Due in large part to the overwhelming success of Apple's iPhone smartphone, touch screen technology is winning more attention than ever before

Countless handset makers have tried to mimic Apple's success with the iPhone by creating touch-screen-based device of their own, but the vast majority failed to sell even a fraction of the number of handhelds Apple shipped in 2008--somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 million devices.

The latest--and perhaps most notable--smartphone manufacturer to take on Apple's iPhone in the touch screen arena is Research In Motion, maker of the popular BlackBerry handheld. Rumors about a BlackBerry Touch first hit the Web almost a year ago, six months after Apple first released the iPhone. But it wasn't until early October that RIM confirmed the existence of such a device. Last week, Verizon Wireless, the exclusive U.S. Storm carrier, announced that the touch screen BlackBerry will go on sale on November 21, for $199 after a $50 rebate.

When the BlackBerry Storm becomes available next week, smartphone buyers will be presented with a choice between the most popular touch screen handset in the world, the iPhone, and what could prove to be the world's first true iPhone rival, the Storm 9530. Here's my thinking on eight reasons why the iPhone 3G might be the better choice. Click on over to part two of the series for the flip side: eight reasons why the Storm might be the best option for you.

8) iPhone now second generation

The Apple iPhone has been available for almost a year and a half now--the first-generation iPhone was released in June of 2007; the second-gen iPhone 3G came in July 2008. And though it hasn't been all smooth sailing, Apple has largely worked through the initial hiccups, so new iPhone users can expect a relatively seamless experience.

Not so with the BlackBerry Storm. Today, Vodafone U.K. is expected to become the first global carrier to sell the Storm--a different version than the 9530 edition that Verizon will sell in the U.S.--and though there have been some early reviews of pre-production units, it's still unknown exactly how well RIM's "Click Through" touch screen tech will work and/or hold up over time.

If you're anxious to get your hands on a touch screen smartphone before the holidays, it might be wise to choose the iPhone 3G--at least until somebody really puts the Storm through the motions.