Blackberry 9500 Storm Debuts With Vodafone – Blackberry Storm UK
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The most anticipated mobile phone release from RIM Blackberry has finally come to fruition, the latest Blackberry Storm has now been officially launched as a network exclusive by Vodafone in the UK.
After months of speculation, revised release dates and general blog and forum post rumours this high specification device can now be connected to the full range of Vodafone pay monthly tariffs, but is a network exclusive launch good for the consumer?
Basically, the exclusive deal signed between the manufacturer and the network dictates that the Blackberry Storm can only be sold by the network on one of their many contract packages, the handset will not be available on any other UK network operators so there is no way of comparing prices or for that matter any competition – the Blackberry Storm has been developed solely for Vodafone.
This has obvious implications for consumers as there is no way of knowing whether the networks deals are of value, basically the network can set their own prices as the handset can not be purchased anywhere else, the Storm will be available from select retailers but again Vodafone have the say on pricing so as not to sell themselves short.
This may not be the end of it though and there may be some good news on the horizon, in the past network exclusive mobile phones have popped up as SIM free handsets from independent retailers, if these retailers can secure stocks of the Blackberry Storm there is a chance that they will offer the handset with no network subsidy or contract ties – this will initially work out far more expensive than buying the phone on contract however there are no extra ongoing line rental charges and the user can insert their existing SIM card to retain their current mobile number, account details and any saved contacts.
The Blackberry Storm could be a real candidate for the iPhone killer, in reaction to the release of the iPhone the standard of touchscreen mobile phones has reached new heights recently with the release of the Samsung Omnia, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and the LG Renoir and the Blackberry Storm is no exception.
Incorporating an amazing animated touchscreen similar to that of the HTC Touch Diamond, the Blackberry Storm is one of this years big product launches and has already created a buzz in an extremely competitive market, laying testament to the impact this handset is set to make. The Storm also offers a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi technology, built in GPS, Blackberry maps, HSDPA and Blackberry operating system.
This is not the first time RIM have made a BlackBerry which seems to appeal to everyone, but it is perhaps the first time they have packaged one inside such a stylish handset! Style is everything in consumer world and phones don’t come much better looking than when they are almost devoid of ugly buttons. It’s not just a pretty face either, as the Storm does everything the casual user demands.
This is both a business tool as well as a pleasure gadget, integrated access to emails for on the move professinals runs alongside an enhanced music player, WiFi connectivity for using theinternet on the go coupled with a high specification camera lens with video support for viewing You Tuibe videos.
For social networking addicts there is the ability to update and connect with friends during the day for those that do not always have access to a computer. Direct access to accounts means it’s easy to change status or add a blog post all from the mobile phone, wherever and whenever.
In conclusion the Blackberry Storm represents the best in technology, design and features that RIM has to offer, as its flagship device the Storm will attract custom from a wide range of consumers including teens looking fro a new cool phone through to businessmen and women seeking that all inclusive communications device.
Watch the video related to Blackberry storm
How to Make your Blackberry Storm Screen Click 10 Times better!!!
Help answer the question about Blackberry storm
Did the blackberry storm live up to its expectations?I've had the iphone 3g and was very happy with it, a beautiful phone indeed. So now the blackberry storm is out. Right now I have no carrier I can move back to at&t or any other carrier. I haven't played with the storm yet, but is it a phone that will keep iphone users happy? I know the phone is $200, but how much is the plan?
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The Blackberry 9500 Storm is one of many new touchscreen devices to be released this year, for further details please refer to our online mobile phones shop.
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18 Comments
August 13th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
wow!!! it’s amazing how it makes such a big difference! They need to get that fixed!!!!
August 13th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
what would happen to the paper? isn’t a dime much too thick?
August 13th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I've used the storm for several weeks now and I was frustrated with it before I installed the new update, because the phone would lag and freeze all the time and the touch-screen keyboard was slow to respond.
After the update (which was considerable and took about 20 minutes to fully complete), all these problems disappeared, and now I love the phone. I think it is VERY worthwhile to upgrade to the storm…especially if you like to use your phone for web surfing, because it really is the best I've ever seen with its large screen! Bluetooth also works better than on the Dare.
If you want to use it extensively for games, be prepared to pay some hefty prices…a lot of third-party vendors who typically sell Blackberry games haven't caught up to the Storm yet, and those that do have Storm games charge an average of $10 per game application, and some as much as $25.
For free ringtones, the storm works great with mytinyphone.com, though!
August 13th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
i just got mine and i love it. though you do have to be aware of the buttons you press because if you slip up well enough u get pretty flipped around. the texting could be better. but ive tried the diffrent PDA's and touch screen fones and email and texting fones. all of them i swear. and the storm is the best. you just have to be patient sometimes and wait for it to catch up.
unless you have fat fingers.. in that case you need a diffrent fone.
hope i helped
and if you do get one you can go to options and screen/ keyboard
and set it to go faster when ur texting
but it will take a day or to to get used to
but if you have any questions about them you can ask here or go to crackberry.com. it really helps.
well peace out. and i hope you get the storm you won't regret it!
August 13th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
iTunes downloaded audio files (M4P – "protected AAC") have DRM protection which prevent users from converting it to other formats or playing iTunes media with other incompatible players like Blackberry storm.
So, you will need a professional DRM converter to convert the DRM M4P files to mp3 for your blackberry storm.
Free download this converter, drag and drop the protected files to it:
http://www.wmatomp3-converter.com/digital-music-converter.html#123
It can convert the DRM protected music (wma,m4p) to any other formats and extract audios from DRM video (wmv, m4v, asf, etc).
Hope it helps, happy holiday:)
August 14th, 2009 at 6:02 am
thanks for sharing. Just got me a storm today and was annoyed by the lack of response of the screen in its corners
August 14th, 2009 at 6:41 am
I own a Storm and the capabilities are exactly the same as other BB's. Before Storm I used to use iPhone. I found iPhone's sensitivity better than Storm. For Storm, everytime you want to press a key/button, you have to click it hard, so it's not just touching it. And that's a problem since in vertical mode, you don't have the qwerty keyboard but only the regular phone keypads or their version called SureType (I hate the latter though, it's confusing and it's mixed with their dictionary which isn't all that complete either). When in horizontal mode, you have the Qwerty and the accuracy it's pretty weak. I keep pressing the button next to the one I really want.
I would rather you get a Bold or Javelin or an iPhone (if you're not a BB freak).
August 14th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Thanks.
August 14th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Try it for yourself. That's the best personal advice I can give you.
For me personally, I loved the phone and ordered one a few days ago. Although I don't like comparing it to the IPhone, since you said you own an IPhone I will try and compare it in terms of what you're used to. BB Storm has basically all the same features the IPhone has except the ability of WiFi. However, in my opinion, this disadvantage is nullified since Verizon's 3G network is superior to AT&T's. Overall, Verizon's coverage has proven to be the best available. With that said, you may find that where you live, Verizon coverage is poor, so once again, it works wonders to simply try the phone out before buying it.
In terms of features, the BB Storm has a full HTML browser, can view Youtube, etc. The Browser has a few kinks, but in the recent update by RIM, most of them have been removed and the speed is identical to that of the IPhone 3G. It has full multimedia capabilites including be able to transfer your music over, including ITunes. And unlike the IPhone where you cannot get more memory storage, the BB Storm allows you to buy MicroSD Cards for a very fair price; so now you wont have to worry about running out of storage space. The BB Storm has a stunning screen and videos look tremendous on it.
It includes a 3.2 MP camera as opposed to IPhone 2.0. It also allows video capture.
Some things the BB Storm has but the IPhone doesn't:
Copy/Paste Feature
MMS
Unrivaled 'Push' E-mail. (The IPhone has been trying to catch up with this technology, but RIM is truly in a league of its own. You will be amazed by the e-mail features of a Blackberry.)
SurePress Screen (More on this in a second)
Additional storage capabilities
Video Capture
Better Network (Let's face it, although IPhone is a good phone, AT&T is a drag compared to Verizon's coverage. Though this could be different in your area.)
The Big thing about the BB Storm is its Sure-Press Screen. It is not like a normal touch screen on the IPhone. When you touch the screen, you 'hover' over your selection. But in order to make any selection, you actually have to push in to the screen, similar to that of a mouse click. This (in theory) makes selecting choices much more reliable, removes the possibility of error in typing, and allows more intuitive features in browsing. This technology is not for everyone, and it definitely has a learning curve to get used to it. I didn't like it at first, but the more I played with it, the more I liked it. I'm not sure if this is true, because I don't have mine yet, but I have heard that if you don't like the Sure-Press, you can go to the Phone Settings and allow double-taps to also select options.
It should be noted again, that there are still looming bugs in the Storm's software. But this is to be expected when a new phone is released. There is no reason not to assume RIM will be taking care of these issues through continuous updates.
Beyond what I have said, and I am sure I have missed a lot, you could also check out some reviews of the Storm on Youtube. I found this one most useful:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RXagnb8oPQ
It's long, but hey: there's so many features, it is hard to be any more concise without leaving out some of the content.
Edit: As far as the pricing goes, yes, for a 2 yr contract, it is $250 with a $50 rebate, thus dropping it to $200. You will be required to purchase a data plan with it which includes unlimited web browsing and e-mail for $29.95. For an additional $15, you can use your BB Storm as a wireless broadband modem for your laptop as it does have that technology. The plans vary for minutes and texting, so you would be best checking out the Verizon website for that information.
August 15th, 2009 at 8:14 am
disable the memory cleansing….:)
August 15th, 2009 at 2:52 am
You don't need to unlock the phone. Since the 8830 and Storm are both GSM phones on CDMA network. You would not be able to use the GSM in North American but outside NA all you have to do is simply pop in the GSM SIM and it should work.
If you see GPRS instead of 1XEV that you seen on the top right hand corner then you are on GSM. If you do not see that then go into your Options Network and switch off CDMA.
August 15th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hmm…I see dimes, papers, guitar picks all over these comments.
I shall try a quarter to make my Storm more valuable >=D
August 15th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
Thanks Man Im Not To Skilled With This Phone.
August 15th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
You can always make deals with carriers and Verizon is no exception. Just go into the negotiation knowing that is what you want. I can't imagine Verizon not wanting you to sign on for 2 years, that's what every carrier wants, but you may have to pay a cancellation fee on the phone. But everything is negotiable. Carriers take hit on the handsets, even when they are not free. They have to subzidize them by having customers sign on for long periods and putting in the cancellation fee. Ask if you could sign a 3 year contract if you can get out of your original one. That might do it. Be creative. You could try this site for more information.
http://www.shopblackberrystorm.com
August 16th, 2009 at 7:15 am
i got a probelm with my lock button, now it started happening after i did the memory clean. when i hit the lock button it takes a while to lock then i have to touch the screen to get it to lock what do you think i should do to fix it. ive taken the battery out alot of times and it still didnt help.
August 16th, 2009 at 10:41 pm
wat i do is rip a buisness card in 2, try to make them the size of the battery then stack the peices on the battery.
August 17th, 2009 at 2:09 am
Well, let me just say that the Blackberry storm is one of the greatest phones i've ever used in my life. Really when you push down on the screen the fact that it clicks and pushes in is great for the accuracy of what your are pressing. It is very fast and has great features. Truly a great phone.
Yes, it is compatible with Macs and Itunes if they are recent products for the past four years of generations. So if your mac and your Itunes are new and have been updated in the past four years then your set. GET THE PHONE!
August 17th, 2009 at 5:59 am
The phone itself costs $249.99 with a new, two-year contract. You'll receive a voucher for a $50 mail-in rebate with that, making the effective price $199.99. Verizon also sells all of their phones with one year contracts ($349.99) and month-to-month ($399.99).
You must buy this phone with an applicable data plan. The minimum plan for this phone is $49.99 for data only, no voice. For both voice and data, you'll pay at least $69.99 total; $29.99 for the personal data plan and $39.99 for a 450-minute voice plan. That includes e-mail and Web browsing, but it doesn't include SMS text messaging. SMS messaging packages range from $5 to $20/month depending on how many messages they include.
If you use the BlackBerry with a corporate server, add another $15. If you want to use it as a modem for your PC, add another $15. If you want to use it in foreign countries, add $10 or $20 depending on your existing plan.
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You will be able to go through vzw.com and price it yourself once it is available (tomorrow 11/21)