In case you haven’t heard (and you might not of, this is a new Blackberry not a new iPhone) the Blackberry Storm is coming out this week on November 21st. You’re going to be hearing a lot about the new Storm and how it compares to the iPhone. There will be useful lists which discuss each and every little difference in the spec sheets that will try and make it seem as though people are choosing between the iPhone and Bold as though they were trying to pick stocks. This stock has a trailing PE ration of…..

Don’t believe it for a second. The differences between an iPhone and a Bold, for the vast majority of consumers, comes down to the network. Or more precisely, the decision comes down to “I am friggin stuck at Verizon, what phone do they have that is most like the iPhone?” I come to this conclusion by a simple study: On the refrigerator there is a bit of direct mail announcing the Bold and the get in on date. I’ve got an iPhone so I don’t need the reminder. The wife is tied to Verizon but really wants an iPhone. She’ll settle for the Bold and hope it’s iPhone enough (sample size=1, MOE=0).

Back to the predictable punditry comparing the two devices. Today’s list (and I’m sure there will be more) comes from Al Sacco at CIO.com. Al does a great job at making the lists interesting and both lists are worth your time to read (even if not relevant to most consumers). here ae the reasons to go iPhone:

1. It’s now second-generation
2. Built-in memory
3. iTunes App Store
4. iTunes integration
5. Full QWERTY (virtual) keyboard
6. Wi-Fi support
7. iPod media player
8. Safari browser

The list leaves out the obvious reason: You hate Verizon but does offer some solid reasons in favor of the iPhone. Though the biggest one is a little understated. Safari clocks in at #8 (but with the way the list reads it could equally be #1) and it is the reason (other than the carriers) to go with the iPhone. Steve Jobs said that calling had to be the killer app on the iPhone but he was kind of lying. A tolerable phone had to be present but the killer app is browse anywhere, anytime. Safari is the reason people were really excited about the iPhone and the reason people who’ve got an iPhone can’t imagine life without it.
If the iPhone has eight reasons going for it, the Storm better have eight advantages as well (symmetry is always nice with lists). And it does:

1. Stereo Bluetooth capability
2. Removable battery
3. Expandable memory
4. Video recording
5. Works as a tethered modem
6. Tactile feedback
7. Copy and paste
8. Multitasking

Again, the biggest reason people will go Storm is Verizon so the list misses the most obvious one. But what about the other points? Stereo Bluetooth Capability? I guess it is marginally better but wireless headphone have terrible reputation for sound quality so I doubt that is going to persuade anyone. The removable battery? I can see the appeal to people stuck on the road, nothing is quite as frustrating as needing your phone and not having it available. Reason 5 is suspect because tethering should be an option with your iPhone shortly. Finally, the Storm has the thing every iPhone user desperately wants: copy and paste. Why o they want copy and paste? Because copying and pasting is very useful when browsing the net. An incorrectly formatted link isn’t clickable but is pasteable. Of course it might not be such a boon on the Storm because Al tells us that the iPhone is way ahead in the browsing department.

So there’s a some reasons to justify your decision. And you know you’ll have to, when people see you rocking the iPhone or the Storm they’ll ask you: “What the hell dude, are you that freakin’ addicted to the net?” and you’ll say “Yes” They’ll retort: “Then why not get get a iPhone/Storm” and you can reply with one of the reasons listed. Or you could just tell the truth and say “AT&T sucks” and/or “I want complete strangers to know I’m wayyyy cool”