Blackberry picking season may have finished months ago, but the best one of the year has only just arrived. The BlackBerry Storm is out today folks, ditching the cramped keyboards of old for some serious touchscreen talent – and if you’re picking yours up today, these are the accessories you need with it.
A microSD card
RIM has skimped on the built-in flash memory in the Storm, opting for a card slot instead. We’re not huge fans of the move (If Nokia can get a Nano-matching 16GB onboard an N96, why can’t RIM?), but if you look on the bright side, it does give you the potential to carry even more than that around on the go. Be sure to pick at least one up (You can get an 8GB microSD HC card for as little as £15 online), as you won’t be able to harness the Storm’s true power music and video-playing power without it.
Bluetooth stereo headset
One of the BlackBerry Storm’s hidden talents is the ability to channel stereo audio via Bluetooth into your cans, cutting out the need for cables. It’s a great feature to take advantage of, as the Storm never leaves your pocket, meaning you a) don’t pull your headphones out by walking too fast and b) don’t get mugged while waving your brand new phone around. You’ll have to invest in a headset to take advantage of it though, and you can kit yourself out for around £40.
Cover
We’ve raved about the Storm’s clickable touchscreen for long enough, but we’ve had a niggling concern about it for a while. If you can push the panel down, it stands to reason that grit and dust will find its way under the Storm’s skin and block it up too. If it can happen to keyboards, it can happen to phones: stop the rot with a laminated film cover, or a pouch. There are already stacks to choose from on stores like everythingberry and crackberry.
In car kit
Satnav software on BlackBerries is nothing new, but the Storm marks the first time you’ll actually be able to see the map on screen without a microscope. Keep your Storm powered on a long trip with a car charger, and pick up a windscreen mount to keep it in safe sight – or turn it the other way to let a passenger watch a video while you do all the hard work.
Keyboard
Full five row folding keyboards for smartphones are emerging on to the market, and the good news is at least one of them is Storm compatible. It’s an ideal solution to bashing out long e-mails, if the clickable screen doesn’t take your fancy, or is a touch too small for long-term typing. Use it to turn the Storm into a business bad boy on the train, then fold it away, and set the phone free as the media monster out of hours.
