Story or no story, the Verizon BlackBerry Storm OS has issues
We gave you our theory, we gave you RIM’s official statement and now people, it’s time to move on. The bottom line is that everyone who snagged a Storm from Verizon ended up with v4.7.0.65. The indisputable caveat - v4.7.0.65 has issues. No firmware is perfect and no future firmware revision will ever be completely bug-free, but what we can tell you is that the folks at RIM and Verizon know v4.7.0.65 might be just a little sub-par. How do we know they know? Why else would they be issuing OS updates just a few weeks after releasing the handset? That’s right people, we got our hands on a preliminary internal communique detailing a series of updates coming soon to a Verizon Storm near you. The first in fact, will likely come next week - just a few short weeks after the launch. Basically, RIM and Verizon have targeted a variety of major issues and will address them through a series of OTA software updates. The list below is split up between issues that will definitely be resolved with the first update next week and issues that will be resolved in a second OTA update that will likely arrive later in December. Hit the jump for the break down and rest a bit easier knowing that whether or not the various issues with v4.7.0.65 are deal breakers for you, Verizon and RIM know there are problems are are working to fix them.
Note that the following is not a complete list of issues that will be covered in the upcoming OS updates. Instead, this is a list of issues being circulated internally at Verizon to ensure that employees do not authorize any Certified Like-new device exchanges for customers citing any of the following as their problems… The first is our favorite by far and no, the last one isn’t a joke - it’s really on there.
Issues to be resolved by the first OTA update (Maintenance Release 1) - December, week 1:
- If a customer receives a call while listening to music at low volume using a wired headset, the music volume may suddenly increase to the highest level (!). Interim recovery instructions: Lower the volume using the buttons on the side of the handset.
- When using voice-activated dialing, incoming audio may be muted. Interim recovery instructions: Enter the menu and select “Activate Handset or Speaker”.
- The handset may reset itself while sitting idle or while using multimedia applications. No interim recovery instructions provided.
Issues to be resolved by a subsequent Maintenance Release:
- Customers may intermittently lose email connectivity via CDMA and/or international roaming modes. Interim recovery instructions: Main menu -> Manage Connections -> Select mobile network -> Turn radio off, then Turn radio on. If this does not resolve the issue, pull the battery.
- When powering on the handset, the radio sometimes does not turn on. Interim recovery instructions: Main menu -> Manage Connections -> Select mobile network -> Turn radio on. If this does not resolve the issue, pull the battery.
- Pressing the send key while the device is in landscape mode will open the phone application in portrait mode, but the speed dial function may not work. Interim recovery instructions: Press escape until the home screen appears, then press the send key with the handset in portrait orientation.
- Sometimes entering characters on the virtual keyboard doesn’t work. Interim recovery instructions: Re-select the character.
Thanks, krazyVZW!
Tags: BlackBerry, exclusive, firmware, OS, RIM, Software, storm, theory, touchscreen, Verizon
2 people have the phone….2 million are waiting for it….so who cares.
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This looks like a 12 year old wrote these issues……I’m a bit skeptical.
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They sure eushed the release and these issues look serious to me. The beating on VZW and RIM will start taking place on this.
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I’m extremely angry at both Verizon and RIM about this whole Storm situation. I was able to walk into the main store on 6th and 40th in NYC over the weekend, and it was the shadiest situation I’ve ever seen - customers were asked if they had Verizon, if they said yes then the store said “Sorry, we’re out” and if they said no, they sold us a phone.
So I buy it, and let me tell you- the phone restarts itself all day, the letters and buttons do not press when I click in, the RED END button is already loose as all hell! The accelerometer has a mind of its own. Totally possessed!!! I could be writing an email in SureType on the train and then it randomly switches orientations 6 times in a few seconds. I call people, hear nothing, but they can hear me.
I am SO disappointed - I called Verizon and they said that they put a “note” on my account that it sounds like my device is defective…but then reading these forums and blogs, I’m not alone.
I was die-hard Crackberry addict up until this phone…I needed a world phone that had a camera and that was a Blackberry…otherwise I would have bought a curve, but it had to be Verizon. It makes me so angry that I am thinking to hell with it and move over to the Bold or the iPhone on AT&T…
OH! I forgot to mention…when I was on the train, it gave me a “Rejected sim card” error, the same error my T-Mobile Curve gave me after I switched to VZW. I had to pull the sim in order for my phone to get a signal again - which got me thinking…these things can be unlocked for GSM here in the states?
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While I’m really looking forward to this device, I cannot believe they released it in this condition. That’s some serious flaws they neglected to get this thing out before black friday.
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Lol not a 12 year old. The list was just written by the average Verizon PDA rep.
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relax everyone, the good part of having a touch screen device is that as long as the hardware is fine, the software will only get better and better through updates. at least hey know the current version is a piece of crap and they are trying to fix it.
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lmao @ MK That’s pretty funny. I do like the fact that they are addressing the issues and are acknowledging that they do exist, unlike Vodafone who seemed to be trying to push things under the rug.
And I hope no one is criticizing RIM and VZW for releasing the device in this condition. When it was not released all people cared to do was complain about wanting it and now that they have it they want to say that it shouldn’t have been released because of the issues. Just like the Bold and the iPhone…people would rather receive a phone and wait on updates than just have it sitting in warehouses with no release date in sight; if that was the case phones would never come out because they all have problems and one can always find more if they look hard enough.
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Oh Boy…
I really wish some other issues were listed.
I am very frustrated at the lag, the accelerometer being all screwy.
I am seeing the random rebooting during media playing while “idle” and I really wish someone would talk about how the device cannot do anything while receiving mail or messages. The thing literally hangs while getting mail, its just a total brick until its all downloaded…
So Frustrated.
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You’re a retard. You clearly do not understand how the phone is supposed to be operated.
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Name one innovative device which was launched with perfect firmware?!??!! While we are screaming about the state of the STORM - let’s take some time to remember the issues with MobileMe!
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I have had a Storm since release day and I don’t have any of those above mentioned problems to be fixed in the update. I don’t have hanging buttons, blown pixels.
But, I do want that accelerometer fixed. Come on. Everything else is gravy and I pretty much love this phone.
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i love the storm. its not perfect, but its not near as bad as BG would make it seem. get it you’ll love it and enjoy the updates as they come..
amazing device
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I really don’t understand this. I got my Storm on Monday, and it is as close to perfect as I could have ever hoped. I have ZERO lag on anything, and the typing is very good. Much better than the Jesus phone IMO.
Hopefully the firmware will fix the issues that others are having, but so far, it’s probably my favorite phone I have ever had.
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Wow, it’s really surprising to me to read about these issues. I’ve had the phone since Friday and have had no problems once I got used to how the phone works. I’ve not even had to pull the battery once or restart it. Coming from a Windows Mobile phone that’s just plain astonishing to me.
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That’s odd. I have the bold and I don’t have any issues. I’m thinking they rushed the storm to get it out before the Holidays. You’ll probably see a hardware revision in 6 to 8 months as well as a few firmware updates.
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DutinFinn - Remember, these are just the first round of issued communicated to VZW reps so that they do not issue device exchanges for anything listed above. I don’t know what else will be covered by the final updates, but there will definitely be more covered.
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This guy apparently unlocked his storm and is using it on t-mobile.
http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1463952
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works fine for me!
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“Sometimes entering characters on the virtual keyboard doesn’t work. Interim recovery instructions: Re-select the character.”
Haha
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MobileMe is not a device, its a service offered by Apple independently of any other third party. And, not for nothing, but Jobs said straight up Apple will never again release something in such a dire form.
Verizon is getting what it deserves. I despise how they treat their customers, their coverage is “meh,” they will nickel and dime customers until they have to foreclose on their house, and best of all they take a personal interest in crippling every single device they offer.
But, Rev. A is faster (or appears to me) than HSDPA right now
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Um, what about the other 1000 issues?
My Storm runs fine but there are certainly some things going on that I’m pretty sure aren’t supposed to be.
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Iphone > Storm
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Iphone > Storm - amen to that.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone - even the trolls and the long lost Galvatron.
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So to sum up, the iPhone 3g/Storm launch firmware choice is essentially dropped calls or dropped hearing. Apple eventually the call drop problem. Hopefully RIM won’t have deafened their most loyal customers before a fix is offered.
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