BlackBerry Storm: The reviews are in
The BlackBerry Storm, Verizon (VZ) and RIM’s (RIMM) answer to Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone, opens like a Broadway show on Friday. So naturally, Thursday’s papers and blogs are full of reviews. A sampling of the big ones:
- Walt Mossberg. The Wall Street Journal. BlackBerry’s Storm Presses Into the Touch-Phone Fray: Mixed positive. He likes the high-res camera (which does video), the replaceable battery, the push e-mail, the ability to cut-and-paste, the corporate security features and Verizon’s 3G network — an improvement over AT&T’s (T). He misses Wi-Fi, however, and he’s not particularly fond of the so-called SurePress touchscreen. “The feature does provide a more reassuring confirmation that a key has been struck or an icon has been clicked than the mere visual feedback one receives from the iPhone. But neither I, nor any of the several BlackBerry addicts I asked to try it out, considered typing on the Storm’s keyboard to be very similar to using the keyboard of a traditional full-sized BlackBerry.” (link)
- Joshua Topolsky. Engadget. BlackBerry Storm review: “The selling points are easy: the phone is gorgeous to look at and hold, it’s designed and backed by RIM (now almost a household name thanks to their prevalence in the business and entertainment markets), and it’s packed with features that, at first glance, make it seem not only as good as the iPhone, but better. The only hitch in this plan is a major one: it’s not as easy, enjoyable, or consistent to use as the iPhone, and the one place where everyone is sure they have an upper hand — that wow-inducing clickable screen — just isn’t all that great.” (link)
- Daniel Dumas. Wired.com. RIM’s First Touchscreen Device Almost Eclipses the iPhone: “WIRED Click screen is a revelation for touch compatible devices. Converts iTunes to BlackBerry media without breaking a sweat. Included GSM card means the Storm is a true globetrotter - it can work in virtually any foreign port. Photos, video, and text pop like Ice Cube’s AK (on a bad day). Posh fit and finish look rich enough to buy YOU dinner. — TIRED OS lag on a piece of hardware this gorgeous is unacceptable. Scrolling through menus is jagged, slow, and pokey. Accelerometer sometimes takes a good 5-10 seconds to orient itself. Lack of Wi-Fi is lame. Verizon’s totalitarian control over the Storm’s OS is even lamer.” (link)
- Yardena Arar. PC World. BlackBerry’s Storm: Awkward and Disappointing: “The decision by Research in Motion to differentiate the Storm by giving its capacitive touch screen a mechanical component (the entire screen functions as a button for confirming selections or initiating actions) turns out to be more confusing than helpful. Ultimately, the Storm’s touch interface feels like a failed experiment. — It’s too bad, because the Storm has some nice features and makes a great first impression.” (link)
- The Boy Genius. The Boy Genius Report. Verizon BlackBerry Storm review: “The good thing is that this is, afterall, a BlackBerry, and once you get past accepting that there will be some hiccups, it’s really not all that bad. It’s a great phone, a very good device for email, a really good media player, and a decent web browsing machine. You’ll just have to decide what your priorities are in a mobile device and see if the Storms meets that.” (link)
Have you weathered the Storm? Tell us what you liked — or didn’t like — in the comments below.
After about a week with this phone, I will have to say I can not go back. I tried to use a Curve today and the trackball felt foreign and unnatural. It is a GIANT improvement over my Pearl. The addition of the large Suretype keyboard in vertical mode make typing very easy. The keys were a little small for my thumbs on the pearl. The larger amount of storage for applications is a plus too though i do not really understand the point of the device memory that is just for media storage. I would like a larger partition for apps but at least I do not have to do 2 battery pulls a day like i had to do on my pearl to keep my available memory at an acceptable level. The accelerometer is pretty quirky and I have trouble getting it to go into vertical mode sometimes but both horizontal positions seem to work consistently. My main complaint with the phone is the position of the mute while in call mode. You cannot hold this phone to your head with your shoulder without activating the mute function. The weirdest problem is that the addition emoticons added to bb messenger seem to cause problems for people using other blackberries. Sending my girlfriend lots of new emoticons actually rendered her unreachable at one point. Overall, I would say it is the best Blackberry I have ever had. And I love the click screen and over the air upgrade capabilty is a big plus. And the data service is much faster.
Being that I am a Mac user might consider the Iphone again when they release a model that would replace my ipod. Maybe in the 100 to 200 gb range. Also it would have to be with a service provider that actually would allow me to get service at home and at work. For now I will just have to live with a device that does everything I want it to except hold all my music. It is actually kind of nice to keep a bunch of video on the Storm though. The video player is awesome and anything you rip in handbrake for the iphone looks perfect on it.
I don’t know what the hell everyone is complaining about on the Storm. Yes it has a few bugs that needs worked out but so did my 1st Gen iPhone when I had it. Never had ANY voice issues of any kind, just a few reboot issues, but otherwise this phone is GREAT !! I absolutely LOVE IT.. So the one’s with a 3rd grade education and childish attitude just need to back off…
The only think the Storm has over the IPhone is Verizon. Call quality is superior. If you don’t have an IPhone then you just don’t get it. Storm freezes like a tired PC. Portrait to Landscape function is clunky and often gets confused, frozen or divided between both. IPhone is fast and seamless. Camera software is very slow. Video camera has never worked on mine. Media player is like cup and string compared to quality and easy of use of IPhone. Just forget play listing all together. It isn’t going to happen the way you want it to. IPhone offers a 6-page user manual and you’ll need nothing else. You’ll be functioning in moments out of the box. Black Berry was a 137 page PDF you had to find online. The last comment I will make is about the browser. And please if you don’t know then go to an apple store, but the Storm browser is slow, difficult to use and nearly worthless. You better have detected time to really look up any information on a Storm. IPhone you can quickly have your eyes on anything…as fast and easy as a desktop. Anyone that doesn’t agree is not truly using the phone as a business tool or using these phones as their primary devise. Solution: IPhone with Verizon, RIM would go out of business. Or carry IPhone with very cheap Verzion phone so you can get your calls. AT&T should be ashamed of themselves.
Why is everybody whining? It is a GREAT phone, with some problems here and there but it is the first of its kind! It is a new step forward in technology and it is bound to become one of the best phones ever, well at least after some tweaks in it, like wifi. You should all just be happy that it is touch screen, or has internet, or music. So stop complaining, and if you hate your storm, don’t whine about it on the internet just go return it and buy an iphone.
I got the Storm a couple of days ago and have not yet decided if I like it. The biggest issue I have with it is that I can’t seem to figure out how to turn the display off with the touch of a button. I don’t like holsters so I just keep the phone in my front pocket. It is constantly clicking on which is VERY annoying. For this reason alone I feel like returning the phone. So far I am not overly impressed with the phone. I had higher expectations, but I will give it the 30 days to decide if I will keep it or not.
What none of the comments so far has addressed is that in rural areas (even though I’m ten minutes from the state capital), AT&T coverage is dismal and Verizon’s coverage never fails. That is a strong factor in choice of cell ‘phones, no matter the bells and whistles that go along with them. I was especially amused by the “FULL day and a half” try-out comment. Just how impatient has our entitled society become, and how much longer will “we” blame technology rather than our own shortcomings?
The absolute WORST phone I have EVER had! I was super excited about getting the phone, until I had to trade it in 4 times because the stupid POS wouldn’t work right. It’s so slow…and heaven forbid you get a call in the middle of texting…the damn thing gets confused as to what to do and freezes up on you. It takes 30 seconds to switch between apps and the click touch screen is more annoying than it is useable. I highly suggest people wait for the second gen before buying one. The update didn’t help at all. I went and got the iPhone…it’s amazing.
Why would anyone want a piece of equipment that doesn’t work???
Doesn’t change orientation until 5 seconds go buy, can’t speed typr at all, has a mind of it’s own and changes displays and programs when it wan;t to!!!
Give me back my TREO
HELP, Save mw from this clunkie piece of S##T.
Really and I couldn’t wait for it to arrive in the mail.
Wow I said this is going to be great.
BUT IT ISN”T.
Listen to the commentary and you will see the real deal.
Not a 2009 piece of equipment, maybe a 1998 phone.
I am taking it back and getting my TREO back.!!!!!!!
DISAPOINTED in Florida
I just got the Storm the day it was released. I upgraded from my treo 700wx. What a difference.
A good friend of mine has the iphone and likes my storm better.
Some key complaints ive heard about the storm..
its slow..updates already..no wifi..dont like the clickthrough..
Ive been around technology for nearly 30 years.
Having an update shortly after a product is released doesn mean anything.
Despite good r&d and manufacturing, new technology can and sometimes does need updates for things not caught in production or design.
Noone can tell me that apple, microsoft or any other big tech company released a product not followed by an update shortly after?!
As far as the wifi, who cares? 3G is plenty fast and with WEP keys on many wifi networks, many are blocked unless you are in a starbucks or something that offers free wifi.
The phone tends to be sluggish at times, but ive seen my friends iphone being the same exact way..theres a lot of things packed into this device..nothing in instant. Even in the fastest pc, the action is not 100% instant, there is always a few seconds before the action happens..
dont know where that came from.
can you tell me that on the iphone, you click on the icon and within in instant the app opens? I think not.
the storm is a good phone, but like any new piece of brand new technology, has its quirks..no technology is without its quirk!
RIM,Apple or any tech company cant please everyone..
The only complains I have is that I have fat ,short little fingers so typing can be tricky, but works fine generally.
I have to reset the device once a week because it gets sluggish, but then again my brand new pc needs a reboot once a week too..no big deal. After all the storm/iphone are handheld computers as well as phones. I use it a lot, faily and would want to reboot it so it can clear itself out..
just like with my brand new pc..a reboot once a week isnt a bad thing..
the only other complaing I have is that blacberrys app store isnt as mature as apples, yet, but that can change.
also keep in mind, any issues with the device can easily be resolved with a good software update..WHICH any good company would release.
The hardware is only as good as the software that runs it, and I think both the iphone and storm are great devices, both having their fair share of downfalls, but never the less, are both cool and have plenty of features.
Both are good buys, but considering that RIM has been making pda’s for years and apple not so long…I think while the iphone is solid, I trust RIM’s track record a little more than apples!
Cant go wrong with either, but gotta love the clickthrough..I do.
I’m having major issues with the voice quality. I’ve ordered a replacement Storm that should arrive in a few days. We’ll see if it’s the model that was sent, or if the voice quality is really that bad.
Has anyone else experienced voice quality issues with this phone?
Over all the phone is very fast. Yet, the poor voice quality renders it a neat hand-held computer. I had the Curve prior to this and loved that phone. Prior to the Curve I had a Treo 700p and missed the touch screen. So I jumped at the chance to get that back.
I’m recommend anyone wanting a Storm to wait 6 to 12 months and let BlackBerry improve on 2nd generation Storms.
I’ve experienced the same voice quality issues as the previous comment.
Big question: has anyone else had voice quality problems when the volume is turned up higher than half way?
The voice quality on this phone is the worst I’ve ever had. I used the Curve prior to the Storm and I had no complaints. Prior to the Curve I used a Treo 700p. I missed the touch screen so I jumped at the chance to get that back. I’m hoping the voice quality is related to just this model that was shipped. I’m getting a replacement Storm in a few days…we’ll see if the voice quality is any better.
Over all the speed of the Storm is far superior to the Curve…but the poor voice quality limits the phone to a neat hand-held computer. The typing takes patience and the jury is still out on that point.
If I were to do this again I’d wait 6 months to a year to see BlackBerry improve on this phone…it’ll happen just like every other new model that comes out.
Do you want a phone? Or a toy? I want a phone so I got the Blackberry Storm. The iPhone is a horrible phone. It should be called the iToy. I need a phone that has good email and doesnt drop calls. Hello Blackberry. Either way, its more about preference. So if you want to have a phone that takes pics, videos, emails, has a web browser, and a oddles of ther helful tools, Blackberry’s the way to go. Just give the software a few weeks. The Storm has the potential to blow the iPhone out of the water.
I am a HUGE mac-person. my computers at home are macs…but phone-wise, i would have to say i’m a blackberry lover. battery-life is great, email program is extremely reliable, speakerphone is sooo good, and last but not least, the verizon network is STELLAR. the iphone is admittedly such a great toy….which is why i bought an ipod touch. i don’t need to be playing with my phone all day only to lose battery power on it right when i need to make a phone call. and who cares about the bb not having wifi anyway? it’s not like anyone would get a blackberry without getting unlimited data service (what is the point of a blackberry without data service anyway?) bottom-line, if you want to play, get an iphone. if you want a phone….get the blackberry. if you’re one of those who complain about “lags”, go use a landline. all wireless phones have lags.
You all should just drop the storm, i heard it’s a piece. The iphone is where it at, it also click like a keyboard to wow, verizon stink, at & t is where it’s at
I had high hopes for an I-phone replacement. For the most part this phone is so so. Navigation is poorly designed, and the sure-press screen is a complete failure. On a positive note, as usual, Email works great. Blackberry, get rid of that two step process for typing, it really stinks.
I just got the storm today Saturday, Dec 8, 2008, and well……what can I say expect I just packed it back up & off to Verizon it goes on Monday. I gave it a FULL day and a half trial.
Just like the reviews stated, it’s a gorgeous phone but it still needs a lot of work. As Finksta wrote: “hard to navigate without delays, slow response, –>NIGHTMARE”
I have been “trying” to use the Storm for a week now and for a business person it is a nightmare. Hard to type, hard to navigate with delays, not intuitive, slow response, applications execute when phone is in your pocket with cumbersome lock out capabilities… never owned an Iphone, but it must be better than the Storm… it is like using a product that is in beta.
The greatest humanitarian favor the guys at RIM could have done for the new Storm is to exclude the ability to use a bluetooth earpiece. Here’s why. See
http://saturdaymorningpost.com/2008/07/12/are-you-talking-to-me/
Oh and to add real quick on my last one between the iphone and the storm
-The storm, visual voicemail (which is AWESOME) $2.99 a month extra
-The Iphone its free
-The storm Data package starts at $44.95
-Ihpone is $30
-Iphone directions/maps free
-Storm $9.99 a month but includes turn by turn voice GPS.
Well, after owning both the Iphone and The Storm I am going back to the Iphone. The storm is a very cool phone but so far I have not been able to use many of the features. It wont sync with my Macbook, I can’t get it to take my personal e-mail and it wont accept any Music I try to transfer to it. I am pretty sure its all because my Mac wont even register that its there when attached. I have tried every troubleshoot fix on Blackberry’s site and I just feel it shouldn’t be this difficult. I hooked my Iphone up and after about a half hour it was all hooked up and full of everything I needed. Much more user friendly with Macs but also with my wifes PC. Her Iphone took all her contacts, e-mail and music from her PC with no issues as well. My storm doesn’t even show up as being connected even after spending 4.5 hours trying everything to make it work.
The phone itself compared to the Iphone. The Iphones browser is definately better. I noticed the service was about the same but I haven’t dropped a single call with the storm. I dropped alot with the iphone. The tilt is very touchy on the storm. I put it in my pocket and everytime I pull it out its in Landscape mode and takes a bit to switch back. The iphone doesn’t doe ANYTHING until you slide the bar across the screen which is really nice. The storm would also unlock in my pocket and go into diff. areas of the phone while in my pocket. Again the iphone doesn’t move unless you slide the bar all the way across the screen first. This must get fixed somehow on the storm. Over all the storm is buggy but the Iphone was too. I am going with the iphone due to user friendly and syncing with my mac is a breeze. The storm will get worked out and will be a great phone. Just not for me.
Apparently the GPS feature isnt a patch on the iPhone, but i’ve heard the touch screen experience is cool.
i have a blackberry storm i love verizon is da best network without a doubt no wifi that sucks..but not able to foward messeage and recieving picks suck to but im not going lie da iphone is smoother than da storm but ill stick to my stoe=rm it will do 4 me
First off, Im a Blackberry fan, have been for a long time, but the hype on the Storm exceeds the performance! I want this to be the best and most well designed phone on the market, and I tried to tell my self that it was, but the truth will always prevail!! Its, not…..just yet!!!! The slow, non responsive OS of the storm will all be fixed in the software update that will be arriving in about a month. Then we can all give a good review.
I agree with previouse comment! If anyone doesn’t like theirs I take it!!
Everyone on here is crazy. You should all just be thankful that some smart dude from Japan came up with the technology that we are all enjoying right now. You’re all a bunch of spoiled brats. “3-second lag”? SERIOUSLY?? Wow, the mere fact that we have WIRELESS PHONES is enough reason to rejoice and be grateful. Louis CK’s interview with Conan O’Brien totally took the words right out of my mouth.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIGbZ6gq_Y
I’m still waiting for my storm to come in the mail but my co-worker got one and the screen does not click properly near the edges and it makes it hard to register keys along the edges like the letter ‘a’ in ladscape mode and the ‘zoom out’ icon in the browser. He tried this fix described below where you put a business card folded in half between the battery and back cover and it actually works. He’s getting verizon to send him a new one though.
http://forums.crackberry.com/f86/th…em-look-101670/
I hope mine doesn’t have this problem otherwise I’ll get a replacement. I guess not all devices are tested in mass production thoroughly, only some in a batch.
Sounds like a recall to me.
Well, everyone seems obsessed with the clcking feature, but what bothers me is everything else except that feature! The clock appears without prompting, the browser gets confused and gives error messages unrelated to what I’m doing, the qwerty kb seems too small, and om general the software gets confused, freezes, locks up. It is slow and laggy.
The bottom line, I like my new Storm. I setup the email (several accounts). The UI took me about a day to get used to. I like the built in support for attachments such as word and excel. WiFi is not an issue with an unlimited plan. I hope RIM and Apple push each other and we can have even better phone’s in the future. A friend of mine who is an IPhone user loved it but admitted the differences in the UI not the UI itself would take him a little getting used to.
These are phones. Personnal preferance aside, which device makes better calls. Hands down, the Storm. Verizon’s footprint makes AT&T’s look like a hen scratch. That’s why they NEED a WiFi.
The Storm is not a toy, it is a true multimedia device with a higher reso screen than the iPhone, a camera that can record video and upload on one of the highest reso cameras for phones. It also has expandable and removable memory (sorry iPhone users), a battery that can be removed and replaced for the traveling data warrior and the iPhone does not have this feature. Also, you are locked into iTunes and everything else that is proprietary with Apple. BTW, the Storm has a true microUSB port not a proprietary USB port that is basically a docking station connector. Apple will fade with their insistency on proprietary everything. The iPod is the only reason why the iPhone is so popular, it will fade in due time when end-users (consumers) realize they are limited to what Apple gives them.
the blackberry storm is the best cell phone i have ever used. it is unbelievable how great the technology is that when you push a button on the touchscreen it actually clicks
Impartial review from someone that owns both phones: (No specific order)
The Good:
Sounds and Video are great.
Keying is good to great. I prefer the confirmation click over the iPhone.
Email is excellent
Reception and coverage is also excellent.
Internet works great.
So far, no lock ups - which we have quite often with the iPhone even when simply calling people.
The Bad:
Desktop manager clunky with Vista 32x Home Premium. Doesn’t even install if UAC is not active.
iTunes synch with Vista not working with Vista 32x. No doubt contributed back to not testing UAC correctly during development. I see this post all over the forums.
The screen is not scratch resistant. Cheaper plastic than the iPhone - get a screen protector on day 1.
Slow and moving from screen to screen is sluggish.
Camera is very slow too, which makes taking pictures almost impossible.
All in all, I will be keeping the phone, but hoping that RIM gets their act together and comes out with some major software enhancements to the phone and the desktop software. I can see RIM going down the same path as Palm, taking their eye off the ball and eventually being replaced by the new ‘iPhone for business’.
In response to “Please, please stop with the phone doesn’t have wi-fi I say why bother. You are required to get the unlimited data for $29.99 which gives you fast data access pretty much anywhere you can you the phone. Wi-fi of course is free but you must sit in hot spots may as well just throw away your cell phone and say home with a old corded land line phone. Let’s face it people want free Wi-Fi to avoid getting a data plan and Verizon Wireless never claimed to be in business to be the cheapest.”
Even Verizon’s network is slower than a WiFi hot spot. If you are home or in the office it is much more practical to be on a WiFi than on the carrier’s network. I have BB World Edition with Verizon and my browsing experience is much slower than my co-worker’s BB Curve with T-Mobile on WiFi. Not only that but when he is on WiFi he doesn’t use his air minutes. It all goes through voIP.
Furthermore, you are only required to get the data package from Verizon if you sign up for the 2 year contract. You are right Verizon is not cheap and that is why they should have every feature available included in the phone. Instead they are limiting all of their phones (like the GPS on mine, where I have to pay for Verizon’s crappy Navigator).
why does everyone not get it? in the uk, on the day of release, the storm sold (in sotore figures only) 1 every 13 seconds, now i dont have a calculator handy, but thats an awfull lot in the 8 and a half hour day! and how many people on here from the uk said they took theres bck? over four? because its four a minute were sold, plus 10,000 pre orders, so if its no good, wheres the tens of thousands of peoples quotes? simple answer, most are happy, not everyone is, but some people bought it because its new and didnt realise what they bought, and some people just cant be pleased. basically, its a hit saleswise, and if a few people say they took theres back, when theres over 25,000 sold in the first week in the uk, then its hardly a big number those few is it.
The commercial alone bugs me out. Lastly, no Wi-Fi! Enough said.
I tried to convince myself to buy a Storm, but could not get over the enormous amount of frustration that built up while using it for only a few minutes. I’ve owned two Blackberries to include a World Edition and the newer Curve. The Storm’s nice look and interesting layout could not come close to compensating for its difficulty to manipulate the simplest of tasks: navigation, texting, typing, and basic functionality. I was disappointed, and I went with the MUCH more reliable Blackberry Curve yesterday. It’s a proven winner, has the same 3G speed as the Storm, and is tested for productivity, not to mention it has zero lag time navigating compared to the Storm.
I just found this - check it out: http://evidentlyeverywhere.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/connect-to-internet-with-a-macbook-pro-via-a-blackberry-bold-3g/
Please, please stop with the phone doesn’t have wi-fi I say why bother. You are required to get the unlimited data for $29.99 which gives you fast data access pretty much anywhere you can you the phone. Wi-fi of course is free but you must sit in hot spots may as well just throw away your cell phone and say home with a old corded land line phone. Let’s face it people want free Wi-Fi to avoid getting a data plan and Verizon Wireless never claimed to be in business to be the cheapest.
I purched the STORM. I purcased it because of the beauty and I need to upgrade from my LG so that I can receive corporate email. I am not a big fan of touch especially for the STORM. It seems like the screen needs to be calibrated to my touch. It takes about 5 seconds to bring up a browser, 5 seconds to reorient itself if the wrong button was selected. Its disapointing because its too slow for it to be the latest. I returned my STORM. Beware of the restock fees. Try it out in the store before you decide.
So I tried out the Storm yesterday and the Verizon sales rep waseven having troubles showing me. I clicked the #6 three times and it never took. He said that there is a newer software that their floor models don’t have. Scary!! My buddy has an iPhone and the only reason I don’t now is because other than him everyone I know has Verizon. Maybe their next version will be better since they will get criticism about this one.
“I think that the Storm blows the Iphone away. ”
Uhuh. I wouldn;t know, as I don’t have a Storm.
“People are jumping the gun and not reading other reviews.”
Indeed, they are jumping over the gun and writing about their experience with the actual article itself. Having bought the thing, you see.
“YOU HAVE TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE ALREADY…THERE IS A PATCH!!!”
It is brand new. It is one day old.
“I played with one with the patch and it is flawless and works perfect.”
Uhuh.
“No problems at all.”
Except that you needed to patch the software on the very first day of release. Meh.
Double meh. I am outrageously skeptical. I have read my way through the list of folks who bought the thing and then took it back, and I simply do not believe this product is error free, as you claim.
I have a serious question: How many folks returned their iPhones on the same day they bought them?
I was able to get my hands on a Storm a few hours after it was released and I haven’t put it down.I like all the features and the browser is great,I will admit it has frozen up causing me to have to remove the battery to restart it.My question to all who don’t like it,name a phone that doesn’t have a few glitches,I think it’s a personal preference on what you like!i give it a 9 out of 10!
Just bought it, love it and hate it. I don’t like the key display for auto tap input. I love to text and this is not what it should be.
this review says it all
admiralh.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/why-the-blackberry-storm-is-no-iphone-killer/
Is the Storm really worth It? I think so?
http://smartphone-guru.blogspot.com/2008/11/blackberry-storm-safer-bet-than-iphone.html
I can’t wait to get myself the Storm…
I think that the Storm blows the Iphone away. People are jumping the gun and not reading other reviews. YOU HAVE TO UPDATE THE SOFTWARE ALREADY…THERE IS A PATCH!!! I played with one with the patch and it is flawless and works perfect. No problems at all. I would rather have a flip phone than go to At&T and have really poor service. Iphone will never be a Blackberry and Jobs already said a third generation is in the works. That means, he is still trying to catch up to the real business phone. I think it is funny that people will keep paying the money for new Iphones all the time, but you can have 1 Blackberry that will outlast them all.
I was able to try the Storm last night and tonight. After two attempts of trying to simply navigate the screens and trying to type on this thing, I am pissed that I waited this long to replace my phone. So after being so fed up with how lousy that experience was, I bought a Iphone for myself and my wife. We couldn’t be more pleased. These are the greatest devices ever made. Blackberry should be ashamed for making such a piece of crap, its hard to use, and if I want to touch the screen I shouldn’t have to push down so hard.
I had an Iphone, got it the day it came out. Coolest gadget I have bought in a long time. Worked good, buggy at times, but horrible as a phone. Dropped 9-10 calls consistently. Internet:outstanding, Ipod:outstanding, GPS:cool, apps:real cool, design:outstanding, phone:pure crap. Good concept with the phone part but the service was crap. I ordered the new Storm so I will give a fair comparison once it gets here. This from a guy that really wants to buy another Iphone but can’t because of it sucking as a phone in my area (right in the middle of an area blanketed by 3G coverage according to the ATT map)
I wanted to find out if everyone else was as unhappy with the Blackberry storm as I was. And sure enough…they are! What I want to know is how this phone even made it to market??? I figure RIM hires educated people and should be doing serious R&D, and with the way the storm functions it leads me to believe they just said “looks good enough”. Heads are going to roll on this one, or at least they should be. I just can’t fathom that this was good enough for release! What else are they letting slide? A lot of guessing. This was an embarrassment. And Verizon should be very apologetic for misleading customers while they were quite aware of the problems. And to say they didn’t know is an out and out lie, unless of course they’re completely ignorant, which could also be a possibility.
iPhone from Apple has developed a new standard for the smartphone industry. With it’s amazing touchscreen, full featured html browser, google maps with GPS, enterprise email support, ipod, stocks, weather, calendar, application store, etc etc, it has wooed millions of people from across the globe.
But even with it’s extensive feature list, there are a few key elements missing from the iPhone, some of which the BlackBerry Storm may do better than the iPhone thereby making it a safer bet than the iPhone… Yep, I meant safer. I have my reasons… and here’s why http://smartphoneguru.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/blackberry-storm-a-safer-bet-than-the-iphone/
I can’t wait to get myself the Storm…
I went to the Cherry Creek Mall today, downtown Denver. I was looking to purchase the Storm until I began playing with it. Within 15 to 20 seconds I noticed a variety of problems with the phone. I asked the salesperson if this phone had been having any problems. Thinking maybe it was defective in some way, he said no. “that’s the way it is.”!!! I had seen enough. This phone is slow as death. I couldn’t get it to follow any of my commands, and I even asked the verizon sales people if they could show me how it worked, and even they had serious problems. At one point they blamed the screen protection film and took it off. Then they said maybe the battery was low, so they plugged it in, and still- a polished piece of garbage. Needless to say I walked out of there, highly disappointed.
I have a Blackberry Curve. I originally got the LG Dare and hated the press type screen because I was always making mistakes. If you have long fingernails or small fingers, it’s fine but my chewed nail fingers just didn’t cut it! I returned the Dare and got a Curve - and love it. I tried the Storm on Friday and it felt like I was using the Dare again… I’ll keep my curve. I would love to have an iphone but ATT constantly drops calls. Verizon needs to get the iphone!
Purchased the Storm on Friday first day available and now I’m waiting till the crowds thin on Monday to return it. Extremely awkward keyboard, difficult for me to avoid frequent typing mistakes.Can’t synch it to either of my Jabra handless Bluetooth devices, quite slow and not particularly user friendly setup instructions. Back to the drawing board!
Well I just went to the Verizon store to play around with the Storm for a bit. I’m a 19 year old college student, so you can say I’m pretty quick to catch on with new technology. With that being said, this is the 21st Century. People expect INSTANT feedback from each keystroke on the phone, and frankly the Storm just has too many bugs right now for me to even consider buying it. The accelerameter (sp?) basically has a mind of its own. It will move from landscape to portrait for no apparent reason, and when you do actually turn it, it can be very very slow at times.
As far as apps.. They are all slow as of right now. It takes a good min. for programs to open, and then another min. for you to attempt to use them. Personally I am very impatient when it comes to using a phone, and I want instant feedback. As do 99% of the rest of the country.
After all this, I asked the Verizon guy how much it would cost to cancel my 2 year agreement, and he then spent 5 min showing me how “awesome” Verizon coverage was, making poor attempt after poor attempt at a funny analogy. So I finally flat out told him, “I don’t care what the plans and coverage is like, I want a functionable phone that does what I want, and conforms to my needs, and as of right now, this phone doesn’t.” He then proceeded to pull out 2 Blackberry’s he has as if it made him “cool” or something. I thought to myself “ohh, another blackberry fanboy”.
Well, I’ll be going back to pay my $150 cancellation fee, and sign up for AT&T. iPhone, here I come!!
I bought one and returned it 2 hours later. For one, the phone is darn slow (mine showed OS v.4.7.0.65). Next, I just could not hit the right buttons, therefore lots of mistakes, and those “suretyping” and clicking are not for me! I am holding on to my Bold!
Tried it in the store today, biggest problem for me was the extreme lag between screens. Main menu to messages took like 3 seconds, WTF??? Its approaching 2009 and your telling me I still have to wait between functions? When I click messages, I want instintanious repsonse not a lag making me thing I didnt hit the button. As far as im concerned people are making way to many excuses for this phone.. “Look at all the features it has” who gives a …. if you have to wait between everything you do, I want my phone to snap, I think I speak for most avid phone users in saying that I become quite fast at most phone operations, going through menus and screens know exactly how many clicks down it will take to get to the messages button on the menu ect. I had a guy say to me while looking at it, well I have a blackberry and it gets loaded up and you have to clear it once a month to make it faster…?? One of the verizon employees said “yeah, and that hasnt had updates in a while”.. IT JUST CAME OUT, WHAT UPDATES????
Bottom Line… To slow. Period! regaurdless of features.
i too bougth the blackberry storm. I give it a 7.5 or maybe even an 8. It’s slow sometimes….I downloaded music to it yesterday…that worked and played…&& now it won’t? web browsing is good && i love the surepress…it took like an hour to get use to though. I dunno. i think i’ll wait it out and keep it though… but i’ll b pissed when blackberry/RIM/vodafone come out with a better verision and forget about me.
Sorry Verizon, I returning this junk. it is slow, almost jaming up like another microsoft idea. When taking a picture you better hope its not something important because it will be gone by the the time the phone decides to take the picture. the keyless touch is a joke. but i could get over that if the phone didnt take so much time to think about what it is doing. good media and screen res. good loud speaker. poor battery life. this should have been first priority since blackberry users travel alot.
this is just my first day with this phone. I would try out other features but im not going to waste any more of my time. back to my LG. I was standing in line to get this phone and Ill be standing in line to return it. sell you blackberry stock if you have any!!
I got the Storm today and while I am still learning how to use it, I like it MUCH better than my neighbor’s iPhone.
If the specs on the Storm are correct, i am not worried about no Wi-Fi. The GPS package, data packages, email capabilities, etc more than make up for it.
I bought the new BB Storm at noon today and returning it tomorrow at 9am. It is a piece of manure. The most user “unfriendly” device I have ever seen.
How did the RIM R&D Dept ever let this machine get out to the general public?
Iphone has nothing to worry about.
Now ask me how I REALLY feel. Huge disappointment BB. Go back to the drawing board.
Give the Storm & RIM a bit of time. The SurePress has a lot of potential in terms of being able to improve typing.
Right now the key lights up blue which some people have claimed is not that useful.
RIM can make this much better than Apple iPhone, very easily.
Here are a couple of choices:
1) ghost the character that is touched (not pressed yet) so the user can SEE which key the thumb is over. If it’s the correct key, the user can can press down to finalize the key. (With iPhone this is impossible because the key is already pressed when it shows up on the screen.)
2) To be extremely annoying, but in the same manner as above, the phone can call out each letter before the press. This would be GREAT for people with vision problems.
Like I’ve been saying, the extra degree of freedom in the z-axis (ie. the ability to select X,Y,1 or X,Y,2) has huge implications for future capabilities.
Even if the Storm doesn’t stomp on the iPhone, the Storm will be a serious contender. If RIM can get Verizon to allow the public access to write apps for the appstore, the Storm might become a really great consumer device.
“In corporate and federal environments the iPhone is a non-entity as it is completely devoid of features that make it permissible by regulators.
The Blackberry Storm is the first major release of a media-playing, desirable smart phone that meets corporate and federal regulator requirements.”
*cough*
What are “corporate and federal environments”?
Seriously, is that a definable place, or is it a euphemism for a bunch of wage earning suits gathered around in rotund gaggles, tilting their heads backwards ever so slightly, and sneering about people even more lowly paid than they are?
As for the “regulators”, well isn’t it just a festival of good ideas talking to those clowns? Government regulators. Exactly the people you want to listen to about security. The people who brought you 9/11, Iraq and now the stock market meltdown and global financial crisis.
On behalf of small business people everywhere, I have to send out a sincere FY to everyone who is still preening themselves something glorious because they work for a big corporation or a federal department.
Got news for you people: You are full of hot air, and the only reason you have income is because the world is unfair.
“Security”. Phhht. What a complete load. What a farce.
I am going to meet a federal government regulator of technology one day, and he is going to wonder why the first thing i do is strike him down with a rock.
My children will be working extra hours so the ever growing legion of parasites in the corporate and federal environment can eat. So will yours.
Black berry bold model for att is suck .
Black berry thunder model for verizon is
is suck have software problem . never going to work as they manufactured,
suggest never attempt to buy and pass this informations to your friends and familys .
Storm looks sweet. But I am still a iPhone fan. The fact that the Storm does not have Wifi is ridiculous. iphone is yes, an entertainment piece, but also has established itself as a great work tool.
Wah.. The Storm doesn’t have WIFI and I spent all of my money on the phone so I can’t afford the dataplan.
*Will Work For Data*
Is this site owned by Apple? I see that the header is ‘Apple 2.0′ in the ‘Comments’ dialog box… I just made a comment about how the Iphone locked up the very first time that I used it and it’s already been deleted by the ‘moderators’. .. WT….
ex ped: This site is owned by Time Inc. and is completely independent of Apple. Your comment was not deleted. The moderator was away from his computer for a few hours. It happens from time to time.
WaaaaaH! The Storm doesn’t have Wi-Fi! You’re joking, right? So you can afford a high end phone but can’t afford an inexpensive $30 a month data plan? I personally think that Iphone users are so scared that someone else might actually have a gadget that could be better in some ways than their precious IPhone’s…. Haha my toy’s better.. NeeNer NeeNer .. My Storm’s in the mail. I’ll post what I think about it once I’ve had a chance to try it out… NOT just because I’m frightened that little Timmy might have a better toy than me..
as an iPhone owner and lover, this looks like a total POS.
Posted By Black Barack, Hollywood, CA : November 20, 2008 11:29 am
Well Black Barrack, the IPhone’s way too much hype. A buddy of mine who has the iphone let me try it out the other day. I tried to play a game on it and it locked up and had to be reset… What a let down. This uber-l33t phone that I see so many people bragging about proved in the first few minutes that it has major issues… The kind of issues that made me trade in the Palm Treo 2 weeks after I got it.
There really is NO excuse that the Storm doesn’t have WIFI. Makes no sense. Why put all these features in the phone and leave out a feature that had become the industry standard. The Bold has it. The iPhone has it.
I played with this phone, they keyboard is not easy to use, at all. Seriously disappointing.
Is there anyway to get the Bold on Verizon?
People above say “iPhone never freezes” and such stuff.
I had a dinner with an exec who got an iPhone as a gift from his wife a few months back. and he tells me it frustrates the hell out of him. It stopped working properly, never had a good call quality, wont start quickly, freezes regularely. he said it is good for Web but it crashes and freezes. And good for pictures and music. Not for business.
He uses an old 8800 BB for business at Coca Cola. Would never replace it with iPhone. He was dissapointed RIM released a touch-screen and messed with their reputation of an ultimate business tool.
cheers
Why doesn’t anyone discuss the GPS services between the 2? The storm comes with booth Blackberry Maps (essentially google maps), AND VZNAVIGATOR. The iphone doesn’t have any application, EVEN in the app store close to it. I can search for anywhere and get turn by directions to it, call it, search for the cheapest gas station, find events anywhere in the nation, and also movie times and reviews. It’s like a built in car GPS system by WAY cheaper and the maps update a lot more often. For anyone who drives a LOT, it’s really not a comparison.
Yes, the iPhone definitely lacks capabilities that will truly enable it to overtake Blackberry’s death grip on the enterprise market, but people have to be honest about the fact that without the iPhone the Storm never happens. In fact, much of the touch innovation that has happened over the past 2 years would not have happened. Competition is good for the consumer from a price and feature standpoint and until recently, Blackberry had no one to be compared to. So I think overall, this is extremely beneficial for the consumer and in the end, I doubt either company will completely squash the other because both are solid and innovative enough to compete.
To NAwlins LA I am not sure if you have “penis envy” or whatever your problem is, but to announce that you are a “kid w/ an iphone” on four seperate comments makes me wonder what your problem really is.
As far as I am concerned, I will be picking up a storm first thing tomorrow morning. The fact that the storm is cheaper per month and does quite well against ANY other touchscreen phone warrants me trying it at least.
I don’t know about you guys but I think it is too soon to say negative things about the storm how many of you actually have it? Might I add that everytime I get a new laptop a new phone or new software on any gadget its very frustrating and annoying but once I get to learn the features and learn how to use it I really enjoy it so until we actually have the storm and actually use it can we really say such negative things about it
I have an iPhone and its maybe a 6 out of 10. Its really a ipod with a phone. The key pad is ridiculous, the speaker phone you will need a hearing aid to hear the other party, screen does not rotate wide screen when trying to type messages, the ringer off and on switch is located in the worst place often accidently switched when going in and out of your holster. The brightness can’t be adjusted quickly like the Treo. You have to go into settings, then brightness, the adjust, the recent phone calls only hold 2 days of phone calls. Did Apple even look at other smart phones, this thing is terrible. I truely suggest you look hard at the Treo 850 or the new Blackberry products and leave this picture/music machine for the weekends. Do not try to conduct business on it!!!
When I see a business professional with an iPhone, I think, what a waste. You can hardly do anything business related with the iPhone.
When I see a business professional with a Blackberry, I think, “Geez, poor guy! His company put him on a choke collar.” (I was offered a Blackberry in 2002, and said “No thanks. When I want to do text communications, I want a -full size- keyboard since I can type quite fast, and a display that allows me to read pages, not paragraphs, at a time.” I don’t regret that decision one bit…)
What surprises me, on a related point, are how many people that tell me either (a) “I wish -my company- would let me have a Mac.” or (b) “My company makes me use this PC for work, but I just bought a Mac for home.”
Your thoughts may vary, of course :-)
Ok.. (Friend) from the Verizon store came out with a Storm and allowed me to play with it for quite a while. Heres my opinion: First off, some background. I have been reading nearly every review and post, rant about the Storm, having said that; most of the reviews claim the Suretype click screen (or whatever), is awfull or lacks the iphone smoothness. So I walk in this morning… Honestly, with a huge negative on my shoulder (after reading this review) and I tried it. My friend works at Verizon and since it was a small store I took my sweet time. Primarily, to test out how the screen felt and see if it was what everyone claims it to be. My current phone is the Blackberry CURVE and the Querty keyboard is probably one of the best I have ever had. I had been a previous PALM fan ( I wont even go there), and at one point I mistakenly believed the reviews on the Samsun i760 (Windows Mobile) and bought one of those too. I am a heavy user of EMAIL and MMS. So heres what I did…. OK ENOUGH!!!
I grabbed the Storm and opened up a new email, and just typed away like I normally would on my CURVE ( I WAS IMPRESSED!!!!) Very impressed, that I finished my whole paragraph with NO MISTAKES. And HONESTLY it felt LIKE A REAL KEYBOARD. Consider that I type very very fast on my Curve. Ok, so I closed the application and opened up an SMS and started a new text message and managed to type it nearly as fast as I would on my storm, with one single mistake where I had to go back ONCE and retype that letter. Considering it is a new interface, and a new phone, its obvious that I would have made a mistake because I’m not used to it. But PLEASE, to anyone considering the STORM (TRY IT) No review online will ever tell you how it really feels unless you’ve tried it on your own… I am SOLD, tomorrow I will be waiting at the Verizon Store 7 a.m. (They open 2 hours earlier) and getting my STORM. PS: Yes, there are some issues with a bit of lag on the screen transitions, but I am sure (JUST LIKE THE IPHONE) there will be a software update, google it, you will see.
OHH Quick note: A young lady standing right next to me with her mother had an iphone: and she asked to see it for a minute, I handed it over.. and she hated it.. She couldnt understand how it was necessary to click (PUSH DOWN) on a button. I can see why she would ( If shes used to her iphone). Immediately she popped her iphone and (like most iphone users) tried to show off… But I know what the iphone has and doesnt ( I dont care for it).
AFTER SAMPLING THE STORM I BELIEVE RIM HAS A WAYS TO GO IN THE TOUCH SCREEN MARKET. IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE AND TIME CONSUMING TO TYPE ON. THE SOFTWARE LAGS AND THERE IS NO MEMBRANE UNDER THE MOVABLE SCREEN LEAVING IT OPEN TO DIRT AND MOISTURE. I WAS SO VERY EXCITED THAT FINALLY VERIZON WAS GOING TO COMPETE IN THE TOUCHSCREEN MEDIA MARKET. IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE FAILED FOR NOW.
I have the treo pro and personally for complete versatility I think it’s the best phone, I wish the screen was a little bigger, but overall from apps to performance it’s great!! I was skeptical of winmo but haven’t really had much of a problem with it
ex ped: Walt wrote: “The Verizon high-speed network on which the Storm runs is older and better-established than either the T-Mobile high-speed system the G1 uses or the AT&T 3G network used by the current iPhone. Where Verizon’s high-speed data coverage is strong, the Storm flies.”
In those hotels, he was mainly comparing apples and oranges: Storm on Verizon’s cellular network vs. iPhone on Wi-Fi.
Philip,
You are wrong. Re-read. He is NOT comparing apples to oranges. At the second hotel he said the verizon service was horrible and the at&t 3g was quite good and the wi-fi even better.
Exact quote:
But, because it lacks Wi-Fi, the Storm can be much slower at Web access than its main competitors. I tested these Web speeds in two hotels in Silicon Valley. In the first, where Verizon reception was strong, the Storm trounced the iPhone on cellphone data speeds, averaging over 800 kilobits per second to the iPhone’s 621 kbps over AT&T. But, when I switched the iPhone to use the hotel’s Wi-Fi network, it beat the Storm by 100 kbps or so.
At the second hotel, barely a mile away, the Storm’s lack of Wi-Fi hurt much more. There, Verizon’s signal was poor, and data speeds on the Storm averaged a horrible 96 kbps. But the iPhone on AT&T averaged 459 kbps, and on Wi-Fi the iPhone averaged 785 kbps.
ex ped: Like I said, MAINLY apples and oranges. But you are right, in one test, AT&T’s signal was stronger than Verizon’s.
Unfortunately, the iPhone has one ‘feature’ that completely eliminates it for many of us….. AT&T GSM Service.
As draconian as Verizon is with their phone configuration their network simply has better coverage than anyone else’s (in the US). So… no iPhone for me…. :-(
Good thing for apple the consumer market is much bigger than the enterprise market. And the iphone just drives more consumers to buy macs. In the short term no businesses will be upgrading phones.. they are too busy going out of business. But consumers won’t curb their charging habits as far as some may think. I’d cut back on dining out before i’d cut back on my IPHONE.
Ok lets be honest, ive had alot of phone in the past year…lemme me just tell you which ones
Blackberry(i dont remember which one)
Razer
the Env
The Voyager
The Dare
and the Iphone
They were all great phones and you know that now understand ive tested a good amount of phones Now the blackberry was cool but none of these phones can compare to the iphone i know typing on it is hard but you need to get use to it. Also they make programs that allow landscape. Now im use using this “Real Touch” or what ever you want to call it will get annoying because whats the point of a touchscreen if they make it like buttons. Also why do all touch screen phones have something in common with the Iphone? probably because the iphone is so great that they are trying to achieve this greatness. I think for business and fun the iphone is the way to go…please tell me something you can do on the blackberry that you cant do on iphone? o wait i dont think there is anything because if it doesnt come stock with the option theres a 80% chance it will be in the app store
iPhone is criticized as an “entertainment tool” but one poster is most concerned about the lack of MMS and video. My work activity doesn;t suffer from the lack of video and MMS since I have wifi email if I want to send multimedia.
but Im just doing kids play.
my iPhone wifi ability allows usefulness anywhere in my large buildings which don;t always get a decent signal.
always connected to the internet and email….. isn;t this a business priority?
Oh well, I’m just a kid anyway since I use the entertainment iPhone
Storm video rez: 480 x 360 pixels
iPhone video rez: 640 x 480 pixels
not trivial.
“iPhone is for kids” … that says alot about the poster.
I am a Director of a genetics center at a major medical school. I didn;t realize I wasn;t an adult. I would never switch my iPhone for another phone for its ability to open and display email (push enabled) attachments (e.g., exl; pdf) and search internet (with safari) on a screen that I can actually read and magnify areas which are of particular interest. I sync routinely with my mac and have a close approximation to a laptop in my pocket.
I don;t prefer the concept of a moveable touch screen. I like the light touch of the iPhone.
But what do I know. I’m just a kid.
I myself use a Nokia E71 and HTC Touch Cruise. I can’t believe that the I phone can’t record video and also cannot send MMS! Can’t send MMS? Apple can make a killer web browser, but no MMS? My wife’s POS tmobile flip phone can record video and send MMS. And you call it an entertainment device? LMAO. Apple can put internet on a phone, but cannot put MMS onit? Even after 2 models. My Zen 60 GB is better than any Apple Ipod! Ur stuck to using Apple everything. And your complaining about Verizon? What a bunch of JA’s. Every phone has it’s flaws that make them a POS. But Apple makes the biggest POS locking it’s devices to only Apple products, unless off course you jailbreak it. Point blank, Apple sucks. Only good thing about the Iphone is the web browser experience. But the Iphone has everthing, but MMS and a video recorder. That still amazes me!!!! Over all, Apple is not ahead of anyone! They cannot even provide the basics! I’m finished, go ahead and tear up my blog. See ya later.
Has anyone compared the Bold to the Storm?
Yep. Bold has the best BlackBerry keyboard I’ve ever used, a better screen than the Curve/8800’s and the traditional navigation trackball. It’s also quad-band (JAPAN!) and has WiFi. I picked up a Bold and was immediately comfortable.
In contrast, I fumbled around with a Storm at a pre-launch event until I got frustrated with it. If I had longer with it, I may adapt but it was not instantly likeable or even usable.
APPARENTLY NOT ALL OF THE REVIEWS ARE IN YET.
Review: New BlackBerrys cool but can’t beat iPhone
Thursday November 20, 12:02 am ET
By Rachel Metz, AP Technology Writer
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081120/tec_tech_test_blackberrys.html?.v=3
OK, now would somebody compare it to the Gphone, too?
Blackberry = Business
iPhone = Entertaining
When I see a business professional with an iPhone, I think, what a waste. You can hardly do anything business related with the iPhone.
Being a Business professional and in Technology Sales, you can not beat the Blackberry for it’s reliability and security features.
@TimboM
I’ve never had my BB freeze.
I have had a GPS conflict with VZ Navigator and Google Maps, and our corporate tech support informed me that Alt-RightShift-Del resets the BB.
If iPhones go obsolete in 2-3 years, the non-replaceable battery is not an issue.
For road warriors that want the maximum capacity form their wireless devices, if they don’t have a spare battery already, I would expect people to replace batteries at least every 2-3 years. BB already have phenomenal battery life already but iPhones batteries are going to experience deeper discharge cycles which significantly reduce the life of Li-ion batteries.
The Storm is a divergence from the normal touch screen, but in terms of UI, it adds another element to the 3rd degree of freedom. X,Y, and now 2 levels of Z (touch vs press).
I’m sure in time apps will take advantage of this ability and I think it does set the bar for touch screen interfaces.
My concern is that RIM is trying to encrouch into a domain that is somewhat out of the water for them and Apple does a great job (pun intended) of making zealots of users. Apple has a great brand and faithful following The consumer market is going to be a touch nut to crack, but there is tremendous growth in that area. I would have rather seen RIM focus on improving penetration in the corporate market. They already have the market share there and their goal should be to get a BB into the hands of everyone that has a corporate cell phone.
That said, I already have a BB for work, and I’m likely to at the Verizon store tomorrow to check out the Storm for my personal phone.
“when are the so called critic going to get this right……fact is that iphone is not and never will be a corporate phone. ”
This comment is for dolts. Like CDMA networks.
The iPhone is for anybody, my Chinese mother-in-law has one. TruPhone and Fring let’s me use the iPhone on Voip when I am overseas and don’t want to pay roaming charges. Or in the office and don”t want to pay exorbitant International rates. I will never go back to Blackberry nor take my company back to Blackberry unless Blackberry gets a real OS and a real UI.
As someone who has used and based his company on, both of these phones, the Blackberry is out of consideration. My execs used the BBs for email and telephony. Now they use the iPhone for scheduling, trip planning, Projects planning, on-the-fly research, etc, etc.
My phones are as secure as your Blackberry and I’ll be in your server soon.
I used a blackberry for a year at work and then bought an iphone. Blackberrys have the best corporate email and that’s all they have. The iphone beats it in every other category by ALOT. RIM is playing catch up and this didnt do it. If it wasn’t for ATT dragging APPL down, the iPhone would be an automatic slam dunk and RIM would have to close its doors.
I bet if you stripped out all of the verizon crap, the os wouldn’t stutter.
It appears a lot of comments are more personal and not the actually merits of their particular phone. That’s to be expected. I define the phones like this: Blackberry is for business, and the iPhone is entertaining.
Like the first release of the iPhone, I expect the first-generation BB Storm to have a few short-comings. RIM would be wise to listen to both praise and criticism and make improvements on the second release.
Finally, I like the iPhone, but for business functionality, I would not given up my BB Curve.
@Dave Small - Blackberry owners are obsessed with the removable battery feature because each and every one of them who has used a Blackberry for longer than a few hours has needed to remove a battery when their Blackberry freezes, and not even the power button works. It’s Pavlovian.
If you are reading this, Blackberry users, please relax in a nice easy chair and wrap your head around the following sentence. “There is no need for a removable battery with iPhone. It freezes almost never, and there is simple technique that works every time when it does.”
Thank you.
The iPhone is for kids, and everything else is for “real” adults.
I’m an adult; don’t own an iPhone; never played a game on my computer - and I am the past. YOU are the past, if you are over 30 and a ‘working pro’ :-)
You don’t suppose as the ‘kids’ grow up they will inspire the engineers to secure the iPhone? Silly people. To capture the future, you appeal to the now. Many middle-school aged children have cell phones, you don’t suppose THEY will decide what’s important soon do you? Of COURSE they will. Which population do you think is larger, and likely to become more - not less - influencial over the next 5 years: 35 to 40ish security geeks insisting on RIM because it’s EASIER to secure, or 17 to 22ish high school and college-aged people who WERE GIVEN IPHONES @ their universities in order to be more connected to their instructors, their classes, their world? :-) Notice RIM moved TO Apple, not the other way around?
Apple will indeed be made more secure - but not because of security geeks wanting it secure, but because of USERS demanding iPhones @ work.
Get the masses - THEY will move the others for you. Well played Apple.
WIFI is DEATH for any company looking to truly ensure security. Blackberry= IT control which is VERY important for government and security minded Corp customers. The iphone, though amazing, is virtually impossible to really protect to a triple des level (DOJ standards.)
All this means, Verizon has a phone with enough flash for the average consumer to buy but with enough security to make IT admins like me not loose sleep….and things take time to learn, I have had a storm for the past 3 weeks and though I totally agree with all the comments on the surepress screen, I too at first did not really like it, it grows on you. I also hated touch screens when I first saw them, I hated the scroll ball instead of the thumb wheel..etc, etc..
Anyways, this is finally, and actual competitor to the iphone, and honestly, up to this point there has not been one.
Well, as an iPhone owner, I have to say: the iPhone isn’t much better. Touch screen look great but are less practical than keyboards. Palm/Treo dicovered the same thing when they started out with touch interfaces and then went to keyboards.
when are the so called critic going to get this right……fact is that iphone is not and never will be a corporate phone. Anyone who get enough emails will never buy the iphone. in additon, I live in nyc and the iphone servie is a joke. it still drops all the time when swithcing off 3g and the battery life still is awful. Sure I can download a bunch of games and a program that can tell me the song i am listening to but who cares. I carry a device this big because i need to stay in touch at work not because i want a program when i shake the phone tell me a random place to eat. yet for some reason critics everyhwhere want to compare the two. makes no sense to me. As a new owner of the bold it rocks. i get email pushed to me every intant and it is never behind. battery life is awesome and phone works flawlessly. I would imagine those things will be the same on the storm as well. Leave the iphones to the kids but for the rest of us the blackberry is the only real solution……….
Most people seem to be missing out on why there is so much buzz about this device.
In corporate and federal environments the iPhone is a non-entity as it is completely devoid of features that make it permissible by regulators.
The Blackberry Storm is the first major release of a media-playing, desirable smart phone that meets corporate and federal regulator requirements.
Even with short-comings, this phone is big news for people who want some or most of these features but aren’t allowed to get an iPhone.
Who cares if it’s only mostly as good as an iPhone? It’s allowed…and the iPhone isn’t. End of story.
I would hate to be in a storm or own one. Tryed it out and its nice but it is no iPhone. iPhones are great to use and I like the feel of then. The BB is a knock off and is a POS!
If you like to send emails or IMs or anything that requires typing- FORGO the storm. It is impossible to type on the keyboard and I mean impossible. It takes at least three attempts for every letter that you want to type. I took my forst storm back and the replaced it as it was “defective” but my second one is no better than the first. If I didn’t want my money back, I would take some delight in running over the storm with my car!