BlackBerry Storm buyer's remorse? You're not alone!
Update: So Verizon has hit up Boy Genius Report to clarify (well, maybe clarify) the situation: "The Storm has the lowest return rate of any of our PDAs and at this point in its life cycle, it has the lowest return rate of any PDA we currently sell." That kinda sounds like doublespeak to us -- if the Storm was really so thoroughly un-returned, couldn't they have said it in simpler terms? -- but that's about all we've got to go on at the moment.
Filed under: Cellphones
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Flashpoint @ Dec 18th 2008 11:35AM
This topic is gonna be EPIC.
While I like the Storm's ability to be a cellular modem through tethering, the clicking screen, the battery life, the great cellular reception and the removable memory cards...
this phone was obviously rushed to the market unfinished and the patch didn't help very much. It competes directly with the iPhone, G1 and numerous other phones, but frankly, I like the G1 and the iPhone considerably more.
The Storm just doesn't cut it.
Tonicboy @ Dec 18th 2008 11:39AM
Did you actually like the clicking screen? I mean, have you used the Storm as your primary device and actually liked the clicking, or do you just like the idea of it? I just want to know because I really like the idea of it too, but in almost every single review I have read of it, whether a professional review of just forum post, some people thought it was ok at best and most didn't like it and some hated it.
Bob C @ Dec 18th 2008 7:04PM
While I like the Storm's ability to be a cellular modem through tethering, the clicking screen, the battery life, the great cellular reception and the removable memory cards...
You like the clicking screen based on the commercials or actual use? Nearly everyone I've spoken to who has actually played with the thing has said the clicking screen fast becomes a hindrance rather than a selling feature.
+1 the rest though. Removable memory, what a concept! (coming from an iPhone owner).
chris @ Dec 18th 2008 11:41AM
I think you meant to say it "attempted to compete directly with the iphone".
Flashpoint @ Dec 18th 2008 11:41AM
I think the biggest problem is that the Storm hasn't been marketed very well and it doesn't have a cultural base supporting it. Whether you like what I'm saying or not, Apple has done a tremendous job of marketing its products and they have built up a huge pop culture behind their devices. I never liked Apple because their proprietary software and hardware was a turn off to me. But, the iPhone offered fantastic abilities that I could unlock/ipwn and bend to my will. The Storm is ho hum. The software for it isn't even dedicated to the Storm, its a patched version of the same software on previous BB's (Bold) which has been updated to accept the touch interface.
RIM missed out on a huge chance to make the storm a cultural icon. Even without the pop culture, they also didn't spend enough time Beta testing it to work out bugs. Frankly, I was ten times more impressed with the G1.
knowledge @ Dec 18th 2008 11:44AM
you sucker you dont have a Storm the battery life is trash.
Tonicboy @ Dec 18th 2008 11:49AM
Verizon has marketed the hell out of this thing. I've been seeing commercials and ads everywhere. And while the ads aren't quite up to snuff with Apple ads, they've been pretty polished. If anything, the marketing has outpaced the reality of the device. In a way, this is like GM's failure with Saturn. GM spent hundreds of millions to create and market their new Saturn brand and for the most part it was a success in the sense that people didn't think of Saturn as a typical American car company and they gave it a chance. The problem was, the Saturn cars themselves weren't very good. The Storm set sales records for Verizon which I think is a testament to the strength of the marketing. However, reviews that I have read seem to be very disappointing.
Dave @ Dec 18th 2008 12:09PM
Tonicboy, to answer your question I have a storm and do like the click screen. I think most of the reviews that talk about how bad it is are focusing on typing. I don't think it helps for typing. I could see that if you were typing really fast, it might slow you down compared to a normal touchscreen, and definitely compared to a physical keyboard, but it hasn't been a problem for me. I've seen some videos of people typing pretty fast, it's just a different style than people are used to. Also, many of them have problems with clicking near the edge of the phone that are easily fixed by simple modifications, but reviewers wouldn't have known that.
Anyway, the real reason I like it is because it adds another very useful layer of flexibility to the input mechanisms. It differentiates a click from a selection. For example, on a crowded web page, a touch highlights a link, a click follows it, so you don't click the wrong one. Also, when entering text, holding a touch will allow you to drag the cursor location back and forth, rather then having to click the exact spot you mean to place the cursor. You can open and navigate menus, even lifting your finger and putting it back down, and it won't select an item until you actually click the screen. I think they could do a lot more with it too. I hope the stick with it for future Storm iterations if they keep making them.
It's certainly not a perfect phone, but I think it's the best Verizon offers, especially if you don't want Windows Mobile, or the Touch Pro takes a long time to get to Verizon. I'm actually pretty happy with it.
Steven @ Dec 18th 2008 12:29PM
I have to agree with flashpoint in the sense that the phone did seem a little bit rushed, there is still a small amount of lag when rotating the phone, but not much more then the Touch Diamond that i had. I got my storm on Telus and the firmware was 4.7.0.76 right out of the box, no updates for us. I like the click to type touch screen, it makes it so much easier to type then on the Touch Diamond, and i send lots of PIN and SMS messages, as well as do a considerable amount web browsing. The web browser is a much better browser then on the Curve or Pearl, however it is still not quite as polished as Opera Mini and as such I downloaded that onto my storm. I dont really have any other complaints about the unit, except that it doesn't come with a holster in the box, just a carrying pouch and as of yet the holsters are not available in Canada.
BrokenMonkey @ Dec 18th 2008 12:37PM
I think it's the best phone Verizon has right now, I'd like to get one but I got a Glyde when it came out (paid as much as the Storm costs, now it's only $80) so I can't upgrade unless I pay the entire $400 for a new one without a contract. Is Verizon reselling these returned phones at a discount or are they just going to use them to replace people's lost/broken phones.
Tyler @ Dec 18th 2008 3:13PM
i am so glad i got an iphone...no remorse whatsoever.
i was locked into att cuz i get discounts, and i hated the idea of me buying an apple product, but i can honestly say that it IS what all other phones/pmps/mids ASPIRE to be. it is really that great.
OneLove @ Dec 18th 2008 3:45PM
Hello, I am a blackberry "touchscreen" phone...Now click me bitch!
Jeff P. @ Dec 18th 2008 5:59PM
@Flashpoint
You are actually making complete and total sense this time. I'm ashamed to admit that I agree with you. I've hope I don't make a habit of this!
loosely_coupled @ Dec 18th 2008 9:20PM
Agreed. I'm partial to the iPhone because I have an iPod Touch (not a full-time mac user), but I am not a fanboy. Apple has a lot to correct on the iPhone (it needs MMS, video recording, a decent camera with autofocus, camera flash, less restrictive app store, more RAM, etc) and I hate most of their decisions.
Getting to my point, the Blackberry Storm improves on some of the drawbacks of the iPhone and adds some unique features. I've tried it out, and I'm not a fan of the clickscreen, but it isn't too bad. The screen is beautiful, with decent resolution, and the interface is pretty good for a Blackberry. However, the major problem is that the device just isn't finished! It's buggy, and slow, the interface is nowhere near as responsive as an iPhone, it doesn't have hardware graphics acceleration (WTF!!), and the browser while functional is nowhere near as fast and fluid as Safari on the iPhone.
final words: RIM, you are going in the right direction, but you need to learn just as much as the other manufacturers that phones with first class hardware but second class software are NOT going to cut it when you are competing with the iPhone. The iPhone is incredibly popular not just because it is thin and flashy, or has the Apple cult. The phone truly provides an excellent user experience (for the features it has). The interface is fast, smooth, and intuitive. The apps are kept simple and clean. Everything works together well. in other words, FOCUS ON THE SOFTWARE and you'll have a winner!
CraigJ @ Dec 18th 2008 10:29PM
I agree. One of the BBs primary strengths is the keyboard. Shoe-horning the OS onto a touchscreen device with some changes to make it work was (is) probably the wrong approach.
All these people, Rim, Microsoft, etc, etc, were basically laughing at Apple and saying (quite publicly) that Apple would never pull it off, and Apple bitch-slapped them all with the iPhone. You can love or hate the iPhone, but it you think for one minute that it has not been a success, and that the Storm was not a direct response them you are an idiot. Regardless of the public response of these companies to the iPhone, you know that product managers were getting pounded on for a response.
Apple forced Rim into building a touch screen device, something I seem to remember that Rim indicated back in early 2007 that they wouldn't do because it wouldn't be usable. Rim rushed it to market, and didn't do as good a job with the software as they should have, and to top it off, they launched it in the worst economic climate in the last 20 years.
We'll see if they can get the software right. Maybe they can.
Steve @ Dec 18th 2008 11:35AM
I lol'd at the picture, keep up the good work as always Engadget :)
rock99rock @ Dec 18th 2008 11:38AM
"sadness"
- classic vanderbeek
rock99rock @ Dec 18th 2008 1:04PM
As a followup to the results,
892 have held on to the device
779 have returned it.
1671 peeps claiming to have or have had the device
46.6% have returned it. Almost spot on with your article Engadget :)
Félix @ Dec 19th 2008 3:54AM
I call bullshit.
46% return rate = end of RIM.
Do you have any idea how much it costs to have just 10% return rate ?
Just basic economy 46% return rate => RIM is over. (financially)
Or if hey are not over it's because they did make more than 100,000 Storm but as it was supposed to be their Kick-ass Christmas phone I suppose they got a few million out of the factory already.
46% is NON-SENSE !
Cardbored @ Dec 18th 2008 11:37AM
Well that poll is full of utter failure
adam @ Dec 18th 2008 12:18PM
honestly. engadget needs to run thier polls so people who dint buy the device, or don't use the os. or don't know if a certain (blank) update has improved (blank) dont factor into the polls.
its dumb to have 99% dont own one.
.5% like it
.3% returned it
.1% havent decided (or whatever the categories are)
not add up to 100% rounding error.
KRIS_C_123 @ Dec 18th 2008 2:45PM
@ Jerk Face [GT:xJERKFACEx] some people hear are very funny, cheers to all the funny people on engadget.com, and merry christmas to all (non funny people included)
ProfessorDex @ Dec 18th 2008 11:38AM
Blackberry fanboy defensive reaction in 3...2...1...
Samboini @ Dec 18th 2008 11:55AM
Let me guess here; you aren't actually a professor, are you. A name can't make up for the shortcomings of your life.
Gaucho @ Dec 18th 2008 11:57AM
BlackBerry! BlackBerry!!
Rabble!Rabble!Rabble!Rabble!Rabble!Rabble!
Gaucho @ Dec 18th 2008 12:37PM
why the hell did I get low ranked? I guess I'm the only one here who watches Southpark.
JPN @ Dec 18th 2008 12:49PM
No, we just didn't think it was funny.
Gaucho @ Dec 18th 2008 12:53PM
harsh. Well then, its a good thing you're here to take me down a peg. That'll show me!
ProfessorDex @ Dec 18th 2008 1:02PM
No it won't. You'll continue to make stupid comments even if they all get low ranked.
Jerk Face [GT:xJERKFACEx] @ Dec 18th 2008 1:17PM
I thought it was of funny. But here in the Engadget comments (aka the humorless a**hole of the internet) silly things like that don't fly.
JPN @ Dec 18th 2008 2:17PM
You asked why you got ranked down - I told you.
And got ranked up in the process.
Life's a bitch.
Frogboy @ Dec 18th 2008 2:39PM
The Official Guide to Avoiding Low Rankings on Engadget
1. Use correct grammar and spelling so that people can understand your posts.
2. Do not post "First!"
3. Do not post "but will it play Crysis?" or "but will it blend?"
4. Call out any and all overtly Apple favoritism engaged in by Engadget.
5. If you get a low ranking on a particular article, just walk away. Any attempts to justify your previous posts will automatically and irrevocably end up being voted down.
6. If you know that you are going to get ranked low because what you are saying is contrary to popular opinion, state something like "I feel a low rank coming on" or something of that nature. Not sure why, but it works...or at least, it used to...sorry.
7. No Spamming!!!
8. Do not distribute "The Official Guide to Avoiding Low Rankings on Engadget"
@Gaucho: You are in violation of rule #5. Just walk away man.
Paul Chapel @ Dec 18th 2008 2:58PM
Actually, the guide should read more like this:
The Official Guide to Avoiding Low Rankings on Engadget
1) Don't talk about Apple in any way positive, even if the praise is warranted and based on statistics, popular opinion, and actual sales.
2) Don't mention the iPhone in any Engadget post about a touchscreen phone, because as everyone knows, it is absolutely positively impossible that another company could be making a touchscreen phone because of Apple.
3) Don't suggest that Apple has innovated anything, because someone can always find an obscure company in Romania that did it first.
4) Don't suggest that a person might be a Microsoft Fanboy, because this is impossible, even if the aforementioned person has an Xbox, Zune, PC with Vista and every version of Windows minted in gold and platinum and a Bill Gates poster above the bed.
5) Don't say "First" under any circumstances.
IndiaTech @ Dec 18th 2008 3:30PM
@Frogboy
You forgot #9. Don't have iEye or clak as user name.
grull27 @ Dec 18th 2008 3:51PM
I've never seen that many consecutive comments fading away, sad.
MSM @ Dec 18th 2008 11:39AM
How many people visit this website??
I just voted for the last option (didn't buy one)
the results was (1:1:1:1:1) 20% each,,,
2 minutes later and the results were (1:1:1:2:46)
1 minute later and the results were (28:10:9:34:367)
this post is 10 minutes old!!!!
rock99rock @ Dec 18th 2008 3:20PM
I thought this was everyones home screen? Or at least one of them...
HunterXI @ Dec 18th 2008 11:39AM
At this very moment I see a BB Storm banner ad at the top of this page. Fail.
allislost @ Dec 18th 2008 11:51AM
What is this "banner ad" you speak off?
Oliver @ Dec 18th 2008 11:53AM
hey, you should try using adblock, because when ads are blocked, pages load faster... just sayin'
Brightlights @ Dec 18th 2008 11:40AM
this seems biased at best.
shouldn't there be atleast one positive vote to be had on the poll?
Tonicboy @ Dec 18th 2008 11:52AM
"Software update helped but I would've kept mine anyways." That's the option for people who were happy with their Storm and would've kept it even if there was no update.
axemt @ Dec 18th 2008 11:41AM
"Based on a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay, numbers as high as a 50% return rate have been bandied about..."
Wow, stay classy Engadget. Don't knock yourself out trying to get "facts" instead. LOL
Paul Miller @ Dec 18th 2008 12:02PM
That's why we did a poll! There are no hard numbers on this stuff right now, this as close as we can get at the moment.
axemt @ Dec 18th 2008 12:04PM
So how come there isn't ONE positive option on that poll!?
Biased much Engadget!? :)
axemt @ Dec 18th 2008 12:07PM
Never mind, stupid me, first one counts as a positive one I guess.
lucas @ Dec 18th 2008 12:13PM
you really think that they could get the numbers. sales and returns figures are one of the top secret info items for retail and service companies.
so they use what they can. and at least they are honest that it's not hard numbers.
fred @ Dec 18th 2008 12:26PM
"That's why we did a poll! There are no hard numbers on this stuff right now, this as close as we can get at the moment."
So why are you running the story then? Either you guys are pushing an agenda or you've just admitted you could be misleading readers on purpose.
Paul Miller @ Dec 18th 2008 12:28PM
How is asking readers about something pushing an agenda?
fred @ Dec 18th 2008 12:35PM
"...Based on a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay, numbers as high as a 50% return rate have been bandied about. The software update certainly helped the situation, but there are still a lot of disappointed thumbs out there."
"a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay" That is what you run this on?
I have a pile of "a pile of anecdotal evidence and hearsay" that the iPhone is loosing users left and right. Are you going to run a story on that, or are you going to work like a bastard to make sure THAT anecdotal evidence and hearsay has some merit before pushing the Post button?
Somehow I think it would be choice #2
The poll is just a CYA.