View this article at: http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/09/24/att.anti.blackberry.tract/
Wednesday, Sep 24, 2008 12:50pm
AT&T publishes pro-iPhone, anti-Storm sales guide
A alleged AT&T sales guide, leaked to the public, suggests concern by the carrier over Research in Motion's latest BlackBerry phone. The guide is said to be a memo circulating inside of AT&T, trumpeting the benefits of the iPhone 3G over the BlackBerry Storm, which AT&T claims will ship through Verizon sometime in October or November. The guide states that the Storm will lack Apple's proprietary multi-touch technology, as well as Wi-Fi and tri-band HSDPA, the latter allowing 3G data in more areas outside of North America.

Also disparaged is the absence of the App Store, and iTunes, which AT&T suggests is a better means of syncing music, video and podcasts. The iPhone is also said to have a better browser, though neither RIM nor Verizon have previewed any software. It is likewise unknown what sync software the Storm will support, and whether existing third-party BlackBerry apps will be compatible.

The Storm will be RIM's first touchscreen BlackBerry, and is being marketed explicitly as a competitor to the iPhone. Features are said to include a hybrid GSM/CDMA receiver, 3G support, and a 3.2-megapixel camera. The phone should also support visual voicemail, and surpass the iPhone through features such as MMS, turn-by-turn GPS navigation, and the ability to remove batteries and storage.