BlackBerry Storm gets official pricing and release date
RIM BlackBerry Storm
(Credit: RIM )Holy. Crap. On Wednesday, Verizon Wireless finally released the information we've all been waiting for, the release date and pricing of the RIM BlackBerry Storm, and frankly, I'm shocked. Shocked in a good way, but still, I'm picking my jaw off the floor.
The highly anticipated Storm will be available in Verizon stores and online on November 21 and here's the part that got me: it will go for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. I know there were rumors about the $200 price point, but I really thought the touch-screen smartphone would be more in the $249.99 range. Hey, good on Verizon for proving me wrong.
With such a pricing scheme, RIM and Verizon might be sending a little message to AT&T and the precious Apple iPhone 3G to let them know they're not scared and they're up for a little friendly competition. Bring it, I say. It just means more choice and better products for consumers.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the BlackBerry Storm will actually deliver on performance, and I hope to get my hands on a review unit soon. However, I know there's already been a huge amount of interest in the device. Every day, I'm inundated with questions about the Storm, so let me ask you, who's heading out to the store on November 21 to get one and why?
On Sale Now:
$149.99
- $599.99
View the latest prices for RIM BlackBerry Storm (Verizon Wireless)
Bonnie Cha is a senior editor for CNET, covering smartphones and GPS. When she's not testing the latest gadgets, you can find her chasing after her crazy lab or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California. E-mail Bonnie.
The touch screen acts like real keys; it will act as a tethered modem, which means you can connect it to your computer for 3G internet access, it has A2DP Bluetooth for stereo listening, and it will automatically switch from the U.S. Verison network to GSM if you travel out of the country.
Blackberry got it RIGHT. The Storm is everything anyone could want in a Smartphone, not missing features like both Google G1 and Apple iPhone do.
FWIW - It will support MicroSD cards, so in all likelihood it would be able hold 16GB of media/data. (Theoretically, it could hold even more as larger cards become commonplace.) So in effect, it (in addition to many other phones hitting the market) actually could best your beloved iPhone, as last I checked the memory on the phone wasn't readily expandable...
Verizon needs to stick to building their great network, and let their customers get the full products as RIM and Motorola (and Apple) designed them.
BlackBerry needs to go on a diet. And I'm wondering if the screen is multi-touch like the iPhone 3G? ... also, I wonder if the OS will lag like so many of the other competitors to Apple.
Also, $199 for a BlackBerry seems a bit steep seeing how it comes with so little built in memory.
And ***, no WiFi?
Looks like Apple iPhone 3G still has the upper hand.
And if you have a data/internet plan on your phone why do you need WiFi?
I don't understand why people even ask this question...
Wifi is faster.
Wifi is available in places that cell networks are not.
Most importantly though - there is no data Cap on wifi.
For any modern smartphone - especially one trying to compete with the current touch screen market - to not have wifi is a signal that there product has not been fully thought out.
Here's the specs:
iPhone:
Height: 4.5 inches (115.5 mm)
Width: 2.4 inches (62.1 mm)
Depth: 0.48 inch (12.3 mm)
Weight: 4.7 ounces (133 grams)
Storm:
* 4.43"/112.5mm (Length)
* 2.45"/62.2mm (Width)
* 0.55"/13.95mm (Depth)
* 5.5 oz/155g (Weight)
Multi-Touch vs SurePress
This will come down to a matter of preference. Double taps zoom in and hitting (enter i think) zoom out. Movement around the screen is the same as the iPhone (i.e. sliding of the finger up/down or left/right). The bonus of SurePress is I can touch an app button/icon w/o actually selecting it - to select it I would press the button/icon. iPhone will go directly to the app/page if you touch the button/icon (this I found annoying with iPhone while trying it out at the store. b/c there were several times I touched the wrong app).
As far as a "steep price" - it has EXPANDABLE memory (something iPhone doesn't have) and it comes w/ 8GB SD memory card. So, w/ the required 2yr contract (which is also required by AT&T) it's the same price as an 8GB iPhone. With memory disks getting larger the Storm has the ability to expand memory w/o having to purchase a new phone.
3G vs WiFi
Again, this is a preference of the user. For me it's not a deal breaker. More than likely if I'm going to be spending that much time on a WiFi network I'll have my laptop with me or will be at home using the internet. Since Verizon does has the best network (currently I'm an AT&T user, but consistently drop calls and have several "dead zones" while my brother, who has Verizon, has full coverage (i.e. all bars)) Likely places I will be I'll have full 3G coverage and will not need to be connected to WiFi.
iPhone might have more applications and such and that's just great, but it's still a phone first and foremost which means I need it to actually be able to MAKE and MAINTAIN a call! AT&T has lost it's edge in this arena and Verizon is by far the superior network. Not to mention Verizon is now providing better Global availability, something that WAS a bonus w/ AT&T.
To the knee-jerk Apple-bashers: Get a life (and an iPhone) and quit ur whining...
2nd, those complaining about Storm not having WiFi, need to get a better paying job so you can afford a data plan rather than just smooching off other people's unsecured network, or having to pay for hotspots. Besides, I know Verizon's mandating everyone with smartphone to get a data plan, but guess what, they're also remodeling their data plan to bundle with unlimited messaging, so shut your pie hole. Granted, although I'm a Verizon customer, yet there are certain features/benefits I'm not happy with, but then again, that's everyone who doesn't get what they WANT. BTW, if you don't travel internationally, Verizon do have the best 3G network and most coverage in the U.S. Those disagrees and are iPhone lovers...what was the most recent headline? iPhone 3G coverage isn't what it makes to be? Might work good for you because maybe you don't travel around, if that's the case, then good for you.
3rd, those complaining about not having QWERTY keyboard, guess what? That's call evolution, eventually all cell phones won't have actual keyboard to type on, then what? you're stuck with house phone...or are you willing to keep your phone from the 1800's, or the one like Zack Morris had in Save By The Bell?
People complain and complain, if you don't like it, don't buy it. What RIM's doing is call taking a chance, and a very good chance at that, and that's exactly what every company's doing. You are right, won't be like another iPhone, but guess what, nothing can be duplicated, but only imitated.
You bet I will be at the store on the 21st and get myself a new RIM Storm, especially just in time for my upgrade. If there's a bug, so beat it, but from what I can recall, RIM rarely had any software issues.
How about the fact that in my office we have wifi - fast wifi - faster than cellular networks?
Or how about the fact that AT&T iPhone customers get free wifi access at Starbucks and McDonalds across the country - not to mention the thousands of other locations.
Not having wifi in this device is just plain idiotic. It's bigger and thicker than most touchscreens but doesn't have a qwerty keyboard as an excuse ala the G1.
And all the latest reports I've seen on cellular network data speed put Verizon behind both At&t and Sprint. Yet another reason that wifi should be an option on this device.
I'll be curious to see what an in depth review of this phone yields and maybe it will fair well; but as of now it's a neat phone and very little more. Certainly nothing to switch carriers over which is really what an iPhone competitor needs to be able to do.
I'd say keep you eyes out for a more enterprise friendly and less Beta feeling Google Android phone in the future as the real iPhone competitor.
You are right, Verizon data speed is certainly behind AT&T, but not far behind, however, I would have to disagree about Sprint. AT&T and Sprint do have big coverages, but not reliable. I had a Sprint Mogul, as well as AT&T iPhone, sprint drop way too many calls, and iPhone 3G, isn't exactly up to the expectation. Granted, I'm not praising Verizon either, but like every other companies, they are certainly working on the biggest network availability.
Comparing to Google Android SP OS the Blackberry OS is like comparing democracy to Stalin' Sovie Union.
Going back to the cheapness of this new device; it is a necessity not an option that RIM had. Can you really compare the Bold to Apple iPhone? Not at all. Bold vibrates when you press the button on the screen! Oh how unsophisticated you all are. SOHO, NYC
There will be a phone that will be as good as the iPhone in CNET's eyes....its called the next iPhone.
If Verizon would just let RIM make the phone they want to make and allow it on their network with EVERY FEATURE for $30 this phone would match up very nicely with the iPhone. Too bad.
I have no interest in Wi-Fi for the simple reason that it drains battery life really quickly. I can't have my phone dying on me in 20 minutes. If there is wi-fi somewhere, I'm usually with my laptop (at work, school, home). If I have my laptop and wi-fi I'm not using my phone to browse websites. As for using it at Starbucks or McDonald's that's great for the like 4 times a month I'm in either for 15 minutes...doesn't really seem like a major feature for my life. Also my experience with my friend's iPhone (although it is the 1st gen version) has been that the wi-fi isn't really that much faster than my Blackberry on Verizon's 3G network because the software isn't that fast/the browser doesn't render pages quickly.
I use my Blackberry to tether on Verizon all the time and it is a must have feature for me (although I've heard AT&T may allow the iPhone to tether at some point in the future).
Finally, the GPS point is your best one. Verizon did sign an agreement last year when they took on additional bandwidth that they would start to open up the hardware features of their phones more. We'll see if they actually ever follow through. However, the GPS issue alone isn't enough for me to switch networks.
No Storm will have WiFi.
Not GSM or CDMA. RIM didnt make it with it.
Verizon came out with a new phone yesterday WITH WiFi!
And this WILL have BlackBerry Maps. So you dont have to just get VZ Nav.
Nothing is locked on this phone. Verizon is changing there phones.
Now that they have Alltel, they have around 85.2 million people.
Alltel had 14.4 Verizon had 70.8 million.
They now have the Largest Network coverage wise, and Largest Network Customer wise, and already have The Largest 3G network. And Verizon is already testing LTE, and will be the first to release it which will make them have the Fastest 3G network soon.
With all this, they are comming out with more and more CDMA/GSM phones for World Travlers.
And you can Tether your phone if you want to. You will just get charged for it Like every service does... OR you can get in the phone setup and change a code in it to allow tethering if you have a BlackBerry 29.99 data pack.
You need to get your infor right before you say stuff. You fit right in with AT&T... There stupid.
Not 3G because LTE is a spin off of 4G.
Take a chill pill people. Its a phone, not an insult to your mother.
She isnt but i'm just saying? HAHA
Just one picky comment about your column though. In your last sentence you write, "everyday." In this instance it would be "every day." Sorry, that's a pet peeve of mine. Sometimes "everyday" is correct, and sometimes "every day" is correct. They're not interchangeable. Yeah, I know, this has nothing to do with the phone. ; )