[007]

lot of negative reviews about BB Storm....
you guys agree or dis-agree?

BlackBerry's Storm: Awkward and Disappointing - PC World

BlackBerry Storm review - Engadget

Can The BlackBerry Storm Live Up To The Hype? - The Channel Wire - IT Channel News And Views by CRN and VARBusiness

Mini-Review: 10 Hours with the BlackBerry Storm | PhoneDog.com

[mackman37]

So far I've seen some good and some bad, best video one is on phonedog.com

[ntjones]

Verizon BlackBerry Storm review : Boy Genius Report

Pretty disappointing. Looks like full price Bold for me...

[Raptor464]

Originally Posted by mackman37

So far I've seen some good and some bad, best video one is on phonedog.com

Good videos on that site...thanks!

[derekisdman]

God dang it...These reviews are breaking my heart. All they had to do was tell me how great the thing was - I would rush out Friday, excited and confident that my life would change forever. Now, they spring all this mediocrity on me and I'm filled with hesitation once again. Whatever will I do?

[atuarre]

I don't like the thing where you can look under the screen and see the backlight. IF you can see it, that means dust, dirty, etc can get inside and damage the device...

[akosnitzky]

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830)

Wow!!!
The Engadget review was pretty thorough. As a power user, this looks like a no go. I am disappointed.

[bobo_200_5]

Great site.

Very informative (although disappointing) reviews. Questions...
With the downsides to the phone, does anyone know if some of these can be fixed with a "firmware" update(maybe later on down the line)? I really like the phone, and if those downsides can be rectified with some sort of update in the near future, I'd still purchase it.

[zerog46]

Watch this. Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530 Gets Reviewed | BlackBerryNews.com

[akosnitzky]

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830)

Do the reviews affect your decisions? Or will you give it a shot?

[Louisxiii]

I will remain optimistic until Bell's version comes out in December(??). Judging by all the videos and reviews, the only thing that can be a real issue, is its responsiveness. Words like lag, sluggish, not snappy, are a little worrying because in the end it's supposed to be a Blackberry (snappy, easy).

BUT as many of us know, RIM is/should be hard at work in getting out some updates. The problem with that, is telling the rest of world (who don't keep up to date with updates).

[ndub33]

In general, I read a lot of handset reviews, because they are usually very helpful in identifying the best and worst in a device. Ultimately my decision on whether to own comes after I have played a little bit with the device in person. The reviews are my guide to what I should look for when I get one in my hot little hands.

[Thom]

Originally Posted by akosnitzky

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830)

Do the reviews affect your decisions? Or will you give it a shot?

The reviews have been helpful in answering some remaining questions that I have had. The first review I checked out was the one from PC World. I read the review and also watched the video. I stopped reading PC World some time ago and this review confirms that decision. I guess with any media source there will always be some bias to one product or another. I honestly think the woman in the video just didn't have a real clue as to what was going on and kept referring to how much she loved the iPhone. I understand that the Storm is thought to be iPhone killer. I certainly don't think it is or will be. The one thing the Storm will do and do well like any other BB is integrate with e-mail and messaging platforms. That wasn't really mentioned in the review from them was it? Before I get flamed, I acknowledge that Apple has made a good product. But with any good product, the iPhone has its short-comings just like any other device. The review from BGR was the best I have seen thus far and I felt it was a honest and thorough review.

Anyway, to answer your question, yes I will be giving the Storm a shot. I have had an 8703e since the day they came out on Verizon (over two years ago). I have thought about leaving Verizon several times but in the end, it is the network that keeps me. I have absolutely no complaints about making calls, maintaining calls (no dropped calls), the quality of the calls, or connecting to data networks (directly from the device or tethered). Since I do not want to leave the network behind, it is either the Storm or an 8830. I have been eligible for an upgrade for a while now. I figure on giving the Storm a shot for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, if it is a bad experience, I can opt to switch to the 8830. I am of the belief that a lot of the initial issues with the Storm is possibly due to the operating system. I remember those who were early adopters of iPhones had issues in the beginning that were solved with newer versions of the software.

Reviews are one thing but I am one that wants to try things for myself. I want to blaze my own path and see if it is for me or not for me. I am hoping for the best and wish everyone would just be open minded to changes in technology. Without changes, there would be no innovation and without innovation (whether good or bad) there would be no competition.

[strike2tamu]

Originally Posted by akosnitzky

Wirelessly posted (Verizon 8830)

Wow!!!
The Engadget review was pretty thorough. As a power user, this looks like a no go. I am disappointed.

+1, sad.

[akosnitzky]

Originally Posted by strike2tamu

+1, sad.

Thank you for your post.

[akosnitzky]

Originally Posted by Thom

The reviews have been helpful in answering some remaining questions that I have had. The first review I checked out was the one from PC World. I read the review and also watched the video. I stopped reading PC World some time ago and this review confirms that decision. I guess with any media source there will always be some bias to one product or another. I honestly think the woman in the video just didn't have a real clue as to what was going on and kept referring to how much she loved the iPhone. I understand that the Storm is thought to be iPhone killer. I certainly don't think it is or will be. The one thing the Storm will do and do well like any other BB is integrate with e-mail and messaging platforms. That wasn't really mentioned in the review from them was it? Before I get flamed, I acknowledge that Apple has made a good product. But with any good product, the iPhone has its short-comings just like any other device. The review from BGR was the best I have seen thus far and I felt it was a honest and thorough review.

Anyway, to answer your question, yes I will be giving the Storm a shot. I have had an 8703e since the day they came out on Verizon (over two years ago). I have thought about leaving Verizon several times but in the end, it is the network that keeps me. I have absolutely no complaints about making calls, maintaining calls (no dropped calls), the quality of the calls, or connecting to data networks (directly from the device or tethered). Since I do not want to leave the network behind, it is either the Storm or an 8830. I have been eligible for an upgrade for a while now. I figure on giving the Storm a shot for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, if it is a bad experience, I can opt to switch to the 8830. I am of the belief that a lot of the initial issues with the Storm is possibly due to the operating system. I remember those who were early adopters of iPhones had issues in the beginning that were solved with newer versions of the software.

Reviews are one thing but I am one that wants to try things for myself. I want to blaze my own path and see if it is for me or not for me. I am hoping for the best and wish everyone would just be open minded to changes in technology. Without changes, there would be no innovation and without innovation (whether good or bad) there would be no competition.

Yes. I am using the 8830 now and wanted to upgrade but as a power user, I need to have certain functions working effectively.

[007]

Q: Is the Verizon 9530 identical to the Vodafone 9500?

A: More or less, yes, except for the CDMA chip. According to FCC documents, the CDMA circuitry is actually not in the 9500. That means if you roam in the U.S., you coincidentally will be on either T-Mobile or AT&T and not Verizon. Funny, right? RIM told us that was Vodafone’s request. We also found out that if you travel to another CDMA network in a different country with a 9530, (Canada for instance) you can roam on Telus or Bell’s network since Verizon has those roaming agreements. You’d also be able to manually select Rogers if you wanted to get excited.

Q: Can the 9500/9530 be unlocked?

A: We know for a fact that Vodafone will not be giving out unlock codes, at least in the U.K. as the phone is exclusive to them. We heard people had a ton of trouble getting unlock codes for the BlackBerry 8830 and we’d guess the Storm is in the same boat. That said, the units physically can be unlocked, but you’re better off not going through the respective carriers to get it done since they probably won’t help you all that much. Good luck.

Q: Is there really a “gap” in between the SurePress screen and the housing?

A: Yes, didn’t you read above? It’s definitely there, and while we wish RIM would have minimilized this, we really don’t think this is going to be a major issue. Sure some dust and grizime will get in, but that’s normal and we’d assume thought of during hardware testing. We don’t think it’s a big problem, but it would be nice if the screen didn’t wobble all over the place.

Q: Is the GPS locked down like typical Verizon BlackBerrys?

A: Kind of… The Verizon Storm’s A-GPS is locked to Verizon (the tech that speeds up getting a GPS fix by using the cellular network to triangulate your approximate position) but the actual GPS chip is not. That means you’re free to use any BlackBerry GPS application your hearts desire without any worry of Big Red crippling your dreams.

Q: Is the Storm coming to any other carriers?

A: At this time, no. The full list of carriers is Verizon, Vodafone, Bell, and Telus. That’s it for now. There’s a GSM/HSDPA one in the works which we’d expect to hit AT&T and Rogers with Wi-Fi but that’s a good ways away. Most likely Q2 or Q3 of 2009.

Q: Are you positive that Verizon/Vodafone made RIM remove Wi-Fi at its request?

A. Yes, 100% positive. Verizon’s official statement was something along the lines of, “We’re always looking at additional features and would love to have future devices [BlackBerrys] with Wi-Fi.” If it is any consilation, RIM told us that from the start there was never a Storm with Wi-Fi planned. It was axed from the getgo.

Q. Ok fine, what about the tri-band HSDPA radio? Is there a tri-band UMTS chip in there but the 850MHz/1900MHz bands are software-blocked?

A. Well, software and maybe a little hardware we suppose. The pre-production units all ran 850/1900/2100MHz, and we’ve never seen RIM swap in different chips at the last minute, yet RIM told us there was definitely nothing else in there than the 2100MHz band. Verizon also told us that the Qualcomm chip only supports 2100MHz, but that didn’t make sense to us. We believe them, it just doesn’t make sense…

Q: Honestly guys, why are you so biased? You love the iPhone and secretly call Steve Jobs at his home to talk about plans to conspire against RIM.

A: We’re not and we don’t. We love RIM. They’re our favorite company and we give them a hard time because we expect only the best from them. When they screw up, we give them crap about it. Customers shouldn’t settle for mediocre OS releases riddled with bugs, constant delays and constant push backs from a company that has historically been one of the most solid and reliable. Simple as tha

[sean76]

Wow, so much negative press surrounding this device already! Here's my take, and this is just my 2 cents. Most of us, (not all) but most of us on here are power users! Which means we do a lot of typing, blastin out emails through out the day, texting, a lil web here and there, etc! I've been a phone tech junkie for a lil while now, and I luv how far technology has taken us in the last few years! However the true roots of a Blackberry lie within the keyboard, it's what started this whole crackberry following!

While I do think it's cool that RIM is staying current with the times, and trying out new things. Especially adding some new tricks and toys to there devices like video, better cameras, touch screens, etc! All fine and good. However the DNA is the keyboard, and we can't forget that! The Storm will sell well, but it will appeal to the new, or maybe first time users! I for one will make my way over to VZW and give it a whirl, but I know it will definitely not be taking the place of my Bold.

I'd be foolin myself to think a touchscreen could take the place of a beloved blackberry keyboard, and I think a lot of us feel just about the same way!

[Tifosi]

My plan is to buy the phone. I leave on Vacation on Saturday and will play with it for a week. After that, I can either return the phone or keep it. I will say this. Based on all the reviews I have read, I am going to keep my current BB with me and may have to switch back on the fly.

[clubchucker]

Originally Posted by Tifosi

My plan is to buy the phone. I leave on Vacation on Saturday and will play with it for a week. After that, I can either return the phone or keep it. I will say this. Based on all the reviews I have read, I am going to keep my current BB with me and may have to switch back on the fly.

Holy crap....is that me posting under a different name? Because that's EXACTLY my situation!

I wouldn't consider myself a "power" user; I'm at a computer all day long (work at home). But I do use BBM, send texts/email. My main reasons for wanting the Storm were bigger screen size and I'm tired of fighting with the trackball on the Pearl (always taking it out to clean-not a holster guy). And really...I need the bigger screen. Not a young buck anymore. Strangely enough, one of my biggest qualifications hasn't hardly been talked about....call quality. Crazy me; I use this as a phone too. I can't stand crappy cell phone call quality.

So I'll try the Storm out on vacation, see what happens. It never fails...whenever I do leave I end up getting some big problem at work that I have to fix via email, so I'm sure I'll get a taste of how much I like it.