Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm pricing plans eke out

Remember when Vodafone told us to hold our horses a bit on the pricing details when the BlackBerry Storm was made official this month? Believe it or not, the holding period is over, and now we're staring some actual price tags in the face. Reportedly, Voda will make the touchscreen BlackBerry available with four different pricing plans, so we'll get right to it. The Perfect Choice Access 100 plan will get you a Storm for €109.99 ($141), while the per-month rate (€49.99; $64) will include 100 minutes (yes, seriously), 100 texts (still for real here, people), 1GB of BlackBerry e-mail, mobile TV and ten music downloads. The Perfect Choice Access 200 / 400 / 600 plans bump up the minutes and texts just as you'd expect for €64.99 / €84.99 / €99.99 per month while netting you the phone for €64.99 / €69.99 / €49.99, respectively. For the full spill, head on down to the read link -- meanwhile, here in America, we all sit waiting for Verizon to follow suit...

[Via CrackBerry]

[paulraskin @ Oct 30th 2008 6:48PM]

Is it November 15th yet?

[KAIKAI @ Oct 30th 2008 7:24PM]

i only hope its cheaper in america

[2fast4u2fast4u @ Oct 30th 2008 6:51PM]

FUGLY UI.....
If only it were Apple...
*sigh*

[Arke @ Oct 30th 2008 7:05PM]

I don't understand why this comment was voted down so quickly? Is there some kinda automated mechanism to do so?
But he's kinda right, the UI doesn't look as cool.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 30th 2008 7:16PM]

a) I don't think it's fugly and I do get annoyed at how quickly people will say that about things that aren't even close to fugly.

b) I don't think you can judge the interface so quickly from one pic. I took the link and I didn't see much. Did I miss something?

c) As soon as you say "Apple" the MS fanboys will rank you down en masse.

Now that I've said it, you know what to do.

[initialxy @ Oct 30th 2008 7:28PM]

Correct me if I'm wrong, I thought that was the pre-release version of the app centre. I doubt they will just release like that (considering the inconsistency with Blackberry UI and.... stolen icon). remember the storm used to have ugly on-screen keypad? well that's polished for final release.

if you are referring to the Blackberry OS's UI is ugly, then you should know that you can download and install many different themes on Blackberries. You can actually make your own theme (I tried that myself and... got bored at it before even saving it for the first time) or make it look like iPhone UI.

[offroadering @ Oct 30th 2008 8:15PM]

Dumb ass.

[KilgoreTrout @ Oct 30th 2008 8:21PM]

Apple's phones here in Europe are mostly laughed at.
Who would buy a 3g phone that you can't even use as modem to browse the web with a laptop? Who wants to carry a separate mobile broadband modem when you already have a cell phone in the pocket?
Its camera, videocamera, GPS, browser,all its apps basically, suck big time with the possible exception of the music player.
Here in Scandinavia the price of the plan the iPhone is pushed with has already been dropped twice because after people tried to use it for a couple of months or so, it has become nearly impossible to sell them.
That's why even if the iPhone can be found in every mall, the Samsung Omnia is being parallel imported fom Britain and people is paying a premium price to get it (the Omnia's release here is continally postponed) and everybody is waiting for this BB or the HTC HD, or SE X1 experia to come and fill the void.

[Arke @ Oct 30th 2008 6:55PM]

As someone wrote in the Crackberry, is it just me who thinks those plans kinda suck?

[MikeWard1701 @ Oct 30th 2008 7:46PM]

Nope its not just you.

Vodafone's price plans, especially when it comes to data are utter crap, same goes for Orange, 3, and O2.

Only sensible contract for use with a device like this us a T-Mobile one with Web+Walk.

[Connor @ Oct 30th 2008 6:57PM]

This just shows where their priorities have gone...
I much rather take some shitty phone with a JUSTIFIED rate plan than this crap.
Or am I reading wrong? Is this for one day? 100 minutes and 100 texts? sounds 'bout right.

[Flashpoint @ Oct 30th 2008 6:57PM]

I upgraded from a Blackberry 9000 series to an iPhone.

Can someone state the reasons why i should upgrade (or downgrade?) from iPhone to the Storm?

[Flashpoint @ Oct 30th 2008 8:10PM]

LOL - I ask someone to explain why I should upgrade from an iPhone to a storm and I get downranked?

HEY IDIOTS...People can STILL SEE THE POST.

And the mere fact you can't give me any good reasons as to why I'd upgrade means the iPhone is better.

downrank these nuts biatch.

[offroadering @ Oct 30th 2008 8:17PM]

we will let Apple down rank you.... because they HAVE your nuts.

Some people don't want to be stuck in that Apple BOX

[vvtopkar @ Oct 30th 2008 8:22PM]

@Flashpoint
You don't learn very fast do you?

[George @ Oct 30th 2008 6:57PM]

Mr. Murph, please add "Look up the word 'eke'" to your to-do list.

[Arke @ Oct 30th 2008 6:59PM]

What about you doing it first? Because to me it seems like Mr. Murph is just about right.

[George @ Oct 30th 2008 7:05PM]

I checked a couple of dictionaries before I posted. He's not right. He has a maddening habit of slightly misusing one word per post, and this time the word in question is "eke".

[Arke @ Oct 30th 2008 7:15PM]

Okay it looks like now we're into Grammar.
'eke out' means 'obtain with difficulty'
Yeah I agree, the phrase hasn't been used correctly though. There should be a 'subject' which 'eked out' the 'pricing plans'. The 'pricing plans' can't 'eke out' themselves.
So the grammatically correct title would be "Vodafone's BlackBerry Storm pricing plans eked out". Did you notice the difference (d added to eke) Mr. Murph?

[happy_penguin @ Oct 30th 2008 7:22PM]

eke

tr.v. eked, ek·ing, ekes
1. To supplement with great effort. Used with out: eked out an income by working two jobs.
2. To get with great effort or strain. Used with out: eke a bare existence from farming in an arid area.
3. To make (a supply) last by practicing strict economy. Used with out.


It could be #2 but that's using a bit of license. No matter though, give the guy a break.

[Arke @ Oct 30th 2008 9:39PM]

I was trying to write something useful and haha, I've been so badly voted down. Good job guys. You're on a mission, keep it up.

[sr @ Oct 30th 2008 7:00PM]

This is just a disguised payment plan. It is way beyond a "subsidy" here.

[Chris @ Oct 30th 2008 7:19PM]

Okay.. that's it. F*ck the Storm!
I'm not waiting till November 11th to get myself a glitchy (if we believe the first review from press events and shows) overpriced Storm. Those rates are terrible! Okay the phone isn't expensive but the plans sure are.

I'm ordering my simlock free Blackberry Bold as we speak (300 euro's) and will get a sim-only plan to go with that.

Competing with the iPhone? Not like this they won't.

P.S. iPhone s*cks.

[Chris @ Oct 30th 2008 7:22PM]

I don't care if Europe has better phones and 3G, their plans SUCK. I don't want to be like everyone else mentioning iphone's here but at least they get way more minutes.

[Better @ Oct 31st 2008 8:46AM]

Europe has better EVERYTHING when it comes to mobile phones

The Storm will be released in the UK in 11 days.
The handset is free of charge on a £40 ($80) plan
Thats 600 minutes, unlimited texts and unlimited data.
18 month contract with Vodafone (over 90% 3G coverage)
Add Vodafone Passport for £5 and calling from abroad will come off your inclusive minutes.

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly/blackberry/storm/

In the US, Itll probably cost something like $200 on a 2 year contract and the plan will probably be more expensive with less minutes.

Cant get better than that ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

UK RULES FOR mobile phones!!

[Samurai Jack @ Oct 30th 2008 7:27PM]

Indeed. I won't carp about AT&T's rate plans again. Sure, they're not spectacular. But they could be much, much worse.

[dubbeav @ Oct 30th 2008 8:18PM]

You end up getting more minutes in comparison with US plans - billing is by the second and incoming calls and texts are free. Still crap, but better than it sounds

[huh? @ Oct 31st 2008 9:00AM]

What?????

You PAY to RECIEVE a call or text?

Thats absolutelly insane! makes no sense whatsoever!

So I can use Google Chat to SMS somebody in the US and rack their bill up a treat?

[offroadering @ Oct 30th 2008 8:22PM]

I don't understand this new craze... why do they have to have different plans for different model phones. What happen to the old get a plan get a phone, and start calling... you want to text add it on... you want the internet add it on.

[Ohjeez99 @ Oct 30th 2008 8:25PM]

100 minutes/texts? Seriously? i could probably use that in about a day. maybe 2.

[Perspective @ Oct 30th 2008 8:47PM]

Yup, iPhone sucks. The nearly 7 million buyers last quarter are wrong, and you, "message board guy that still lives in mom's basement," is right. Comedy.

[Uncontrol @ Oct 30th 2008 8:52PM]

really? jokes about living in your mom's basement on a gadget site? REALLY?

[soobin27 @ Oct 30th 2008 9:55PM]

Verizon wireless has to have the dumbest executives with a really good network to fall back on.
I hope they go the way of GM, their counter to iphone which they couldve had if they had more brain and less ego is this.
Meanwhile ATT has the best touchscreen phone AND best full keyboard phone(Bold).

I'm not counting this phone out, I'm just mad that Verizon still has the old ass curve for their best smartphone offering.
I cant switch to ATT because its network is not worth the phones they use it on.

[suchona(www.suchona.info) @ Oct 31st 2008 2:18AM]

a) I don't think it's fugly and I do get annoyed at how quickly people will say that about things that aren't even close to fugly.

b) I don't think you can judge the interface so quickly from one pic. I took the link and I didn't see much. Did I miss something?

c) As soon as you say "Apple" the MS fanboys will rank you down en masse.

Now that I've said it, you know what to do.I hope they go the way of GM, their counter to iphone which they couldve had if they had more brain and less ego is this.You end up getting more minutes in comparison with US plans - billing is by the second and incoming calls and texts are free. Still crap, but better than it sounds.Really? jokes about living in your mom's basement on a gadget site? REALLY?

[Pizzahut @ Oct 31st 2008 5:01AM]

The crackberry fanboys call this an iPhone killer? It cracks me up. I now know why it is called crackberry. ;-)

[Mike Park @ Oct 31st 2008 5:45AM]

Just checked the UK Voda website and details can be found at http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly/blackberry/storm/

[The Hedonism Bot @ Oct 31st 2008 5:59AM]

Synaptic, +1

[kejigoto @ Oct 31st 2008 6:18AM]

Wow, seems like it has a bad plan setup at this point, only 600 minutes max? Not exactly the iPhone killer it was hyped up to be, can't really see why anyone would think this is a good idea to go with that setup for plans and how many minutes you get.

[Chris @ Oct 31st 2008 6:21AM]

Totally different plans for the Storm @ Vodafone Netherlands.
Check it out (translated):

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vodafone.nl%2Fprive%2Fabonnementen%2Fblackberrystorm%2FAbonnementen&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=nl&tl=en

But as expected.. only with 2 year contracts.

[Derek @ Oct 31st 2008 8:36AM]

What?
In the UK, the phone is FREE on a £40 tariff ($80)
thats 600 minutes, UNLIMITED Texts, and UNLIMITED internet an e-mail

http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/mobile-phones/pay-monthly/blackberry/storm/?WT_ref=INT-Hmpg-Lyr2-Pym-Phns-19

And its out in less than a fortnight!!

[reverie @ Oct 31st 2008 8:42AM]

What country is this supposed to be for? Ireland? Germany? It's totally pointless to judge the plans if you don't know that. Phone rate vary by 1000 % in the different European markets.