BlackBerry Storm 9500 vs BlackBerry Storm 9520

When Research in Motion (RIM) unveiled the BlackBerry Storm users were shocked. It was the first device from the Canadian mobile giant that missed one historical vital ingredient: the keyboard.

The Storm (9500) was a touch screen beauty, but despite the innovations it brought to the market, it wasn't without irritation for some users.

Fast-forward and we now have a younger sibling having just arrived on the scene in the form of the Storm2 (9520).

So is the second generation better than the first or, just like sequels in films, is the original hard to top? We put the two devices head to head to find out.

Looks

From a distance the Storm and Storm2 look twin-like. Both feature a very minimalist design and put the lavish, large display centre stage as the main attraction.

However, on closer inspection, there are a few subtle differences. On the second generation Storm, RIM has done away with the gap between the screen and outer casing that attracted dirt and grim and generally annoyed users.

The call and menu keys are also now part of the touch screen themselves, rather than attached but somehow separate. While it's a subtle design change, it looks much sleeker.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is also flushed within the casing on the Storm2 adding further to its aesthetics.

That's not to say the first generation Storm was ugly. Far from it. It was and still is a thing of beauty, but RIM has just added a touch more finesses. Let's not forget that the 9500 made its debut in a James Bond film too, so it clearly does have some level of sex appeal.