GSM-only BlackBerry Storm clears the FCC

Folks in North America don't have too much cause to get excited over this one, but anyone planning on buying a BlackBerry Storm from, say, Vodafone, can now rest a little easier knowing that the less-than-secret GSM-only version of the phone has cleared the all-important hurdle that is the FCC. There's not exactly any other surprises to be found here, naturally, but if it's test reports you're after, you can find plenty of those by hitting up the read link below.

[bob sakamano @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:38PM]

GSM only blackberry storm ghalat kard

[Michael Cunningham @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:52PM]

The iPhone 3G is still way ahead of all the touchscreen smartphones out there in terms of easy to use features and aesthetics.

[ilh @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:57PM]

It's not way ahead in terms of useful development though. Half the stuff i've developed for the BB would be impossible to do on the iPhone.

[Engadgetier @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:59PM]

UHH, im soo sick of iPhone is the best phone ever, i have an iPhone, and yes it is pretty good, im also very annoyed by some of the things it simply lacks, like copy and paste, and the fact the safari sucks balls and crashes every time i load a simple web page. Apple got a lot of things great about the iPhone, but it just sucks in other areas. Now can someone tell me how Apple could fix the safari crahing, isnt is just now enough memory, oh, and thats the other thing, you can have 9 tabs or something like that, BUT YOU HAVE TO F*CKING RELOAD THE PAGE if you switch to another tab, ughhh.


Also, i think the Blackberry Storm is a nice phone, great to see some more competition in the touchphone market. Maybe Apple will get off their sorry asses and work and make the iPhone better...... =)

[Alex @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:55PM]

Why would this have cleared the FCC if it is not going to come to the US?! Michael Cunningham, stop hitting yoursef.

[bachviet @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:13PM]

International visitors (either roaming or using prepaid cards)

[JohnTitor @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:32PM]

oh so close

[PHIL @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:59PM]

I see a Storm headed to AT&T (hopefully)!!!!!!!!

[Bryan @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:09PM]

I will be in line waiting that day.

And that's coming from a guy who walked into a store the day of launch, asked if they had an iPhone, was told no, walked into the store the day of the price drop, walked into a store, asked again, and walked out with the phone. It's a great phone, but I will drop it for the Storm in a heartbeat.

[PEZ @ Nov 4th 2008 6:50AM]

ATT just released the bold, I wonder how practical it would be for them to release the storm... hm.

I am hoping it comes to Tmo :)

[ms pew @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:15PM]

I'm a bit confused the letter that RIM wrote on October 28 2008 asked for 45 days of confidentiality. They were only given 5 days!!!! Did the clerk screw up and think they said 4 - 5 days???

[Valicore @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:58PM]

Confidentiality doesn't apply to everything, as far as I know.

[Gerardo @ Nov 3rd 2008 6:47PM]

from what i heard verizon only has a 6month exclusiveness, so at&t so should be getting it soon

[StalematE @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:11PM]

what's up with the fact that the only thing pointed out in this diagram is the laser etch marks that surround the info label.

[DJ SlipStream @ Nov 3rd 2008 7:35PM]

its just the image Engadget uses for the GSM Storm

[falzilla @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:08PM]

I think this article needs a bit of clarification.

Why would I be excited about this clearing the FCC if I was planning on buying it from Vodafone in the UK, who aren't under FCC jurisdiction? It's obviously not because of foreign visitors roaming in the US because the FCC can't block non-approved devices.

[Ysleiro @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:50PM]

Guys, PLEASE HELP.

Is it possible for me to buy one of these phones from Vodaphone/Ebay and have them work say on ATT or T-mobile's network? And if so, does 3G work too?

[edwardSi @ Nov 3rd 2008 10:51PM]

ok.... so..... may be it's me, so is RIM is making a new storm with GSM ability? or .... the storm which we can get our hands on , from UK and unlocked I say... is able to use GSM network?
bottom line, if i got a unlocked storm from uk, will i be able to use to in the us with ATT sim card? help me out here....

[Captain Obvious @ Nov 19th 2008 4:48PM]

If this is a GSM-only version of the phone, then why is "Qualcomm 3G CDMA" stamped on the bottom of the back of the phone?