Verizon BlackBerry Storm Return Rate
Here’s the skinny on this situation… We had heard various return rates on the Verizon BlackBerry Storm from three (actually four, but we’ll discount the last one) extremely credible sources of ours. These ranged from 35-50% in some markets/regions. That is an absurdly high figure, folks. While we trust our sources, we wanted to continue to dig until we wrote up a post on it here. We let a publication quote us on that, because that is what we had heard. No harm, no foul. But we weren’t going to post on it here until we had 100% confirmed it.
Verizon Wireless hit us up and here’s what a Verizon Wireless official had to say: “The Storm has the lowest return rate of any of our PDAs and at this point in its life cycle, it has the lowest return rate of any PDA we currently sell.”
We’ll let you guys do all the talking. Own a Storm? Happy with it? Returned it? Know friends that are happy/returned theirs? Hit us up so we can get some good feedback and your thoughts on this.
Well Im not a blackberry fanboy as the storm is my first smartphone moving up from a life of dumbphones. I for one really like it and plan to keep it. Even before the update I planned to keep it as I found what lag existed to be minimal. After the update, smooth as ever.
Had the storm for two weeks and took it back. Calls going mute, Bluetooth locking the phone up, having to pull the battery to restart the phone. Screen flipping between horizotal and verticle with no movement. Tried to wait out the learning curve and update. Still had more problems than worth after the update. Back to the 8830. Owned the orginal palm. palm III, Sony Cleo, Treo 650 and then the 8830. When is the 8900 hiting VZ?
I don’t understand when people say they want to be able to use the internet while on a phone call. is it because you want to check directions or a quick piece of info while talking or you want to browse the internet while chatting with your friends?
I got my first storm on release day, i loved so many aspects of the device. I ran into a few issues until the release of .75 software. After that, I had increased reboots and then the screen had issues with not being able to be pushed. Typing on the curve was MUCH better. I recieved my repalcement yesterday and the new unit has a poor screen as well, it doesnt move well in all the corners and while it came with .75 instaled, there were none of the applications on the unit. I ahd to download the software and add all the applications. the phone is COOL, and FLASHY, but the real reason we all got blackberry’s was for email and corporate communications. The touch screen is just not good enough and if this unit fials to be an inprovement over the last, I will revert back to my Curve. Cmsller screen, less memory, but overall an excellent phone. I just cant say the smae abou this device.
I tried for 2 days when it was released in the UK from Vodafone. I didn’t like it. Why? It was slow, the screen was not bright, Not that much easy to write an email. But the main reason was; SPEED. I returned it back. Now I have Bold. It is better but the battery life is very bad.
Please note that my comments are on a Storm with an older version OS.
Don’t have one but is it possible to get rid of the giant “V” taking up a third of the screen? That would drive me nuts. Never understood why VZW did that to so many devices.
I had a Storm but returned it on 16 Dec. in favor of a Curve. The Curve isn’t (really) an ideal alternative, but at least the keyboard will never disappear when I’m typing.
I have it, I wouldn’t say I absolutely love it but it is far from the worst smart phone device that I have owned (that title goes to my treo 700w. I admit it has a steep learning curve and the click on the screen is a very polarizing issue, people either really hate it or really like it. I’m of the latter not the former. It is my favorite device so far, but that doesn’t mean I have to be in love with it, let’s call it power liking it. It does what it is supposed to do and has fun extras. I have no plans on returning it, as I figure it will get better as updates get rolled out.
I returned my Storm. I’m a power user. Too many flaws. BBs are known for their rock solid performance. This phone, while not terrible, has many flaws and just isn’t up to the BB standard.
I went back to my Curve and I couldn’t be happier! I’ll probably hold out for the 8900 to get some new features and improved form factor. The touch screen, while a good idea, just isn’t all it is cracked up to be.
(FYI… I tried, and returned, the iPhone too!).
In the immortal words of the gay film critics in “In Living Color” said:
“Hated It!”
Had the storm for about a week. Updated to the latest software but it remained frustratingly difficult to type on. I went back to my Bold + iPhone 3G combo.
Hi
I have a Storm, a Bold and an iPhone. The Storm has got some issues but its a good handset that has got better and will continue to do so. However if the Storm is your first Blackberry or even smartphone it will be strange at first.
Alex
From a power user, give the Storm a few weeks and it will work for you. Our company has went through Treo700w, 700wx, Samsung i760, SMT5800(bad phone), then to Curve 8330. All Verizon. It took a while to get use to the Storm and the way it works, but now I enjoy using it.
I have no problems with my storm. It is a great phone and works wonderfully for what I need it for. Just wish the screen transitions were a touch faster, that’s all.
This is the first time I am posting something in a Blog. But when I read this I had to.
I live in Switzerland and bought my Storm 3 weeks ago. I have an iPhone for over a year now, I normaly changed my phones every month berfore that.
I bought the storm, and did not even had it 2 hours in my hands, I called the store and asked if I could return it immediantly.
It sucked, no Wifi, slow and on n on n on.
Maybe Blackberry is ok, lots of my friend suse it but I am a tech geek and this Phone is a no go. Sorry RIM.
my office went to the storm on 7 lines of what I would call power type use. We all love it now but a few did take awhile to master it. I could not take it way from them now to save there lives
i was playing with a storm yesterday at verizon and the end button was about to fall off.
I think it’s hard to really gauge people’s thoughts on a new device. Some people are coming from WM or some other garbage phone and they of course will love the Storm because it’s obviously better. Others who are phone savvy, and have had the best RIM has to offer or Nokia or anything else nice, is going to think the Storm struggles. I don’t even need to buy the Storm to know it will be a hassle. I’ll keep sticking with the Bold on At&t.
I own one, like it and plan on keeping it. However, this is my 2nd device. My first device kept on rebooting itself even after I upgraded the OS. With the new once I received I have no problem. I’m new to having a BB and I like it a lot. I originally wanted an iPhone but I don’t want to switch to AT&T. I’ve been with Verizon for quite a while and their coverage for where I live (SF Bay Area) is outstanding. I got my Storm with just a year contract, instead of two however.
i bet verizon crippled the touch pro to sell more storms. they better not do the same with the diamond, if its ever released.
Got my storm yesterday. Already prepared to return it. Yes, at this point I F%^*ing HATE it. It is slow, the touch screen UI is clumbsy, while it has cool bells and whistles the basic stuff (ie: emails, switching between programs, scrolling) blows hard. Figured I’ll force myself to live with it through the weekend then decide if my opinion changes.
So many problems. But so many easy solutions.
How about making the clickable screen optional?
or
Locking the screen in modes so that it doesn’t do what it wants when it wants
or
A button to turn the screen off when in a call so that I don’t click the speaker button in the middle of a room full of business associates?
I finally realized why Verizon employees weren’t able to get their storms immediately: They don’t have the opportunity to share in the frustration that this POS really is
verizon probably planned on making all their money from the $35 restocking fee alone.
Ordered it, then cancelled my order. Bought a Fuze and returned that. After trying a Storm a colleague has, I could live with it, but I’m happier with my new Bold. Touchscreens of any kind just seem to slow me down. The iPhone is a very cool gaming/web device, but its a medicore phone/PDA. The Storm is a better Phone/PDA, but it can’t match the Bold.
I tried it in the store and hated it. The lag was horrible. I would have never in a million years bought this phone. However, after setting up my business partner’s and updating the software (much faster now), I started to like it. I now own one and actually am liking it. The only complaint I have is it sounds a little “tinnier” than my old Blackberry.
The two of us have had ours since the wee hours of launch day. We both love them and have no intentions of returning them.