, the moment afterwards would look pretty good.
Media Playback
The media playback capabilities have improved dramatically with each revision of BlackBerrys. Each sport a 3.5mm headset jack (unlike other smartphones) and have speakers that are decently loud when sharing a YouTube video with friends.
Nothing really beats the Bold in terms of sheer volume. It even sounds decent at loud volumes, without too much distortion. The Storm’s speakers on the other hand, are moderately loud, but sound like the treble on the equalizer has been maxed. There’s no mid or low-end sound coming out, which is rather disappointing. Also, the speaker placements on the Storm seem to be in an area where my middle fingers are constantly covering in landscape mode.
Finally the visuals. The Bold’s screen, while small, is stunning. It sports a high pixel density on the small screen, while the Storm’s screen uses the same pixel density, but on a larger screen. As a result, the Storm’s screen is not as piercing sharp, and the contrast ratio doesn’t appear to be as strong. However, the experience is definitely much more pleasurable with the larger viewing area.
Typing
BlackBerry’s are typically the best for typing. In traditional RIM fare, they harped on the unresponsiveness of touchscreens and the lack of tactile feedback. As such, they delayed entry until a viable solution was provided. So how does the typing actually stack up? Without beating around the bush, we know that typing is slowed on the Storm due to its lack of multi-touch integration. However, in this section, in an attempt to provide some objective results, we try to give our best shot at guessing what the fastest speed a user can potentially get at.
For each device, we timed how long it would take us to type out a paragraph from one of CNN’s latest posts. There are a lot of them, so we tried to find one relevent: Obama and his BlackBerry. The paragraph is as follows:
Before he ran for president Barack Obama quit smoking. Now that he’s won the job, he may have to break another addiction: Checking his BlackBerry for e-mail.The president’s e-mail can be subpoenaed by Congress and courts and may be subject to public records laws, so if a president doesn’t want his e-mail public, he shouldn’t e-mail, experts said. And there may be security issues about carrying around trackable cell phones.
In order to simulate typing in a real world situation, we memorized the paragraph to mimic the situation where the user knows what he/she is going to type. Furthermore, we simulated a professional environment, keeping punctuation in mind. Of course, being heavy BlackBerry users and typers, we utilized most default auto-correct words, and we knew where every symbol placement was.
At our optimal speed, using full knowledge of default auto-correct and symbol placements, we were able to obtain 38.8 words per minute on the BlackBerry Bold. There were a couple mistakes not caught by the auto-correct function, however by reading the sentence in context, you could make out the mistakes.
On the BlackBerry Storm, typing slowed down to 26.7 words per minute at the optimal speed. We emphasize the word optimal, because the Storm took an excess amount of concentration, thumb effort, and rhythm — way more than the Bold. We were able to type faster than the processor could handle many times, as we saw the light lag behind the thumbs. Furthermore, the symbol/numerical button also lagged, requiring us to wait for it to transition menus. This transition period caused a few errors due to anticipation of the keys. Also, while the auto-correct function worked hard to keep my words looking good, there were many more words that were nigh unrecognizable. It didn’t even correct “gor” into “for”.
Ultimately, as stated in my review, the BlackBerry Storm goes against what BlackBerry’s initially stood for: efficiency and effectiveness. We could type relatively fast (26.7 wpm is pretty good, in our opinion), but it required so much effort and focus to keep the rhythm going. In fact, we’re exhausted from typing an e-mail. Furthermore, the processor is barely able to handle that typing speed. I could see the highlights trailing behind my thumbs, and the symbol/numeric button and keyboard transitions delay any typing whatsoever. We’re not sure this is the result RIM would have wanted, especially since our iPhone typed that paragraph (in portrait mode), at 28 wpm (4 mistakes).
Conclusions
There you have it. A comprehensive comparison between the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Storm. All in all, the Storm seems to have taken two steps forward, and the same two steps back. It’s highly desirable form factor coupled with difficult use cases and unoptimized performance, give it a mediocre flavour. On the other hand, the Bold continues to stand for what BlackBerry’s have always been good at, and we hope that continues with any future iterations.
Very detailed comparison… Can’t wait for future comparisons and tear downs!
Awesome review guys, I saw your review on the Storm. Nice to have a comparison on the two phones. Its Christmas time and I’m almost up for a change in my service plans for the family, and I’ve always been a Blackberry fan so I told myself the better of the two phones would make my decision for me.
I’ve heard similar things about the Bold. I have to say I’m a little disappointed on the slower browsing with the Bold (not sure if this is even related to the phone itself or the AT&T network) but when it comes to the standard Blackberry functions it sounds like the Bold rules. I’m not a converted gym/plane Blackberry media guru user (basically I have my Blackberry on me at all times now haha) so its good to hear that the Bold is rocking on movie download speeds and also on the great looking screen, perfect!!
Nice job on the comparison! How the hell did you manage 39 WPM on a Bold?! I’m stuck at like twenties… FRIG!
Great comparison–best I’ve seen yet–love the typing wpm test. Anyone know if future firmware updates would be able to improve typing and camera lag substantially, or is that ultimately a processor speed issue?
I hope you guys revisit the network tests in the future to see if firmware or network upgrades do anything to help.
Great article.
Anyone who is debating on upgrading their phones to either of these blackberry’s should definitely read this in depth comparison. I just upgraded to a bold, about a month ago, and honestly, love the keyboard on it. The idea of a complete touch screen blackberry just doesn’t appeal to me. Especially if there isn’t a stylus that accompanies it.
Note : I was an ardent sony ericsson fan, and loved the stylus/keypad option. However, the storm, defies what a blackberry ideally is. I’m not sure how easily people would adjust to the complete touchscreen.
In my opinion, I love the Bold and wouldn’t swap to a storm even if you paid me to!
Great review. However, I would just like to comment on my browser findings. Now the review did not say whether Javascript was enabled or not, but most of us know to turn it off unless the website absolutely requires it.
On my BOLD with Javascript disabled, and the cache cleared, I hit PCMAG.COM:
40 seconds – 3G
28 seconds – WIFI
I am running 4.6.0.190
[...] the guys at phoneWreck compared Blackberry’s latest devices; the Storm and the [...]
Always a Nokia user was given a mandatory curve by the company – got a bold now and love it!!! May be my ignorance but their is a steep learning curve when changing _ nokia manuals are excellent – BlackBerry seem to assume you will know how to use them.
Best Bold vs. Storm comparison I’ve seen yet. Great postings so far phoneWreck!!!
Why is the BOLD so slow?
Im on the rogers network and I’m loading pcmag.com in about 20-23 sec every time (javascript disabled) and thats fair because I understand its disabled on the Storm by default.
Great job! The best so I’ve seing so far! Why is the Storm so slow? I was expecting to be a lot faster!
Great comparison. I have a Pearl now and love it. I have been excited about the Storm, but less so now. I hope they look at the drawbacks and improve them so I can continue to want one.
Thanks everyone for noting the differences between enabling and disabling Javascript. We’ve updated the chart to reflect both situations. The Bold is pretty much on-par with the Storm performance-wise. The Wi-Fi numbers also seem to be more in-line, although with Javascript, it still seems to be slower.
Feel free to post your own browser times! Keep in mind that these are pretty subjective and reception depends on a whole ton of factors.
Are you using the WiFi Browser on the Bold when surfing on WiFi or just the standard Browser? Those WiFi number are whacked man, whacked i say!!!
thanks for the great all-decisive (for me that is), review. i wanted a storm for 6 months and can’t get it at discount till Dec 26. i think i will pass now though….if only i could get a bold to work on verizon’s network
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[...] site Phone Wreck vient de publier une série de tests tout à fait pertinent entre les Blackberry Storm (dont l’OS a bien été [...]
Excellent review. Would be great to see a similar review with the Curve 8900 (either against the Storm or the Bold – or both???)
I have a Storm and I tried to put a couple of movies (Kung Fu Panda, and the Incredibles) so my kids could watch them on a road trip we made for Thanksgiving. It took me nearly half an hour to get the movies on it, and the thing froze up. Competitor to Iphone my ass!!
Very good review. Just so you know you stated in the review that the Storm did 38wpm but it was the Bold.
I just loaded pcmag.com on my storm running the new .75 OS from VZW and it was 30 seconds. Unfortunately a big portion of that was waiting for the browser to render it after it had downloaded the data.
Engadget loaded near instantly for a mobile version but from the click of the load full link to loaded was 23 seconds.
28 seconds for cnet.com
12 seconds for phonewreck.com
All times taken with javascript off and INCLUDING the time it takes for “requesting”. Times are from click of enter (after entering the link) until the progress bar goes away and the page is loaded. On many of these much of the page is loaded and viewable while waiting for that last bit of images to render.
This comparison just saved me a lot of money. I was planning on breaking my contract with ATT (which is not cheap when your canceling 4 phones) so I can switch to Verizon for the BB Storm. Luckily I found this tear down, which helped me with my decision to staying with ATT. I’m probably going to pick up four Bolds tomorrow. Thank you for the awesome job with this tear down!!
The Bold is a great device. The fast USB speeds make it easy to get files on and off the device (pictures,music and movies). I don’t even use my iPOD anymore. The movie player and screen are absolutely awesome! The browser is fast enough for my needs. All in all best phone I’ve had. Glad I didn’t get the Storm.
The Bold is fixed focus. The Storm uses OmniVision’s TrueFocus. The TrueFocus has a lower f-stop because its’ focusing is handled by the chip, allowing in more light. TrueFocus can autofocus faster than conventional autofocus, and video is fast as heck because every field is in focus all of the time. The TrueFocus chip can actually take the picture first and then autofocus because it’s all handled by a chip rather than lenses and rangefinders. I couldn’t tell you why RIM chose to focus before taking the shot. Also, in video, the Bold actually has HDR. I can’t tell you why RIM isn’t highlighting these features. No one else has them.
Video for the TrueFocus chip inside the Storm: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJsiPWn2QPc&feature=related
Video for the conventional focus inside the HTC Touch Pro (really, this video could’ve been shot with just about any conventional autofocus): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6-w4XFOkzY
Love the teardowns!
Also, can anyone tell me if the Storm can focus upon a spot you press on the screen? I don’t know if RIM used that feature or not. Thanks!
Loved this comparison. I just bought the Storm, and I’ll be damned if I can type anything! I am switching to the Bold tomorrow. Sorry to give up Verizon, though, and the great camera on the Storm.
[...] In-Depth Comparison: BlackBerry Bold vs. BlackBerry Storm (from which the picture originates) includes a typing test. The rather harsh [...]
QuestionAsker:
December 13th, 2008 at 10:02 am
The Bold is fixed focus. The Storm uses OmniVision’s TrueFocus. The TrueFocus has a lower f-stop because its’ focusing is handled by the chip, allowing in more light. TrueFocus can autofocus faster than conventional autofocus, and video is fast as heck because every field is in focus all of the time. The TrueFocus chip can actually take the picture first and then autofocus because it’s all handled by a chip rather than lenses and rangefinders. I couldn’t tell you why RIM chose to focus before taking the shot. Also, in video, the Bold actually has HDR. I can’t tell you why RIM isn’t highlighting these features. No one else has them.
Sorry NUMBNUTs the POS known as TRUEFOCUS still does not work.
Hi I have a storm just got it Friday already called Verizon today to return this beast. I hate the hassle of the lag when typing I text constantly this one is toooooo slow. I am getting the bold I can switch april 26th. I went without a blackberry this long I will wait until then and go to at and t. I was considering the curve but your reviews have swung me to switch providers. I wanted to get to one handheld for my music, pda, everything so I am hoping the bold will be my new everything. As for the storm I am not much of a techie, I love the pics it takes but it takes so long to focus that your subject has already stopped smiling or doing whatever it is you hoped to capture. The quality is good but everything else just frustrates me. It is a huge huge disappointment.
I just switched out my BB 8830 for the Storm. At first I was hesitant with the keypad. It’s true, it takes a little time to get used to the touch keypad but after a little over 24 hours I have mastered a faster typing time (landscape style) and love the Storm and have happily passed on my 8830 to someone else. Absolutely love it love it. Thanks for the great comparison!
[...] designs for their West Bridge solution, with their CYWB0124AB chip, enabling fast transfer speeds as we earlier noted. MtekVision makes an interesting entrance as well, claiming quite a large space for their camera [...]
Just a note – you say storm 9500, but in reality, you should say 9530.
The Qualcomm integrated chip is in use only on 9530 (verizon). In Europe (vodafone) we have the same chip as Bold.
I wanted to ask if you changed the keyrate to fast on the storm when you did the typing test. On my storm it made a HUGE difference when typing. I was able to type a paper for my college history class on my storm without too much effort.
Just a quick note to say I switched from the Storm to the Bold simply because the Storm is an unworkable phone. You cannot type or do anything on it.
I have just received the Bold – it is perfect for me as I am used to Blackberry and it carries Wifi too – something the Storm does not.
There is no contest in this comparison.!!!
I went out to get the storm as soon as it was out as it looked real cool. But the typing is so frustrating. Thought it was just me but after reading the review i guess this is one aspect that RIM did not focus on when trying to give the iPhone a run for its money. now to find a Bold user for an exchange..:-)but plse do a review of the bold and the new curve..
I own a Blackberry Bold and I am very pleased with it with one exception, the inability to install skype on it, if someone knows if it is possible please write to me: stephan_p_pashov@abv.bg
well i have to say the bold shuns down the storm just because the storm is slow, no wifi!, and takes like 3 secs to take a dang pic.! and at@t is ten times better then verizen so thats also a factor. the bold is fast has a great pixel sreen and easier to type then the storm.
[...] In-Depth Comparison: BlackBerry Bold vs. BlackBerry Storm you can check comparsion between bold and storm check the link here : phoneWreck
[...] In-Depth Comparison: BlackBerry Bold vs. BlackBerry Storm you can check comparson so check the link here : phoneWreck
I have the bold. For people who a
re torn between either of the two phones compared above;look at what you use is. If you are a business user(power), you may want to look at the bold. If your phone is used for managing your personal life;the storm would probably work. This changes if you have never owned a smartphone before, as you will
Hmm Blackberry comparison and no Email section?? Greta job otherwise.
@joey af
Both devices are built on the same e-mail platform thus the e-mail experience is about the same. We thought we’d focus more on text entry, etc. In other words, the major differences between the two devices.
Thanks for the feedback!
Hi all..
I am using Bold and loving it but have decided to switched to Storm. As for typing problem with the Storm, I’ve been using Iphone for about 6 months and no problem with the typing on touch screen, so I reckon it will be the same with Storm. will post my feedback..so far the Bold is really good. Have yet experience the Storm..Getting it tonight.
I really loved the storm for its aestethics but each day i wake up wishing for WiFi. The Bold however is the most complete bb to date without question. The javelin tho is my favorite as it combines aestethics with WiFi. Until the Storm 2 is out and really steps up its game the Bold and the Javelin will be out in front in that order.
I still can’t decide between the bold/storm they are the same price on vodaphone network but I can’t decide with mixed reviews.
I will use it for:
facebook/browsing
videos
texting
kind regards and any help would be appriciated!
Before I read this article, I could not decide between Bold and Storm. My account officer suggested that I get Storm because its the latest. However, after reading your very detailed and informative comparison, I finally decided in favor of Blackberry Bold. Wi-fi and typing speed are very important features to me. Thanks a lot.
I would have to go for the storm.Except the lagging and the wifi,the storm has a great camera,design,and its great for management.I agree the storms browser is not that great.I love the fact that it has autofocus.Against the bold i would have to go for the storm,but against the iphone3g im not sure, but if your comparing it to the iphone3gs, i would definetly go for the iphone3gs because it fixes all the problems with previous iphone and more.
Можно и по этому вопросу, ведь только в споре может быть достигнута истина.