BlackBerry Storm is good iPhone challenger

More camera capabilities
The button for the camera and another for volume are on the other side of the phone. The camera is 3.2-megapixel and comes with a flash and variable zoom. The iPhone’s 2-megapixel camera does not have flash or zoom.

The Storm wins on the camera front, not because its camera is necessarily better than the iPhone’s, but because you can send photos with text messages, something you can’t do with the iPhone.

Both phones resemble each other somewhat in shape and size. The iPhone weighs 4.7 ounces; the Storm is slightly heavier at 5.46 ounces. The iPhone is 4.5 inches high, 2.4 inches wide and .48 of an inch deep. The Storm is 4.4 inches high, 2.4 inches wide and .55 of an inch deep.

Among the iPhone’s draws is Apple’s App Store, which has made available thousands of programs for the phone, some free, some for pay. The “apps” are easy to download to the phone from an AppStore icon on the device.

Like other BlackBerrys, the Storm lacks an app store, but not for long. RIM recently announced plans to open its own “application storefront” in March.

Variety of pricing plans
The Storm is being sold exclusively through Verizon Wireless. The iPhone is available exclusively from AT&T. Both phones are 3G, meaning they run on the carriers’ faster wireless networks, crucial for Web surfing and e-mail. Verizon Wireless’ is more robust at this point; AT&T’s is coming along, but is still not completely built out.

Battery life for the Storm is rated at six hours of talk time. The iPhone is rated for up to five hours’ of talk time using the faster 3G network, and up to 10 hours on the slower 2G network. The iPhone also has Wi-Fi for wireless connections; the Storm does not

Verizon Wireless, which has seen some of its customers flock to AT&T for the iPhone, is being very competitive price-wise with the Storm.

It costs $199.99, after committing to a two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate. That price matches the 8-gigabyte model of the iPhone. The Storm comes with an 8-gigabyte microSD card; you can substitute up to a 16-gigabyte card. (Apple’s 16-gigabyte iPhone costs $299.)

AT&T’s least-expensive iPhone plan is $69.99 a month for unlimited Web and e-mail and 450 voice minutes. Text messaging costs 20 cents a message unless you opt for a text plan, which starts at $5 a month for 200 messages.

Verizon Wireless has more plans from which to choose, but it will cost you about the same per month if you go with the most basic of plans. The company has a “personal e-mail” BlackBerry plan for $29.99 a month if a customer purchases the Verizon Wireless Nationwide voice plan. The least expensive choice in that plan is $39.99 a month for 450 voice minutes.

There is also a “data only” plan that costs $49.99 a month for unlimited e-mail and Web access, but does not include use of the BlackBerry as a phone.

For those who want unlimited text, picture and video messaging as well as Internet access, there’s a $99.99 a month plan that includes 450 voice minutes.

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