BlackBerry Storm - BlackBerry 9500 Series Smartphone

[#1]

I used the Blackberry Storm for one week and today decided to return it and went back to iPhone 3G. Here are the deal breakers for me:

1. No WIFI 

2. Typing on the click keyboard although may have seemed like good design, its not. Typing on Storm is like going to the gym.

3. Verizon Wireless nickel and dime for every feature like Navigator and Visual Voicemail as well as block GPS from accessing Google Maps and other features. Then to tether to the laptop its extra $30 to the phone $30 data plan a total of $60.

4. They told me to wait 60 days before they unlock the phone and they have no international text plan. The international data plan is $65.

5. The browser is not comparable to iPhone. I tried to access my bank's website on the Storm and could not. The same site is accesible without issues with the iPhone. Why didn't Blackberry use the same web kit as iPhone and G1? 

6. The browser is very slow even on the 3G network.

7. Performance is slow even after .75 firmware upgrade (eg. to access apps, change orientation from portrait to landscape etc).

8. Why QWERTY keyboard is not accessible in portraid mode as on the iPhone? No multilingual keyboard?

All in all I expected Blackberry to provide Apple run for its money but between Storm's short comings and Verizon's nickel and diming it added up to bad user experience. May be one day both of these companies will get it right.

[#2]

Verizon Wireless is the most expensive provider out of all of them.  They are approx $40.00 more on most everything and they say it is because of their 3G "great" network.  I agree, the internet is slow on their 3G network. 

I didn't notice one ounce of improvement with the .75 update either!  What did it "update"?

Ken

[#3]

Also Verizon doesn't give u true 3G as there is no simultaneous voice and data. What's the deal with no wifi and charging for visual voicemail? Then all device issues. How Storm is expecting to compete with iPhone ?

[#4]

I agree with pretty much everything and am turning mine in tomorrow and going back to my 8830.  Using the phone was in one word -- frustrating.  I have had 4 different Blackberry phones (not including the Storm).  The best thing about the phone was the ease of using it for business.  This one is way too cumbersome to do the easy tasks of calling up a contact, sending an email and adding an appointment to the calendar.  Also, viewing pdfs was a joke.  I would zoom in on a picture and then when you try and scroll to read the pdf, it goes to the next page or goes back to the original size.  This phone is a dud.

[#5]

After the horrible customer service from Verizon Tech Support basically saying I was full of it about the problems I had with the phone, I am probably going to return it after I do some damage to it. This is to make sure that Verizon gets a piece of what they gave me. I am already looking to cancel my FiOS and other wireless plans with a company that does not believe its customers. I told customer service and tech support the issues of lag, locking up, etc on top of how I am very displeased that Verizon would allow a half-baked piece of you know what be released to their customers. I also had to mention the gap around the screen to case, and between the keys seemed awfully large that would allow moisture, dirt, lint, debris, etc. to enter. The first lady attempted to make me look stupid and said I shouldn't get the phone wet. Hello! Ever heard of rain? For the love of God some of the tech support people were just being too you know what. My breaking point came when I was told that I won't get a replacement phone unless I take the phone to a Verizon store and have a technician validate my claim the phone may be defective. Really? So much for the 30 day guarantee? Then further adding insult to injury I was told there are no replacements until Jan 15, yet new customers are getting phones by the 15th of Dec. Hmmmm, something smells very stinky here. Verizon should lose its JD Powers ratings based on the poor customer service and tech support they have. But releasing this piece of junk from RIM, speaks volumes of what a company will do to sell garbage to the market for the holidays and not take returns until well after the holidays are way over. Very unprofessional and deceptive. AT&T loses 15,000 jobs today, I wonder what RIM and Verizon will lose with releasing garbage like the Storm!!! Maybe they both knew something bad was coming..... conspiracy? Neither one are making comments or doing much to ease the squal of customer complaints except denying there is anything wrong...

[#6]

I'm in the process of deciding between the iPhone and the Storm. After reading about the problems and limitations of both phones I may give up and stay with the Razr. My son has a new iPhone and is complaining about:

1. Non-standard chargers

2. No stereo bluetooth support with out an add on adaptor ($65)

3. No video recording

4. No tethering to a PC

5. Hasn't figured out how to move files from PC to iPhone, like videos.

6. No removeable battery

7. No memory card slot

etc, etc, etc.

but it does have a way cool interface. I think they are both just expensive toys. I may still give the Storm a try if I can return it and not be stuck with the new contract date. I'm currently month to month.

[#7]

I agree with the support I received.  I attempted to mention the issues I have with my new Storm to the CSR's as well as tech support and was told matter of factly that all of the things I complain about are "normal" for a blackberry!  Wut?!  They can't take constructive criticism well at all, and didn't want to send any of my complaints to RIM themselves because they were "normal". 

have they taken a look at THIS message board?  lol, apparently not - we'll see about the software updates.  So far .75 hasn't gotten me anything improved!