- All
- Refurbished
- Pre-Owned
5stars
205ratings4stars
94ratings3stars
26ratings2stars
9ratings1star
20ratings
Good value100% agree
Long battery life100% agree
Small form factor50% agree
352 Reviews
Finally touch screen phone for grown-ups.
I am a (former) Iphone user, but my company recently gave us company BlackBerry Curve's. I bought this Storm 2 to replace the company phone, and and am impressed. It's amazing how you forget what a grown up phone can do. The storm has lightning fast app launching, easily switches between apps, great camera and video camera, built in ability to operate all Office documents, and the ability to theme your phone. (without hacking or "jailbreaking") The clicking touch screen takes a little while to get used to, but it offers a wider selection option, such as hovering without selecting. It merges email, sms, facebook, twitter, etc, by contact and on a desktop function that is easy to navigate, and you can see everything for the contact in a timeline. The swift handling of email (especially MS exchange) is unmatched in any other phone, The design of the operating software is extremely intuitive, making composing, editing, attaching files to, and sending messages much easier and faster than other touch screen phones. There are also built in magnet sensors that recognize when you put the phone in it's holster, and adjust the sound and vibrate notification settings appropriately, while also putting the phone to sleep. It will also recognize when it's snapped into a navigation holder in a car, and automatically launch the nav software.
The web browser on this phone is annoying and small, and apps like pandora and iheartradio do not stream well. The phone will never compete with the iphone in interface or range of applications, but I don't need that. I have a laptop with a wireless card and several computers at home and work. I can surf on those. The phone far surpasses the iphone in functionality when it comes to running multiple processes, intuitiveness, instant notification of email (not push every 5 min) and so on. If you need a great touch screen phone and you use your phone for business, this is the one, hands down. If you need your phone to surf the web and listen to the radio, it is not.
As a side note, the phone will easily tether to a computer and operate as a modem, including thru Bluetooth.Read full review...
Down to earth impressions
I'm moderately technical and use my phone primarily for business. My previous phone was a Palm Treo 700wx. When it died I decided to try the Storm and have been for the most part, very happy with it.<br>
The spring loaded screen required a bit of a learning curve for me and I still can't type as fast on it as I could on my Treo but I am gaining speed every day so in time that should be a non-issue. I always use the full QWERTY board in landscape as opposed to the suretype in portrait. I just didn't want to waste the time learning suretype when the full QWERTY was so readably available. One thing I've noticed on mine is that the spring resistance is not even. The "key travel" varied from deep and light to shallow and stiff as I move from left to right (left being where the answer and hang up keys are and right being where the speaker is). It's not a major variation but I do notice it.
I tend to use a lot of talk and text functions and have found that at times the battery can fail before days end. I ended up buying a pocket sized back up USB charger for those times I get low on battery power and don't have access to another means to charge the battery. I decided against buying a spare battery because removing the battery soft boots the phone and it takes forever for the thing to reboot itself. Verizon tells me a higher capacity battery is not yet available.
I love the email push capability. I can get my emails and respond to them with the push of the button without having to enter in my user name and login. And I can push several email accounts to the phone, making life so much easier. I also like the Facebook and Yahoo Messenger capabilities. They are fast and the alerts let me know immediately when a new message has come in.
Transferring my old Outlook contacts was simple though there doesn't seem to be an Outlook equivalent to sync my phone to, meaning all my data is now on my phone but not on my computer. I can create a backup file in case my phone loses its data but I can't view those contacts on my home computer.
I have hundreds of names in my contact list so it can take a little time scrolling thought but the find feature can speed that process.
The browser is active immediately (as opposed to my Palm, which required a dial out). It is not a very fast browser though... no faster than the one on my Palm, though easier to navigate with the ability to move about the screen with your fingertip. I wouldn't call it truly HTML either, but it's close enough for most of the things I need it for.
I've had no problem using sound files, music or otherwise and they are much easier to manage than with my Palm.
The auto focus on the camera is great and the included 8 gig memory card provides ample space to store pics, videos and music for that matter.
Games are a little lean but I rarely use them. If you want to pay for downloads, they are available.
From a moderately technical point of view, I generally like this phone. My only real complaints are battery life and the lack of an Outlook equivalent to sync up to. Those are the only reasons I rate this phone as Good rather than Excellent. I'd have to say I'm very satisfied and of course, I'm a great lover of Verizon so this phone is almost perfect for me!!!Read full review...
What can I say..........?
Finally the Blackberry Storm;It lives up to some of the hype and if used properly,can be not so much an Iphone killer,but could put it in intensive care. First off,regular Blackberry users will find it easier to get used to due to the fact of the standard Blackberry features and layout. For those of you who are new to touch screen phones and technology,like me, it will take some time to familiarize oneself to the whole "glide,hover,click"technique.But as with everything it just takes some getting used to.My only real issue as of now,is that if you purchase the phone unlocked,which is never a bad idea,you may have a difficult time in connecting to the browser as well as changing certain nuances that may be customary to Verizon Wireless users. If worse comes to worse,since you already have the Storm and you want to really push the use of it to its ultimate potential,then it might be wise to consider switching over to Verizon. Overall a great phone with an excellent feel,and in my opinion has near endless possibilities.Read full review...
Neat phone in between Palm and LG
I had BB Pearl so I was used to OS. I have had palm in past and LUV it's OS. I haven't tried downloading any apps at this point but my carriers unlimited web access and browers is better than my LG Dare. The dare got me used to the touch screen tech, and I found BB an upgrade because of the feedback you getfrom the screen. It's a work in progress though, hav been playing with sensitiviy to get the right speed and touch performance. Like the built in features. Not a Twitter or facebook fan, but already preloaded. MP3 player is nice, hav card with over 400 songs on it. It was used when bought fro ebay so that's why I gave it a good rating. It was dinged up a bit. Bought some accessories to pimp my phone, so it's me! Ocassionally phone screen will freeze up, talked with other owners who said it does tha for them too but not very often. May consider downloading new ringtones, preloaded are lame. Only real problem is the ring time on the phone is so short I often can't answer phone before it goes to voicemail unless it's on my person when a call comes in.Read full review...
Storm Knock out iSteve
I'm a tech crazy person first of all. From the first Palm Pilot, Palm 3, Zire, BlackBerry, iPod touch.. First thing first, iPhone is an MP3 player got touch screen and phone capability. On the other hand, STORM is a blackberry got touch screen and media capability!
Many people thought Apple is so inovated with iPhone, it is in fact just an improvement from Palm's long time and history line of product from PalmPilot, LifeDrive and Treo. The only thing that is really apple is the Music Store and Multi Touch technology with zoom in and zoom out.
STORM is RIM's counter attack to keep their market share. By giving its blackberry ability to have more fun with media rather than just a business tool!
Pro:
1. View, Edit office documents and PDFs, send/recieve on the go with large high res screen!
2. Nice digital camera capable of snap and send, video and send.
3. Impressive media capability with Video, Mp3, Youtube, and photos.
Con:
1. Scrolling of pages are slow or confusing.
2. Clickable screen & suretype technology has long learning curve.
3. Battery drain pretty fast. With heavy usage, you need to charge every day.
STORM's clickable screen is an answer to iPhone's tiny and over sensitive keyboard input. However, many people got used to iPhone's touch entry and got confused with the STORM. Once the learning curve is passed, I believe there will be more people like the clickable touch screen. The suretype is also an answer with iPhone's super tiny keyboard. However, suretype is also another software that take some time to learn it. With 2 new system to learn, no wonder many reviewer have negative feedback. With time, many people will find out, they can type faster and more accurate when compare with iPhone!! How long did it take you to learn how to use the keyboard on the desktop?
I also like to propose to RIM's enginner to build a physical keyboard for STORM. So user have 3 choice with Suretype, onscreen full quety, and open up the STORM and use a physical keyboard. (Like the cell phone LG keyboard)
Another proposal is to add a "thumbwheel" for scrolling text to the STORM. So beside using the hand jesture to scroll, the thumbwhell will be an excellent and perfect alternative.
With BOLD, or CURVE, one can not make appointment with one hand on the calendar. But with STORM, you can totally do it. Thanks to the touch screen allow you to pick a time and date quickly!! I can finally abandon my iPod touch as my mobile calendar.
Blackberry is about choice and compatability. Apple is about control and simplicity. That's another area that STORM will knock out iPhone. With STORM, people can connect with MSN, Yahoo, FACEBOOK, Flicker,....etc.. anything. At the end of the day, when people making their decision, Freinds are more important than having great music or great games to play!
Finally!! STORM is a business tool. iPHONE is a toy. Storm gives user the ability to run a full mobile mini office and allow its user to be produtive and make money. While iPHONE is an entertianment machine. With iPHONE, you buy a music, download an app, do an uprgrae everything is about spending money. Steve Job definitely is after your credit cards. We are entering a recession, people will buy STORM to make money. People have less and less pocket money to spend on games and music.
STORM make you rich. iPhone make you poor.Read full review...
Blackberry Storm
I have T-Mobile and wanted an iphone type of phone. I have been a blackberry owner for about 6 years and waiting for something to come along that would allow me to view my attachments and websites more like the computer. I had to unlock the phone and add the simm card from T-mobile to make it work, but it works well, although I am not able to use all of functions that would be available if I was on the Verizon network, I am happy. A lot of people seem to love it or hate it. It is difficult to type on, that seems to be the main complaint with my friends who had this and returned it.
Most of the stores will let you try it for 2 weeks before making a commitment. I suggest if you are unsure, buy it through Verizon.Read full review...
Blackberry Storm Review by Joshua Topolsky
By now most of us have heard this story in one fashion or another: when Steve Jobs and Apple were in the planning stages of the iPhone, the first carrier they brought the device to was America's largest network, Verizon. Even if you haven't heard how the tale ends -- Verizon refused and Jobs took his multi-billion dollar ball to AT&T -- you surely know the outcome. The iPhone has soared to become the ultimate smartphone, the must-have accessory that everyone from celebrities to your mom wants -- nay, needs -- to have in their pocket. It's changed the landscape of modern cellphones, put a serious dent in the sales of competing devices (just recently overtaking the venerable RAZR as the best-selling domestic handset), and unquestionably raised the bar when it comes to expectations for features in new handsets.
It may seem unfair to open up the review of RIM's latest BlackBerry -- the Storm -- with a history lesson on the iPhone, but if you understand the market which Verizon and RIM hope to capture, then you understand the Storm, and it helps put this critique in perspective. The Storm, a widescreen, touchscreen device boasts many of the same features as the iPhone, but adds innovations like a clickable display, and comes packed with RIM's legendary email and messaging services. Mainlined into the biggest (and some say best) network in the States, the Storm is an almost deafening blast to the competition at first glance, but does it hold up on closer inspection? Read on to find out.
Industrial design
The Storm is a striking device. From the second you lay eyes on it, it's clear that a lot of time and care went into crafting this phone. The majority of the front panel is display, a large 3.25-inch (480 x 360) touchscreen sitting just shy of flush with a silver bezel that runs around the sides, top, and bottom of the device. The bands seem to be plastic, not metal, and trace the outline of the moderately thick (0.55-inch) phone, looping around the back, while the rest of the surface is a high gloss, piano black plastic. Below the screen are four familiar BlackBerry keys (phone, menu, back, and end / power), along the left is a convenience key and a micro USB port (RIM has eschewed the more common mini USB slot for the lower profile of the newer variation, though that seems to be the way the industry is headed), and on the right side is another convenience key, volume rocker, and (yay!) 3.5mm headphone jack. Around back, the battery cover is made from solid piece of brushed aluminum, and the camera and flash sit atop the plate, covered by a glossy plastic strip. Along the top of the phone there's a single LED to the right, and lock and mute keys incorporated into either side of the casing like soft rockers -- a nice touch. Generally, the construction of the hardware and components used seem higher in quality than previous devices from the company, with buttons that click tightly and a heft that tries (and succeeds) to communicate an understated class.
It's not completely rainbows and unicorns, however. We noticed backlight leaking in through the sides of the screen, which partially killed the continuity of the design (and had us raise eyebrows at build quality), and the screen sort of slides around when it's pressed down and held (more on that later). No deal breakers, but certainly a couple minor niggles we wish we hadn't seen.Read full review...
cool phone
I had a LG Vu and really wanted something more updated so i bought the unlocked Blackberry Storm 9530..Ive always loved touch screen phones and this phones was no let down..The touch screen is real responsive and paired with the storms push screen it was even more awesome, I love the camera its a 3.2 mp and it takes nice pics even at nigh..the operating system is a lil slow at times n freezes once in a while but nothing to serious.I don't like how the screen has a bit of play in it and wiggles from side to side but its not a problem the will hinder you in any way ..overall I give this phone a 7.8 out of 10, I would of really loved if it came with wifi but i guess i have to get the storm 2 ..This is an awesome phone if your looking to upgrade to more of a smart phone , I love Blackberry!!Read full review...
Good Smartphone
I really like this phone even though I don't have the 3G capabilities because I unlocked it for Tmobile. The phone I had previously was a curve so the transition to another blackberry was easy. The touchscreen was pretty easy to get used to, I wasn't a real fast typer on my curve so I type about as fast as I do with the storm2. I use my phone as an mp3 player a lot and this is really good for that, also the speakers are very loud so if you want to use it as a radio you can. Some dislikes about the phone are: its only on verizon, the battery life is kinda low and the web browsing is kind of laggy (again I'm not on 3G). Another thing about the hardware is the mute/play button on the top, does not lock when the screen is locked, they way it sits in my pocket it got pressed by my belt and started playing music. Other than that, its a great phone.Read full review...
iPhone superior??
Switching away from Sprint (t.g.!), via a gifted iPhone, seemed a no-brainer. UNTIL...I met AT&T!! If one didn't have to use it as a phone on AT&T's unbelievably shoddy network there would be far less angst present. Furthermore, had the the "unlock" shareware been available when I received it, as opposed to being strapped into an extremely lame 2yr. contract of the most crappy service around, I would be a happier human...and so would the iPhone for that matter.
How can everyone be so adamant about how amazing and unbeatable the iPhone is...the name is a ... well.. oxymoron in itself!!
If it had been called the iApp, or the iEmail, or even the iText it would have been more accurate. In its current state the "iPhone" just ISN'T! The "Phone" is the weakest part of the device on the US AT&T service network. Once the device is *unlocked*, using the iPhone on an overseas SIM pay & go network really does rock and it finally starts to live up to it's name. However, when not overseas the "iPhone" definitely DOES NOT equalize itself with the other devices on the market simply due to the EXTREMELY POOR service that Steve Jobs chose to align himself with (AT&T got really really lucky on that deal). SAD for all of us consumers thought they might be getting a real phone. Can't have it all I suppose...but what a bummer!Read full review...