BlackBerry Storm in action, ad nauseam
By Paul Miller 
posted Oct 20th 2008 11:30AM
posted Oct 20th 2008 11:30AM
Surfing the internet
Back of the Storm
Dude with a Storm
VZ Navigator
Placing a call
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bah - HTC Diamond or Touch Pro better. first
...which run Windows Mobile. So, no, Storm > Diamond & Touch Pro...at least until they get Android installed! Then maybe I'll consider changing my vote.
The TRUE iPhone Killer*
*iPhone killer is not an actual device, rather the epic fail of apple to build a device with a decent signal
/fanboy discalimer/
It took me months to admit epic iPwnage. Still a fanboy, no longer a zombi...
Is it just me, or do they seem to be intentionally hiding the browser experience? Even when they show it, they pan around the webpage very slowly as if it wouldn't be able to render fast enough otherwise, and they don't even show how you zoom in and out. Secondly they used Google.com, which is the least processor and memory intensive webpage on the internet. I want to see them load up a robust page like Engadget.com or Nytimes.com and really show how it pans and zooms quickly around a webpage. If it had Iphone-like performance, wouldn't they be highlighting it all over the place??
A resistive touch-screen? C'mon guys. You really can do better than this. The resistive touch-screen completely disallows multi-touch like the other new touch-screen phones.
A Pearl-like keyboard? Doesn't that make this a non-professional device?
Well the 7100 series had that keyboard first, and that WAS a professional device (hate the double tap keyboard)
when you type in landscape mode, a full QWERTY keyboard will appear.
The f*cking article picture shows the damn QWERTY keyboard!
WAIT WAIT,
BUT CAN IT PLAY CRYSIS???
Can you?
I'm a Blackberry user and generally like the product, but this - especially in "Dude" clip - just looks like a clumsier, less intuitive version of the iPhone 3G:
http://www.low-impact-development.com
Gotta agree with you. If one was a blackberry user already, it looks to be a good option. Yet I don't think it looks as comfortable for the user as the iPhone is.
At least this has turn by turn navigation
High Impact Low Rank
this thing drops on the 16th of november, correct?
Ok wait, a little confused....
VZW is a CDMA carrier. this has a SIMcard slot....
but not TWO SIMcard slots like i see in most world phones.
Doesn't that make this a GSM phone?
It's EV-DO for the States, Europe-friendly GSM for elsewhere, hence the single SIM.
The phone supports both CDMA and GSM bands, so the SIM card is for the GSM service, not CDMA. The GSM service will only work overseas and not in the US.
Nope it will also work in the US. The Verizon Storm is CDMA and quad band GSM plus 2100mhz 3g. So CDMA + 2G GSM in the states, 2G and 3G GSM for most of the other places in the world.
Do you have to pay that crappy Verizon Navigator fee. I sure hope not!
Ahahah, you're funny. "Not pay the VZ navigator fee." That's a good one.
if they're still doing it the way they did on my Voyager, then no, you don't.
don't mind the poster above me, he's letting hatred cloud simple facts.
the way that Navi worked on my voyager (and the other phones that support it *as far as I know*) is that you can download the app and either have it unlimited for a monthly fee, or you can use it for two days at a set price, something like 4.99 or in that general area. it was a very smart setup in my opinion.
I don't think that they would change this for the BB. they do usually force you to have a data plan with their smartphones though. just something to keep in mind. I may be wrong though, Verizon has been changing at a pretty steady pace over the last few years and I've been out of their loop for around 5 months now.
(and no, I'm not a VZW fanboy, I have t-mo at the moment.. and I've had AT&T [in the form of Suncom], T-mobile [two separate time frames], Sprint, Verizon, Helio, and PrimeCo [former name for Ntelos].)
Prokanda, I think the money you have to pay for 2 days or unlimited monthly constitutes a fee.
hrm.. maybe. the way I read his question was: "Will I be forced to pay for this service that I might not use?"
good point. he may have meant it the way that you're suggesting.
I personally thought that he was wondering if they'll make you pay for the feature if you're not going to use it at all. If that was the case, then: my mistake and disregard my post.
Did Pro really say that I'm wrong, and then mention the fee himself?
Sorry about the ambiguity, I am aware you don't have to pay the fee unless you want navigation. I was wondering if you have to pay to use the navigation. I am not a fan of subscribing to both a data plan and having to pay a navigation fee to use it.
Prokanda, I voted you up for civility, it's pretty rare that anyone admits they may have made a mistake and not go on the defensive at the same time. Sorry if I sounded like an ass, I hadn't considered it from your point of view.
There is an option to turn off VZNav cost, but there's a fee...
Simply don't download the Navigator in at the Tools to Go section of the phone adn you won't even have the program on your phone or worry about subscription service fees. Though so far it's my favorite GPS. Running on my Samsung right now, tossed that big GPS in the closet.
I don't beleive you are forced to use navigator, however the test unit likely has all options enabled for eval purposes.
Verizon is however in the process of "opening" their network. If a device or app is compatible with their network they can use it. The key is how they define compatible.
To me, this would seem to insinuate that if a device has GPS, and happens to use another app, that will be OK in the future. However for now, vz navigator is likely the only option on verizon's in-house marketed phones. After they open up however we should be able to use vanilla firmware, and service books (on bb's) and use gps with bb maps, after having vz re-enable your phone for a few bucks on your current plan.
hope that helps.
FAIL , 2 letters on each "key" for typing , what a way to slow things down, why cant it have a full keyboard
It can, if you rotate it sideways.
it does have a full keyboard, it just has to be horizontal.
Are you blind?
Did you not see all the videos?
Did anyone else think that there seemed to be a potentially annoying delay when flick from one screen to the other?
Not nearly as bad a delay as my iPhone switching from 3G to Edge to No Service to the dot...
Disturbing resemblance to... Err... Everything else on the market?
Innovation at its finest, folks!
Looks like a Blackberry to me...
It's pretty hard to continually make something that doesn't look like anything else just to be different.
how many ways are there to make a touch screen phone look COMPLETELY different than everything else ever invented in the history of our time?
....I HAD A HTC DIMOND, AND HTC TOUCH,,,,,,,,,,,,,,AND HAVE A BLACKBERRY BOLD, .....AND ......HTC..........U R NO BLACKBERRY.....I WILL TAKE 2 BLACKBERRY STORMS PLEASE........
L
there is dumb And then there is you
What was that about??
And why everything in CAPS? I don't see a point there.
I had HTC touch, hd, diamond, dual, tilt, BB bold, pearl, flip, curve, Moto Razr, Rokr, rizr, slvr, and crap..... So what??
I've owned every phone there is! I'm so c00L!1!!!!1!11!
CDMA/GSM dual band? gotta love that.
I suggest RIM and Verizon to refrain from showing anymore of these videos demonstrating actual use of the product. Not impressive at all. Usability looks clunky and clumsy.
you forget,
this is verizon.
This is currently the most innovative and advanced phone they have.
Way to be VZW! always at least 6 months behind everyone else!
They don't even have a launch date for the HTC Touch diamond, let alone the HTC touch pro.
Considering the touch pro could be a minimum 2 month wait at this point, i might just go for the storm.
Your e-peen usability is shrinking.
Lol @ HTC comment. Trust me, you don't want any HTC over any Blackberry.
You must be out of your mind, or just never used some of the better HTC phones.
They HTC mogul(xv6800) pretty much blew any blackberry out of the water, i would consider this one finally a contender, but it doesn't even have a fully tactile keyboard.
Actually I'd take any HTC device over a Blackberry.
From what I've Seen I DO WANT HTC touch HD over this RIM Storm..
Oh wai no touch HD in the U.S...
kinda sad. mhauahahhah xD
......2 SHAY........DUDE......
2 Shay?
Keanu Reeves reads Engadget?
Come on everybody, let's low rank him TOOT SWEET!
Hey at least they got their Ms, Ns, and Bs right!
I find it curious that load times for surfing the net and using navigator are not shown, video always cuts ahead.
I was just about to say exactly the same.
Seems very fishy how much got cut out / skipped.
Exactly because it is very slow
Not to mention most of the sites they went to are very content friendly sites. Let's see some WSJ.com, CNN.com, or ESPN.com. I don't want a full-screen device so I can go browse WAP pages.
Never-the-less, looks like it has some promise though I'll hold out until it drops on Sprint. I love the Touch Pro, but as a business user the TouchFLO interface and its management of e-mails seem counter-productive to heavy users. After over 2 years of using my Treo 700wx, even though it has plenty of senior moments, it's still very easy to get exactly what I need. I just want a device which looks cool, can manage corporate e-mail & contacts, and has a big beautiful web browser.
Also looking forward to see how this device handles Slingbox.
I was kinda hopeful for this at first. But now that I see the interface, it seems painfully clunky. Plus its tied down to all the VZ shit. The browser didnt look very legit either, needs a little polish
TALK ABOUT CLUNKY.....TRY OPENING AND CLOSING THE HTC TOUCH 10 OR 20 TIMES A DAY.......HTC DON'T MAKE A UNIT THAT WILL HOLD A CANDEL TO.....ANY BLACKBERRY........AND I HAVE HAD/TRIED THEM ALL....
ENOUGH SAID.........
I STILL WILL TAKE 2 STORMS........
pretty sure I wasn't arguing.
and btw your caps lock key must be stuck or something...
wasn't it like 2 months ago where reports surfaced that bb was rushing this thing out?
regardless, until these phones have the actual internet I will just save my money
I got to say the phone looks sweet. If you find yourself thinking that the interface is too bland then you probably never used a blackberry and this phone might not be for you.
Overall I like the phone but I wish they would have made the back of it like the back of the Bold. The Bold is one sexy beast. The back of it almost has a leather look to it if I'm not mistaken.
I have an iPhone specifically because I've used Black Berrys, and Windows Mobile, and some other types of smart phones that weren't.
/for business use
/understands opinions vary and respects yours
no thanks i'll stick with my my jailbroken iphone 3g
no thanks im happy with my apple version
I'm so tired of all this "blah blah is copying blah blah." If you want a phone with a touchscreen, it's pretty much gonna be a screen with some plastic crap frame.You can only do so many things with the same type of technology and still make a practical phone. Now, if we get some of those screens like in the communicator things in Earth: Final Conflict, that would be cool.
Why would any avid Blackberry user want this over a real Blackberry? Even they have to admit it isn't up to snuff when compared to other Blackberry's. This thing is for taking market share from iPhone/G1, etc... I can't see any serious BB user giving up their existing device for one of these. If they hate the iPhone's keyboard, they will kill themselves over having to use this.
its meant for the kids who dont work so you establish yourself among that age set for when they do work they will buy bb
So if its SIM based does that mean it can be hacked to work with AT&T?
Inquiring minds want to know...
Yeah, but then Verizon will find a way to charge international roaming fees...
Can someone please answer me this: Does the "storm" have multi-touch for web browsing? I have my gripes with the Iphone (the touch screen keyboard mainly), but one aspect that I love about the Iphone is their use of multi touch for web browsing. It's genius and works extremely well. So far in the few web browsing videos I've seen of the "storm", I have seen no examples of multi touch or any other way of increasing the text size in the web browser.
I'm currently a Verizon subscriber and extremely happy with their network and customer service. I have no desire or plans to go the 3G Iphone route. I've been anxiously awaiting the "storm" for many months now. But a lack of solid navigation for web browsing will be a huge factor in whether I go "storm" or Iphone.
Storm can do multitouch. Currently only works for highlighting text, but will probably be a future firmware update for browsing. For the time being though, you can double tap to zoom in on an area.
wow, all I got from those videos was that this interface is SLOW. Just about every action that was shown seemed overly clunky.
Now this is what I'm talking about. Great alternative to the iPhone 3g.
This phone sounded so promising until the word Verizon came along with the press release. It looks great but all that verizon crap that you have to go through, vz navigator and disabling of features on all their phones angered me to know ends. For all you verizon users who say youa re happy, keep kidding yourselves about that crippled phone you have.
Can someone please explain the definition of slow or clunky... from the videos I really don't see the interface being slow or clunky... Applications seems to launch almost instantly once you CLICK the screen (but maybe a half second delay changing from Portrait to Landscape) but is that really that bad?
look at the VZ Nav video...
he swipes his finger..........it finally moves, he swipes it again.........it moves twice?
Well that's VZ Navigator... I'm from Canada I won't be using that. I'm talking about Storm's OS... seems pretty responsive to me.
As a long time BB Pearl user, I have to say the SureType (2 letters per key) keyboard works great for me. It takes getting used to and you just have to 'trust' it but the hit rate is quite high and I can type plenty fast on it. I think it's a nice option to be able to do QWERTY or SureType on the new Storm. Give it a try, either on this phone when it comes out or any of the Pearl devices before you dismiss it - I felt the same way until I used it regulary. It's actually the same way I felt about the touch keys on the iPhone too. I tried it at the Apple store where it seemed maddening, but when I borrowed one to play with for a few week and just let go of trying to self-correct my typing, it worked great.
I have yet to hold one myself, but just from what I've seen:
iPhone 3G > iPhone EDGE > Storm
"Piece of shit > iPhone 3G > iPhone EDGE < Storm" is what I think you meant
TWO WORDS
NO WIFI
FAIL!!!!!!!!!1
Phone over all is pretty excellent other than that minor detail
So apple has a "version" of this? hence apple is copying something else?
Thanks for realising it, at long last.
I see there are a lot of questions on from this post.
I'll clarifiy with what I know and hopefully answer some questions.
GPS is suppose to be unlocked so you can use third party apps.
It is suppost to have multi-touch.
There is a reason for no Wi-Fi (Yes I would like to have Wi-Fi), mainly VZW works just about everywhere to the point that you won't need Wi-Fi.
wi-fi will be way faster than ev-do.
EVDO is way faster than the little dot on my iPhone....
There is some guy trading his Storm at commuto[dot]com. Might have been pulled out by now as I doubt it's legit, but it was there this morning.
I would love this device except one thing, NO WIFI, deal killer, therefore no iphone killer :-(
It's either this or the G1 and I dont know which to pick, the no wifi thing was really a deal breaker for me.
I went with the G1 and I am glad I did. This phone won't even have half the apps of Android. I just do not like the web browser of G1, but it is only a matter of time before a developer finds a better way for surfing. Storm looks way clunkier in web surfing.
I guess the multi touch question won't be answered until this thing is released and reviewed. I still have not seen one video where multi touch is incorporated in the web browsing experience. You would think they would show that in a video if it's available. I'm really worried about this. Double tapping to zoom in is not a substitute for multi touch.
I find it comical when people scream about the lack of wifi on this device. Verizon has a stronger and larger 3G network than AT&T, so the need for wifi will be much less than an Iphone. Would I like the inclusion of wifi? Of course. Would it stop me from getting the "storm"? Absolutely not. And the people who say it's a deal breaker are making far too big a deal of it.
I don't like how the whole screen flexes when you "click" on the screen. It's like pressing too hard on an LCD display. Doesn't look like it can be good for long term use.
Yes - and what about the delay when you are trying to select something on a web page for example. The speed of this would drive me nuts.
Considering the huge Blackberry user base, this device should do it for all those Blackberry owners who have been envious of the iPhone, but uncomfortable with the thought of moving over. Perhaps more importantly, this will be any easy sell for their workplace IT departments.
I just read the Verizon Storm training manual thanks to crackberry dot com. There is no mention of multi touch in the web browsing section of the manual. At this point I'm really starting to believe there is no multi touch for this device, and that is a MAJOR letdown.
I'm a bit disappointed with this phone, it could've been much, much better.