New Storm OS 4.7.0.90 leaked, includes QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted January 22nd 2009 11:42AM
posted January 22nd 2009 11:42AM
As you know, a new beta OS for the Storm has made its way into the wild. Although we haven't had a chance to give OS 4.7.0.90 the what-for ourselves, those of you who have certainly have a lot to say. The big news for both 9500 and 9530 users is that there is now a QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode -- no more flipping the phone around just for an ill-advised late night tweet! Besides that, users have noted an increase in overall stability (unless you're trying to listen to music -- more on that in a moment) and some visual enhancements (including the older-look application folder and fonts that are slightly larger). Additionally, when the device is locked, the screen doesn't light up every time you bump it -- good for battery life. And as one user noted, the charging issue "which plagued OS version 88" has been resolved. Unfortunately, there has also been plenty of chatter about buggy multimedia players -- at least on the Storm 9500. Users have complained about music and video playback crashing the phone, fast forward not working, and an overall video performance decrease. Brave Blackberry fans can hit the read link to browse the forums and maybe even download the new OS for themselves. More images after the break.
The Storm? I'd almost forgotten it in all the Palm Pre hype.
Word
but the palm pre is so ugly! looks like one of those disposable phones from 7-11!!!
I think most of the world forgot about it after they realized it was over-hyped and unrefined.
Me too. When I saw this headline, I was like, "They still make that thing?"
!?123 its got girth
too bad the portrait full keyboard is incredibly inaccurate.
Is the size of the screen or our fingers to blame?
I would say its a combination of both. But then again it also took a while to simply get adjusted to the QWERTY keyboard in landscape with release. Overall, I dont think you will see a lot of people switch from SureType to QWERTY in portrait though. A few will adapt and like it while others simply will not want anything to do with it.
Personally, I have no more trouble typing on the Storm than I do on the iPhone or any other touchscreen device, so maybe it's your paws that are the problem.
Good! I was on the phone with Verizon yeaterday. Im ready to trade my Storm in for a "Free: Flip Phone" Black Berry better step it up I love parts of this phone but the bad parts outweigh the good. But if there getting on the ball and if the update does what you all say it will help! Keep going BB! You Can do it!! Just Like the little engine that could. I think I can, I think I can! Dont think just DO!!!!!
Greg have you been on Crackberry .com? There's a ton of info on the Storm there that can help you out on problems. Don't give up on the Storm yet,, way too early for that.
This phone is a bag of hurt.
Really? What about it? Maybe the OS used to be a bit buggy, but the phone itself is rock solid. Did Mr. Jobs tell you to say that?
@MONKEY: No need to be a bitch, sir.
mm in accurate not really I am typing on it as we speak. Oh and for all of you who said the click screen slows down typing speed ...ill bet I can type faster than any physical keyboard on a cell phone. Let alone faster than a typist on there preferred keyboard of choice. All lag is gone phone just as fast as the bold. No audio issues what's so ever all and all if the Bluetooth worked for videos os would be dare I say perfect!?!
No, you can't. The reason being that you can only have 1 button pushed down at a time on the storm and you need to wait for the physical button to come up before hitting the next key. On a regular keyboard you do not have to wait for this and therefore if you are a fast typist on a Blackberry, you will find that the storm skips letters all the time.
Unless you are stating that somehow you hitting a single button is faster than my 2 thumbs hitting 2 buttons at virtually the same time, you are just wrong.
Perhaps they can fix it by adding more buttons behind the screen and making it more flexible so only certain areas of the keyboard would have this problem (although that might make it more confusing).
Ironic. Are those all typos, or do you just have trouble with English?
Do it faster without looking.
You're on crack, if you can match my 81 wpm on a storm, I'll give you a cookie, but since you can't, f off.
I'm so glad I didn't end up buying this phone. I was so hyped for such a long time and then ... darkness.
Well I enjoy my Storm a lot and there are lots of users that do. So keep believing the anti-hype, you're not any better than those that believed the hype before it launched.
My iPhone does this from the interim.
Why would crackberry fanboys enjoy this? I tend to hear them bitch that you can't text or email with landscape typing.
Let the anti-apple flames rage on me
Oh, the landscape texting and email comment was to be applied to the iPhone, not the storm, as I am sure irrate fanboys will assume and attempt to "correct me" and call me an idiot, etc. My apologies.
Cool, good move. I haven't used a Storm, but I hate using the iPhone keyboard in landscape, something about the button spacing is weird, portrait is much easier to use.
I wouldn't be surprised if Storm users find the keyboard much easier to use now that portrait mode's been introduced.
This is great. Verizon released a flawed product, but they're working on it. This won't be the last OS update we see. On release day, I'll agree, this phone left a lot to be desired, but it's really looking solid with these additions.
My Storm has been flawless from the start. Im aware of all the "problems" people have had. I blame people not believing there can be a phone near as good as the iphone.. this phone blows my friends away who have iphones. Just have to know how to use it, its not a simple user friendly interface like the iphone which gives it the customization blackberry lovers well, love. As for .90, I will be installing it this afternoon.
agreed, i've been very happy with mine, although I have found it crashes sometimes abuptly, but I still haven't upgraded from .75 OS.
I tested the storm for 3 weeks, and at no point did I think "Wow, this is better than my iPhone 3G." To each his own, I guess.
I *bet* it blows them away when you tell them you bought a smartphone in 2009 that does NOT have WiFi.
What is that symbol immediately to the left of the space key in the bottom picture?
The symbol itself is a globe and it brings up a language selector for some reason. I figured it would have been a browser short cut but I guess not.
Just had the same thought! Wtf is that? I have a Storm (I love it, btw -- I don't know why some users have problems -- probably bum hardware - but mine is rock stable and plenty fast on the official .75 OS), and this symbol is not on any of the current portrait keyboards (SureType or Mutlitap). I might have guessed that it's specific to the 9500, but I gotta assume those pics are all from the same unit, which must be a 9530 based on the system info screen.
Anybody?
@lang
I got the fastest thumbs in the east. No one stands a chance must be from playing call of duty.
Ya know, I don't understand why people bash the storm for being buggy and unstable. Compared to the rest of Verizon's lineup of OS locked phones, the storm rocks. I haven't had any major problems with mine and the ones that I've had aren't really hardware issues, just software glitches that will probably be fixed.
I tried to set up email for one of our employees the other morning. I sat down with it for a couple hours. I learned quickly to hate it. The keyboard really stinks. Maybe I'm just used to my iphone (disclaimer). I just couldnt get used to the storm. Generally all of the interface for setup for email really drove me nuts.
@ Johnathan
actually i can do it faster with out looking i never look i just watch what is being typed above ;)
and yes the globe symbol is on the 9530 (my phone). do we need it ? not really kind of a waste of keyboard relastate
Please tell me RIM is working on an OS update to improve the following: typing accuracy, application timeouts, and far too sensitive screen orientation shifting?
I'm really excited for this update. I never got the hang of SureType anyway (and multitap on a touchscreen is surprisingly difficult), so this is awesome for me. The only bad thing I really have to say about the Storm is the typing lag on the browser, but that seems to be a problem for all touch screen devices (my iPod Touch included); sometimes the camera freezes; and the screen orientation shifting can lag or freeze (also happens on my iPod Touch). I'm also looking forward to not having to holster it every time I want to lock it without the screen staying on and burning battery while it's in my pocket.
I'm curious to know if it is worth downloading this new update for the OS. my current frustration is more in the buggy lock feature. anyone here have the same problem? It happens every now and then where if I press the lock key and press it later to unlock it simply won't unlock? Then i'd have to pull the battery out ugh*
oh well if they ever fix that issue i'll be 100% in love with this phone... not that I don't already love it dearly haha
As a Storm owner, this thing needs a SOLID release to make me happy again. After the last official release I thought it was a happy medium but after using a ipod touch and G1, I realized how sluggish and clunky this thing is.
I still like it and it's got me connected to everything I need but I just wish they would refine the OS and release something that's stable.
Yeah storm bashers need to chill out and stop judging the phone on the pre-launch hype that you probably created. No one said its perfect. No one said you'd be able to type AS FAST as a physical keyboard. What was promised was a touch screen blackberry, and that is what was delivered. The click screen helps give tactile feedback not found on any other touch screen, and personally, I think it is very material design point. The UI isn't perfect, that is for sure, but the phone does what its suppose to do. Blackberry focuses on business users, and this phone crushes the competition in that respect as far as I am concerned
Have fun with your wpm races
the only people who diss on the storm are people who are not storm owners everyone i know with a storm likes it a lot i have a storm and like it there are some things that are a bit buggy but the iphone wasn't perfect either so shut up if you dont have a storm or never used one you cant judge somthing unless you try it i work at a verizon call center and the only people who dont like it there are people who dont have one