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BlackBerry Storm 9530
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BlackBerry Storm 9530
- Critic Reviews (6)
- User Reviews (38)
- 73AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE6 ReviewsCNET70RIM BlackBerry Storm (Verizon Wireless) SmartphoneThe RIM BlackBerry Storm may blow in a frenzy for Verizon Wireless subscribers wanting a touch screen similar to the Apple iPhone. However, there are bugs and performance issues that prevent the Storm from delivering its full potential.PC Mag80Palm Pre Feature Face-Off - RIM BlackBerry Storm 9Verizon's most powerful smartphone is now ready for purchase—albeit six months after launch. Some major software updates finally make the Storm a solid and flexible device.Gizmodo70Gizmodo - BlackBerry Storm Review (Verdict: Not QuThe Storm is a strong effort from RIM, but it's not quite the killer phone that they or Verizon need it to be. It's good—RIM clearly put a lot of thought into the design. But I think it fall short of what they were aiming for, and ultimately what all the hype is driving people to expect.Engadget70BlackBerry Storm reviewMore often than not while using the Storm, we felt let down or frustrated. Ultimately, this could be a great platform with a little more time in the oven, but right now, it feels undercooked -- and that's not enough for us.Phone Scoop80Review: BlackBerry Storm : Is It Your Type? (PhoneThe BlackBerry Storm is not perfect, but, in my humble opinion, it is the best BlackBerry yet.IntoMobile70BlackBerry Storm Review (Verdict: Fixable)Despite a mile-high laundry list of fixes to be made, I have a feeling that in a few months time when prices drop and the software gets properly ironed out, we’ll see the Storm gaining momentum; it’s just a shame that all that hype was met with such widespread disappointment.
- 59AVERAGE USER SCORE38 ReviewsEngadget Reader40May 31, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This would have been a fine phone if it actually worked. Unfortunately, it was just super slow from the start. I couldn't stand it. The clicky screen and overall design were neat though.Engadget Reader50March 8, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This was my first smartphone. It would have been better if I had waited to read reviews before I purchased it. It was way behind other smart phones that came before it. Comparing it to my friends iPhone made my experience worse. The device would reboot when I was navigating between web pages especially on my commute home.Engadget Reader80January 26, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80December 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader30June 26, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A poor product that's more likely to be frustrating than useful. - EngadgetEngadget Reader50April 12, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A disappointing product with a lot of problems. - EngadgetEngadget Reader40September 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A poor product that's more likely to be frustrating than useful. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70June 4, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader40May 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A poor product that's more likely to be frustrating than useful. - EngadgetEngadget Reader30September 22, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Purchased 1 for my wife and 1 for myself when they came out. Worst phone I have ever used: 1. Camera absolutely sucks. Slow unresponsive, horrible low light2. Keyboard types wrong characters constantly--I have an iTouch and that key board works fine. PS I do not have ATT in my area or I would get an iPhone3. Buttons don't work most the time when you push them. You have to push multiple times to get something like the phone keyboard to display.4. Now that I typing, I can go on for another 2000+ characters and still not put all the bad things with this phone. 5. Final note--worst phone ever put on the market.Engadget Reader10August 18, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I would not recommend this phone. Had it for two years and it's just horrible. Screen lacks great display, response time is too long. Camera takings forever to take a picture and then view it. Constantly get the "pin wheel of death" when texting or doing anything.Engadget Reader60April 2, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!RIM built in a clicking mechanism into the touch screen which is distinctly different from the iphone. The entire screen functions as a button for confirming selections or initiating actions. Unfortunately, the clicking is less appealing after prolonged usage. I turns out to be more confusing than helpful. Ultimately, the Storm's touch interface feels like a failed experiment.It's too bad, because the Storm has some nice features and makes a great first impression. Encased in shiny black with silvery accents on the front and a removable matte metal cover in the back, the Storm is shorter, slightly narrower, and somewhat thicker than the iPhone--not surprising since it packs support for Verizon Wireless's fastest network (EvDO Rev. A), for quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, and for 2100-MHz UMTS/HSPA networks, enabling overseas roaming on the fastest networks available. The Storm also has a GPS receiver and Bluetooth, but no Wi-Fi. As a world phone, it excels no less. I was able to use the phone in Aruaba, Curacao, Bonaire and planning on taking it with me to England shortly.The phone is not all bad. It just was not the iphone competitor I had hoped.Engadget Reader60February 25, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I have to say, I have put up with this phone for over a year and have had to deal with it, (It’s a work phone) through all the updates and everything and I still feel the phone is lacking. I know support is going to be less and less since the storm 2 came out but I still feel they could have done a lot more with the phone. Watching videos on it was good but its media support was minimal. I think they missed and opportunity with the media support on this.The overall responsiveness of the phone is horrible. I still need to pull out the battery sometimes to restart it because it’s either slow or choppy or it’s just frozen. I still get random shutdowns on the phone when it’s in my pocket and I take it out to make a call.I would not recommend getting it unless you are desperate for the large screen. The large keyboard in landscape view is great but it sucks in portrait view. I have not tried the storm 2 and I hear the storm 3 is coming out.Engadget Reader30January 25, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The longer I have this phone the more I feel that VZW and I got ripped off by BlackBerry. Remember it was supposed to be a device to compete with the iphone. I bit as there wasn't anything remotely close to it in Verizon's arsenal. As in other blackberrys, it's an email and texting machine, but the OS is from the '80's (or so it seems), it's overly complicated and, don't get me started on the touch screen typing. I'm very disappointed and am looking forward to the choices coming on line now from the big V (palm pre plus and nexus one). Oh, and my dream of the iphone on Verizon keeps playing in my head!Engadget Reader70January 20, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I got the Storm when it first came out, and initially I had several problems (slowness, problems going portrait to landscape, and did I mention slowness). It took me 2 solid weeks to get used to the touchscreen, but I'm a pro on it now.Since initially getting the phone, after several OS updates, the phone is like a different and 100x better phone. I never have problems going from portrait to landscape nor notice any slowness. It's all around a great phone for me, I love the large screen & the touchscreen works fine for me. I have dropped it several times, and it still works like a champ.Unfortunately, there are 2 somewhat big things I don't love about the phone. The camera is still really too slow, and the flash isn't great. The apps are lacking, there are new things coming out all over for Android and iPhone and I feel left behind waiting for blackberry apps.All in all, love the phone. When it finally dies on me, I will probably move onto an Android phone just for the apps.Engadget Reader90January 6, 2010Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!In pretty much every review you read, people are saying things like, "Well the phone works good, but the iPhone does it better." This is not an iPhone! This is a Blackberry. If you want an iPhone, go buy an iPhone.I originally wanted this phone because I wanted to delve into the world of Blackberry. I was very reluctant to do it with this phone because of the touch screen keyboard. Having used touch screen keyboards on other devices I know my thumbs are a little big for most of them and I just generally like the feel of keys better. However, once you get over the learning curve of using this phone (which I will admit takes a little big of getting used to, a couple days max though) it actually works very well. I always hated on other touch screen devices when I would click a wrong link or button. With the way this is set up you can either just press hard if you know what you're hitting and it acts like a regular touch screen, or you can lightly touch the screen and it will highlight the link or button before you press it.A lot of people also complain about this being slow. Personally mine can run for a good week or two without any slowdown. The biggest thing most people forget to do is to actually "Exit" the application, rather than just pushing the back arrow. Now the thing will start to slow down eventually. For that just turn the phone off, pop the battery out for 30 seconds or so and you're good to go for another couple weeks.As for the software I found it very easy to catch onto. Like I said earlier this is the first Blackberry I've used. The settings are all straight forward, though certain ones can be hard to find to a new user. However, they have TONS of settings so I won't complain about them being hard to find. Updates don't come out often for the core applications, but the come out often enough for me. I don't want to be updating my phone every week or two. 3-4 months is perfect. Obviously 3rd party apps have their own update schedule so I won't include anything about those here.I've been using this phone for about 5 months now. The only gripe I can think of is that it doesn't have WiFi support. I guess you could consider having to reboot it every once in a while a gripe, but personally it doesn't bother me.tl;dr:This is not an iPhone so quit comparing them. Touch works very well once you get used to it, and the hover feature of it can be very nice at times. The software is pretty easy to get the hang of and very straight forward. No WiFi would be my only gripe.Engadget Reader70October 26, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The store has been a phone that you have to take the time and learn. You can not just pick it up and expect to know how it works. It is slow when you start to add all the apps that are available for the phone. Sadly it did not come with enough memory for it to function well and have lots of app. Storing things on the phone also makes the phone glitch and slow down. Just save everything on the memory card and get the apps that you need leave the usless ones alone. I love the phone even with its problems. You just adapt to its problmes just like everything else. Take out the battery once a day. learn how to close the programs correctly on the phone and keep cluttering items off it, I am getting the BB 5.0 software uploaded right now. That should make it great. I-phone killer maybe not but then again Blackberry is in a whole different catagory.Engadget Reader30August 17, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I really wanted to love this phone because i have the iPhone and like a touch screen. Unfortunately, I can't use the iPhone for work, so as soon as the Storm came out, i jumped on it. There are some nice features, but overall, the interface is slow, and prone to freeze up. At times there seemed to be a long lag between pressing a key and it appearing (yes, even after the software upgrade). The touch screen is meant to improve ease of use with its slight movement, but it actually makes typing more difficult and much slower than the iPhone. I was constantly frustrated and finally threw the Storm away to get a Tour. Much much better!!Engadget Reader90July 29, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Pros1) I like the touch screen better then the iPhone. I love the smart touch or whatever they call it, but you highlight with a swipe of the finger, but still have to press down to actually click something. No more accidental pressings!2) tons of features - and not just those on damn near any phone like text, pictures and all that - but several e-mails can be monitored, a pretty complete web browser, most messenger services, plus it's own! 3) good battery life. No issues at all so far. Plenty of aps to download and try - more coming all the time, several cheap or FREE.Cons1) Kinda big, and bulky to hold for a phone and I some how always accidentally press mute when holding it as a phone - use the blue tooth headset! 2) more business focused, vs. fun focused. It'd be nice to see more 'gee-wiz' aps like the iPhone has (I'm certain that my blackberry lightsaber would trump the iPhone light saber!).Engadget Reader80July 15, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!As long as you're willing to use beta OS's and take the time to learn how to use the Storm you'll see it is a pretty solid phone. My only complaint with it is that RIM gave it too weak of a processor, they should have given the Storm a chip that was atleast equal to what is in the bold and probably one even stronger since they were dealing with a touch screen and accelerometer data. crackberry.com is a great resource for first time blackberry users and helps mitigate the larning curve definitely a must if the Storm is your first blackberry. Essential for doing OS upgrades and finding good free gamesEngadget Reader30July 13, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!When the storm first appeared I was using the new Blackberry Bold, which was also, having a lot of Software problems at the time, but the hardware was really good and complete.I got very excited about the phone, cause I learned, like many of you, to love my Blackberry. At the time I had a 2g Iphone for fun and my Bold for Bussiness and everything was great. So when I saw the strom i said to my self, this is it, the best of both worlds, so i began requesting a homologation sample of the Phone ( at that time I worked in a Mobile operator).It wasn't til 1 month after I quit that job that the sample units arrived, so i thought 'well i dont think the guys will let me have one', but with a week they call me and say 'remember that Blackberry you wanted..well is yours if you want because it stinks'.Well I didn't believe them..so I give it a try...I still regret it....First lets start with the good things:* Beautifull phone, really nice* It feels really good, good size and pretty solid.* The screen is nice, resolution and contrast are great.* Good Battery life, better than my iphone, but not as great as the bold or Curve.The bad:* The OS was not made with touch in mind, that pretty much say it all, only the main menu and folders are confortable to touch but after that all the configurations and personalizations have the same menus as the bold so its really difficult to get things done* The flip function is goos, the phone flips and the keyboard change of positions (like the Iphone), but sometimes its too sensible and get annoying.* if I wrote a large paragraph and found a mistake in the middle its hell on earth to get there and correct it, sometimes I preffer to let the error be..or just re write the whole thing.The uggly..or in this cae HORRIBLE:*Sure press, at least if you have used an Iphone its really confusing, because when you hover over an item it gets highlighted..but you have to press the screen to get it, and most of the time when you do..you end up doing something else.To sum things up, RIM still makes great hardware, but this OS was not meant to a touch phone (exactly as the Nokia s60 in the 5800 Music Express) so it lacks a LOT of things to even try to replace an Iphone.This is my first review so sorry if its too messyEngadget Reader80July 10, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This phone has a lot of great features with the added touch screen, a nice 3.0 megapixel camera that does video, and the media player. RIM has done a great job keeping all the business features that have built the Blackberry brand in this phone, and it integrates seamlessly into any existing BES system. Unfortunately it is VERY hard to type on, and that really hampers this device's usability. The click screen, while a good idea, really does not work as well as advertised as there seems to be a portion of the screen (the corner directly above the red aka power button) that it is very hard to actually get it to click.Engadget Reader80July 9, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've been a smartphone user for a few years (N-Gage, 6680, N70), all Symbian, but I was thrown a Storm for free. Nobody turns down a free gdgt!I Was really impressed with the way RIM have made the address book the center-focus of the phone, with native gTalk and AIM clients that tie into the contact book, along with Facebook profile picture integration and the likes.However I've found that running my two twitter apps (yatca and Ubertwiter) is killing the phone, and even running Google Maps in a fresh install is sluggish compared to the iPhone.The dictionary can sometimes come up with some odd words, and non-dictionary woods, but I find my typing speed the fastest of any touchscreen device, thanks to the sure-press stuff. I've heard a lot of poor reviews on the sure-press, but it just makes so much sense to me, much more like a mouse, allowing you to click _and_ hover. I find myself struggling to use an iPhone having used the sure press for a month.Some great 3rd party apps are killing and winning this device for me, such as the Google contact sync, and ubertwitter. I do notice memory leaks, so a nice task manager would be nice.It'd also be nice if RIM allowed developers open a general tcp_socket() request, allowing the device (or maybe user) make a decision about which service to use. It looks like alot of the old BlackBerry software (Market Filters) was written for just (say) a TCP connection. On my current plan (with O2 Ireland) I get unlimited BIS traffic, but am charged for APN/TCP traffic. It would be great to get these old apps working, but it's not going to be possible as they are hard-coded to use APN settings.The included 8Gb memory card was a nice extra, and it functions well as a media player. The dedicated play pause button is great, and artwork is nice and big. It's also possible to play an MP3 straight from the browser, or stream radio/youtube (provider service books dependent).Overall it's making great leaps, but I'd like it to be snappier.Engadget Reader50July 9, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Pros: ResolutionBB OS - very easy to customize, easy settingsnice and easy mp3 playerexpandable memory via memory cardNot AT&TEasy email set upNice Camera - takes great pics, i stopped carry a camera around and started using my BB for that.Cons:Need a track ball or scroller key like nobody's business!Just kill me, I miss my keyboard - the touch keyboard is just ok, but fast typing with SurePress is out of the questionCompatibility with apps - some apps just don't work well on the Storm, even if you have compatibility mode set. If the Storm had a trackball, it might help with thisBB OS - not as customizable as Window Mobile, but this is really only a concern if are uber geeky about itAccelerometer is sticky sometimes - freezes when I switch between horizontal to vertical fairy oftenBB Apps - Why are they so expensive? iPhone apps only run about $1.99 to $9.99 or so, the BB apps are $9.99 and up. Even the Windows Mobile apps aren't all that expensive.No Wifi - WTH? Is this a BB thing?That being said, I still live and die by my Blackberry, though once my contract is up I will be getting a different model.Engadget Reader80July 7, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've been with Verizon for over 10 years now as is my whole family. It made sense to stay to take advantage of the in network calling. However, I WANTED the new iPhone. When this first came out I thought it looked like a great option. However, the reviews scared me off. A little while ago I tried out one with the new software. It was much better. I figured I would give it a shot. I have been very surprised.Design - I like the look over all. Slim lines, not to thick, which is a big deal to me. I'm not totally thrilled with the space around the screen but this has not been a problem for me yet. I like the keys at the bottom of the phone but am interested in the one with them integrated into the screen. I like the solid feel of the phone. Software - When I tried out the old version everything about it was slow and buggy. Rotating the phone could lock it up. The lag time for the screen to catch up was inexcusable. However, the new software fixed those issues. Software is responsive, it's quick to move around in the phone. For anyone who has used a blackberry in the past it's pretty intuitive, just a few minor differences. The media software is pretty good as well. Easy to use and it was easy to create a playlist to sync music from my iTunes onto the phone. Sound quality may not be audiophile worthy, but neither is the iPhone's. You have to be careful how many apps you are running at one time. If you aren't using something, it's a good idea to shut it down. You can keep the battery life going and keep your performance up as well. Common sense but I think a lot of people leave everything open, facebook, pandora, etc and then wonder why it is so slow! I wish it had wifi. Something the new one is rumored to have. Apps - This is where I really wish BB could catch up to the iPhone. This isn't necessarily a BB issue but it is a consideration when purchasing the phone. However, I would rather have 2500 useful apps to choose from rather than sifting through 50,000 pieces of garbage. Facebook is good if not as robust as I might like. Google Maps and Poynt very useful. Having Pandora is great. Adds a new dimension to listening to music on the go. My only gripe here is that I would like a larger selection of useful apps. Get more out there for us to choose from!Accessories - I ordered a silicone case directly from BB and that is much better than the Verizon option. Keeps the profile of the phone slim while still providing some decent protection. You don't have the number of accessories that the iPhone's have but I have an iPod as well so I'm good.. I can still plug this into my car stereo and listen to music while I'm driving as well as listen to music on the go with the regular headphone jack. Screen is large enough to watch a short video on but I would never watch a movie on either phone anyways.Battery - Not quite as good as I hoped. My wife's Curve is amazing. The battery can go for days with decent use. I'm looking for my charger regularly. Overall though, not too bad. When I first got the phone it was terrible. They recommended "conditioning" the battery with a 12 hr charge. That just didn't get it done. My battery life was terrible. I spoke to Verizon and they shipped me a new one. While I was waiting on it to arrive I plugged the phone in for 18 hrs. Now, the battery is much better! Of course, I need to condition the new battery now but kudos to Verizon for the quick customer service. The Network - Obviously, Verizon's big claim is the network. I recently went to NORTHERN Michigan and cell service was spotty. Not just for Verizon though. There was no cell service period. However, everywhere I go in my daily life service is good and fast. Overall - A much improved phone with the updated software. This phone has taken a beating in the reviews but BB has really improved it. I'm very pleasantly surprised with it.Engadget Reader20July 3, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I know what RIM can do but after this phone I dont think i will ever buy a RIM phone ever again. This is my second phone. I should have known when i had to return my original after the second day of usage because the browser would refuse to connect to the internet. Now my new one connects to the internet but the phone is terrible. I can sometimes hear the person speaking or the other way and they cant hear me. Or i can hear them or they dont hear me. I drop connection like crazy. Even in my own home where i never had an issue with any other phone on the same network. One word TERRIBLE.Engadget Reader40July 2, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!It is obvious with this phone that RIM's goal was to quickly come out with a product to compete with the iPhone in the touch screen smart phone marketplace.The major down fall of this phone came with two costly errors, poor choice of using a mushy 'click screen' to differentiate from the iPhone, and pushing the device out of the door too early with terribly buggy software.Hardware: As with all recent Blackberry's RIM built a very solid hardware device, with one glaring mistake. The device contains a powerful processor, a user replaceable battery, a good 3.2MP auto focus camera, and a microSD slot. All very good things... then there is the decision to go with the mushy 'click screen', its one of those ideas that sounds good on paper from a designer but when put into practice just doesn't work. I've been using a Storm for 4 months now and I've gone well past the point where i am comfortable enough with the keyboard that it actually significantly hinders my typing speed. Imagine trying to type on a normal desktop keyboard where all the keys are connected together and you have to wait for one key to pop back up to hit the next... yea doesn't sounds like a good typing experience... it isn't.Software:Here is where I think the main issues with the phone are. It is obvious to me (as a software developer) that the firmware for the Storm was severely rushed and likely contain some serious underlying structural problems. To me it looks like RIM grabbed their latest OS version and told a group of developers to slap a touch screen interface on top of the OS. It obviously still isn't working right, after 4 software updates to this device I still regularly (more then once a day) do a battery reset because the phone frezzes and is totally unresponsive, on top of that more then half the time when i receive a phone call my storm will buzz once and then freeze on the call screen not allowing me to pick up the call... this PHONE doesn't even ANSWER CALLS!! I'm not going to even get into the issues I get with memory leaking of some of the RIM apps, and the overall unresponsiveness to touch input. The only positives i see with this software is the ability to switch through apps, its just like using alt-tab on a mac/windows. works well, only if i wasn't using this feature most of the time to hunt down the apps slowing down my phone and closing them...The browser is also Ok, nothing special. RIM really needs to migrate to a WebKit browser for the Storm 2 and rebuild the core operating system to support multi-touch or they are totally done in the touch screen smart phone marketplace.ConclusionRIM really screwed this one up, they need to rethink their approach for the next version (looks like they have already got rid of the 'clicky screen'), or they should just give up on this market and focus on the amazing QWERTY smartphones they make. I'll likely be picking up a Palm Pre in the next couple months when Bell Mobility in Canada finally comes out with it (hurry up already...), but the BlackBerry Tour is sparking my interest...Engadget Reader50July 2, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I'll start by saying that I don't recommend this phone for anyone. It's an awful device and here's why:1.) Needs constant recharging. If you don't charge it every night, it won't last through the next day.2.) The OS is SLOW. It wouldn't be a deal breaker except that it prevents me from answering calls. The phone will ring, but the OS will stall, freeze, and not let me actually answer the call at all. I have to call back whoever was calling once the phone responds. Most actions in the OS take far longer than they rightfully should.3.) Memory problems abound. You've gotta reboot the thing every night, otherwise you'll never get anything done.4.) Random reboots. If you have this phone, then you know what I'm talking about. In the middle of typing an email? Don't expect that you'll be able to finish typing before the phone reboots randomly. This happens at least once a day for me even with the newest software upgrade.5.) Touch/Click screen is awful. It's not accurate enough to know where your finger is touching and I end up mistyping a letter 1/10.6.) Random freezing. Yeah.... it will freeze for no reason and you'll have to pull the battery.If these issues were fixed, this phone would almost be on par with the iPhone, if not better, however, I fear many of these issues are hardware related and not simply software related so no fixes without new hardware for some of this stuff.Engadget Reader80July 2, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I love the storm! When it works its a great phone. The UI is intuative and smooth(when it works) The functions are nice ( when they work) and I trully love this phone(when it works) The only problem I have is that it doesn't always work. For the first 3 months of owning the phone I had to forward my calls to my iphone because it would lock up everytime I took it out of the holster. But I really do love the phone (when it works) But to sum it all up the new firmware fixed alot of the problems, but It still needs some fine tunning. So there you have it! The Blackberry Storm is a good phone(when it works) Sigh!Engadget Reader90July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!This phone does what its supposed to. It has tons of apps and is relatively fast if you update the software on occasion and besides a few bugs its a great smart phone. I have had it since its release and the phone is progressively getting better software wise. My only gripe is that the phone is somewhat fragile. I dropped mine on pavement from about a foot up a month after buying it and now my screen has had a crack ever since. Also, I have a decent amount of dust under my screen but its only visible in direct sunlight. Overall I would say this is a great phone, but only if you are an advanced user capable of updating software and such on your own.Engadget Reader90July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I'll never get the hate for this much-maligned smartphone. It's not perfect, but it's a lot better than you'd think from all the bad buzz. The truth is that the phone requires some getting used to, but once you do... wow. It's a really slick and intuitive experience. The Storm has a good web browser, a great media player, and a nice interface. Pushing the screen in like a button can feel a little weird at first, but once you get used to it, your thumbs can really fly on it. I love mine - it does exactly what I want!Here's a much more in-depth review I wrote:http://www.seanjjordan.com/2009/01/13/technology-tuesday-an-honest-look-at-the-blackberry-storm/Engadget Reader80July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!just wish verizon/RIM would have a more frequent update process for OS fixes ... the latest OS upgrade (v.148) is a drastic improvement over the original OS (v.75) ... the wait for that OS upgrade was agonizing ... some of my friends that have the phone hate it ... others are like me ... its a good phone ... and i use it very often every day ... lots of email, SMS, calendar entries, social networking stuff, internet, etc (oh yea and the occassional phone call) ... knock on wood ... haven't had any issues with the phone itself (except for a battery that wouldn't charge and Verizon was quick to replace it).Engadget Reader90July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Unlike others who have written reviews I believe the OS is the reason this phone does not shine as bright as it should, as opposed to the hardware. I feel the phone is a solidly made device, and as anyone who owns one can tell you, it’s getting better with every OS update RIM puts out. The "crackberry" community is a huge help for anyone who owns a blackberry device and it’s a whole lot of fun being a part of that community. All in all if you are looking for a touch screen device on Verizon’s network, and are somewhat tech savvy (I hope you are since you are on a website called “gdgtâ€) then this phone is at least worth some of your time.Engadget Reader30July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I really wanted to like this phone. I really tried to like this phone. However, after six months I really hate this phone. I will admit that it has gotten better with the recent software update but it still lacks the polish that apple or palm has put into their flagship line of phones. The browser is terrible. It would have been a nice mobile browser 4-5 years ago but today it just feels dated and slow. The click screen is neat at first but is soon annoying when you realize how much it slows down typing. The one thing that does work really well on the phone is the email. As with all Blackberry's RIM does a great job with email and push delivery. If you are looking for a messaging device or mobile email device then get a Blackberry Bold or Tour, if you are looking for a cool phone with apps and media playback go with an iphone or pre.Engadget Reader90July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've owned my storm for several months now and have had virtually no problems with it. I've been very happy with the SurePress typing and on screen keyboard. The original OS wasn't the best in the world but it worked fine for others I know who used it. Me being a gadget guy continuously updated to the latest Beta OSes and this actually caused me more problems that staying with the original OS would have. I did originally have some problems with the screen click not working quite right but that was fixed and now I have virtually no complaints with the phone. For those that complain of battery life... I have no problem going 1.5-2 days with my phone with moderate usage, and a full work day with heavy usage. It's a smart phone though and that is exactly what I expected coming in. Just plan to charge it every night and you'll be fine. I didn't give it a 10 because I did have some software issues and slight hardware issues but they were all completely resolved and my phone works flawlessly now. Best mobile browser I've ever used. Renders complicated pages very well(if somewhat slower than my desktop due to being hampered by the 3G speed and the fact that it's a phone). Easily able to run several applications at the same time with at least two running in the background(Twitter & Weather) pretty much constantly. Overall I think this is a great first touch screen device from RIM and I'm really looking forward to seeing what other touch screen devices RIM comes out with later.Engadget Reader50July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I truly hated this phone for the first two months I had it. But... after Verizon came out to our shop and showed us a few tips and tricks....... for example did you know if you swipe down over the key pad it disappears ?After they gave us the 4.7.0.148 update, for whatever reason we were unable to download it via phone or through the DTM. The update has really made a remarkable improvement in usability of this phone. Tip I discovered - If you want the Call Log to display instead of the Dial Pad when you press the Green Phone button... Press the Green Phone button, then press the Blackberry button, go to Options, General Options and change Initial View to Call Log.Knocking score down to 5 from 5.5 due to the new patch being such a pain to get. A lot of people are still not able to get it.Engadget Reader30July 1, 2009Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Pros:The camera is pretty decentThe sure press screen is fairly intuitive once you get used to itThe GPS locks quickly3G speeds are excellent, as well as signal receptionImpressive feature setOS allows for multi-tasking, MMS, and tetheringCons:Slow, slow, slow, slowPhone locks up all the time, even when just typing (every 2-3 words)Several times a day, a batter pull is necessitated, which requires the phone 9 minutes to restart (I timed it)I was only able to successfully answer about half the calls (the rest the phone just chocked and died on)Voice quality (microphone) was surprisingly poor, necessitating that I use a headset at all times if I wanted people to be able to understand meBattery life REQUIRED me to carry two fully charged batteries to make it through 12 hours of light use (20 minutes of phone usage 30 minutes of web)Screen design allows dust to get behind the screen (after two months I could barely read the text on the screen)
Key Specs
TYPE
Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM
BlackBerry
SCREEN SIZE
3.2522
INTERNAL MEMORY
11
CAMERA
Yes
TALK TIME
3G
CARRIERS (US)
Verizon / Alltel
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