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Storm Reviews Come Rolling In
General consensus: not quite an iPhone killer
Verizon is unveiling the new Blackberry Storm on Friday, the phone costing $199 with a two-year contract and a $50 mail-in rebate. Reviews are rolling in, and seem to be scattered across the board, though trending slightly toward the negative. PC World calls the device "awkward and disappointing," noting that the device's click-touch screen is "more confusing than helpful" and a "failed experiment." Engadget seems to think the device is beautiful, but notes that the Storm is "not as easy, enjoyable, or consistent to use as the iPhone," and the unit's trademark click screen "just isn't all that great." Additional reviews (Boy Genius, CNET, Associated Press, Wired) all suggest the Storm is close, but no cigar.
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adisor19
join:2004-10-11

adisor19

Member

Nice try RIM

The concept was good but the final result = FAIL.

Think of it as an iPhone that tried to hard and fell short in almost every detail as a result. No, an iPhone killer this is not and i have a hard time ever seeing it become one in the future.

Adi

Sircolby450
join:2005-11-26

Sircolby450

Member

Re: Nice try RIM

said by adisor19:

i have a hard time ever seeing it become one in the future.
Well it will still be the same phone in the future as it is now so....
jca2050
Premium Member
join:2002-02-04
Dallas, TX

jca2050 to adisor19

Premium Member

to adisor19
said by adisor19:

The concept was good but the final result = FAIL.

Think of it as an iPhone that tried to hard and fell short in almost every detail as a result. No, an iPhone killer this is not and i have a hard time ever seeing it become one in the future.

Adi
I'm assuming you have had first hand experience with the Storm?

schmol
join:2001-12-26
Windsor, PA

schmol

Member

Re: Nice try RIM

probably not, more likely just basing his thoughts on other peoples opinions as they have tunnel vision to the iphone...

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

1 edit

DeeC

Premium Member

Re: Nice try RIM

said by schmol:

probably not, more likely just basing his thoughts on other peoples opinions as they have tunnel vision to the iphone...
Yup....the majority of people have not tried/tested it, or even considered the features it has that the iPhone does not (user replaceable battery and microSD slot). These are "must haves" for some of us. I sure as hell do not want to buy a new phone each time I need more memory, lol

I like it, and that is speaking from experience (testing the Storm) as VZW came to my company with it yesterday to test out and try.........

NOCMan
MadMacHatter
Premium Member
join:2004-09-30
Colorado Springs, CO

NOCMan to adisor19

Premium Member

to adisor19
Clearly Verizon is following GM's playbook. Consistently stay behind the curve in phones, take a good phone and rip out features it makes good in order to make a buck, etc etc etc.

Taking out wifi is so stupid. They just forced unnecessary traffic onto their network. These phones come with data plans as part of the package. I guess they're praying they go over that 5g limit so they can charge a dollar a kilobyte overage.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC

Premium Member

Re: Nice try RIM

said by NOCMan:

Clearly Verizon is following GM's playbook. Consistently stay behind the curve in phones, take a good phone and rip out features it makes good in order to make a buck, etc etc etc.

Taking out wifi is so stupid. They just forced unnecessary traffic onto their network. These phones come with data plans as part of the package. I guess they're praying they go over that 5g limit so they can charge a dollar a kilobyte overage.
Again, that 5G limit is for tethered modem use, not the normal 3G data plan....

sapo
Cruising Down Memory Lane
Premium Member
join:2002-09-16
Sacramento, CA

sapo

Premium Member

I guess wait for the next one...

Just because your attempted home run ended up a foul ball this time doesn't mean your next swing won't be a success.

QuakeFrag
Premium Member
join:2003-06-13
NH

QuakeFrag

Premium Member

too much hype

This phone has been hyped up so much, that now when it comes out it doesn't meet expectations of the hype. Overall I am sure it is an excellent device, but people can never be satisfied with something top of the line unless it flat out beats competition. Personally, I'd consider getting this or the curve over and iphone. I have little use for a smart phone, so my regular call making device will be okay for the next couple years.

PhoenixDown
FIOS is Awesome
Premium Member
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY

PhoenixDown

Premium Member

Re: too much hype

Your right about their being too much hype. The other factor is that the iPhone redefined the market and that automatically makes them the standard which others will be compared against.

baineschile
2600 ways to live
Premium Member
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI

baineschile to QuakeFrag

Premium Member

to QuakeFrag
Disagree. The iphone surpassed most expectations.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207

Premium Member

Re: too much hype

said by baineschile:

Disagree. The iphone surpassed most expectations.
I'm not sure how that's possible. You mean all those people waiting hours in line to be the first to get one, and countless articles and blogs about the device were just due to middling curiosity?

I think there was an enormous amount of hype and expectations for the iPhone. In fact, it was probably unprecedented.

It mostly lived up to the hype, but even that was a daunting challenge.

dnoyeB
Ferrous Phallus
join:2000-10-09
Southfield, MI

dnoyeB to baineschile

Member

to baineschile
Well, since you used that weasel word "most", what can I say?

Remember, the iphone took an immediate price cut upon release. To me this says, it failed to meet at least some expectations.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Bold better?

From some of the reviewers and someone I talked to. They actually like the Bold better.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Bold better?

Wow.
I tried out the Bold at the store - nice screen, decent keypad.
The only thing that I found annoying was the 'mouse' thumb wheel. I would have a very tired/sore thumb very quickly (I'm sure they must have an accelerator somewhere).

Similarly, I found the Tilt/Fuze nice, but screen too small for my use.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Re: Bold better?

Tilt is completely different than the Fuze. Fuze uses Touchflo 3D which is very nice. You can actually use the on screen keyboard with your finger compared to the Tilt.

I was debating on a Fuze or iPhone and right now I like the Fuze much better after having it for a week.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Bold better?

I didn't mind the Fuze - however, I did find the screen a little small for my use (sort of like the Tilt) for my use (SSH client, RDP client). The screen is very sharp in comparison, and much more useable (640x480 vs 320x240), but same dimensions - 2.8".
I wish the screen was a bit larger - say like the G1 (3.2") or even 3.5" like the iPhone.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Re: Bold better?

To me the Fuze is a nice fit to your hand compared to the iphone or G1. I would like a bigger screen as well but means larger phone.

The case I use for my fuze is actually a generic one for the bb pearl.

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Re: Bold better?

Issues with G1: Google - don't want GMail, lack of current apps (connectbot looks good)
Issues with iPhone: It could be so much more.... but its not. No cut/paste, no video recording, no multithreading.
Issues with Fuze: Screen's a little small for my taste, pricey.

Need a Windows Mobile iPhone.
Windows Mobile on the iPhone itself ... not a Tilt imitating iPhone. I like the iPhone for its screen and size.
LowRider
join:2006-06-23
Dallas, GA

LowRider

Member

Re: Bold better?

you forgot about the lag on the fuze. its lag tastic. went to the store to see it for myself. man it lagged out big time. other than that it looks solid. maybe an upgrade in firmware will fix this. The storm, i'm going to go to verizion tomorrow cause my plan is up in 3 months w/ ATT. so i figured i'd give them a shot maybe. i'm just not sure how there plans/coverage compare to ATT. And ATT i have been with for 6+yrs. been with alltell which was great to but ATT was better in my area.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Re: Bold better?

I have no lag on my Fuze at all. ATT tends to bloat the phones OS as well so. You can use a custom ROM or do a hard reset and then a soft reset. That way the ATT bloatware doesn't get installed.

Lark3po
Premium Member
join:2003-08-05
Madison, AL

Lark3po to LowRider

Premium Member

to LowRider
No lag on my Fuze. I've got it the day they came out and have only had to reset it once and that was after installing a few apps.
slckusr
Premium Member
join:2003-03-17
Greenville, SC

1 edit

slckusr

Premium Member

Re: Bold better?

i have the touch pro (sprint branded) and its awesome.

between the customization and added features ( cut and paste).

The few people i work with who have iPhones are always wanting to play with my pro.

the slide out keyboard sealed the deal for me.
BB_Hunter
join:2008-05-16

BB_Hunter to gdm

Member

to gdm
said by gdm:

Tilt is completely different than the Fuze. Fuze uses Touchflo 3D which is very nice. You can actually use the on screen keyboard with your finger compared to the Tilt.

I was debating on a Fuze or iPhone and right now I like the Fuze much better after having it for a week.
I've got a Tilt myself right now. You can get the Touchflo 3d app for the tilt. Check out the XDA developers forum for details. Your right about the keyboard that comes with it.

I use SBP's keypad which takes up about 75% of the screen. Its very easy to type with it.

I was actually thinking about the new blackberry but I don't think I'll bother. I may pick up a used Iphone though since after using my tilt I wish I had a larger screen.

gdm
MVM
join:2001-06-15
Mchenry, IL

gdm

MVM

Re: Bold better?

I would like the larger screen as well. To many things the iphone lacks compared to the Fuze/Tilt that I use everyday.

I like the feel of the Fuze better then the Tilt.

jmn1207
Premium Member
join:2000-07-19
Sterling, VA

jmn1207 to en102

Premium Member

to en102
One of the best things about the BlackBerries that I enjoy is their trackballs. They do break-in after some use and they can also get dirty and perform poorly. I did not initially like it, but now I am hooked.

Boricua
Premium Member
join:2002-01-26
Sacramuerto

Boricua

Premium Member

Re: Bold better?

I honestly miss the 8830. I got this job a few months ago and they use Treos .

jester121
Premium Member
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL

jester121

Premium Member

Re: Bold better?

I had to return mine due to crappy coverage in our building, but the 8830 is indeed one fine phone.

VideoGuy
@verizon.net

1 recommendation

VideoGuy

Anon

Gee...

...maybe BB ought to come up with something original like they did the first time. Even if it becomes *as* good as an iPhone, it will still be a copy of something original and by then Apple will have moved forward again. The only thing keeping even more folks from making the switch is corporate IT policy. Many large firms won't authorize units other than BBerry and many are set up with company-wide national accounts with a single provider other than AT&T. I know this because every time I use my iPhone on the train or at the airport I get accosted by traveling business folks who wish they could switch and lament the reasons they can't.

Matt3
All noise, no signal.
Premium Member
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC

Matt3

Premium Member

Click screen not good = Failed Product

The hype surrounding this product was all about the new "Suretype" click screen. If it was anything but flawless the product was destined to fail.

I was a bit suspicious of how good it was going to be when Verizon priced the phone at $199. If it didn't have issues it would have been priced much higher I think, at least $249 or $299.
yabos
join:2003-02-16
London, ON

yabos

Member

Re: Click screen not good = Failed Product

Yeah. I used one last weekend since I know people that work at RIM. I didn't like the clicking screen. The LCD screen also gets the warping effect sometimes when pressing down on it like a regular LCD screen. Like when pressing a "button", part of the liquid will become compressed and warp the display a bit.

Also, the interface is not anywhere as intuitive as the iPhone. You still have to go through menus to find things.

I don't think it's complete crap but comparing it to the iPhone, it still is far behind.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC to Matt3

Premium Member

to Matt3
Played with one yesterday as VZW brought them to my company --- like it very much, and definitely rather have the click feature than not........

•••••••

Bigzizzzle
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27
Beverly Hills, CA

Bigzizzzle to Matt3

Premium Member

to Matt3
Where is this supposed Firmware update, Is it the latest Desktop software, I did used the blackberry storm when it was released it it sucked. You say there is a fix, and I say WHERE IS IT.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC

Premium Member

Re: Click screen not good = Failed Product

said by Bigzizzzle:

Where is this supposed Firmware update, Is it the latest Desktop software, I did used the blackberry storm when it was released it it sucked. You say there is a fix, and I say WHERE IS IT.
All the ones up to the 20th and some on the 21st were using an older firmware. I know because VZW told me and even their demo was using the older firmware, but they upgraded late on the 20th. I believe phones shipped after the 20th or 21st would have the latest firmware.
Pv8man
join:2008-07-24
Hammond, IN

Pv8man

Member

Heh

I already got bluesnarfing tools running on my Android.
Plus OperaMini is a much better mobile browser for it also.
VNC as well...

I just hate the battery life on it though, only one day worth of use per 1 hour charge

•••••

tomkb
Premium Member
join:2000-11-15
Tampa, FL

tomkb

Premium Member

active sync

Does it support active sync yet or is that taboo still?

jgkolt
Premium Member
join:2004-02-21
Avon, OH

jgkolt

Premium Member

hey

You can add the programs you want without battling apple or jailbreaking, it has a removable battery, it has COPY and PASTE. so there are some improvements over the iphone. people are worried about hitting the wrong key on the iphone and they blackberry has worked on overcoming those fears for the execs and people buying the item.

••••

MuDvAyNe
Premium Member
join:2002-03-02
Brooklyn, NY

1 recommendation

MuDvAyNe

Premium Member

It all depends on the users..

Over at phonedog.com they were typing on the Storm like there was no tomorrow. There were not confused as the people at PC World were. In the end it really is up to the user. I bet it takes a while to get use to typing on this device and these reviews looked at it for a few hours and just got fed up. The main concern with this device was the laggy OS, but this is suppose to be fixed with an update available tomorrow. I know I will be buying the Storm tomorrow

south1178
Premium Member
join:2001-12-17
Cleveland, OH

south1178

Premium Member

Re: It all depends on the users..

said by MuDvAyNe:

Over at phonedog.com they were typing on the Storm like there was no tomorrow. There were not confused as the people at PC World were. In the end it really is up to the user. I bet it takes a while to get use to typing on this device and these reviews looked at it for a few hours and just got fed up. The main concern with this device was the laggy OS, but this is suppose to be fixed with an update available tomorrow. I know I will be buying the Storm tomorrow
I agree. Every phone has a learning curve.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC to MuDvAyNe

Premium Member

to MuDvAyNe
Hey guys, it is "to each, his/her own". I played with one a good long while (almost an hour) as VZW came to my workplace yesterday to show the Storm (& other phones).

I like the "click" (feedback) feature, and the highlighting of the icon and key before the depress. Like any new phone, it takes some getting used to, especially if you had hard keys to type with. I had no issues getting to where I needed to go, or getting info..... hopped out on Google.com and did some searches on the web quickly, with no problem, played parts of a movie, music, took a photo with it, etc.

iPhone may have WiFi, but the Storm has a user replaceable battery and memory card slot

Jwobot
join:2002-08-14
Sterling Heights, MI

Jwobot

Member

No Wi-Fi = Bye-Bye

Another gadget to be tossed in the bone yard.

Wi-Fi is a must now in days to have in any kind of gadget since so many areas offer Hot Spots due to consumer demand.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC

Premium Member

Re: No Wi-Fi = Bye-Bye

said by Jwobot:

Another gadget to be tossed in the bone yard.

Wi-Fi is a must now in days to have in any kind of gadget since so many areas offer Hot Spots due to consumer demand.
And others would say a "user replaceable battery" and "memory card slot" are also must haves, but the iPhone doesn't have them.....
notataloss
join:2000-09-12
Pasadena, CA

notataloss

Member

Verizon Pricing is Deceptive

Just spoke with two representatives, the last of whom hung up on me. Why? Because I pointed out that I should be able to purchase the Storm for $249.99 less rebate. The reps said no, I upgraded my phone in February 2008.

I asked "Do I have a Nationwide E-mail Plan? (See the webpage: »www.verizonwireless.com/ ··· dex.html)
"No, you don't, " they reply.
"Then why is my purchase of a Storm coupled with a new 2yr Nationwide E-Mail activation on my present line not eligible?"
Again, "Because you upgraded in February"

"Where is the qualifier on the ad?" I ask. (Click the link above. Tell me if you can find it.) "Appears to me to be a deceptive trade practice under federal and Califonia law." Dial tone.

The craziness of this is I was willing to buy TWO Storms, one for me and one for my son, who is eligible for an upgrade. No, I could use his upgrade for my phone but not the promotional price for my phone and the upgrade for his.

••••••

punksexy
@sigmanet.com

1 recommendation

punksexy

Anon

We have to move past the iPhone killer phenomenom

I use an iPhone, but honestly people buy more into the fad than anything else; myself included.

Sure the browser is nice and the device looks pretty, but other than that, there is not much more function than any other device in its caliber. How do you fail to include one of the most fundamental features namely MMS? Why can't we even replace our own batteries affordably?

One thing that the Storm does have going on for it is a network that works. First and foremost. Also, it encompasses almost every feature most users would ever need and more along with the best push email service in the industry and access to Rhapsody.

Sure, it'll piss off a few hardcore users who depend on WiFi because their 3G network sucks, but that's their problem. For the rest of us, this thing will work just fine.

Believe me, the thing the hardcore nerds fuss over really are a non issue to the majority of users.

huntml
join:2002-01-23
Mullica Hill, NJ

huntml

Member

Re: We have to move past the iPhone killer phenomenom

I agree with you about WiFi in a sense; ATTM's network sucks and it makes my N95 a lot more usable, esp. for streaming or d/ling u/ling large files, which usually FAIL on ATTM because I get a network disconnect before the file finishes moving.

OTOH, though, though the Sprint network is rock-solid here and I pretty consistently get good speeds (500-1000 kbps down) there are times I miss not having WiFi because it's just a lot faster.

I plan to stay with Sprint, but I will not buy another smartphone without WiFi.

dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium Member
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ

dvd536

Premium Member

Click

That would annoy the hell out of me.
VZW isn't helping the device by crippling it either.

•••

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC

Premium Member

Tested it on the 20th

Verizon came to my workplace yesterday, and I did get to test out a fully functional STORM, and I was impressed, and very much like the "click" feel (feedback).

Keep in mind, the advantages over the iPhone (besides the secure enterprise features, push email fr 10 accts, etc) are the user replaceable battery and microSD slot (keep adding memory without having to buy a new phone each time!)......

onebadmofo
gat gnitsoP
Premium Member
join:2002-03-30
Pennsylvania

onebadmofo

Premium Member

PhoneScoop's review

»www.youtube.com/watch?v= ··· Vs4hXDIU


I don't like the lag it has. That can get annoying REAL quick.

••••

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium Member
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA

DaneJasper

Premium Member

My own experience

I got to play with the Storm at a launch event last week, and I found it to be non-intuitive and awkward. I managed to crash it while viewing nytimes.com, to such a degree that the battery had to be removed to bring it back to life.

It's no iPhone.

-Dane

••••

Bigzizzzle
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27
Beverly Hills, CA

Bigzizzzle

Premium Member

Massive Failure = Blackberry Storm

Major Failure... My God its terrible, and I feel bad cause when I went to the storm at 9:30 am they were all sold out... Boy o Boy some buddy got ripped off. Why GOD WHY did this happen. and believe me I dispise APPLe just as much.

Problems summed up.

Unusably slow User Interface. Battery Life horrible. No WIFI.

DeeC
Premium Member
join:2000-09-01
the world

DeeC

Premium Member

Re: Massive Failure = Blackberry Storm

said by Bigzizzzle:

Major Failure... My God its terrible, and I feel bad cause when I went to the storm at 9:30 am they were all sold out... Boy o Boy some buddy got ripped off. Why GOD WHY did this happen. and believe me I dispise APPLe just as much.

Problems summed up.

Unusably slow User Interface. Battery Life horrible. No WIFI.
Ok, you didn't get one, but you have complaints?

Slow interface was fixed by latest firmware, the battery life is about the same as the iPhone, and as for the Wifi, I'll trade that for the user replaceable battery, microSD slot, and 3.2 camera........ Pros & Cons for both people.

arundc
join:2004-08-11

arundc

Member

Re: Massive Failure = Blackberry Storm

microSD that currently supports 16GB and possibly more with a firmware upgrade. Also, the Storm does MMS and the camera has a flash and a stabilization feature. Mine's coming in today. I feel bad that not everyone who stood in line got theirs but they are shipping again before 12/5.

ariesguy
join:2001-01-30

ariesguy

Member

Terrible

I was really looking forward to this phone.. but it's not so good. I played with one for about 30 minutes today and it's just not working for me. It lags quite a bit and the touch interface is nowhere near as nice as an iPhone. Next week the HTC Touch Pro hits for Verizon, that'll probably be my next buy. I've come to the conclusion that and actual keyboard is a must for me.
B04
Premium Member
join:2000-10-28

B04

Premium Member

Uh, BlackBerries Still Suck, Film At 11?

Have I not mentioned enough times that Blackberries uniformly suck? They are the classic example of a mediocre first mover success story.

What a shock -- the new model sucks too.

-- B
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