Update: Apparently the video has been taken down from youtube. *
A new Verizon BlackBerry Storm hands-on video just popped up on youtube. The reviewer does a solid job taking his time going through the phone. Definite must-watch if you're a Storm chaser!!!
[ Via CB Forums ]
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Video: Real Hands-On with the Verizon BlackBerry Storm!
After viewing this site for like the last 2 years I finally took the time to register just for this.
With the use of EVDO Rev A, it would be nice for someone with a Verizon pre-release BB Storm to do a quick speed test. I would like to see how fast the speed really is while tethering to compare to my Verizon Pearl now.
The video says that it's no longer available?!
SCREW whomever posted these videos only to then make them private.
And I say "SCREW" but in my head I'm thinking of a word that starts with F and ends in K.
sooooo lame he took his strom vidz down ><
Ok, so I was wondering... I haven't heard if the Storm is going to be an MP3 player or not, so I'm going to assume it isn't? I have the Pearl now (until Friday!) and I know that since the Pearl has an MP3 player you can use songs to create your ringtone... anyone know if that is possible yet for the Storm? Or, is there any way to upload songs like the Pearl to create your ringtones?
Regardless, I can't wait to be one of the first to have this phone.......!!!
Thanks.
I just clicked on his youtube account, and he put all of his 3 videos as private.. What a Jerk!!! -_^!!!
Ya, not cool. Pretty wak.
Ok I loved the video cause this phone is friggin sweet!!! but The whole phone noise was so annoying!!! TIP: Next time turn your phone off or get it away from the video camera!!!
for some reason... the Storm is smaller than I expected.. (awesome!!) or maybe it's cuz Kevin's got big hands?
Verizon store in Santa Barbara, CA is opening at 7AM instead of 9AM on Friday. I thought stores were only opening an hour earlier?? I guess I have to wake up even earlier this Friday......
Thank you for the great review. The Storm looks like a great addition to the CrackBerry family. I hope AT&T has this available by the time I can afford to upgrade.
If you apply a thin, film-like screen protector to the Storm, does it affect performance at all of the fingertip/screen sensory? I always wondered if protectors affected touch screens.
I attended a preview event on Monday - and I asked the exact question - the rep pulled his storm out with a screen protector on and it worked - although not as well with it off, it still worked.
My big question is, where is the camera on the back when he turns the phone over?
The camera is at the very top of the phone on the back. The glare from the lights prevented it from being seen in this video.
WOW, image stabilization, neat!
I too have been reading these posts for a month or more and finally decided to register so I can participate. After straightening out problems with my daughter using my upgrade without my approval to buy a Voyager which she returned 2 days later (that is for another post). I am getting my Storm on Friday.
My question is should I use the switch device wizard to transfer my contacts or should I just let them sync with my Outlook the first time I hook it to my computer? I currently have Desktop Mgr 4.3 and I am assuming I will have to upgrade to the most recent version before I connect the Storm to my computer.
My local Verizon store in NC told me he would have between 200-300 units available on Friday and if he sold out he can get more next day. He 'said' there were 600,000 units in the warehouse and Verizon's goal was to sell 1,000,000 units by the end of the year.
Desktop Manager 4.7 is available now on RIM's website.....
oh yeah, this device is pretty sweet. i wish he had the visual voicemail set up to show the actual action of saving a voice message and playing it as a media file.
Nice To Know
I got my hands on this today from Verizon Corporate, who came to our office to sell phones for the holidays. It is pretty slick and fast. The typing I found to be very easy and this is coming from a curve user. It does give you suggestions like texting even for the full screen keyboard which I love
The scrolling is pretty fast. Its not real time like a mouse, but its pretty dam good for a phone!
As for the screen, its bright, bold and nice. The touching is interesting. You can move your finger around but nothing selects unless you push down. The screen flexes down, but seems to pick up just the key you wanted.
As for the web, its fast with verizon, and selecting links is pretty easy and they hotspot links easily. Plus i dont have any fingernails (bite them) and its still very easy to use!
Size wise, its solid, but not too bulky and can easily fit in a pocket. I was sold...
is it just me or is this guy super annoying!!!
no, its not just you
seems smooth. wifi is kind deal breaker becuase the fact i wont have data plan. Anyways i heard next generation will have that till then maybe buy the bold.
Like many, I was concerned about the lack of WiFi at first, but then I thought about it this way:
If I can never find a free AND reliable WiFi network with the laptop, then what good is the WiFi on the phone? Only way I see it being very useful is if you have your own WiFi network at home and want to use that. Otherwise you're probably better off just using the 3G network.
BTW, I am on my Verizon modem with the laptop now because the WiFi network I use fromt he coffee shop next door died again. It works about 40% of the time, which is very frustrating. Yes the WiFi faster, but my Verizon access is almost 100% reliable and works almost everywhere.
YouTube Client - Vodafone YES Verizon Wireless NO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9YZ2ZUNMHk
I wonder why VZW decided to leave the YouTube Video client out.
Check the videos below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vRObJTNWPo
(0:34)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEeSLebYGjU
(2:12)
I have been wondering the same thing. I was excited to see it on the vodafone one. Hopefully it will be downloadable for Verizon users.
watched this video three time, i have been wanting this fone ever since i found out about it 2 months ago and ive visited this site numerous times a day every single day since then. i can officially say i am addicted and see what all the fuss is all bout. the only people that seem to share my feelings on this phone are on this site. most of my friends are already annoyed of me talkin bout the fone everyday and now they cant wait til the fone is out either lol
I read the info above concerning the Storm being on TMO which is good news sort of!
Anyway, now that TMO has 3G wouldn't the 3G capabilities in theory work? About a month ago I spoke to a rep from TMO and he gave a don't qoute me professional opinion "Anyone on TMO looking to get the Storm should remain patient, since it could end up on TMO with WIFI which has been a competitive strength of TMO." Read the signs, no WIFI will be a deal breaker for many when it comes to this device. We'll see if he is correct.
The T-Mobile 3G network may look like those in use by other global carriers, but it’s not. T-Mobile uses a radio frequency band (1700 MHz) for 3G connections that is unique in the world. The carrier claims it allows faster data speeds but the reality is it means that only phones specifically designed for the T-Mobile network will work at full speed. You can’t just use any phone, which limits you to only being able to use their selection. There are only a handful of TMO phones that can make full use of its 3G speeds, one of them being the G1. Thus, the Storm will not make use of TMO's 3G because it was not specifically designed for their network.
Oh, and if you are waiting on a Storm built for TMO with WiFi, then you at the least would be talking about the Storm 2 which rumored at a late Spring 2009 release I believe..can't remember for sure. BGR ran an article on Storm 2 and 3 development. So if this is true, and you can wait, AND it just happens to be put on TMO, then maybe it would be a good idea to wait. Or you could just jump ship and come to VZW and get it this FRIDAY!
I remember that blog a few weeks ago and it was code named the Magnum. It is basically a Bold that has both a touchscreen and qwerty. Possibly a direct competitor to the Palm. Its a good fit for TMO in terms of it entry into the 3G world and they don't have many touchscreen devices to compete with.
I noticed the "pacman" noises coming in and out during the video. Some of you may or may not know this, but Blackberries actual cause that noise in some audio systems. Many of the higher-ups where I work have company-issued BBs. There are some conference rooms that are vulnerable to this intereference in their conference call audio systems. The result is that everyone on the call hears that exact same "pacman" noise. It took us years to figure out that the BBs were the source of that interference. Of course, it probably doesn't speak well for the set up of the room audio system. I just thought that would be a fun little bit of info to share.
-SR-
Yeah, but isn't this a GSM radio only thing?
I have a verizon phone now (not a bb just a simple samsung flip phone) and it does this to audio in the class when I get a call. It also does this on a friends home theater system.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oT--qj_Gn4w
Cut and Paste on Verizon Blackberry Storm
Okay, after the negativity coming from the UK I was really doubting if this really was the phone for me and almost (ALMOST!!) was going towards iPhone.
But looking at this... I don't see the problem with speed. If this is what people experience as being slow, then WTF!? This is not slow at all.
I really like it, if this is the speed I'll get, bring it baby!!
Hi
I got my Storm on Friday and its much slower than the handset used in this video. However I think the US is getting different firmware so that might fix a few of the issues.
Alex
yeah I think the Vodaphone Storm is on like firmware .6X and Verizon is on like .8X
I think I just wet my pants .... mmmm Friday needs to hurry.
Now that's really not fair, you're being too nice. What I want to hear is what doesn't work so I don't feel too bad when my boss won't ante up for the upgrade to the Storm. I look forward to the next review from an unbiased (or at least not biased toward) view.
Till I get my hands on this spectacular device. I was gonna call in on Friday then found out I already have it off. I'm convinced its fate. Lol
I dunno if the guy has massive hands or the phone is really that small but it looks TINY!!!
So I went to a VZW VIP private sale with no storms for sale, oh well whatever. I did get to hold a dummy device. A couple things: One, it is a lot smaller and sleeker than I thought it was gonna be. It's as thin as my current phone right now (LG VX 8700 think RAZR but made by LG in stainless steel). Two, It is really heavy, but in a good way. Feels really solid in hand (I was told that it was stuffed with dead weight to mock the 155g weight of the production model). And lastly, the way the screen works is amazing. The whole thing clicks. I thought it would click only in that specific area but but its more along the lines of two panes of glass with a mini spring in between at each corner. As you press the screen as whole depresses and clicks back up.
All things previously mentioned in Kevin's review, but were the three things that you kind of have to see to believe. Especially the slim design.
I was glad to see someone review the Verizon Storm and confirm that Visual Voicemail is still on the device. I have seen many video reviews yet very few mention of the visual voicemail.
I read daily but never post...Kevin this was an awesome find! Please keep up the great and diligent work.
I'm kinda scared that the screen might break since you always have to press it in. I haven't seen the storm nor been in the same room as it but I reckon the screen might break since you have to press it in to launch everything
There are spring mechanisms under it. Don't worry.
I'm as excited as the next person for this phone and will definitely be trying to pick one up this Friday. However, I feel like lost in all this excitement, the news about the application store has been lost. Has there been a go live date set for that...will it be 11/21 with the launch of the storm? And what about all the cool apps? what can we expect?
I thought I read somewhere the app store wouldn't be active until March ?
Okay, so I've recently become obsessed with the Storm (BB user of 2 years now) and have finally decided to educate myself on how cell phones work and networks and such.
Everything I've tried to find on here about unlocking the Storm and using it on another carrier (TMO here) has had people consistently saying that because it's CDMA and not GSM, that can't be done.
But from this video (and then subsequent research after seeing the video), apparently the VZM Storm, while CDMA intended, has a SIM card slot. So (I apologize if this is a question being obviously asked by the uninitiated) (and putting questions of 3G usage to the side for now) why is it that I can't use the Storm on TMO if it allows the use of SIM cards?
Well, to begin, TMO uses a strange frequency range which is unlike other GSM phones. Thus, in theory it would work on TMO, but only for EDGE. However, 3G speeds would not work, so if lack of 3G is a problem for you then you may wanna look elsewhere. Hope this helps.
Because the primary device radio is CDMA the device will always look for CDMA signal first. I don't doubt that it will be unlockable but with the coverage that Verizon gets in the US its very unlikely that this device will be usable on ATT TMo.. but then again with carriers adopting open access we'll just have to wait and see.
I need one so bad... As an Chef this is a must have. easy to use and programs to edit recipes! yay... Going to get one once it comes out...
Looked real good.. and only time the accelerometer was confused was when he turned it upside down to show the battery and back.. even my Ipod Touch is confused when I do that..
I'm pretty satisfied with what he showed.. Nice!
Should i wait to get my storm like mid december for free or buy one friday and sell mine when i get it
I will be at Best Buy this Friday to get my free bluetooth headset and $199 out the door price for the Storm. I did a pre-order so hopefully I don't have to wait long.
But I just wanted to get everyone's opinion....is it me or is there a big gap on the bottom of the screen??? Is this how the production model looks like? I read somewhere that they got rid of the big gap.
Regardless, this is the Best Blackberry by far!!!!!!
I noticed that gap between the screen and the face of the phone... It's kind of annoying especially if you look at the bottom where the buttons are... It's so bad you can see the guts under the buttons... Hopefully they fixed this for the release version.
...but you're not walking out of a Best Buy this Friday with a Storm. Best Buy pushed their release back to 11/23.
http://crackberry.com/e?link=https%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Fdeepl...
Scroll down about halfway to the "Correction Notice" with a BlackBerry Storm on it.
"On page 20 of the November 16-22 weekly ad, we advertised the Verizon Wireless BlackBerry Storm as available on November 16. Due to factors outside our control, the release date has been delayed to November 23. We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this may have caused"
I just confirmed with Best Buy (via online chat, as well as in-store and over the phone that they had originally received information that their release date would be November 23, but that it will now definitely be on November 21.
Did anyone else notice that the Storm took what seemed to be about 10 seconds to exit the voicemail screen after he pressed the escape button. This does not bode well for RIM and Verizon. I'm going to give this phone a shot, but my gut tells me it'll be returned soon after purchase and an iphone will be in my future.
Dude that's the ONLY app it was the LEAST bit sluggish on...
Just a few more days and I will be able to compare the iPhone and the Storm directly, but I have to say after two months around an iPhone, it's not ALL that. The iPHone is buggy, it crashes, and it drops calls while standing still with full signal. Worst of all, there is either a problem with the phone of the Apple bluetooth device so bluetooth doesn't work at all...need to take it back. It looks nice, feels good, plays music well, and surfs the internet well (as long as it isn't dropping signal), but beyond that it's not that impressive. As an actual phone it's actually kind of a letdown, IMO. Anyway, my point is I wouldn't rush to the iPhone over a slow exit from voicemail on the Storm. If that's the worst problem you have with the Storm, the iPhone might seem like a real pile of poop.
I agree. got an iPhone in July, went back to my Curve in Oct. Just too weird. Kept locking up. Screen freezes. slow to switch modes. Was having to actually shake the phone to get it to switch. It's good at what it does (music, web) but is very lacking in what it doesn't.
Screen looks great. Love the Transitions from App to App. Hope it is as snappy as the Bold. Looking forward to Friday Morning. Ill be waiting
LOL @ the other BlackBerry he has getting messages while doing the review.
Nice video, although next time keep that gsm phone a couple feet away ;)
Hi guys, I tried both Storm and iPhone and came up with a short note summarising my thoughts on these devices:
http://livefromthewire.posterous.com/blackberry-storm-vs-iphone-my
I've received positive feedback, so there's a chance that you'll find this 'review' interesting.
If not, sorry for spam ;-)
Guy did a pretty good job presenting the thing. Enjoyed it alot. I like how the screen fades out when it goes to sleep mode. Can't wait to have my Filanges all over this thing! ;)
Can't wait till it comes to France... and to have the money...