AT&T to potential BlackBerry Storm customers: Storm sucks, iPhone rulez!
You definitely have to take this one at face value, but there’s an internal document floating around inside AT&T pitting the iPhone 3G against the upcoming BlackBerry Storm. We had our doubts about this document at first, but we received it from two independent sources now, so it’s legit! Here’s some of the smack-talking AT&T lays down:
- The Storm doesn’t have multi-touch
- There’s no Wi-Fi
- The Storm doesn’t have an App Store
- Stormy Storm doesn’t have tri-band HSDPA
- The browser sucks on the Storm
- No iTunes action (movies, music, etc.)
Yeah yeah, we know you can sync your BlackBerry with DRM-free music in iTunes so don’t get your panties in a bunch over that line. We think legitimate points so far, but the browser hasn’t been tested and tri-band HSDPA doesn’t matter if you’re not using the device on AT&T in the United States. Peanut gallery, you’re up!
Thanks, AT&T ninjas!
Tags: app store, AT&T, BlackBerry, HSDPA, iphone 3g, itunes, multi-touch, storm, thunder, Wi-Fi
lmao @ notanapplehonk…AT&T was quick to release this document huh. I think they released it based on the pre specs of the Storm, only to realize that, not only does it have turn-by-turn gps (whether you pay or not) but it also had aGPS and blackberry maps, along with iTunes synching and practically the same browser, if not better than the iphone’s safari, since they are both based of Webkit. They also were quick to throw in wifi and although that’s always a welcomed addition, you people are idiotic if you think that it makes a MOBILE phone better when you can’t use it when you’re MOBILE. I don’t care about the wifi speeds compared to 3G…it’s completely irrational to say that you’d prefer the wifi speeds over 3g when most of the time you’re not home, unless you plan on running to a Starbucks every time you need to get online. All of the advantage points, except for wifi and multitouch don’t hold up because them mentioning HSDPA when it’s on Verizon just makes them sound desperate and the Storm has 3 gps options, plus itunes synching and who cares about DRM these days anyway?
Also,BG I love how you specifically chose this post to respond to comments directly from your iphone just to show your devotion and fanboy addiction. For someone who is pretty versed on technology and the mobile experience, I would think that you would not make a case for wifi over 3G when they do not serve the same purpose. Yes I understand when you are home Wifi is faster and whatnot but are you going to sit here and tell me that a MOBILE phone needs wifi when that defeats the whole purpose of mobility? I like to have it in my phone and I agree with you on it’s speeds but when you compare 3G speeds Verizon’s is faster and a lot more reliable and that is what ultimately matters when you are on the go.
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I normally don’t post comments but, at this point, I feel like I need to chime in.
I have never owned an Apple product (yes, I’m one of the 7 people who don’t own an iPod…sue me) nor have I ever owned a Blackberry.
I cannot be accused of being a “fanboy” for either side and, if you do feel the need to call me a “fanboy”, let me save the trouble of having to go back and add another post. You’re an idiot, your parents are idiots, and your dog is ugly too.
OK, now that THAT’S out of the way…
How can Apple have “the best multimedia player/phone and NOT support A2DP (stereo Bluetooth)? That just makes no sense to me.
I’ve played with a few iPhones. The interface is revolutionary, no doubt. I could show my 70 year old mom how to use this thing in 5 minutes. It’s that easy, it’s that intuitive, it’s that simple…and the network (AT&T) that it works on is so slow as to make the device virtually unusable. It HAS to have WiFi if you want to use it.
Now, here’s my problem. I don’t spend my afternoons hanging out at Borders or Starbucks. I’m not in college. I have a job and a life. I don’t want to have to find somewhere where my device works, I want a device that works where I am at the moment!
I have a Verizon Treo and the network access is great. I can’t wait to try a Rev. A device.
Also, Apple/AT&T is just kidding themselves if they want to go after RIM with regards to e-mail handling. Sorry guys, that’s not a fight you’re going to win.
Does the Storm “do it all”? Nope. Does any phone? Nope.
I think the iPhone is a great piece of hardware and would have bought one of the first ones that came out…if I could have gotten it on Verizon’s EVDO network but, I couldn’t…and I still can’t…and maybe I never will be able to.
Apple only made one unforgivable mistake when they released the iPhone…they went with AT&T. And for those that try to overlook that fatal flaw with comments on how great the interface is, or how easily it plays movies, or how seamlessly it integrates with iTunes…it’s a PHONE! At the end of the day, it’s a PHONE. You’ve got to be able to reliably make and receive calls. If it can’t do that, it’s an expensive iTouch.
RIM picked the right carrier to go with. The Storm isn’t perfect, it has some flaws but, at the end of the day, those flaws are forgivable.
While I won’t be camping out in front of my local Verizon store 2 days before the release (see above…about having a life), I will be getting a Storm to replace my Treo as soon as it’s out.
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I swear I get a big kick whenever I read most of the comments on here. Seriously people, ALL carriers do this. Sprint even went as far as making a dedicated WEBSITE for the instinct vs iphone comparison. It’s NOT that serious. Carriers have to provide their employees with counter responses to customers who do come into stores questioning (example) what the iphone has to offer compared to the bold. When it all boils down, it’s about business & AT&T is doing the same thing the others are doing. Get over yourselves folks.
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Whoever posted about this being a bad business model for AT&T I applaud your “outside-the-box” train of thought. RIM is their biggest costumer for them to go out of their way to condemn one of their phones, which I bet they will want to release if ever a US GSM version became available, is a bad business model. They should just stick to launching the Bold instead of shooting themselves in the leg.
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Ok, explain to me why WiFi on these phones is better than 3G. I don’t hang out at airports or coffee shops, and it’s kinda dumb to sit at home using my Wifi to surf when I have a full blown PC. We do not have WiFi at my work due to security concerns, so explain to me how wifi is better. It seems pretty limited if you ask me.
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Most of you people are such idiot fanboys. You are taking an internal document that is used for sales pointers only and turning into some kind of death toll for the iPhone once the Storm is released. As stated by a few knowledgeable people in this blog, this kind of sales memo is common for all carriers and Verizon is no exception. They have released the same materials about the iPhone with every one of their locked down, stripped down “touch” screen devices since the iPhones launch. They’ve been trying to launch iPhone killers ever since they were stupid enough to pass on it. So far, all of their iPhone killer devices have failed to do so because the last time I looked, they were still selling iPhones as fast as they could stock them. Wasn’t it Sprint what was supposed to kill the iPhone with the Instinct? Wasn’t the last Verizon iPhone killer the Dare? Or was it the Voyager? Oh who can keep up with all the devices and carriers that have been gunning for the iPhone for over a year now?
And you dorks who claim WiFi isn’t important on a MOBILE device are just inbred hillbillies. Just because you may live in the cuntry where it is not only legal to marry blood relatives but encouraged, most of the rest of the populated areas has an abundance of free wifi available. A laptop is a MOBILE device and most people wouldn’t buy one without wifi. ESPECIALLY BUSINESS USERS. If you claim wifi is not important to a business user then you simply AREN’T one and your job at Burger King doesn’t qualify you as such.
Verizon is a great network and I would take their service over AT&T any day and would have if they’d had brains enough NOT to pass on the iPhone. However, their handsets leave much to be desired. I think that the Storm will be a nice device for those who must use Blackberry and who want to use Verizon as their provider. But you can not reasonably think that AT&T or Apple is shaking in their boots over the release of yet another touch screen device from Verizon.
Anyone who must use blackberry devices was never an iPhone customer to start with. This is going to be an attractive device to those who already use them, but even if they match the iPhone feature for feature, there is nothing there that would attract a current or potential iPhone customer to it over the iPhone.
Really, the ONLY reason and I mean the ONLY ONLY reason to have Verizon is if their network works best where you are. I’ve never seen Verizon offer a device worth “jumping ship” for like has been done with the iPhone. Verizon needs to understand that handsets are as important to people as “the network”. Who want to pay out the backside for two years on a device that you don’t really like? Or, like with the blackberry, using something that is NEW on Verizon but everyone else had over a year ago?
And for all you who think BGR is not entitled to an opinion well guess what? This is an editorial blog. For those who don’t understand that, it means that in editorial reporting, you are allowed to express personal opinions in your writing. Each and every one of you have a favorite device, carrier or manufacturer with likes and dislikes about each. Don’t rag on the man because one of his posts may not favor your favorite.
And a final word for you iPhone haters. We’ve all heard your bellyaching remarks before. They iPhone is here and is an embedded and important part of the wireless phone community and industry. It would seem that it is here to stay. You need to learn to deal with that and move on. Your griping is not affecting the sales or impact of this device. You need to learn to embrace technology that breaks new ground and sets the bar up higher for all of the industry. Do don’t have to buy it, use it, or like it. But you have to find something more constructive to do with your time because you do what your accuse AT&T of doing with this internal memo. You are PANICKING. You live in fear because a device that you don’t like for whatever reason is DOMINATING the industry and EVERY manufacturer is doing it’s best to mimic Apple’s success with the iPhone. By now, everyone knows the strength’s and weaknesses of the iPhone and have learned to live with them or move on to another device.
So please, STFU already about it. You just look as bad as the Apple fanboys you constantly mock! Curl up with your RIM’s, your Nokia’s or even, God forbid, your WM devices and enjoy them. Just forget about the iPhone. Fast forward through the commercials on your Tivo and skip reading the articles discussing it. Instead, find those articles that talk about YOUR fanboy favorite and discuss it there. No one really cares if you hate the iPhone. I repeat. NO ONE ON TIHS ENTIRE PLANET GIVE A RATS ASS ABOUT YOU HATING THE IPHONE. I’ll bet not even your MOTHER gives a damn that you hate it so why do WE have to listen to you bitch about no MMS?
Thanks and have a delightful day.
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^ Gotta luv the Homer!
Thanks for the clarity about the whining Apple-haters, et al.
The WinMo fanboys are deafeningly silent when it comes to MS’s record of not even being able to properly and easily close an app without yet another layer of software on top of the OS to carry out the command. That is after almost a decade of mobile OS development! Yet, they incessantly whine about no MMS or copy/paste?! Not even the Google thought enough of copy/paste to be bothered with this ‘feature’ for the morbidly-lazy demographic. What blatant hypocrites.
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@Jason: Wifi doesn’t have to be proven to be better or more widely available to be an OPTION. There is no reason why you should not have the OPTION of using wifi when there is access to it. And I don’t know where you live, but wifi is not just confined to airports and coffee shops anymore. Most of the malls, restaurants and many public gathering areas such as parks and fair grounds are providing free wifi. Some areas are providing or working to provide free wifi coverage of entire cities and towns. So, sure. 3G is great. But wifi is better when available and should be an option on your device.
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Yeah, Verizon bugs me on many levels, but one thing they got right is their network (overall).
It’s not just about being fast (some of the time), it’s about being consistent and reliable as well. This is where they beat at&t and why at&t’s name keeps getting dragged into the mud everytime a network survey is released.
I love BlackBerry’s and believe it or not I’m excited about this device.
It’s true that all carriers play offensive and defensive roles on their competitors product launches, but something tells me this time at&t has a lot more reason to be afraid.
1) Soon they’ll lose their largest provider status when Alltel assumes full ownership of Alltel this year
2) BlackBerry so far other than WinMo is the only other game in town that can hold its own against Apple
3) Verizon Wireless has a much more expansive and reliable 3G network and a 1xRTT network that apparently handles voice traffice extremely well (overall).
4) at&t is about to lose some of the bold’s thunder (no pun intended) when its largest competitor drops the Storm bomb on the nation
Sidenote: A little birdie tells me that VZW who is known for their rock solid advertising team is planning a massive Storm assault on the media…. Look out.
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I’ll be happy to have a 3G phone that can actually get a 3G signal. iPhones drop their signal and AT&T 3G has a fraction of the coverage of Verizon’s 3G. AT&T v Verizon 3G coverage map: http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/2482/attvsvzw3gdt0.gif
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Sour grapes. The Storm may not have everything at launch, but RIM/VZW will probably add to the features with firmware updates (much like Apple did for the iPhone).
Oh, and obligatory STORM HAS F**KING COPY & PASTE!
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@Danny: I get what you are trying to say here, but nothing is new here except for the device itself. This is what, the FIRST blackberry that Verizon has released that wasn’t out on everyone else’s network for a year or more? The VZW vs. AT&T network argument is nothing new and not a compelling enough argument to use them. If VZW is so vastly superior, then why must they compete at all? I think that is why they haven’t cared about or focused on handsets is because they are so wrapped up in being The Network that they feel that’s enough. We are The Network so everyone will used whatever crippled and stripped device that we hand them. VZW hasn’t cared if you don’t like their UI. They don’t care if you don’t like having a GPS device that is crippled and unusable for anything other than VZNavigator because THEY ARE THE NETWORK. They don’t care enough to sell more than a couple devices for business people that will work overseas because…. wait for it….. THEY ARE THE NETWORK BABY!!
As for losing the #1 status? I don’t think the average consumer cares wether or not their carrier has 50 million subscribers or 51 million subscribers? Do you really think that VZW customers are hanging their head in shame right now because they are only #2? They don’t give a shit about it and neither will AT&T customers after VZW buys it’s way to the top again.
And your little birdie can sit in it’s cage and crap on the VZW ads for all anyone cares. Sprint spent a ton of money (that it doesn’t have) marketing the shit out of the Instinct and from what I’ve heard, it didn’t sink AT&T, Apple or the iPhone. Blackberry users are going to try the Storm and then spend all of their time bitching about the lack of a physical keyboard just like they did with the iPhone because blackberry users, like RIM itself, are about as progressive as an antique book store. Hell, most blackberry users are still bitching about the new keyboards of the 8800 and 8300 series. I can just imagine the response from NO keyboard…
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LOL, looking at the bullet points, they are flat out WRONG on two of them:
- The Storm *DOES* allow for 7.2mbps HSDPA all around the world, except for North America (where EV-DO coverage is better)
- The Storm will ship with GPS-enabled BlackBerry Maps. Oh, and Verizon aGPS is way better than “cell tower” and “wifi” location.
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As a BlackBerry loyalist I will be the first to admit how much the Iphone changed the smart phone game with yupies camping outside Apple Store bragging and playing hacky-sack, but the BOLD and now the Storm has people up in arms as well, only the congregating is more sophisticated. You can best believe Apple has their head on a swivle and watching the Storm more closely then any other device. The Iphone will be the better unit at the end of the day, especially since its a first generation (which usually is full of bugs), but if the email and “phone” reception is true to BlackBerry form the Storm will knock the Iphone off its, “the only leg we have to stand on is a good web-browser” pedestal. Since its on Verizon and AT&T’s weak @ss network that shouldn’t be a problem. If there is such thing as a moral victory, The Storm will win!
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@ Verizon Guy Said:
Sour grapes. The Storm may not have everything at launch, but RIM/VZW will probably add to the features with firmware updates (much like Apple did for the iPhone).
“Probably” add the features? Probably? You are using probability as an argument? Why don’t argue something factual instead of hypothetical? If you want to go that route, RIM will PROBABLY loose a ton a market share to Apple because Apple will PROBABLY license Blackberry Connect at some point. I could PROBABLY go on and on with the PROBABLY argument but you PROBABLY got the point by now, eh?
Fact is RIM has about as many useful 3rd party apps as you do fingers on your right hand. Cut and paste is fine BUT, I’ll take the wifi over the C&P any day. Plus, cut and past can be added as some point to the iPhone. Wifi can’t to the Storm.
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@Verizon Guy Said:
LOL, looking at the bullet points, they are flat out WRONG on two of them:
- The Storm *DOES* allow for 7.2mbps HSDPA all around the world, except for North America (where EV-DO coverage is better)
- The Storm will ship with GPS-enabled BlackBerry Maps. Oh, and Verizon aGPS is way better than “cell tower” and “wifi” location.
Verzion Guy: You are an idiot! What the hell do you think aGPS is? It’s Assisted GPS by CELL TOWERS your moron! Assisting GPS with cell towers and wifi is what makes aGPS better than regular GPS.
Further more, blackberry maps don’t give turn by turn directions. Blackberry maps aren’t even on par with Google maps which we have on the iPhone and just about every other cellular device. This is the only reason that VZW is ALLOWING you to have them because it won’t directly compete with their VZNavigator. Which, by the way, USING FREAKING CELL TOWERS for navigation.
As for the 7.2 HSPDA. Nice argument. It will work anywhere in the world EXCEPT for the country that you live and bought it in.
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@Danny: The “assault” you speak of is actually RIM’s marketing plan. RIM’s marketing storm is comprised of the Storm on VZW … the Pearl Flip on TMobile … and the Bold on AT&T … all released within a very closely narrow timeframe. That’s not an assault on other carriers. That’s an assault on Nokia, Palm, Moto, and Samsung.
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Doesn’t matter how good the iPhone is as a device, AT&T’s call quality is rock bottom and their coverage isn’t exactly spectacular.
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I just don’t get the point of having wifi on a phone besides a carrier using it to make up for there crappy network the point of a mobile phone is to be mobile and not have to HUNT down a hotspot or sit in some cafe just to use the internet get a life if your gonna be home or in the office use a desktop laptop anything but a cell phone to browse the internet
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@Andrey: Same tired old network vs. network argument that has no relevance to this discussion and is very debatable depending on where you live. VZW’s overall call quality may be arguably better, but apparently not enough to sway the carrier with the currently largest subscriber base. I don’t think that AT&T’s call quality is AS good as VZW’s. However, it’s not enough of a difference to compel me to use VZW’s crappy, crippled handsets. And it would seem that 50 plus million people feel the same way.
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i don’t see the point of people bringing up wifi unless your a carrier who has a crappy network and need it to make up for the lack of coverage. no real person has time to HUNT a hotspot down or sit in some cafe like a loser just to browse the internet a mobile phone is for being mobile if your gonna be in your home or office use a computer
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kanebb Said:
I just don’t get the point of having wifi on a phone besides a carrier using it to make up for there crappy network the point of a mobile phone is to be mobile and not have to HUNT down a hotspot or sit in some cafe just to use the internet get a life if your gonna be home or in the office use a desktop laptop anything but a cell phone to browse the internet.
With that logic, why would you need 3G on any phone then if you advocate only using your laptop or PC for web browsing? If you don’t see the point in wifi, you probably don’t see the point in broadband either. Still using that AOL dial up, eh?
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Look carriers are carriers. All of the majors have their pros and cons so all the bickering about that is a waste of text input. Wi-fi IMO I rather have it than not have it for instance, sling player mobile works way better with it on my n95. But now to the real heart of this matter which should be RIMM. They have a shit load of new products in the pipe(Bold, Pearl Flip, Javelin and Storm) but where are they? I guess some blame lies with the carriers but every week we are getting info on these “new” models but where the hell are they!!!!!! No solid release/pricing info on anything. I rather not hear about a new device if its just going to sit in launch limbo. Hence why a device like the iphone will sell all day everyday, apple knows that no matter how much you talk about a device, leak info about it…. you have to get it out there so that “PEOPLE” and not the media/blogging elite can play with it.
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At this point I don’t think there is anything that I could say that someone hasn’t agrued already. Soooo, with that being said, I’m VERY curious to see how the numbers are going to compare in the end. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see!!
C’mon Nov 1st -ish.. lol
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I got tired of waiting for the Bold, so I gave my kid my Curve last night and got another iPhone (my wife already had one).
I don’t know why people keep saying that BB does email best. Perhaps if you have a BES/Exchange and can maintain a large Windows Server environment, I can see that, as long as you like plain text. Ugh. I am sure HTML is coming, but it’s still vapor if you are on ATT.
If you are on BIS because you are a small business without a Windows corporate IT department and run Linux based mail services, the lack of two way IMAP synchronisation is pathetic. As is plain text only in the client.
The iPhone browser and email client is massively superior (other than the lack of search and push via IMAP idle, but I think that companies like nuevasync will have this nailed in a few weeks, since contacts and calendar sync already works perfectly)
I would have bought the Bold and given it a fair shake, but I was very frustrated of being on EDGE and I couldn’t handle being a second class mobi-net-citizen any longer.
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