Blackberry Storm vs iPhone 3G

SolarNexus

I've been hearing about the BlackBerry storm from pretty much everywhere except from Irish folk, what do you guys think of this thing?

I know, its not out yet - Carphone Warehouse says not till after Christmas, VodaFone say not until 25-28th November, either which way untill then we've only got youtube videos (a,b) and the vodafone website to look at.

Personally, I started out loving it but seeing more and more about its sluggishness, crashes and un optimised GUI, Im starting to have serious doubts about this iPhone killer wannabe.

The fact that the plans from VodaFone Ireland vs UK are significantly poorer (unlimited internet in the uk, 1Gb max here) is also leaving bad tastes in my mouth.

johnk123

Yeah, i've seen a lot of videos on it but tbh i dont really think its going to be an iphone killer. It will appeal to RIM fans due to the unmatchable push email service.

I have felt the plastic ones in the vodafone stores and the click screen seems interesting, but i'd say that there will be a definite learning curve.

Everyone to their own i guess, but i wont be ditching my iphone 3G any time soon

belmulletman

SolarNexus wrote: »

I've been hearing about the BlackBerry storm from pretty much everywhere except from Irish folk, what do you guys think of this thing?

I know, its not out yet - Carphone Warehouse says not till after Christmas, VodaFone say not until 25-28th November, either which way untill then we've only got youtube videos (a,b) and the vodafone website to look at.

Personally, I started out loving it but seeing more and more about its sluggishness, crashes and un optimised GUI, Im starting to have serious doubts about this iPhone killer wannabe.

The fact that the plans from VodaFone Ireland vs UK are significantly poorer (unlimited internet in the uk, 1Gb max here) is also leaving bad tastes in my mouth.

I was initially geting a bit P/O'd about the difference in price plans between the UK and Ireland, especially the internet part, but upon further investigation, the Unlimited, is not such. There's a loop hole in the Advertising Standards in the UK that Vodafone are using. If they have a "Fair Use" Policy, then they can class the service as "Unlimited". In actual fact it's only 500mb per month on their "Fair Use" Policy. Ah well... I'm still a bit sketchy about the UI, but hoping to hear that a Software udpate has fixed it.
What is reallly, really miffing me is the fact that Vodafone Ireland keeps pushing back the launch date and will not commit to a date. It's really really frustrating. Now, i know it's probably work out better in the long run, where we "should" end up getting units with the latest software on there, and any Hardware tweak that have been discovered to be necessary since launch, but still, we were originally ment to have them on the 14th, then the 17th, then the 19th, then the 21st... and now that Vodafone changed how you contact stores (you can't call them directly any more, if you get the number for a store, your call is re-directed to a call center where they will try and answer your questions, or if you really need to speak to a store, they'll have the store supposedly call you back. - I mean, how does a guy in a call center know what stock the various Vodafone stores have, sure they don't even know half the times them selves!).

Anywho, i'm done ranting. I'm looking forward to this phone, and hopefully won't have to wait too long get eventually get my hands on one!.

SolarNexus

Just back from donaghmede, tried out the iPhone and the plastic mockup BlackBerry Storm in the VodaFone store.

A couple of observations I had were that for a start, the blackberry although when compared side by side may *look* bigger, the iphone *felt* bigger, the storm actually felt more like it fits in your hand.

Now the clicky screen... this is gonna be a biggie, I didnt actually get to see the UI react obviously since it was just a plastic jobby, but I acted as if there was a keyboard there, and tried typing some stuff... it felt good in portrait but in landscape it just didnt seem to work; a couple times i noticed myself trying to type with my left hand but my right hadn't released the 'click' yet so it would not have registered a click. Still, its only a mockup and not the actual phone so i wouldnt go and say thats definitive, but it seems to reflect what I've heard online.

Also, the guy in the store said they'd have them in stock to mess with on wednesday and to buy on thursday. Of course, they said that last week too. They'd be missing out on alot of sales if what carphone warehouse said was true and it wont be ready until after christmas.

In fairness about the VodaFone unlimited thing, we all kind of knew unlimited never really meant unlimited, but I still say 1GB a month for a multimedia device that has no wifi is miserly. But, VodaFone do have an addon where you can add another 5GB for I think 5Eur a month, something reasonable-ish.

Two things are stopping me from buying one right now: the Sports TV channels, I have ZERO interest in, if they'd let me swap to the entertainment channels then I'd be far more enthusiastic. Secondly the laggy UI worries me.. but I'll see what its like in person before I make any judgements.

SolarNexus

BlackBerry Storm shipments delayed due to apparent version glitch

:rolleyes:

Dougals Daddy

I have an iphone 3G for a month now.
It is by far the best piece of mobile telephone technology I have used in years.
It just works, the interface is so easy and of course its also an ipod.

My father in law got his BB Storm yesterday and I helped him set it up...
It quite clear that Blackberry designed it to look and feel like an iphone and cash in on some of those sales.
But alas (and I'm a big Blackberry fan) thats where it ends

The storm doesn't even come anywhere near the iphone.
Its response is slower, it has NO Wifi!, and the worst thing ..the whole screen seems to be one big button and rattles when you shake the phone.
In the dark the backlight escapes through the seams.
You use the touch to select and then you have to push the screen down.
Its very clunky.The touch keyboard is impossible compared to the iphone.
Twist it on its side and the landscape takes a while to kick in.
Can't find maps even though its loaded and the GPS seems to be locked by Vodafone.

I thought I might regret getting the iphone when I heard the storm was coming but I'm happy now that this is just a bad iphone imitation.
Apple is safe and I bet they know that they have a piece of ground breaking technology that will be dominant for a few years yet.
Blackberry ... stay doing what you're good at.
I beleive the BB Bold is very good.

So if you cant make up your mind..I've used both and the iphone is better by a long shot.
Sorry Blackberry for the first time I'm not impressed.

cojomo2

Dougals Daddy wrote: »

I have an iphone 3G for a month now.
It is by far the best piece of mobile technologhy I have used in years.
It just works, the interface is so easy and of course its also an ipod.

My father in law got his BB Storm yesterday and I helped him set it up...
It quite clear that Blackberry designed it to look and feel like an iphone and cash in on some of those sales.
But alas (and I'm a big Blackberry fan) thats where it ends

The storm doesn't even come anywhere near the iphone.
Its response is slower, it has NO Wifi!, and the worst thing ..the whole screen seems to be one big button and rattles when you shake the phone.
In the dark the backlight escapes through the seams.
You use the touch to select and then you have to push the screen down.
Its very clunky.The touch keyboard is impossible compared to the iphone.
Twist it on its side and the landscape takes a while to kick in.
Cant find maps even though its loaded asn the GPS seems to be locked by Vodafone.

I thought I might regret getting the iphone when I heard the storm was coming but I'm happy now that this is just a bad iphone imitation.
Apple is safe and I bet they know that they have a piece of ground breaking technology that will be dominant for a few years yet.
Blackberry ... stay doing what you're good at.
I beleive the BB Bold is very good.

So if you cant make up your mind..I've used both and the iphone is better by a long shot. Sorry Blackberry for the first time I'm not impressed.

thanks for the feedback! am getting one of these next week, i think the click screen is something u will either like or not, i only used it for a min and i liked it but i hear it can get very cumbersome after a while..i think ive made my mind up on the iphone..better browser, wifi, bigger screen, app store, and feels better quality when in the hand, although it is more fragile with its glass screen, id hate to think what would happen if you dropped it..especially for me as ill have no warranty as im buying in italy..

mobius42

One thing I've noticed is that it is way slower to type on than the iPhone. Because you physically have to click the screen down, you are limited as to how fast you can type. Also, that suretype keyboard in portrait mode is ass. I thought the point of qwerty keyboards on phones was so that you wouldn't need predictive text! The only advantages this phone has over the iPhone that I can see is the blackberry email support and being able to play .avi movies.

cojomo2

mobius42 wrote: »

One thing I've noticed is that it is way slower to type on than the iPhone. Because you physically have to click the screen down, you are limited as to how fast you can type. Also, that suretype keyboard in portrait mode is ass. I thought the point of qwerty keyboards on phones was so that you wouldn't need predictive text! The only advantages this phone has over the iPhone that I can see is the blackberry email support and being able to play .avi movies.

what movie format is iphone limites to? mp4 only? is .avi same as divix?

how would one go about moving a dvd movie on to a pc and then on to iphone, or is this possible?

belmulletman

Hey Guys,
Just to drop my 2cents in here...
I bought the Blackberry Storm on Thursday evening. I'd been waiting for it since it was announced, so when it was released it rushed to buy it (I also had read lots about the problems it has currently, and still wanted it)...
BUT,
I returned it today. It has to be the worst phone i've ever used.
I currently can't think of any redeeming qualities. While the screen is nice, the click tech is fundamentally flawed... (the "nub" that allows the screen to click is based in the middle of the screen, so the edges don't click as well as the middle... i know there is a supposed "fix" where you put a piece of paper behind the battery to "enhance" the click and make the edges work better, but this shouldn't be needed, it's just a flaw).
now the software... Just Terrible!! I know they've acknowledged the software needs to be updated, but I was unable to answer ANY call that came into the phone yesterday. The phone would vibrate, but nothing else. Pressing the screen wouldn't do anything, nor would pressing the green answer button on the phone it's self! The Accelerometer may as well not be there for the amount it works!
Finally there's the battery life... I knew it was going to be bad... So I turned the phone to GPRS from 3G to save battery, but it was DEAD in 6 hours... Charged it again and 3 hours later... 50%. At that point i changed back to my old N95 8gb.
When i brought it back into the store, the needed to Verify the problem before they'd refund it!... So i got my refund!

So, to summarize, I so desperately wanted to like this phone... but there was nothing in the end that could redeem it in my eyes! (even a software update that my solve some of the bugs, still won't solve the click screen issue)

If anyone has any specific questions, PM me and i'd be more than happy to answer.

T>

cojomo2

belmulletman wrote: »

Hey Guys,
Just to drop my 2cents in here...
I bought the Blackberry Storm on Thursday evening. I'd been waiting for it since it was announced, so when it was released it rushed to buy it (I also had read lots about the problems it has currently, and still wanted it)...
BUT,
I returned it today. It has to be the worst phone i've ever used.
I currently can't think of any redeeming qualities. While the screen is nice, the click tech is fundamentally flawed... (the "nub" that allows the screen to click is based in the middle of the screen, so the edges don't click as well as the middle... i know there is a supposed "fix" where you put a piece of paper behind the battery to "enhance" the click and make the edges work better, but this shouldn't be needed, it's just a flaw).
now the software... Just Terrible!! I know they've acknowledged the software needs to be updated, but I was unable to answer ANY call that came into the phone yesterday. The phone would vibrate, but nothing else. Pressing the screen wouldn't do anything, nor would pressing the green answer button on the phone it's self! The Accelerometer may as well not be there for the amount it works!
Finally there's the battery life... I knew it was going to be bad... So I turned the phone to GPRS from 3G to save battery, but it was DEAD in 6 hours... Charged it again and 3 hours later... 50%. At that point i changed back to my old N95 8gb.
When i brought it back into the store, the needed to Verify the problem before they'd refund it!... So i got my refund!

So, to summarize, I so desperately wanted to like this phone... but there was nothing in the end that could redeem it in my eyes! (even a software update that my solve some of the bugs, still won't solve the click screen issue)

If anyone has any specific questions, PM me and i'd be more than happy to answer.

T>

is it not possible you got a faulty unit? My mate got 1 yesterday and he loves it..hes having no such problems....

i too really want one but i have the oppertunity to get an oficially unlocked iphone in italy so im torn between the two...physically i like the blackberry more as its newer and fresher looking..i also think it has a better quality screen for movies/media but again the lack of wifi and having to move to voda on a special storm plan is putting me off...i just dunno what to do!

belmulletman

cojomo2 wrote: »

is it not possible you got a faulty unit? My mate got 1 yesterday and he loves it..hes having no such problems....

i too really want one but i have the oppertunity to get an oficially unlocked iphone in italy so im torn between the two...physically i like the blackberry more as its newer and fresher looking..i also think it has a better quality screen for movies/media but again the lack of wifi and having to move to voda on a special storm plan is putting me off...i just dunno what to do!

Don't think so.
While i was in the store returning, 2 other people came in to return because of similar problems, and there was at least another 3 people in complaining about problems with the handsets (calls not coming through, ring tones not working, were 2 that i heard)...
Ah well...

SolarNexus

my BlackBerry Storm Review

long story short, it has its flaws, but so does the iPhone. However, that said the Storm is:

• cheaper cost for ownership (but the out of bundle costs are quite a bit more)
• has removable/upgradable memory
• has removable battery
• less fragile to drops
• has copy/paste
• not locked to 'approved apps'
• lighter on the network w/ push email etc
• has poor battery life (6hrs max is about right)
• the clickable touchscreen is a love it or hate it thing; it would serve blackberry well if it was an option to turn the click requirement off
• supports tethering to laptops for 3G internet - Apple refuse point blank to allow apps to do this
• has video recorder
• has better camera
• is not a giant steal me magnet that the iPhone/iPods always have been

The facts are that no matter what you get, you'll find there are things that arent perfect. Its a matter of choice.. if you dont like the styling or the touch screen of the BlackBerry, go for the iPhone.

I however am happy with my new phone.

Also bear in mind, the iPhone had just as rocky start when it came out... it was full of bugs.

mobius42

cojomo2 wrote: »

what movie format is iphone limites to? mp4 only? is .avi same as divix?

how would one go about moving a dvd movie on to a pc and then on to iphone, or is this possible?

Mpeg formats mostly. You can rip DVDs to iPhone compatible format easily. On a Mac, Handbrake will do the job perfectly. I'm sure there are Windows equivalents too. To convert .avis visualhub or ffmpegx are what I use.

richieg

With the storm being out for a while now and new firmware versions released how do people think it compares with the iphone 3G.
I have an ipod touch and e71 but the keyboard is bugging me as the buttons are too small.
I am wondering about things like media (photos, music), web browsing, texting, battery life and call quality.
If I got the storm I would probably keep the ipod, if i get the iphone I would get rid of both

Dyr

We cycled these out to our twenty or so BB users in work over the last week or two, the response has been so negative that all the storms are going to be going back to our supplier..many people have said that they're unusable.

sk8board

they're now reduced to Free on Vodafone upgrade.

-Freebird-

sk8board wrote: »

they're now reduced to Free on Vodafone upgrade.

On the highest tariff.

The Storm is the same as any other BlackBerry, people can't get used to them and the way they work so they give up. People who have been using BlackBerrys don't have a problem with the Storm and it's user friendliness from what I can gather, it's merely a case of getting used to it. Reviews that I've read are pretty much even though.

sk8board

-Freebird- wrote: »

On the highest tariff.
.

for post-paid I guess, but for business a/c's we get all the Storms we want, and we've given most of them back. Its my turn this week, my BB Pearl is acting up.
I've been using BB Pearl and its predecessors since '02, so I'll report back on what the storm is like for business use, by comparison

BostonB

-Freebird- wrote: »

On the highest tariff.

The Storm is the same as any other BlackBerry, people can't get used to them and the way they work so they give up. People who have been using BlackBerrys don't have a problem with the Storm and it's user friendliness from what I can gather, it's merely a case of getting used to it. Reviews that I've read are pretty much even though.

Dunno the storm seems to be getting slated in the user comments I've been reading. The Bold and 8900 seem better Blackberries.

Rsaeire

-Freebird- wrote: »

On the highest tariff.

The Storm is the same as any other BlackBerry, people can't get used to them and the way they work so they give up. People who have been using BlackBerrys don't have a problem with the Storm and it's user friendliness from what I can gather, it's merely a case of getting used to it. Reviews that I've read are pretty much even though.

Users are experiencing problems with the Storm in more places than Ireland. Have a look at the following reviews from the UK and US and some articles here and here regarding issues with the Storm.

sk8board

I got mine this avo. As I said above I've been using BB for the past 7 years, and apart from the touchscreen, there is nothing hugely new with the Storm that prevented me getting it set up just like my Pearl in 10 minutes flat (disabling and hiding the myriad of media and music app's all smartphones now have).
The initial feedback is by and large positive; i like it infact.

It 'is' a little clunky for typing, the keyboard tends to get in the way, and the Suretouch screen seems almost revolutionary initially, but you soon begin to wonder why you can't just tap, as opposed to hover and press.
Having to de-press before before tapping the next key will definitely slow down typing emails, but the hover ability allows you to know what you are about to press, so I think its something that you'd get faster at over a short period of time.

There are lots of the usual short-cuts that Crackberry fans will know and use (the new screen lock key is one for sure), and as ever, everything is configurable.
The screen itself is the best I've had, incredible clarity.

I think my enthusiasm will probably wane come next week and I need to send emails; I don't see myself sending long emails with it, thats for sure, as you need to be very careful with each keypress. Also, sometimes if you press a few menu keys in quick succession it can take a few moment to keep up, and the screen gets confused between portrait and landscape a bit, which is easily correctable of course.

All in all its positive and I like it.

flywheel

-Freebird- wrote: »

People who have been using BlackBerrys don't have a problem with the Storm and it's user friendliness from what I can gather, it's merely a case of getting used to it. Reviews that I've read are pretty much even though.

your comment reminded me of this NY times review:
No Keyboard? And You Call This a BlackBerry?

i know many blackberry users who have returned it for a more traditional blackberry model with a form factor (real keyboard) they like to use and less buggy / more responsive operation

Drumpot

I have had shocking experience with the storm.

Dropped calls, poor signal, awful response times (software), crashed phone . .

I could go on . .

I returned it to Vodafone and got a replacement new phone with the same issues.

this is easily the worst phone I have every had the misfortune to use.

My biggest gripe is the coverage. Constantly jumping up and down. The phone sometimes switches itself off for no reason . .

What are the odds in getting two faulty phones from two differant stores ?

Im surprised people havent discussed the Coverage issue as this is the most pathetic phone I have ever bought . .

barby_

I bought the Storm back in April and it is the worse phone I ever used! it freezes so many times that i'm fed up now!!
been a vodafone customer since 2006, now thinking to move to O2 and get an iPhone which I consider much better in terms of usability, software, coverage and so on

Drumpot

barby_ wrote: »

I bought the Storm back in April and it is the worse phone I ever used! it freezes so many times that i'm fed up now!!
been a vodafone customer since 2006, now thinking to move to O2 and get an iPhone which I consider much better in terms of usability, software, coverage and so on

100000% agree . .

Biggest pile of Sh*t phone I have every had the misfortune of owning.

It crashes, stalls, turns itself off.. . Drops calls, forwards calls to my voicemail. . .

AAAArrrggggghhh.. I hate this phone so much.

Thank god somebody else agrees with me ! !

Im also with vodafone and have complained several times. They gave me one months free rental but I still feel I am being robbed!

boardswalker

I have the blackberry storm and I am very happy with it, as I posted previously. The things to understand are -
(i) the storm touch screen is not for everyone
(ii) the initial operating software was very poor. Its worthwhile downloading more recent os versions or else, if you are more adventurous, going to crackberry.com and downleading leaks or hybrids. I have done that and that's what made the storm good. Now, if you don't want to do that, maybe the storm is not for you.
(iii) The general consensus within the storm community is that it takes at least one week to get comfortable with it.

The other question is how you use it - it suits my needs but as the yanks say, your mileage may vary. I use phone, email, pda apps, internet, music, camera, podcasts, google maps.

There are some third party apps that are worth looking at - podtrapper is my favourite, google maps was already mentioned, taskjot is a gtd to do list application.

So far, its the best gadget I have had and I have had several palm and dell axims (winMo - which I hated) before this. And the best thing is, because they got it so wrong at the start, its much cheaper than it should be - its great value now.