Review roundup: RIM's new touchscreen BlackBerry Storm

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 44
    taurontauron Posts: 911member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    Regarding the Storm's lack of finesse, does anybody know its approximate R&D cycle compared to the iPhone's?



    As one of the reviewers pointed, "the Storm's interface seems rushed."



    I heard that Apple took about 3-4 years to develop the iPhone. Can it be copied--and improved upon--within 9-12 months?



    Nope.
  • Reply 22 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tauron View Post


    Nope.



    My sentiment exactly.



    Like that Samsung piece-of-crap touchphone that they developed on some engineer's napkin during a lunch hour.
  • Reply 23 of 44
    taurontauron Posts: 911member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macinthe408 View Post


    My sentiment exactly.



    Like that Samsung piece-of-crap touchphone that they developed on some engineer's napkin during a lunch hour.



    Android is also garbage IMO, although it may be less garbage than RIM and samsung's.
  • Reply 24 of 44
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    I always wondered why Apple did not incorporate the vibrating layer to simulate a pressed key. It might be because it'll make the iPhone a little thicker or maybe because of the glass screen.



    This is a big step for BlackBerry, and unlike Apple, they were obviously listening to the iPhone crowd who were complaining about no video camera, copy paste, SMS, tethering, or voice dialing.



    I really like the fact that the camera has auto focus, but I'm not sure about the quality of its 3.2mpixel camera, it probably sucks as much as the iPhone and the G1.



    The battery life is an unfair comparison because the BalckBerry lacks WiFi. The iPhone's battery lasts a lot longer if that feature is turned off when its not needed.



    Conclusion: iPhone is still king in many ways, but Apple is frustrating many of its users by giving them lots of wants and not taking their needs seriously.



    Apple doesn't include haptic feedback in the iPhone because it is an abomination of an UI convention. I think it actually negatively affects the product. Even on game consoles, it is barely adequate.



    In regards to Apple not listening to customers and RIM listening to customers, well, not sure how RIM is listening to customers here. They have copy-n-paste, MMS, tethering (at a cost), and voice dialing for all of their Blackberrys. It's just par for the course here. Apple on the other hand is Apple and gladly eliminates even somewhat useful features, let alone the hardly used ones. There philosophy is trying to figure out what the customer really does in using a device for some purpose, then they try to streamline it. Features that people use are bound to be left out in Apple products. That's the price paid for Apple's design elegance.



    You actually got it backwards. Apple is trying to give you want you need, not what you want (and of course within business limitations since like with tethering they are beholding to their carrier).
  • Reply 25 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daniel0418 View Post


    Actually, it isn't just my iPhone I have had it replaced many times. Go to the apple forum with your iPhone and try to type a message in apples very own forum it will crash every time. Type a message with your iPhone in this forum and it will atleast lag and sometimes crash. Any forum it will lag really bad. Most log in screens like for Gmail, Yahoo, Aol, and others it will lag during text input. My phone is not jail broken contacts I only have about 120 and it lags loading, texting occasionally lags when typing usually lags when I first push the box to to start typing, usually lags when I first push the SMS button. This has happened on all 3 of my iPhone 3g's. And on my girlfriends. And on my old 1st Gen iPhone. Go to apple and find the forum about safari crashing you will see there are hundreds upon hundreds of people complaining about it. Apple hasn't even acknowledged that it is a problem yet. Anyway yes a nice Lag free phone would be a nice replacement of the iPhone. I will wait till that phone comes out and hopefully it does.



    You have 3x iPhones!!? and I thought I was an addict \
  • Reply 26 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by THT View Post


    You actually got it backwards. Apple is trying to give you want you need, not what you want.



    This is probably the best Apple fanboy quote I have ever seen.



    Apple knows better, this is George Orwell, 1984 (in 2008), thanks Apple. Remember me to ask Steve Jobs if my new girlfriend is OK for me.
  • Reply 27 of 44
    People, the iPhone has been out for nearly a year and half, the Thunder has been out for ONE DAY (not even, at the time of this post). So give it a break. I can recall all of the griping (and there is still some) people had with the iPhone back in June of '07. RIM will address these problems in time, the same as Apple has done. Anyway you look at it, the iPhone and the Thunder are right near the top of the best phones out there.
  • Reply 28 of 44
    Unless I'm mistaken, and correct me if I'm wrong...the closest plan that you can get to the iPhones base plan of $70 on AT&T now costs nearly $100 on Verizon for the Storm?



    Heres how I break it down...



    BlackBerry Storm Base Plan:

    Nationwide Basic 450 ? 2-year contract $40.00

    Blackberry® Unlimited Data Usage $45.00

    Visual Voicemail $3.00/month

    VZ Navigator (required for GPS which, is included on iPhone) $10.00/month



    TOTAL FOR BLACKBERRY BOLD MONTHLY = ABOUT $98.00





    iPhone Base Plan:

    Nationwide 450 minutes - 2 year contract $40.00

    iPhone Unlimited Data Usage $30.00

    Visual Voicemail Included

    Google Maps/GPS Included



    TOTAL FOR iPHONE MONTHLY - ABOUT $70.00



    sounds like a rip-off for me...
  • Reply 29 of 44
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jinjo235 View Post


    Unless I'm mistaken, and correct me if I'm wrong...the closest plan that you can get to the iPhones base plan of $70 on AT&T now costs nearly $100 on Verizon for the Storm?



    Heres how I break it down...



    BlackBerry Storm Base Plan:

    Nationwide Basic 450 ? 2-year contract $40.00

    Blackberry® Unlimited Data Usage $45.00

    Visual Voicemail $3.00/month

    VZ Navigator (required for GPS which, is included on iPhone) $10.00/month



    TOTAL FOR BLACKBERRY BOLD MONTHLY = ABOUT $98.00





    iPhone Base Plan:

    Nationwide 450 minutes - 2 year contract $40.00

    iPhone Unlimited Data Usage $30.00

    Visual Voicemail Included

    Google Maps/GPS Included



    TOTAL FOR iPHONE MONTHLY - ABOUT $70.00



    sounds like a rip-off for me...



    This may need more breaking down. Does Verizon unlimited data include SMS, MMS and/or tethering? Doesn't Verizin's GPS include turn-by-turn?
  • Reply 30 of 44
    adjeiadjei Posts: 738member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iReality85 View Post


    People, the iPhone has been out for nearly a year and half, the Thunder has been out for ONE DAY (not even, at the time of this post). So give it a break. I can recall all of the griping (and there is still some) people had with the iPhone back in June of '07. RIM will address these problems in time, the same as Apple has done. Anyway you look at it, the iPhone and the Thunder are right near the top of the best phones out there.



    Right so I guess we should give them 2 years to get it right then?



    They can start by developing an OS designed for touch and not an OS slapped onto a touchscreen.
  • Reply 31 of 44
    Here is more positive review, though not entirely positive...



    http://www.mobiletechreview.com/phon...erry-Storm.htm
  • Reply 32 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    I always wondered why Apple did not incorporate the vibrating layer to simulate a pressed key. It might be because it'll make the iPhone a little thicker or maybe because of the glass screen.



    This is a big step for BlackBerry, and unlike Apple, they were obviously listening to the iPhone crowd who were complaining about no video camera, copy paste, SMS, tethering, or voice dialing.



    I really like the fact that the camera has auto focus, but I'm not sure about the quality of its 3.2mpixel camera, it probably sucks as much as the iPhone and the G1.



    The battery life is an unfair comparison because the BalckBerry lacks WiFi. The iPhone's battery lasts a lot longer if that feature is turned off when its not needed.



    Conclusion: iPhone is still king in many ways, but Apple is frustrating many of its users by giving them lots of wants and not taking their needs seriously.



    It's going to be hard for competition to catch up to the iPhone. Apple has a habbit of setting the pace & just when everyone pulls up to them or looks to pass they introduce something new to rocket past.



    I would not be surprised to see video come to the iPhone, but it will not occur until Apple can figure some way to actually make it useful. Taking video for the heck of it is a waste.



    The only feature of the iPhone I've always scratched my head about is copy & paste, I really wish someone would explain it to me cause it obviously isn't a development issue that is preventing it & I can't think of any patents that would prevent it. Especially with it being multi-touch, they could really get creative. Who knows.
  • Reply 33 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hezekiahb View Post


    It's going to be hard for competition to catch up to the iPhone. Apple has a habbit of setting the pace & just when everyone pulls up to them or looks to pass they introduce something new to rocket past.



    I would not be surprised to see video come to the iPhone, but it will not occur until Apple can figure some way to actually make it useful. Taking video for the heck of it is a waste.



    The only feature of the iPhone I've always scratched my head about is copy & paste, I really wish someone would explain it to me cause it obviously isn't a development issue that is preventing it & I can't think of any patents that would prevent it. Especially with it being multi-touch, they could really get creative. Who knows.



    I agree with you wholeheartedly; however, the camera on the iPhone is kinda useless with its slow launch time due to the retarded GPS feature which, as far as I know, can only be turned off globally. Most of the times when I need to take a picture, I need to take it before the event ends. With a jailbroken iPhone I can take a video + audio much faster than taking a still picture on a locked iPhone. Even the individual frame quality of the video is arguably as good as the iPhone's still picture.

    Apple has been dragging their feet on many things for a little over a year now, it makes you wonder... what are they up to?
  • Reply 34 of 44
    adjeiadjei Posts: 738member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bloggerblog View Post


    I agree with you wholeheartedly; however, the camera on the iPhone is kinda useless with its slow launch time due to the retarded GPS feature which, as far as I know, can only be turned off globally. Most of the times when I need to take a picture, I need to take it before the event ends. With a jailbroken iPhone I can take a video + audio much faster than taking a still picture on a locked iPhone. Even the individual frame quality of the video is arguably as good as the iPhone's still picture.

    Apple has been dragging their feet on many things for a little over a year now, it makes you wonder... what are they up to?



    Dragging their feet, they have introduced many features and are developing the platform, it's just that you don't feel that what they are doing is worthwhile to you, but to the majority of the people buying iphones it's worthwhile to them which is why they keep buying the device.
  • Reply 35 of 44
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by frenchseb View Post


    This is probably the best Apple fanboy quote I have ever seen.



    Apple knows better, this is George Orwell, 1984 (in 2008), thanks Apple. Remember me to ask Steve Jobs if my new girlfriend is OK for me.



    Nope, not Orwell, just good business sense.



    It's a careful balance to be sure, but the big weakness with surveys and user feedback is that users sometimes don't really understand what is needed or what is wanted. Building a product to a user community's exact wants is typically suicide because there's always some company or person who will invent a better way that users never have time to think about or understand that it is needed. It certainly a race for all involved. In addition there are always overarching strategic goals.
  • Reply 36 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iReality85 View Post


    I can recall all of the griping (and there is still some) people had with the iPhone back in June of '07. ...



    What 'griping'? I recall that the reviews were, almost to a person, ecstatic. Indeed, embarrassingly so. Please don't try to rewite history here.



    I recall my own feeling the day after I got it (perhaps I even posted that sentiment on AI, I don't recall): Quite simply the finest consumer electronics product that I had ever used. Period.
  • Reply 37 of 44
    bigpicsbigpics Posts: 1,397member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wirc View Post


    Doesn't look to amazing, but haptic feedback would be great on an iPhone. That would make the glassboard much more intuitive.



    Definitely stole the look from Apple. It must be very fun to be a style broker like Jobs and Ive are.



    I have an LG Voyager with haptic feedback and I've been able to play with my friend's iPod Touch. The feedback's something I guess I now probably utilize at a subconcious level, but it's not all that -- more lipstick on a pig that does little to make up for how much fundamentally better the entire touch control experience (and the speed and usefulness of the web access) is on the Apple Device.



    That being said, I'm still in no hurry to get an iPhone as long as it comes with that non-unincludable accessory, AT&T -- and the choice also comes down to what features you need.



    I don't play games, don't need an iPod Flashlight, use my shuffle for music on the go with minimal bulk, etc. I do TXT though -- and the Voyager's incomparable internal QWERTY keyboard (for its size) is a TXTer's wet dream.



    And then there's one feature that will never be on an iPhone as long as you have to pull out s little whip antenna -- Mobile TV -- 13 channels of live half-VGA video goodness including two cable news channels, CNBC, Comedy Central, etc., with a little cable style program guide.



    Finally, for the most reliable phone coverage, data if I'm willing to deal with the interface, all the TV I need in the world -- and a very cool-looking touch front -- I pay about $25/month less than for the iPhone without TV.



    But haptic, nawww, take it or leave it. I may actually have a two device solution next year in fact, Verizon/Voyager and an iPTouch.
  • Reply 38 of 44
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigpics View Post


    I have an LG Voyager with haptic feedback and I've been able to play with my friend's iPod Touch. The feedback's something I guess I now probably utilize at a subconcious level, but it's not all that -- more lipstick on a pig that does little to make up for how much fundamentally better the entire touch control experience (and the speed and usefulness of the web access) is on the Apple Device.



    That being said, I'm still in no hurry to get an iPhone as long as it comes with that non-unincludable accessory, AT&T -- and the choice also comes down to what features you need.



    I don't play games, don't need an iPod Flashlight, use my shuffle for music on the go with minimal bulk, etc. I do TXT though -- and the Voyager's incomparable internal QWERTY keyboard (for its size) is a TXTer's wet dream.



    And then there's one feature that will never be on an iPhone as long as you have to pull out s little whip antenna -- Mobile TV -- 13 channels of live half-VGA video goodness including two cable news channels, CNBC, Comedy Central, etc., with a little cable style program guide.



    Finally, for the most reliable phone coverage, data if I'm willing to deal with the interface, all the TV I need in the world -- and a very cool-looking touch front -- I pay about $25/month less than for the iPhone without TV.



    But haptic, nawww, take it or leave it. I may actually have a two device solution next year in fact, Verizon/Voyager and an iPTouch.



    Get the Touch- I just got one and love it. I also use Verizon - a small LG Chocolate is all I need . And I've never had a dropped call or breakup -ever. It too has haptic - which I like because I don't have to put my glasses on to know I've hit certain buttons.
  • Reply 39 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Adjei View Post


    So far most of the reviews have been negative. I guess this isn't the supposed iphone killer, NEXT.



    I got the Storm last night and I have to admit the screen blows away the iPhone. Camera is far better and I like the way the touch screen works. Far better for text messaging.



    Battery life blows away the iPhone. I does feel heavy but I think thats is due to the better battery. The sound and screen quality are really far better then the iPhone. Of course this is only one persons opinion but I really like it so far.



    OS works fine for me and unlike the iPhone I feel like I dont have to wait for three firmware patches for it to work correctly.



    Now that I have this actually in my hand I would have to say the negative reviews at least so far I think are way off.



    The touch screen is interesting not sure how well its going to hold up. The entire touch screen acts as one big button, as your fingers scroll across the screen it highlights or buttons just light up and you press. The entire screen moves. Works great just not sure hnow durable its going to be in the long run.



    Network feels better then ATT
  • Reply 40 of 44
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ephman View Post


    Mossberg's review says no wireless synch. What does he mean by that. My current BB automatically synch's with outlook through verizon's network without me having to physically connect to my computer. This is a critical feature and I don't understand how the new hardware would not support this.



    Does he mean that, or not being able to synch via WiFi or Bluetooth?



    The Storm has Bluetooth, no WiFi (odd and silly).

    As for sync technology, the best bet is to go with the Missing Sync by Markspace.com.

    I use it for my Palm, and it gives me the ability to sync EVERYTHING including iTunes, Mail, iCal, Address book, iPhoto, & movies. Definitely suggest the $40 bucks over the native sync software (if it even supports Mac).



    As for one thing I haven't seen in the posts: The Storm allows for DUN Broadband. It's supposed to allow you to tether to your laptop & use it as a Broadband modem. Don't jump at this yet... since I'm not sure VZW provides the VZAccess software for Mac needed to run it. If they do, this would be HUGE selling point over iPhone (and a really smart thing to do). Will it happen? Only time will tell. When I get ahold of a Storm install CD, I'll edit the post.



    One thing many handheld companies haven't gotten... People who use Macs, want products that are Mac friendly. How hard is that to figure out.



    Light of hope (see PhoneArena): VZW has publicly confirmed that they will open their network to all handset developers in 2/2009. You make an EVDO handset, sell it, and VZW customers can activate it on the VZW network. Rumors (albeit unfounded and no real evidence) have begun to surface that iPhone might be EVDO/RevA capable as early as 3/2009 if the same rumors about the lapse of exclusivity after 18 months are true... giddy up.

    It would be wise to stick RIM in the eye with an iPhone, compatible on a network that actually WORKS when you're outside a major city.



    It might just be a big ol' Christmas wish from Santa Jobs... but, a snazzy new EVDO version of iPhone that kills RIM products on all platforms would be one heck of a belated Christmas gift. Is DUN Broadband too much to ask for too?

    -B
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