RIM BlackBerry Storm

Released on November 21st, 2008, the BlackBerry Storm is RIM's first touch screen BlackBerry device. The Storm (previously thought to be called the BlackBerry Thunder) competes squarely with the Apple iPhone and the T-Mobile G1 (the first Google Android phone). It features a similarly sized 3.25" HVGA 480 x 360 single-touch display, with pop-up software keyboard that can be used in either full-width QWERTY landscape orientation or Suretype portrait orientation. It will be available through Vodafone in the UK and Australia, Verizon in the United States, and Telus or Bell in Canada. Verizon currently sells the Storm for $199 after $50 MIR, with a 2-year contract, to compete with the iPhone; unlocked Storms are available online for around $500.

Where to Buy

BlackBerry Storm 2
MSRP $600.00
Release date November, 2008
Brand RIM
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want it
have it
tag it
Pros & Cons28
Reviews19
Details
Buy It1
Competitors14
Comments3
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
19 reviews
46
negative
mixed
positive
6 positive
8 mixed
5 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
has the ability to cut & paste
+10agreedisagree

•
First touchscreen Blackberry
+8agreedisagree

•
built in GPS
+8agreedisagree

•
user replaceable battery
+7agreedisagree

•
Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
+5agreedisagree

•
Downloadable 3rd party apps
+4agreedisagree

•
Can be used as a tethered modem
+3agreedisagree

•
better call reception than the iPhone
+2agreedisagree

•
Blackberry alert light
+2agreedisagree

•
lots of apps
+1agreedisagree

•
recent software update (4.7.0.76) improves the phone drastically
0agreedisagree

•
very good web browser
-2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
interface can be slow
+8agreedisagree

•
no WiFi connectability
+8agreedisagree

•
tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
+7agreedisagree

•
Frequent Crashes on .75
+7agreedisagree

•
Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
+5agreedisagree

•
Proprietary RIM operating system
+3agreedisagree

•
keyboard is cramped
+1agreedisagree

•
requires a mail in rebate to match the iPhone's $199 price tag - very annoying
+1agreedisagree

•
Low phone memory
+1agreedisagree

•
No tactile keyboard
0agreedisagree

•
zooming is horrible
0agreedisagree

•
most web pages only load as mobile versions with limited functionality
-1agreedisagree

•
clickable screen isn't a good feature
-2agreedisagree

•
no music/app purchasing
-3agreedisagree

•
no apps
-4agreedisagree

•
no youtube
-6agreedisagree


19 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Features

  • 3.25-inch WITH 480 x 360 display (putting it slightly above the Bold)
  • EV-DO Rev. A
  • Quadband GSM/GPRS/EDGE
  • 2100MHz UMTS/HSPA
  • Tethered modem capability
  • 1GB onboard memory
  • Full QWERTY (landscape) and Suretype Input (portrait)
  • High Capacity microSD slot
  • 3.2 MP camera with auto-focus, flash, 2X zoom and video capability
  • Blackberry Device Software 4.7
  • OTA Software Loading
  • HTML Browser with support for attachment downloads and video streaming (via RTSP)
  • Editing of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint documents
  • Standalone and aGPS
  • Blackberry Media Sync (non-DRM iTunes media sync)
  • Visual Voicemail (available post-launch)
  • Built-In Facebook/Flickr Support
  • Built-In IM support for Yahoo, Google, AOL, and Windows Messenger
  • Access to services such as BroadbandAccess, VZ navigator, VCast Music and Video, and VCast MobileTV
  • Release date: November 21th, 2008
  • price: $199 with Verizon contract (after $50 MIR)

Models

  • BlackBerry Storm 9500 - quadband GSM and 2100MHz HSPA
  • BlackBerry Storm 9530 - dual band CDMA, quadband GSM, and 2100MHz HSPA

Submit a link

This report was started September 27, 2008 at 7:28 pm by Erik
with the last edit occurring December 1, 2009 at 2:18 pm by Yale
This page has been viewed 11591 times, with 314 edits by 26 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

RIM BlackBerry Storm 9500

• BlackBerry Storm 9500 Unlocked Cell Phone, 3.2 MP Camera, GPS, MicroSD Slot, RIM -- International Version - Without Warranty (Black)

UPC: 843163043206

EAN: 843163043206

MPN: 9030458

Competitors

RIM BlackBerry Storm is ranked 9th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Smart Phones »
Palm Pre

Palm Pre

MSRP  $199.99    Released  June, 2009
Pros
  • full 3.5mm headphone jack
  • removable battery
  • backlit QWERTY keyboard
Cons
  • no higher capacity models
  • exclusive to Sprint for the first half of 2009
  • no expandable memory
ProSCORE
25 reviews
76
Vote! (5 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 0% vs. vote Palm Pre 100%
HTC XV6900

HTC XV6900

MSRP  $699.95    Released  January, 2001
Pros
  • Large touch screen
  • Only three off-screen buttons
  • Many programs
  • Mobile computer
Cons
  • Touch screen requires a lot of pressure
  • Only comes in one color scheme
ProSCORE
1 review
83
Vote! (2 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 0% vs. vote HTC XV6900 100%
HTC Magic

HTC Magic

MSRP  $199.99    Released  April, 2009
Pros
  • built in WiFi
  • runs Android
  • GPS functionality
Cons
  • no 3.5mm headphone jack
  • no hard keyboard
  • Poor battery life. Needs charged at least every day!
ProSCORE
17 reviews
67
Vote! (2 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 0% vs. vote HTC Magic 100%
Motorola A3100

Motorola A3100

MSRP  --    Released  March, 2009

 The Motorola A3100 is Motorola's high-end smartphone entry. It is significantly different from the previous smartphones in the A Series. The A3100 is 3G-network enabled, and has Wi-Fi connectivity. It has a 3.15-megapixel autofocus camera, as well as a secondary VGA camera to make video calls. It functions as a PDA as well, using...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (1 vote)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 0% vs. vote Motorola A3100 100%
Sony Ericsson W995a

Sony Ericsson W995a

MSRP  $539.99    Released  February, 2009
Pros
  • interchangeable/expandable memory with memory stick micro card slot
  • 8.1MP digital camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth and 3G connections
Cons
  • uses proprietary memory card
  • memory stick micro has a capacity limit of 32GB, currently very expensive (8GB is ~$50)
  • very limited internal memory
ProSCORE
6 reviews
80
Vote! (1 vote)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 0% vs. vote Sony Ericsson W995a 100%
HTC Dream

HTC Dream

MSRP  $179.00    Released  October, 2008
Pros
  • Large touch-screen
  • Integrated GPS including Google StreetView
  • Dedicated full QWERTY keyboard
Cons
  • No headphone jack
  • weak battery life with use of 3G
  • No camera flash
ProSCORE
29 reviews
67
Vote! (8 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 12% vs. vote HTC Dream 88%
Apple iPhone 3G

Apple iPhone 3G

MSRP  $199.00    Released  July, 2008
Pros
  • GPS Support
  • High speed 3G
  • Good selection of free apps available
Cons
  • Can't replace the battery yourself, can't replace with a "spare"
  • Crippled Bluetooth (only hands-free devices supported)
  • Battery life is disappointing when using 3G
ProSCORE
83 reviews
51
Vote! (9 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 22% vs. vote Apple iPhone 3G 78%
Toshiba TG01

Toshiba TG01

MSRP  --    Released  June, 2009
Pros
  • large 4.1" touchscreen
  • 1 GHz Snapdragon CPU
  • GPS
Cons
  • unattractive 3D user interface
  • no internal storage
  • Windows Mobile 6.1
ProSCORE
5 reviews
65
Vote! (2 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 50% vs. vote Toshiba TG01 50%
HTC Touch Diamond

HTC Touch Diamond

MSRP  $700.00    Released  October, 2008
Pros
  • Opera-mini browser rivals mobile safari
  • Slick touch screen interface
  • Auto-senses rotation to switch from portrait to landscape modes
Cons
  • Non-Expandable memory - Limited to 4GB internal memory
  • Gets hot under regular use
  • Runs Windows Mobile which can be quite slow/bloated
ProSCORE
12 reviews
64
Vote! (5 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 60% vs. vote HTC Touch Diamond 40%
HTC Touch Pro

HTC Touch Pro

MSRP  $800.00    Released  October, 2008
Pros
  • Expandable storage
  • Integrated GPS
  • QWERTY keyboard
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Battery Life not so great when using Data; even in the background
  • Removal of Tilt features compared to HTC TyTN II
ProSCORE
22 reviews
80
Vote! (3 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 67% vs. vote HTC Touch Pro 33%
Kogan Agora

Kogan Agora

MSRP  $299.00    Released  December, 2008
Pros
  • features Android
  • $299AU without contract
  • best of both worlds - keypad with tactile response and touchscreen
Cons
  • not a well known manufacturer
  • cannot be serviced or replaced very easily in NA
  • no camera, GPS or WiFi connection
ProSCORE
2 reviews
40
Vote! (1 vote)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm 100% vs. vote Kogan Agora 0%
Motorola Surf A3100

Motorola Surf A3100

MSRP  $499.00    Released  January, 2009
Pros
  • microSD expansion
  • aGPS capabilities
  • built in WiFi
Cons
  • difficult to scroll through email messages with the email client
  • Windows Mobile 6.1 is now considered very obsolete.
  • No support for open audio formats e.g. Ogg, FLAC
ProSCORE
6 reviews
83
Vote! (0 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm   vs. vote Motorola Surf A3100  
Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

Nokia 5800 XpressMusic

MSRP  $450.00    Released  March, 2009
Pros
  • WiFi
  • on-screen qwerty keyboard
  • 3.2MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens and dual flash
Cons
  • resistive touchscreen used here is less sensitive than capacitive technology
  • web browser is subpar compared to iPhone's
  • touchscreen gestures are finicky
ProSCORE
7 reviews
74
Vote! (0 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm   vs. vote Nokia 5800 XpressMusic  
Samsung Omnia HD i8910

Samsung Omnia HD i8910

MSRP  --    Released  February, 2009
Pros
  • 8.1MP camera for large photos and full 720p/24 video
  • beautiful 3.7" AMOLED screen with large 360 x 640 resolution
  • huge AMOLED touchscreen
Cons
  • will be extremely expensive and/or subsidized by long term contracts
  • doesn't run a real customizable OS with downloadable applications
  • glossy finish, fingerprint magnet
ProSCORE
7 reviews
67
Vote! (0 votes)
vote RIM BlackBerry Storm   vs. vote Samsung Omnia HD i8910  

Suggest a new competitor to add to the list of competing products.
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Comments

8 taps
1.  avatar hipotecas said:

Why would anybody buy this when you can just get an iPhone?
Mar 16, 2009 7:25pm
2.  avatar Levi Bowen said:

I absolutely hate this phone. My wife has an iphone and it is a million times better.
Jun 04, 2009 11:28pm
3.  avatar John Phillips said:

The Phone is a Joke, my Motorola Q from 3 years ago on a non 3G network had better web browsing, always shutting off, and Verizon Customer Service Sucks
Oct 01, 2009 1:05am
Some HTML is allowed. Your comments remain editable after you post..

Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

hipotecas

avatar
March 16, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
12
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
15 cons
trustedtrusted
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • better call reception than the iPhone

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • no WiFi connectability
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Frequent Crashes on .75
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • Proprietary RIM operating system
  • keyboard is cramped
  • requires a mail in rebate to match the iPhone's $199 price tag - very annoying
  • No tactile keyboard
  • zooming is horrible
  • most web pages only load as mobile versions with limited functionality
  • clickable screen isn't a good feature
  • no music/app purchasing
  • no apps
  • no youtube

Comments

"Why would anybody buy this when you can just get an iPhone?"
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
October 4, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
58
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
5 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • better call reception than the iPhone
  • Blackberry alert light
  • recent software update (4.7.0.76) improves the phone drastically

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • no WiFi connectability
  • keyboard is cramped
  • requires a mail in rebate to match the iPhone's $199 price tag - very annoying
  • clickable screen isn't a good feature

Competitors

Yale prefers HTC Dream, Apple iPhone 3G over RIM BlackBerry Storm
Yale prefers RIM BlackBerry Storm over HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Mark Morris

avatar
October 4, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
80
negative
mixed
positive
8 pros
2 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
  • Downloadable 3rd party apps
  • Can be used as a tethered modem
  • very good web browser

Cons

  • no WiFi connectability
  • Frequent Crashes on .75

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
July 17, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
44
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
5 cons
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
  • Downloadable 3rd party apps
  • Can be used as a tethered modem

Cons

  • no WiFi connectability
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • Proprietary RIM operating system
  • No tactile keyboard

Competitors

Erik prefers Apple iPhone 3G over RIM BlackBerry Storm
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

John Phillips

avatar
October 1, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
14 cons
have ithave it
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
  • Downloadable 3rd party apps
  • Blackberry alert light

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • no WiFi connectability
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Frequent Crashes on .75
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • Proprietary RIM operating system
  • keyboard is cramped
  • requires a mail in rebate to match the iPhone's $199 price tag - very annoying
  • No tactile keyboard
  • zooming is horrible
  • most web pages only load as mobile versions with limited functionality
  • clickable screen isn't a good feature
  • no music/app purchasing
  • no apps

Comments

"The Phone is a Joke, my Motorola Q from 3 years ago on a non 3G network had better web browsing, always shutting off, and Verizon Customer Service Sucks"

Competitors

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

bizegabe

avatar
October 7, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
36
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
7 cons
have ithave it
love itlove it

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • built in GPS
  • lots of apps

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • no WiFi connectability
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Frequent Crashes on .75
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • Proprietary RIM operating system
  • Low phone memory

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

tyrion

avatar
June 9, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
70
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
3 cons
have ithave it

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
  • Downloadable 3rd party apps
  • Can be used as a tethered modem
  • very good web browser

Cons

  • no WiFi connectability
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • Proprietary RIM operating system

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

twester65

avatar
April 22, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
70
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
3 cons
love itlove it
have ithave it

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • First touchscreen Blackberry
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • Typing in both portrait and landscape modes
  • Downloadable 3rd party apps
  • Can be used as a tethered modem

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Frequent Crashes on .75

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

dlapp

avatar
April 24, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
56
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
4 cons
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Scrtcwlvl

avatar
January 1, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
44
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
5 cons

Pros

  • has the ability to cut & paste
  • built in GPS
  • user replaceable battery
  • recent software update (4.7.0.76) improves the phone drastically

Cons

  • interface can be slow
  • tactile touchscreen can take some getting used to
  • Blackberry Application Center is carrier-specific, with apps not necessarily working across all Blackberries
  • keyboard is cramped
  • requires a mail in rebate to match the iPhone's $199 price tag - very annoying

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No
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