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!
@Sash
Give RIM a break it’s their first touchscreen phone?
ROFL The iPhone was Apple’s FIRST PHONE.
@ Sauce Roll into your grave because aside from the iPhone’s laundry list of missing features it also has had countless bugs that have needed update fixes, like the 2.2 that just got released to mention a few. I’m sure more update fixes will be on the way too shut up stupid.
Okay, I finally got the chance to play with a storm today at my local VZW store. All I have to say is WOW! After all of the reviews, I expected it to suck ass hardcore, but it didn’t. Sure, the OS was generally slow, definitely slower than my iPhone is at some points, but it wasn’t unbearable. SurePress was actually a pretty nice feature, but I can see why a lot of people don’t like it. I was able to bang out a quick text message very quickly, without ever having used it. (I think the trick is that you have to trust that you’re pressing the right key, and worry about mistakes after that instead of in the middle of typing) I did notice a lag, however, between the key press and the letter actually appearing, which was disappointing.
The browser was just okay, though its hard to compare anything to the iPhone, especially with is multitouch implementation. I didn’t have the chance to check out a wide variety of pages, but it generally looked ok.
The biggest disappointment was just the overall finish of certain features. Scrolling was janky all around, the blue highlight feature (which is supposed to follow your finger when you drag it across multiple icons) never worked right, and the overall OS is just confusing. RIM really needs to step up and offer a touchscreen only version of the OS, because the patchwork of scroll-ball/touchscreen features just wasn’t making the best use of the OS’ power.
Once my iphone contract is up, if there’s a GSM version of the Storm I’ll certainly seriously consider it. Its a great phone in need of updated software.
Lol yep. So when exactly is it supposed to be the iPhone killer.
i have the storm and the iphone 3g i love them both the only problem i had with the storm is puting music and video from Itunes using my macbook pocketmac sucks
Agreed. I think if there was an option to disable the “click” selection and allow the storms screen to act as an ordinary touchscreen, many more users would be satisfied. Doesnt seem like such a difficult thing to do if you ask me. And accelerometer and lag issues should be priority #1.I’ve waited for this phone for a long time and will probably still be ok with it but I dont understand how rim/verizon could expect these problems to fly with consumers. Why downgrade the processor from ones used in other bb models on what they are sure to know will be their most scrutinized phone ever? I think most of us would happily pay a little more for functionality.
Apparently, aside from the software and firmware, there is a difference in the builds of the phones. A friend of mine knows one of the sales people and he said that some phones work unbelievably well and others are built like junk and behave accordingly. Would be interested to know where they are assembled and whose parts they use. I await mine in a week or so and would like to look forward to keeping it.
That’s an interesting thought on different builds of hardware. I hope there’s a Verizon Rep listening to all this. Verizon needs to know that we didn’t just fall off the turnip truck yesterday. Thank goodness for a 30 day trial. I would rather spend a little on a restocking few than be stuck with a phone for two years. I still await mine, so we shall see.
Dunno whether to be worried here downunder or not. We get the Vodafone Storm VERY soon. Been waiting a year for this and seems forums are 50/50 either way. Sounds very disappointing…
If pulling the battery doesnt work… pull the battery.
Have had the phone for a day and have had some lag problems. I also had to take the battery out once so far. The typing isn’t bad better than the iphone but not as fast as a traditional qwerty.I do have problems when I want to move the cursor. Also does anyone no if there are shortcuts to go to the top or bottom of an email or the message list as you can on the other blackberrys?
The call quality is very good, but some apps are very sluggish to open especially the media player. I do have a few hundred songs on it but not nearly as responsive as I am used to on my ipod. I hope that the sluggishness and lag time is fixed on the 1st update.
I have now tried the Storm on two different occasions at two different locations (verizon store in Avon, MA and Verizon booth in Circuit City in Braintree, MA). The Storm had no lag, at all. The biggest problem seemed to be the delay of the accelerometer… but that will be remedied with an OS fix. The Storm is fantastic, and being an 8830 user, it was extremely natural using the phone and my typing was 95% accurate after 5 minutes of use.
This is a fantastic phone and if you look at some crackberry forums of 1000 poled bb storm owners, 35 percent love the phone, 50 percent enjoy the phone and know it will improve with the next OS update, and only about 5-8 percent decided it wasn’t good enough. A 85-90 percent satisfaction rate is better than most phones! Anyways, don’t listen to these naysayers, go try it out yourself. I would never choose an iphone with “fun applications to show girls in bars” over a robust email system and an innovative touch screen solution!
I bought my Storm on the release date. I got the last one in the store, allegedly only 16 shipped to my town (Springfield, Mo). Switched my carrier from Alltel to Verizon on two phones (the other an LG DARE) and walked out the door. Once in my car I tried to make a call on the Storm to find that my call/send button does not work. I took it back inside and the VZW rep discovered that if I could push the send button very hard, hard enough that your hand shakes, the dial pad will open up. He told me that the next Storm to arrive in the store would be my replacement but I am still waiting. I have since been given a multitude of different answers (guesses) as to when I will get my phone replaced.
It would be wise to be patient and let them work the bugs out before you go and get one of these. My instincts told me to wait as I played with the store demo phones and noticed the slow responses, lags, and white screens. My impulsive side took over once I found out that there was only one in the store and now I am less than happy with the whole situation that I got myself into. I hope to get my replacement before my 30 day VZW Test Drive expires because I am not sold at this point.
It is disappointing that there is not a touch screen Icon to activate the phone screen like there is on every other Blackberry, this would at least provide me some comfort knowing that I could make a call.
Today my backlight started flickering and continued even after I pulled and replaced the battery. Finally stopped when I tapped on it. I am surprised that the list of OS update issues does not include lags, white screens, sometimes even a pixelated satic screen. I saw this issue on both store demo phones as well as mine. I hope they get their $%&! together soon! I realize that they are not the same type of device exactly, but the LG Dare is amazingly accurate, responsive, intuitive, light, compact in comparison. I am shocked that RIM let this thing come out in this condition, I need a Blackberry but at this point I want the DARE. I am sorry that I gave up my BB Pearl.
I love how all these iphone ppl love to bash on the Storm… I remember waiting in line for 7 hours when the first iphone came out, I was soo excited to get it. It was cool and everything was awesome….. until I tried to use the basic function of the phone, making a call. Every other call was dropped, or never went through. Half of my text never went through. The phone would always freeze, the browser sucked, and AT&T sucks. We all know that. Certain people like myself use Blackberry’s because we have real jobs, and deal with other people who have real jobs. I have yet to see one person in my company use an iPhone. I have noticed that many people working in the Mall have iPhones… Makes sense
If I had ended up keeping mine I’d probably circle the wagons and rationalize trying to keep it until the calvary came over the hill with an OS fix. But the real question is whether the calvary is just over the hill or some way out. This never should have been released in this state. Sure, every new device has bugs, but the store demo Storms looked more like they were in emulation mode. Sort of like a Flash demo of a device on a slow computer. I wonder how many people are going to return their Storms? If they fix this fast then I say again why did they release them to begin with when there was a more mature release so close by?
Well that is the point isn’t it. People expected the BB to work out of the box by preserving the virtues that appeal to people for business and building on that trust by giving them ease of use and fun stuff.
Even after all the bad reviews, and all the negativity, I called around and found Best Buy in Wichita Falls, TX had (3) in stock! Made the 5 hour round trip drive last night, and after 24 hours, taking the slowness with a grain a salt, I am pleasantly surprised, and couldn’t be much happier. Coming from my beloved Palm 650, and WM6 annoying AT&T Tilt, this is truly a wonderful device.
Leelee you make perfect sense
Like others on here, I’ve had my phone since Monday and have been stress testing the crap out of it, and LOVE it. I’ve been doing smartphone comparison shopping since April, and it came down to the HTC Touch Pro or the Storm… I got the latter and have been nothing but pleased with it.
As one guy noted though, the accelerometer could be a bit faster. But apps, typing, response time, it’s all worked great for me.
I have had a storm since the release date and I have not had to reset it once…I love It..The reason yours is going to speaker or mute during a call is that you are pushing it against your face and selecting those funtions
I’ve had the Storm since Saturday and it has worked like a DREAM! I have removed VZ Navigator. Downloaded at least 300 songs. Sent/received 100+ emails. Sent/Reecived 100 SMS/MMS. Used the BB Maps GPS to get to a meeting. Taken Pictures and Videos. Used it as my alarm clock at night via the Cradle (this looks incredibly nice!). Watched You-tube videos (including several Storm reviews) all without a hitch. I have not had to do a battery pull. This is an excellent phone and I really have no idea what people are complaining about. The “lag” that people refer to regarding the accelerometer is less than 2 seconds at worst, and nearly instantaneous the majority of the time.
I also have a friend who works for Apple at the corporate level and he is actually pretty objective, so I let him play with the Storm for a few hours and his take was that the web surfing is definitely FASTER than the iPhone 3G and is close to real-world wi-fi speed. He was really surprised by this as he thought that the software rendering would slow down the download speeds–but this is clearly not the case. In nearly every test that we did the Storm beat the iPhone (the only time it didn’t was when the signal strength dropped to one bar and basically killed the page, but that was one time versus about 20 times that the Storm won).
There is no doubt in my mind that this phone is better all around than the iPhone. Most would agree that nothing can come close to replacing the smoothness of Blackberry’s email service. Well, with the Storm you have that incredible service PLUS nearly all of the features of the iPhone. Storm = iPhone killer.
I have played with the Storm 3-4 times in the storm. Besides the lag and accelerometer it seems GREAT! These problems should be able to be fixes with updates. Typing is also great.
I just want to ask (being a new BB user and still waiting for my Storm to arrive) – How many of the folks who are complaining about a revision 1 device had purchased a “bug” and “issue” free iPhone when they were first launched? People who jump onto a band wagon to buy something because it’s new knowing full well it’s a first shot at something really shouldn’t be spouting off about issues and problems.
I’ll have my Storm shortly and will give it a fair chance regardless of the 30,000 complaints I’ve been reading about on forums such as these. I mean come on – how long did you all wait for Windows 95? or XP or Mac OS X (ALL VERY bugging in their first releases). Did you complain then too? Really – if these problems bother you folks so much – wait for Rev. 2 to come out next time. Then you have a right to complain.
Have a Happy Turkey Day on that note!
Here’s another issue, but not actually the phone. Verizon had to recall the plastic belt clip holsters because they were not putting the phone into sleep mode. Classic. Found this after they sent out the email for accessories. They advertise it, but not ready for prime time. Not sure how that one slipped past QA.
I’m going back to the BOLD…this phone (the STORM) is not ready for primetime. Its poorly designed, the software lags constantly, and its caught somewhere between a touchscreen menu system and a trackball system. RIM you could have taken the time to do this right and in the old days…you would have!