BlackBerry® Storm™

[Tigerz]

I've just purchased a leather protective case for my Blackberry Storm.  When I insert the phone in to the case, it turns on the power saver/hibernation mode on the phone; i.e., the screen goes black.  The phone continues to take calls and receive mail, but you can't access any of it as the screen is black and will not come on until the phone is removed from the case..

The case itself is a "case" rather than a "pouch."   The phone slides in and thn the top folds over and clasps to protect the screen.  There is a magnet in the clasp and in the middle back of the case.

My thinking is that the magnet in the case is activating some type of proximity switch on the phone.  I have tried the Phone ... Menu ... Options ... General Options settings for in and out of holster.  That didn't work. 

How do I turn off the "proximity switch" (??) so the phone doesn't hibernate and can be used while in the case?

Thanks!

[Andrewm]

This is by design.  You are right that the magnet in the pouch turns the display off, but it still receives incoming calls, email alerts, etc.  When I play my tunes using my bluetooth headphones, they still communicate with the phone OK when it is in the case.  What do you want to do that you can not do??

[Krypto]

Indeed, this is the function and design of the case.  It is meant to save battery power and to prevent the screen from turning on when you accidentally touch the phone to something.  If you aren't a fan of this, you'll need to look for a case without the magnets.  Otherwise, just do what the rest of us do, pull the phone out of the case when you need to look at it.

[Tigerz]

No, this particular case is designed to hold the phone while it's being used.  It's not a pouch or slip cover.  It's very similar to the case in this picture except it closes from the side rather than the top.  Note the cutouts on the side for access to the buttons.

It sounds like you've confirmed there is in fact a proximity switch ... now how do I turn it off?

Thanks again!

[Krypto]

With this case, is the magnet in the front flap?  If so, see if just lifting the flap and not flipping it all the way over will help.... just set it to a 90 degree angle and see if the screen will turn on.  Let me know either way and I'll see what other suggestions I can track down in the meantime.

[Tigerz]

It's difficult to tell which is the magnet and which is the plate.  One piece is in the strap and the other piece is in the center (horiz and vert) of the back.  It's the piece in the back that causes the phone to go black.  It's a snug fit for the phone ... it looks like if it's an 1/8th to a 1/4th of an inch from being all the way in, the screen goes out.  Unfortunately, I can't leave it like that way as it blocks the buttons.

I'm new to the Blackberry Storm ... forgive me for thinking out loud here.  Is there a way to write a script or modify some non-menu configuration option to turn off the hibernation?

I'm very grateful for the help!

[geoffreyf]

If you turn hibernation off, your battery will run down quite fast!

You will get notifications of incoming messages while in hibernation.   You cannot see the screen while it is in the pouch so what exactly do you want the phone to do while it is hibernating that it's not doing now?   Also, it's quite important that the buttons are locked, also so the phone doesn't take off and run its functions simply because it was bumped.

If the answer is that you want the screen to be on and bright while some crazy screen saver is going, forget it.   This will run down your battery in an hour.  The same sort of thing is true for every smart phone made.

[Tigerz]

No, that's absurd to turn off hibernation completely.  My point was to not hibernate because of the proximity switch/magnet on the back of the Storm.  Otherwise, hibernation sould continue to work as it does today.

I find it hard to believe others haven't run in to this.   For me, the "pouch" design was a non-starter as it doesn't protect the unit when it needs it most ... out of its protective cover and being handled.  Surely there is a way to turn off that proximity device??

[Xandrex]

hello,

can't you give is the exact reference & picture of your case?

Anyway, if your case has a proximity magnet, then it has to be on the moving part of your case. try moving that part so you can see which part contains the magnet.

[Tigerz]

The above is my case.  As you can see, there is a magnet in the back and another on the closing strap.  The fit is snug ... if the phone is moved 1/8th to a 1/4th of an inch, the screen returns.  I can't leave it there though as it blocks the buttons.

It's a great case ... it just doesn't allow the phone to work!