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!
First off I have never had my
Storm freeze up on me. Dont
Know what’s up with that. It does
Lag and the orientation does get
Jacked up from time to time. I am
At fault as anyone I wanted the
Storm so bad and consider myself
Fortunate to have found one. I can
Type on this I couldn’t type on
The Icrap. Software updates will one.
Fix the Storms problems. Those
That scream about how much the
Storm sucks prolly don’t even own
The truly amusing part is that issues #1 and #2 under “Issues to be resolved by a subsequent Maintenance Release:” are the exact problems I had with my VZW 8830 and are eventually why I left Verizon.
That and the idiot at Verizon who insisted that he couldn’t help with my problems in *any* fashion unless I gave him the login information for my BIS account.
No- I’m not kidding.
Wow, some of the claims here are… amazing. Guess that old saying about opinions is just about right.
I received my Storm yesterday, so have been using it for less than 24 hours. I’ve just about figured out the typing thing, and while it is not as convenient as a physical keyboard, it’s not bad. Certainly not significantly worse than my Samsung SCH-i760 keyboard that I just gave up. I was worried about touch screen typing, particularly with large thumbs. Turns out to not be a big issue.
Someone actually slammed the Storm as “cheap”; THAT is flat out ridiculous. The phone feels sturdy and “good”. The screen is gorgeous, sound is decent, and overall quality is better than the curve in my opinion. [ While my personal phone has been a Samsung WinMo device, I’ve been writing BlackBerry apps for a couple years, primarily using a Curve at work. ]
From a software point of view, I would say it’s OK. Based on numerous comments that removing VZNavigator improves the lag situation, I did that immediately. My phone has not locked up or crashed once, and in general I have not had a problem with lag. There have been one or two brief occasions where maybe I noticed, but in > 12 hours, those have been rare enough to not register as a real issue. I bet responsiveness and orientation changes can be improved, but it is usable now.
Something that seems to get very little comment is using this thing as a PHONE. Compared to my Samsung, this is about on par with sound quality, and perhaps just a little below as far as signal strength. Need more variation to really judge that.
Overall, I really like this phone. If you’ve been thinking about it, GET ONE!
Mike
Will the over the air update just pop right up and prompt us?
or is there a chance we could miss it if we do not stay informed of when its coming?
When I had a pearl, the phone would show no reception in an area where it just had three or four bars. Turning the wireless off and on again would sometimes work, if not the battery pull would work.
I’d say these issues go back a while. I’m surprised it took them this long to fix the problem (maybe).
Hi, my name is Dan. I don’t work for RIM, Verizon, or anybody affiliated with the Blackberry 9530, I work at a small design and marketing agency in Claremont, CA. I stood in line Friday morning, got my phone and went in with an open mind. I might be the only one who got an incredible version, but I really haven’t had a problem with my Storm, (other than the accelerometer being slightly slower than the iPhone). You just have to take the time to get used to it. I would be considered a heavy user, IMO. I send at least 30-50 emails + 100-200 per day, for work and personal, and I can manage it all from my Storm. I’m sure the phone will only get smoother with updates. Last night I was at the Coldplay concert, sitting in a box with other iPhone, BB 8830 users and they just loved touching the Storm and seeing how it works. My good friend who just bought his iPhone 3G, raved about his phone, but we put it up to a side by side test (we both had full coverage/service/bars) and I beat him 4/4 times in accessing web pages, I could text/email faster (with more accuracy) and on top of that I was able to take video of the Coldplay concert, while he was bummed. Yes, the iPhone currently has some novel applications however the novelty wears off after a few shakes, or after you check how level a countertop is. The Storm is a phone for function (IMO) and while I am not as fast on it as my 8703e (Verizon), I am catching up quite quickly.
BB for Life,
Dan Sinner
Honestly I have to say the ball has been dropped. In the same honesty I have to say one side deserves more blame than the other. I just hope you all are wise enough to discern which one it is.
Sounds like AT&T paid alot of people to bash the storm
To those comparing these bugs with the iPhone: In fact the original iPhone 1.0 was relatively bug free — it was very responsive, the accelerometer worked perfectly, etc. The 1.x updates were more about adding features than bug fixes. Sure there were some bugs, but honestly I can’t remember a single one. The thing worked. It was the iPhone 2.0 firmware that had all the problems, finally gone by 2.2.
So yes, of course RIM are hardly the only ones out there with a buggy phone. But it IS possible to release an innovative phone without glaring, major bugs.
@ Mike
Good to read a nice objective review there. I as well have an i760 and am waiting for my Storm to show up. Good to see I have something to look forward to. Thanks.
Love my Storm period. Had an Iphone and yes it is a good device but I don’t regret my switch. It’s simply AMAZING all the comments of “dropped the ball” “Software sucks” on and on. DO YOU REMEMBER THE IPHONE LAUNCH IN JUNE!!!!!!!!!! Apple would not even acknowledge the phone had issues!!! No phone is perfect at launch, but at least RIM has acknowledged some issues and informs of updates coming. Mr. Jobs would not even comment on the iphone glitches. GET REAL! The damn thing dropped calls left and right for God sakes, NOW THAT IS A GLITCH! WOW incredible…
Buy the Storm, try it for two days and form your own opinion. Period….
I got my phone on sunday and it seems to work great until
I have 20 emails download. It hangs it up.
But this ia the best pda. I have a pod touch
Not the phone and my storm seems faster.
The only question I have is I have 2 dead pixels
How quickly should I go for exchange?
Posted from my storm!
I’m only posting cause I hope that some verizon or RIM people read this because this site is so well informed. Dear God. They are fixing the most insignificant things, the processor on this thing is fast enough, that it should not be this laggy. I’m not having major malfunctions with it, just feels groggy, and thats basically it. Well, the camera is kinda noisy, and the browser could use a touch up, but other than that working pretty well. I guess the call stuff can be important, but how do you not address the laggyness? COME ON!!! Its an amazing freakin phone, so let us ENJOY IT!
@ Storm Trooper
“I also wish that when composing text messages, there was a send button that is accessible right from that screen. I either have to hide the keyboard or access a menu to send the message. That however, is just a small annoyance.”
If you click the physical menu button the menu pops up with ’send’ already highlighted. Then click the physical menu button again to select it. Basically, double-click the menu button.
Yeah, I know what you mean (@ Joseph mama) but I guess I wish I could just push the regular green send button when I was done composing my message to send it. That’s what I used to do on my old phone. Thanx for the input. As I said, it’s a very minor annoyance that doesn’t make me love my phone any less.
I’ve had the Storm for a few days and it needs work. The accelerometer’s wonky as hell, and there’s some serious lag throughout the system. There should also be a quick “hide keyboard” button, and, of course, Wi-Fi.
These are definitely fixable OTA, and I hope it happens sooner than later because I have an irrational love for this device.
My phone works fine, it has only reset on me once, and it does lag when switching between landscape and portrait. but seems to be working better as the lag doesn’t happen often any more.
Funny, I was reading yesterday that someone complained that they didn’t like the virtual keyboard because they couldn’t feel the keys while driving. I’m still waiting for my phone to come, but reading some of the bugs is kind of dissapointing. Maybe I’ll end up keeping my Voyager.
Whoa! The Storm’s so much better when you take out VZ Navigator. The accelerometer works like it should and it just seems so much snappier.
STORM OWNERS: Get Rid Of VZ Navigator Now
I have VZ Navagator on my Voyager, and it’s terrible. Wait until you can get Google Maps on the Storm. My husband has it on his curve and loves it.
It’s quite obvious that Rim and VZW rushed to get a product, any product,(regardless of it’s market readiness) on the market for the holidays in a feeble attempt to combat anticipated iphone holiday sales in the event they didn’t.
Good luck everyone!!!!
Haha ok so I’m using the storm 2 send this. This phone is very nice I own the I phone both old n 3g as well as the darev
oyager I work at radio shack n get 2 use all the phones the instinct n phones that haven’t been released I must say the storm is the best so far get 1! O lil tip go 2 bestbuy its cheaper !
@ Marin said:
There should also be a quick “hide keyboard”
button, and, of course, Wi-Fi.
You know there is a swipe down gesture to do this, right? No button neeeded!
It seems to me there’s a ton of posts that show the person DID NOT read the manual. “I wish it had a shortcut for this”, “There’s no easy way to do that”, etc……One post was about hiding the keyboard, which can be easily done by swiping the screen DOWN. Again simple shortcut tasks that are easily obtained from the MANUAL….you know, the booklet that tells you HOW TO USE THE PHONE! But no, these guys (or gals) have to be the geniuses and figure it out for themselves. If that is the case, fine, it’s your absolute right and choice, but don’t knock the device for your lackadaisical learning approach.
Here’s two more for their list…
1. Visual Voice Mail – the sound is barely on/up (need to press the phone to my ear to barely hear the message), even though the volume is all the way up. After using it, when I hit speed dial on my phone, the volume is way down to the point I’m not sure if it’s dialing.
2. Memory leak is terrible. Witnessed 17MB’s gone in just 2 hours of use. Before pulling the battery, I was down to 5 MB on the device flash memory. Gotta be kidding me.
Haven’t been able to crash it though. Sluggish at times, but otherwise not bad. Needs some work.