BlackBerry Storm now available on Verizon

You've read the review, now Verizon's BlackBerry Storm is available for purchase for $200 on two-year contract. Really, what's left to say -- you're either ready to pull the trigger or not.

[Thanks, JR]

[waiownsyou @ Nov 21st 2008 4:15AM]

Oooooh I've read it alright.

OH ENGADGET!

[Pip @ Nov 21st 2008 4:39AM]

I just ordered mine. ;) I went for only the one year contract. It's only $30 more and I feel better not being locked down for 2 years.

I know it has it's flaws but this is the best thing I'm going to get to an iPhone clone on Verizon.

[tom @ Nov 21st 2008 5:46AM]

@Pip

$30 more for one year less contract. If only we had that in Canada =(. All the carriers charges at least $100 more just to have one year less on your contract. Plus there are price plan contract.

[Matt K @ Nov 21st 2008 6:23AM]

$30? where? I'd much rather do a 1 year for $30 more.

I'm seeing a $70 difference on the website...2 year $269 vs 1 year $199 after rebate??

[DRock067 @ Nov 21st 2008 9:32AM]

dude with "informative read" it comes with a 8GB micro SD so it's total storage would be 9 GB. i refused to read the rest of the article due to this ignorant error

[bob @ Nov 21st 2008 1:12PM]

I got to the Verizon Wireless Store at 6am in Sherman Oaks, CA. There were plenty of store employees there waiting. I was #20 in line.

They started letting people in at 7am. At 8:15 they proudly announced that they no longer had any units in the store, but that they would overnight one to us!

What I can't believe is that they would 1) have us all wait around 2 hours when they knew that they had less than twenty units (there were 100 people in line) and 2) that they would have so few units in the store on a release date!

REALLY STUPID!

No apologies.

[Frankenstein Black @ Nov 21st 2008 1:15PM]

"WORD TO THE G!"
http://www.t-mobileg1.com/

[Chas @ Nov 29th 2008 1:46AM]

In our area the Verizon (Preferred retailers) are pricing the stormat 389.99...Then with all the discounts as an upgraded customer they ask you to pay 289.99. After you mess more then they give you a $100 discount for getting a data package...that you already have to have, leaving you with a 189.99 befreo rebate.They also have ignored that you have signed up for a storm. I was in the store when they sold a storm to a new customer while I was waiting for mine and I was the first person that they signed up.Then had the nerve to say that I could not get the other one because they had another new customer who had called about one and they were going ot sell it to him. ....When asked they said that Verizon wanted the storms for new customers (lines) rather than upgrades because they would make more money on them....shame on Verizon or that is what was being said by the District Manager......

[Pimpin @ Nov 21st 2008 4:18AM]

Is it just me or has the Blackberry Data/Email price shot up 25 bucks?

[Ysleiro @ Nov 21st 2008 4:33AM]

Different carriers have different prices.

I know T-mo has the standard BB data package for $20 and Verizon for $30.

[Michael Scrip @ Nov 21st 2008 1:43PM]

It's been $30 on Verizon as long as I can remember.

[Tonicboy @ Nov 21st 2008 4:25AM]

Yeah I read the review and the part that struck me most was when they pointed out that the UI was based on old BlackBerry software. As an HTC Touch owner, I know how painful it is when your old last-gen OS (WM6) gets shoehorned into a touch UI. Maybe at $149 but definitely not at $199.

[Ysleiro @ Nov 21st 2008 4:32AM]

I'm not here to defend the phone because I have never used it.

But what I do know is that their choice of words for the entire article seemed negative. It's subtle, you have to really pay attention.

But there are different ways to state things and get the same message across.

For example the reviewer could have said that maybe RIM wanted to please it's core crowd by keeping the phone's functionality and foundation basically the same.

I do agree that if what they say is true then RIM better be working on some changes. At the same time I would like to see RIM implement a familiar look even if they decide to heavily modify the UI. There is a motif to BB and that basic idea and concept should never stray too far, lest the phone seize to be a BB.

[tom @ Nov 21st 2008 5:59AM]

@TonicBoy

You are just being naive. You can't based on purchasing decision on reviews, go try it yourself and decide if it right for you. Plus, using older O/S can reduce performance/bug issues, why fix when it ain't broken.

HTC Touch with WM6 sucks, my buddy's Touch crashed like hell. It is not even worth anything.

[trainwrecka @ Nov 21st 2008 11:31AM]

If the same review was written about the iPhone, you would have nothing to say. The iPhone is better than the Storm by a long shot. The BBerry fanboys will say it is the better, while they quietly use their Bold. If you don't believe me, let's check out the sales numbers after Christmas. Techno-geeks and the casual person love the iPhone ---- that equals major sales.

[Ysleiro @ Nov 21st 2008 4:25AM]

Maybe it was just me but it seemed like Engadget bashed the damn phone to kingdom come.

I mean I read the Boy Genius Report on it and nobody pumeled it as bad as engadget did.

At one point the guy even mentions that casual users won't like it, then mentions that power users will be also turned off. And as a result the phone just sucks.

What I don't get is what the hell are casual people doing using a Black Berry but even worst what I really don't get is what a BB power user is doing trying to use the Storm as if it could honestly replace a standard BB.

"The keyboard sucks, the learning curve will make casual users vomit, it's not fast enough for power users".

Gee what about the in between crowd?

[KarlW @ Nov 21st 2008 4:42AM]

Engadget made valid points - RIM have left out their biggest competitive advantage (a physical keyboard), and the replacement doesn't help or target any Market specifically. Casual users are more likely to go for the iPhone (let's be honest), and RIM have effectively alienated their loyal customer base with the badly done touch. The middle-Market is small. Play to your strengths, RIM!

This is just bad decision making by RIM. They tried to go after the casual Market with a touchscreen (bad logic by itself), and attack an Apple posting record sales and profits. They left the customers they need most in times of harsh competition to the side. It'll come back to bite them.

[Ysleiro @ Nov 21st 2008 4:51AM]

I agree that if the phone fails then the implementation was a mistake.

But I can not agree with you on RIM making a mistake in going after more casual users. Heck, they have been doing so already even if that wasn't the intention. I know so many people with Pearls and Curves and over 80% of them don't even know the potential the phone has. (The flip should garner them some casual users too).

I also can't agree that RIM is leaving their core fanbase/users out in the cold. The Bold is here and pretty soon the Javelin will be too. Had AT&T actually dropped the Bold at the right time, instead of lolly gagging around, the release schedule would have made more sense and more properly spaced out.

[JZ @ Nov 21st 2008 6:03AM]

Always interesting to see that there are high profile marketing people around at Engadget who know exactly what direction a company should go from the basement of their parents home...

Though RIM might lack the huge marketing department Apple has, something tells me they probaly thought over their move and produced the Storm. As RIM is a vast reacting company they keep producing new mobiles and even while this might be a "poor" mobile it atleast features up to date hardware with a bulletproof OS. So slowish maybe, but atleast the crashing part is unlikely which to me is rather valuable. Combine this with some good security system, a good to maintain platform, proper push mail (which doesnt loose mails/apppointments) and you get a neat mobile. Maybe not as slick as other competitors but for a first try far from poor.

[Joe @ Nov 21st 2008 7:59AM]

Walt Mossberg had better things to say about it than Engadget. Thats pretty harsh.

[Ashwin @ Nov 21st 2008 8:15AM]

The sad thing is that Macworld, an APPLE review site, had a better review of the BlackBerry Storm than you did.

[Ashwin @ Nov 21st 2008 8:16AM]

By you, I meant Engadget.

[Michael Scrip @ Nov 21st 2008 1:50PM]

At least RIM makes MANY different models... most with keyboards, one without. I hope everyone plays with the Storm before they buy it. If they don't like it, there's still a Bold, Curve, Pearl, Pearl Flip, 8800, etc.

Want an iPhone with a QWERTY keyboard? Tough luck.

[Hotsaucepancake @ Nov 21st 2008 4:32AM]

ohh you engadget you are so silly.

My guess is that RIM and Verizon will be cleaning up the code so the device becomes much more responsive...

[Hashbrown Hunter @ Nov 21st 2008 5:38AM]

Well engadget reviewed what's being released so this is the release version of the phone. But most smartphones are pretty lame until they get firmware updates.

I seem to recall iPhone update 2.0 as an example of this..........

[KINetics @ Nov 21st 2008 4:38AM]

Ordered one.

[Jash Sayani @ Nov 21st 2008 6:40AM]

I love this one !!! The only phone that makes me switch from the iPhone. Can I get it contract-free ??

And I will be going to Dubai in a few weeks, so is the Storm available there for a cheaper price...?

[Zane @ Nov 21st 2008 10:42AM]

@Jash: Yep.

[TheStupidOne @ Nov 21st 2008 5:17AM]

I honestly have no particular interest in the Storm but I just want to see it fly off the shelves so some of these subsidized fanboys posing as journalists have to go through the excruciatingly mundane process of typing up more articles about this piece of infamous hardware.

Or will they just Copy/Paste?

[Thomas @ Nov 21st 2008 5:43AM]

*BANG*


- See what I did there, I pulled the trigger...

[fury @ Nov 21st 2008 5:51AM]

I will -hopefully- be getting one myself. I'm currently a Qwest customer (family plan with my dad and sister), and we are in the middle of the migration to Verizon from Sprint. They are offering me a free Curve to make the switch, but I've been holding out for the Storm. They won't give it to me for free with the transfer, but they're giving me 25% off of any handset if I don't take the Curve. I've read TONS of reviews, including the one here on Engadget, and I will be waiting to make my final decision until I can hold one in my hands and try it out for myself. It sounds very much like a love it or hate it type of deal, so we'll see. I'm currently using an Audiovox PPC 6700, which has a physical keyboard. I can type quite quickly on it, however the phone in all it's glory lags behind and when it catches up, is missing more than half of the letters I pressed. I've gotten to the habit of slowing down while typing (who needs to type that fast anyways, right?) so the Storm might be a good fit.

I'll be stopping by my local Verizon shop on Saturday to scope one out.

[Aaron @ Nov 21st 2008 6:11AM]

Whether it's a good phone or not, I'll be a success.

The cell phone industry is all about fashion. Blackberry and touchscreens are the two of the biggest fads currently around. Combining the two can only lead to $$$ for RIM.

[Aaron @ Nov 21st 2008 6:11AM]

Oops, Freudian slip. It'll be a success, not me. :)

[sias @ Nov 21st 2008 7:17AM]

it looks like the NE2 discount works on this phone.

comes out to $99 after rebate!

[Nick @ Nov 21st 2008 8:02AM]

Hi All,
I'm sorry to burst anyones bubble but I have had this phone a week and I am returning it tomorrow
I love the look and the whole concept but here are myissues with the phone

1. Software is very slow, i'm often just sitting and waiting for the phone to catch up as it freezes
2. When I type a email and i go back to edit a word i've already typed I CAN NOT get the curser back to the end (normally a letter or two before) which is really annoying as you have to send a text\email with a single letter stuck on the end or re-typr
3 Speed dial, I used to just pressed down 2 and it would speed dial my miss's, now i have to press 3-4 keys to call on speed dial
4. No way is this keyboard anywhere as quick as a curve or pearl, maybe with more practice but it just gives me a headache to type. emails have become a pain not a joy
5. Battery life is really bad, i have to charge the phone twice a day as the battery runs out too quickly
6. I Keep selecting mute with my ear when on the phone talking (the screen does not switch off when the phone is against your ear)

I really wished I was so happy with this phone and maybe in time they will fix a lot i of these issues but until then I'm going back to my Curve

[UNHAPPYMAN @ Nov 21st 2008 9:00AM]

I completely agree with Nick. I've have had this phone for 5 days now and experiencing the same issues!!!

[Mark @ Nov 21st 2008 6:44PM]

Totally! DO NOT buy it yet. Rumor is "they will release a firmware update in 2 weeks" Which is so stupid... I guess they wanted to rush to make $... I tested the Storm for 4 days and spoke with an Verizon Employee who said "it crashed during our training"... :)
It is hard but I will sit tight with my 8830 for now... after all its stable and it works faster than storm.

[mikevets @ Nov 21st 2008 8:11AM]

@Nick: this is good information. i guess i'll be getting mine next monday, so your information will give me an idea of what to expect. i hope most of the issues you're experiencing can be resolved through means of software updates...

[Jonathan @ Nov 21st 2008 8:17AM]

Interesting review, I liked it!

[Wolfeman @ Nov 21st 2008 8:22AM]

I'll be picking mine up in 3.5 hours :) I can't wait!!!

[dvsbstrd @ Nov 21st 2008 9:22AM]

Wow. The phone is cool, but the data plan plus the voice plan seems a little too expensive.

[Adam @ Nov 21st 2008 9:23AM]

not even worth the $200 - especially since BB features just can't match what the iPhone has...

[Michael Scrip @ Nov 21st 2008 1:53PM]

What if you're on Verizon?

[Pete @ Nov 21st 2008 9:42AM]

@nick

Not sure what your using, but I just played with it, and the screen does in fact shut off when you put it up to your face. Just like on my current phone the Dare. Battery life is supposed to be 5.5 hours of talk and 15 days of standby. I have no proof of that, but with a claim like that, charing twice a day seems excessive. Did you have a pre-release version? Business customers got an early shot at getting one right? And personally I can type faster on my Dare then I can on my BB 8830. I didn't spend too much time with the storm yet, but comming form the Dare, i'm sure I can type somewhat fast on it. I'll know more tomorrow when I got to buy it. By the way, full retail is only 369 for this. I upgrade every few months, so I never get the discounts. I was expecting more then 500 so it was a nice supprise.

[striggity @ Nov 21st 2008 10:10AM]

full retail is definitely $499.

[Nick @ Nov 21st 2008 4:51PM]

Hi pete,

Thanks for your comments, I live in UK so I am using the official UK release.
You will find that the phone does not switch off when you are on the phone. The back light may cut off but the touch sense are still active
This gives the owner options to Hold, Mute, call a 2nd caller, I promise you, you will have the same problems if you have the same version as us

My version says V4.7.0.65 (platform 4.0.0.76)
Is there a newer version out yet?

I do use my phone alot and very possible 4-6 hours a day so this could be the reason I may use more power but I am interested in other peoples experience

Thanks

[Adam @ Nov 21st 2008 9:47AM]

Unless I'm mistaken, and correct me if I'm wrong...the closest plan that you can get to the iPhones base plan of $70 on AT&T now costs nearly $100 on Verizon for the Storm?

Heres how I break it down...

BlackBerry Storm Base Plan:
Nationwide Basic 450 — 2-year contract $40.00
Blackberry® Unlimited Data Usage $45.00
Visual Voicemail $3.00/month
VZ Navigator (required for GPS which, is included on iPhone) $10.00/month

TOTAL FOR BLACKBERRY BOLD MONTHLY = ABOUT $98.00


iPhone Base Plan:
Nationwide 450 minutes - 2 year contract $40.00
iPhone Unlimited Data Usage $30.00
Visual Voicemail Included
Google Maps/GPS Included

TOTAL FOR iPHONE MONTHLY - ABOUT $70.00

sounds like a rip-off for me...

[Ben @ Nov 21st 2008 10:03AM]

The blackberry internet plan can be had for $25 a month, making this somewhat close to the iPhone's monthly cost

[Canis_Minor @ Nov 21st 2008 10:04AM]

"VZ Navigator (required for GPS which, is included on iPhone) $10.00/month"

I can't comment on the rest of your pricing, but VZ Navigator is not required for GPS on the Storm. Unlike the 8830, the 9530 GPS will function perfectly with Google maps, or whatever application you choose to install that uses GPS.

The reason VZ Navigator is extra, is that it provides voice navigation (similar to TeleNav and Garmin Mobile). As far as I know this is not a feature available on the iPhone, even if you paid 10 bucks extra.

Further, if you choose not to pay for VZ Navigator, on the Blackberry you can STILL get free voice navigation from freeware programs such as AmazeGPS and Nav4All. I'm not sure if they are available for the Storm yet, but if not, I expect it will be soon.

[pete @ Nov 21st 2008 9:48AM]

@dvsbstrd

My current phone with the nationwide premium plan is $40 more expensive then the same mintues with unlimited BB data plan. $30 more if add 10 bucks for navigation and 20 when I add unlimited texts. So when I switch to the Storm, it will cost me less. Still expensive though.