In a nutshell: The Storm2 offers a touchscreen user
interface with a full virtual QWERTY keyboard together with powerful
email, messaging and internet access, plus a good range of office
applications and an organiser. In addition it includes a 3.2 megapixel
camera with autofocus and flash, video recording, a media player,
GPS navigation, WiFi, HSDPA and expandable memory. A range of improvements
make the Storm2 easier to use than the original Storm, but the battery
life is weak and some users may not like the SurePress touchscreen
technology. Best buy:
*Free* with half-price line rental from Mobiles.co.uk
or direct from Vodafone.
Review:
November 2009. Last updated February 2010.
The BlackBerry Storm
was the first touchscreen BlackBerry, and was a phone that could
have been really special. Unfortunately, it suffered from poor battery
life, poor reception, a tendency to freeze, and the way that the
whole screen clicked when you pressed it disconcerted quite a lot
of people. So, one year on, we're very keen to see the Storm2 and
see what improvements have been added.
Well, the changes are quite subtle. Place the two
devices next to each other and it's hard to tell them apart. The
size, weight and external form is almost unchanged. The new Storm
is slightly heavier even than the original: at 160g it's one of
the heaviest smartphones on the market. One minor change is that
the four buttons at the base of the screen are now separated, so
it's easier to hit the right button without any mistakes. The screen
is the same size as the original Storm - at 3.25 inches and a resolution
of 480x360 pixels, it's a good screen - similar to the iPhone
but not as good as, say the HTC Touch
HD. One of the problems with the original Storm was the way
that that the whole screen moved when you pressed it. While this
provided a very definite feedback mechanism, a lot of people didn't
like this. The new Storm2 does the same thing, but the mechanism
has been improved with more sensors added. This makes the screen
more responsive and goes a long way to address the problem of the
original Storm. Some people may still not like it, however, so we
suggest that you try before you buy. The menus have been updated,
presumably in response to user feedback, and we think that overall
the user interface has been much improved.
The other main change is the addition of WiFi,
which is very welcomed. The Storm 2 can connect via wireless LAN,
Bluetooth or USB, and also comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack and
GPS. It's a quadband GSM phone with 3G and HSPA too, so in terms
of connectivity it really has every base covered. The memory has
been upgraded too, with 256 MB of flash memory, 2GB embedded memory
plus a microSD memory card slot, so again there are no complaints
on this score. Somewhat disappointingly however, the Storm2 has
the same battery as the Storm. And, with the addition of WiFi the
battery life is if anything even worse than the original. Heavy
users will need to recharge daily. This is definitely a weakness
of the phone.
As for the functions, the Storm2 doesn't really
cut it as a high-end consumer device, but it manages to put a tick
in all the boxes. You'll find a camera, video camera and media player
here, but the camera isn't going to rival anything from the Sony
Ericsson Cyber-Shot range and the music capabilities of the Storm2
won't make Apple very worried. Still, the basic functionality is
there for when you need it.
There's a useful range of applications supplied
with the phone, including an excellent organiser, office tools,
the legendary BlackBerry wireless email apps and a very good facebook
app too. Others are available to download from BlackBerry App World,
but the range is nowhere near as extensive as the apps available
for the iPhone. Most business users should be able to find what
they need, however.
However, despite the improvements, it has become
clear that RIM, the makers of BlackBerry, have failed to address
the really key problems that beset the original Storm: dropping
calls, freezing and poor battery life. They're all still present
in the Storm2, so sadly the phone must get a thumbs down from us.
Features
of the BlackBerry Storm 2 include:
3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus, flash,
image stabilisation and 2x digital zoom
Video recording (30fps)
Display: Transmissive TFT LCD, 480 x 360 pixels,
65,000 colours, 3.25 inches, user selectable font size
Media player (MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, WMA
ProPlus audio formats supported)
Messaging: SMS, MMS, instant
messaging, push email with attachment viewer
Built-in speakerphone
Voice dialling
Voice memo recorder
MP3 ringtones with LED indicator and vibration
alert
GPS with BlackBerry Maps
Personal organiser functions
Memory: 256 MB flash memory plus 2GB onboard
memory plus microSD memory card slot
Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, USB, RIM
wireless modem, 3.5mm stereo headset port
Love
your mobile? Hate it? Please share your experiences to help other
people choose the phone that's best for them. Please do not review
this phone if you have not used it. This is a review site, not a
forum, so please don't just ask questions. Please do not use swear
words or offensive language, and please, no advertising!
Average
rating from 63 reviews:
Reviewed by Nick Sanchez from UK on
25th Aug 2010
I am a patient person but this phone really took me to my limits!
after 9 months of fighting with the thing I got rid of it. Sadly
it just didnt work, the phone is a huge let down, constantly freezing,
double/triple clicking, to be honest i could go on for a while here....
all in all, stay away!! Rating:
Reviewed by Ben from UK on 24th
Aug 2010
GPS usage - Dangerous, avoid if you need this. Phone - ok Texting/email
- no good as touchscreen is inaccurate/poor. If you are not dyslexic
this phone will transform you into a top quality dyslexic overnnight.
Camera - ok Media player - ok Its a shame. I have tried really hard
to be positive about this phone since my upgrade 4 months ago because
the features are in general good & this could have been a great
phone. I have lived with the very poor battery life (car charger
helps, but the storm2 doesnt get through the day ever and often
lets me down when i need it most), texting or emails are just too
difficult due to the less than adequate touchscreen keyboard - this
causes dyslexic messages being sent as i have lost patience editing
all my messages and just send them now. THE FINAL STRAW FOR ME IS
THE GPS ISSUES. I needed GPS as i always use my bbery for sat nav
- the storm2 gps either struggles to find a gps signal or drop regularly,
leaving me in the lurch. This gets dangerous on motorways as you
fumble around trying to reset the phone etc. have gone away with
the family for a break this week and from the beginning the sat
nav did not work at all and caused so much stress that i just stopped
at halfords and bought a dedicated sat nav, which I think was a
life saving investmentas as i am pretty sure the storm2 was going
to be the death of me on a motorway. The phone is actually quite
good in essence - the media player is good enough, video camera
ok and camera does the job for a phone and unlike others i do not
get call-drop. Its also pretty good for surfing around and the wifi
does work on my unit. Its simply the touch screen/keyboard - it
isnt good enough at all and makes the phone useless. If they sorted
this out and stripped out the GPS or better still put a decent gps
unit in, then this phone for me would be a winner. Rating:
Reviewed by Michel from Netherlands
on 19th Aug 2010
What a piece of junk! Hangs at least once a day. Have to take out
the battery to get it back up again. Worst phone I had, ever! 1
star is to much for this thing Rating:
Reviewed by Richard Hill from UK on
19th Aug 2010
I have had my Storm 2 for 3 months now and its the best phone I
have very had!! The calls NEVER drop out as people say, which I
think is because people forget its a touch screen and press the
phone against their cheek and end the call, as would an iPhone!!!
Maybe all you Vodafone users should switch to a phone operator that
has phones that work! Rating:
Reviewed by Jonathon Staples from England
on 15th Aug 2010
I think this phone comes in for a lot of unnecessary stick. It was
the hosts of negative reviews on this site and others that initially
put me off this phone, and I opted for the HTC Hero instead. However,
I eventually saw the Storm 2 going for £150 (used), and so I decided
to take the plunge and give it a go, and boy am I glad I did! The
handset itself looks brilliant and fits very well in the hand. Overall
it is a good size and weight, it's not uncomfortable to hold and
can easily be used with one hand. The chrome highlights in particular
make the handset look very handsome. The handset is quiet and unassuming,
but I like to think it gives of an air of being professional. Sure,
it doesn't look as fancy as the iPhone or the HTC Legend, nor as
geeky as the HTC Desire, but if you want something that looks professional
and like it means business, this is the handset for you. My Storm
2 has yet to drop a single call. Admittedly the screen has temporarily
"frozen" before, but I would rather this happen than what happens
on other handsets such as the Hero, where all your key presses are
processed after the system unfreezes - in short, where the Hero
would open a million menus or do something I didn't want it to,
the Storm 2 makes me wait, but this means it won't go doing something
I don't want it to. The screen has never locked for anything more
than 5 seconds or so, and it's usually been my fault for leaving
too many programs running in the background. It's very easy to forget
about apps. running in the background, but you can easily close
open programs by holding down the BlackBerry menu key - a nice touch.
Blackberry OS 5 by default does seem, aesthetically, a little basic
compared to other OSes such as Android, but this is easily countered
by downloading extra icons and themes from excellent sites such
as CrackBerry. All the basic functionality is there, and you get
extra benefits - such as unrivalled e-mail access, not to mention
your e-mails and instant messages enjoying automatic encryption.
I am also firmly in love with the SurePress technology. I have used
Resistive and Capacitative touch-screens before,and neither rivals
SurePress. With the others I often found myself making mistakes
which would then have to be erased, slowing me down. With SurePress,
not only can I make sure I'm hitting what I should be hitting, but
the tactile response is second-to-none. Who needs a buzz to register
a response when you get the satisfying feeling of a click instead?
The media player is basic but entirely functional. You can create
playlists "on the fly", which I like, and the phone supports MP3s,
WMA and AAC (iTunes) files, it plays any music I chuck at it. The
external speaks is also excellent, the sound quality is very good,
and it goes loud enough for me to hear in the shower, which is very
welcome. The video player is a bit disappointing, with limited support
for DivX files, and this is the reason I give the phone 4 stars
and not 5. The camera is excellent. The flash is a little underwhelming,
and 3.2 megapixels isn't going to blow your socks off, but at least
my photos don't come out fuzzy/blurred like they did on the Hero
(And I imagine the new Galaxy S, which doesn't have a flash!). The
video recorder is ample enough for my needs, the video is recorded
at a good resolution for a phone, and is very fluid (again, videos
from the Hero seemed blocky and did not play smoothly). Sound is
also captured quite well. The videos are also a reasonable size,
so can be uploaded quickly and won't eat your memory card for breakfast.
Which brings me to my last point - memory. I don't like the way
BlackBerrys have separate memory for apps. and other files. That
said, this phone has 256MB memory for apps, and I've only used half
of this so far. Admittedly, apps. for the BlackBerry can be a bit
lacklustre compared to their Android/iPhone counterparts (for example
I don't find the Google Maps app. to be quite as good as that for
Android). 2GB general phone memory will be enough to get you going,
but you'll probably want to expand that with a MicroSD card. I'm
using a 16GB card which is easily big enough for lots of music,
photos, videos etc. This phone will support up to a whopping 32GB
card though, so you won't have to worry memory space when putting
your music on here. One quick note about the battery - if I keep
open apps. down to a minimum and don't take calls, my handset will
*easily* go 3 or 4 days without charging, and that's with using
the media player, browser, sending texts/e-mails/IMs etc. If you
use the phone for talking a lot you'll probably need to charge it
daily. All in all an excellent phone, and I seriously doubt I'll
replace it until I see an Android phone or new BlackBerry with SurePress,
because I doubt I'll be happy going back to a phone without it!
Rating:
Reviewed by MJD from uk on 7th
Aug 2010
Is this thing some sort of bad joke ? Rating:
Reviewed by James Ford from UK on
6th Aug 2010
Lets first make something clear, this phone is far far better than
2/5 stars. The screen is excellent and the menus are awesome camera
is really good and video capturing is easy there is no problem with
browsing at all and its a quick and easier affair the keypad/ screen
does sometimes mess up but is soon resolved with a restart but this
happens rarely (twice a month) 4/5 much better than iphone imo Rating:
Reviewed by jm from england on
5th Aug 2010
The worst phone I have ever used. Will not answer calls . Freezes
up. On screen keyboard is a nightmare. Just writing this short review
on storm 2 is very hard work. Avoid! Rating:
Reviewed by Debbie Strickland from UK
on 4th Aug 2010
Blackberry storm looks good . i like it but it freezes, will not
diconnect calls , fails to bring up keyboard during call it there
is a menu to go through with the call. this problem is ther on voicemail
as well. typing is difficult keyboard diffcult. battery too short.
I also had Nokia N95 10 x Better Rating:
Reviewed by Steve from UAE on
22nd Jul 2010
What phone? Can't answer calls, can't hung up calls, calls get dropped,
typing text is a chore, selecting text requires surgical precision,
I've had sneezes that lasted longer than the battery life (not really
- but you get my point... i'm waiting for a colleague to rub me
the wrong way and I'll gift wrap my storm 2 for their Christmas
present. Rating:
Reviewed by Luke from UK on 20th
Jul 2010
Total rubbish. I have a storm 2 as a company phone and I have had
nothing but trouble with it. Can't answer calls, can't end calls,
screen locks, calls disconnect when on a call. Most blackberry apps
seem to be rubbish as well. Rating:
Reviewed by Donna from UK on
15th Jul 2010
Same as everyone else - useless! My first smart phone and I hate
it! Going to buy a good old Nokia N95 - my face phone to date. Not
as high tech as others but at least I can phone people get a signal
text take decent pictures etc etc etc........... Rating:
Reviewed by Chris H from UK on
4th Jul 2010
I have tried as I might to learn to live with this phone now for
three months and I still think it's got to be the worst phone ever
released. Blackberry should offer a free exchange for all Storm2
ever sold. The battery life is awful, I am not a heavy user, but
to run out in less than a day is awful. The reception quality is
very poor, the only thing I like about this phone(sic) is the GPS Rating:
Reviewed by mark rhoden from england
on 29th Jun 2010
blackberry storm 2 has got to be the worst phone ive ever had!!
screen locks, cant answer calls, cant end calls etc etc! terrible!
if it were a car ud be in court for selling faulty goods! today
went into my vodafone shop they told me it had been taken out of
sale because its so poor!! Rating:
Reviewed by Richard from UK on
6th Jun 2010
Well, I am back to my trusty iphone after trying to use a storm
2 since moving to vodafone from O2 at the start of the year. It
is disappointing as I like what the storm 2 offers over the iphone
but the touchscreen is shocking. It fails to detect finger touches
at the correct point at times which means typing a SMS or email
is a very long drawn out process, particularly in comparison to
the iphone which seems to have touch detection implemented to a
fine art. Other than this issue, it has been great but I moved back
to a BB as they are supposed to be the best for email and text based
communication so greatly dissapointed that it cannot match the iphone
when it comes to simply detecting where the screen is touched. This
also manifests itself when using the browser as it will select text
and zoom at will - as if possessed! It seems as if the touch detectiion
is false registering a minimum of a second touch on the screen -
and yes I have ensured I am not touching the edge with part of another
finger. So it remains in draw and is updated each time I am able
to find new firmware - not always VFUK official though - and hopefully
it will become usable as a device in the very near future. Advice
- wait for the slider or go for a traditional BB with keyboard or
if you want a touchscreen look at the androids or the ubiquitous
iphone! Rating:
Reviewed by - from - on 30th
May 2010
Piece of pooh. I can honestly day their is nothing I like about
this phone. It has a lot of potential, but it falls short everywhere.
I mean, what's the point of a phone you can't phone on? You have
20 seconds max before your phone cuts you off. And that's assuming
the storm 2 hasn't hung while you where typing or simply trying
to open your sun menus. And the fact that its so expensive makes
me feel raped when I think that my contract is for two years. Pity
I'm forced to give this phone a minimum of one star Rating:
Reviewed by Zarah.k from England on
23rd May 2010
OMG!!!! please do not buy this phone it is just ***** Battery life
was awful sending a text was a mission just please do not buy it
trust me iv been on to my 3rd phone of the storm2 and im sick of
giving it back but then i bought the bold 9700 whch is BRILLIANT
NO SERIOUSLY YOU HAVE TO BUY IT!!!!!!!!! :D Rating:
Reviewed by Mark Edwards from UK on
24th Apr 2010
Have a Storm2 from t-mobile for 6 weeks. Initially liked it but
unfortunately my first analogue Cellnet mobile phone back in 1992
performed as a PHONE better. All the bells and whistles are nice,
but please do not forget that the Storm2 is XXXXXXX phone RIM please.
Have been offered an exchange Storm2 by t-mobile, I have offered
them me going to Vodafone. Does any body have a tank that I can
borrow to drive over my Storm2, do not want any body to have to
end up with this flawed genius. Rating:
Reviewed by Andy C from Wales on
22nd Apr 2010
Well I can top all your reviews...........I am on my eleventh (yes
that's right 11th) handset, I have had nothing but problems with
this piece of junk. I originally had a Storm 1 which went wrong
seven times and now I have a Storm 2, my fourth one......and I've
deceided to just live with it until my Vodafone contract runs out,
at the moment the following is wrong with it 1. It will not Charge
2. Drops calls after about 30 secs 3. Will not end calls without
disconnecting the battery 4. Battery lasts at best 8hrs 5. It gets
very hot...I mean Very hot!!! 6. touchscreen constantly freezes
7. Speaker on the phone doesnt work at all I could go on and on......with
all this currently wrong with it I am stil managing to use it as
I'm fed up with the replacements sent having a whole different list
of problems....as they say better the devil you know! In summation,
you need your head examined if you buy the B/B Storm2 as a phone
its about as much use as a sideboard................... Rating:
Reviewed by robb from United States
on 16th Apr 2010
Well i thhink the Storms is a great in consitering the surepress
technology. It realy gives you a good fill. But the batteray life
dhould be long like all the other blackberries. Overalle its a great
phone and people should consiter buying it. Im getting one next
year. Im 12 years old Rating:
Reviewed by Caroline from UK on
11th Apr 2010
This phone is awful, I wouldnt recommend it to anyone. The screen
constantly freezes/locks, especially when you try to hang up a call
or try to use yhen screen in general. More often than not I have
to take out the battery to end a call. total piece of rubbish. Rating:
Reviewed by Simon from UK on
11th Apr 2010
Worst phone I have ever owned period. Rating:
Reviewed by Mel from USA on 8th
Apr 2010
This is my first blackberry ever I went from a razor to the storm2.
I must admit I like all the bells & whistles but using it as a phone
itself to have a conversation with someone just dosent work out
well for me. Four weeks after getting my first one I had to take
it back & got a whole new one b/c the side button started to act
stuipd it wouldnt work & the camera was acting like it was asleep.
Now I am on the second storm2 & another month later phone calls
are hard to hear on both ends, it cuts in & out constantly even
though I dont move an inch while on the phone. The other day it
just disconnected me three times all while I was sitting in the
same exact spot. Needless to say I'm heading back into Verizon to
see what the heck is up b/c I'm very upset. I may even ask for an
upgrade the Android or whatever it is b/c this is just stupid &
I paid a lot of money for it. Rating:
Reviewed by Victoria from UK on
18th Mar 2010
I have had a blackberry for 4+ years. The storm 2 is like something
from 10 years ago. It is so unrelaible and erratic. What is the
square time clock that appears raddomly all about? Most times I
have to take out the battery to get rid of it. The calls get cut
off if I bring the phone in contact with my head whilst talking.
The screen sticks, or goes black. The battery life is getting worse
by the day. When I took it to Vodaphone I was told to turn off the
wifi to save the battery. Ofcourse I've never been able to actually
log on to a wifi hotspot anyway. My last software upgrade last week
caused a total wipe out of all informaion and took 1 1/2 hrs. Fortunatley
the backup had worked. The lock icon disappeared as well. Sometimes
the whole front screen seems to slip so that the time display sits
on top of the date. Then there's the design flaws. 'l' is too close
to return/delete so I either send texts too early or end up deleting
words. Any why does it get so hot when it's n ot doing anything.
I think it could be a fire hazard. I have tried to persevere but
after 3 + months I am at my wits end. Kept hopeing the latest update
would help... Vodaphone are offering a like for like exchange. Hilarious.
Rating:
Reviewed by Ben B from England, UK.
on 15th Mar 2010
I have read all the bad reviews below, and can honestly say that
I have not had any problems or glitches with this phone. I got it
as my upgrade from t-mobile and I love it. It has never dropped
calls, never frozen, the battery life is really good and everything
works perfectly. I have had loads of phones in the past and I believe
this to be the best I have ever had. This is my 1st Blackberry and
I have not found it hard to use at all. I think the bad reviews
below must be for a bad batch of these as the one I have got from
t-mobile is excellent. I would definitely recommend this phone to
anyone. Rating:
Reviewed by Sue from UK on 12th
Mar 2010
This phone is not fit for purpose. The screen freezes and you cannot
answer calls. It is going to be returned under the Sale of Goods
Act (been back for repair three times in 2 months of owning it).
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Rating:
Reviewed by Ray from UK on 1st
Mar 2010
I have had the Balckberry Storm 2 for 3 months now and to say ther
are a few issues with the whole package is a bit of an understatement!Issues
I have are 1. It randomly doesn't let you hang up calls to the point
that I have had to take the battery out to end the call! 2. Randomly
cuts you off mid call and keeps doing this till you reboot the phone
by taking out the battery and then restarting. 3. Battery life is
poor, even if you turn off bluetooth etc. 4. Touch screen locks/gets
confused. so much so that I have now learned that when it does do
not touch it for 30 seconds or so and it resets itself! Very helpfull
if trying to end a call!!!! 5. Minor point - if you use it as an
alarm clock don't. The snooze and dismiss buttons are so small,
that when the alarm goes off it takes a fair bit of eye-hand co-ordination
to hit the correct button...try doing that before 6.00am! Positive
- email is good. The reason why I bought this was that it looked
liked a credible competitor to the iphone. Now I am not a great
fan of the iphone either but when it comes to useability Blackberry
have really fallen short of their main competitor here. My advice...utill
they sort out the useability issues then don't bother with the Storm
2! Rating:
Reviewed by Siobhan from Scotland on
16th Feb 2010
Fab for emails as far as a phone goes - after 20 secs the call ends...........I
have sent it back 3 times and had the same issue with every handset!!!!!
The screen also sticks and on occassion freezes - Dont buy as more
hasstle than it is worth - had for 3 months and awaiting my Iphone
being delivered! :) x Rating:
Reviewed by mr d from uk on 9th
Feb 2010
i have had the bb storm 2 for over two months now and its rubbish.
dont buy it or as i have, got it on contract for 2 years. it freezes
most times, the battery life is about 4 hours when i look at it,
if i use it 1 hour at best. and it heats up even when its in my
pocket. there are some good app for it but only a few. the lag when
you press a app is rediculas. 5 seconds for mine. constant updates.
anyway DONT GET THE STORM 2 Rating:
Reviewed by yoda from uk on 8th
Feb 2010
honestly, i am a big fan of blackberry i had curve and bold !! they're
awesome!! but i got the Storm 2 last months and now i have had exchanged
this rubbish phone three time already oh dear calls dropping, touch
screen faulty, no signal, multiple click, Screen Locks Or Freezes
After A Call .....lots of problem!!! dont get it !!! believe me
or get it then try your experience ! ;) Rating:
Reviewed by Sanjay Kumar from INDIA
on 5th Feb 2010
What can I say now, All the defects I wanted to tell have been highlighted
by the other users. The Irritating of the most is the Freezing of
the screen. Once that happens no matter what you press or do simply
will not work at all. I literally removed all the 3rd party Apps
from this phone still the same problem persists, I am a Blackberry
fan and always supported their phones but this has gone beyond beyond.
RIM has to be penalized for duping and cheating people. Rating:
Reviewed by andrew from England on
3rd Feb 2010
Have had the storm two since it launched and words cannot describe
how poor this phone is. Since November I have been back to the shop
twice. Once to have the SIM changed as the old SIM died and secondly
to have they software rebooted as it died. Both incidents happened
aftera a long train journey and I suspect that the constant loss
of signal had an effect on the handset. In addition to these problems
1) How to you hang up when you have finished a call? The screen
freezes and I have to pull the battery out 2) QWERTY keyboard option
is not useable due to the size of the keys 3) The touch screen makes
too much noise and is irritating to people who sit near you when
you are typing out a long email 4) The handset has an incredible
knack of unlocking itself 5) Blackberry do not offer a decent range
of "apps" for the product 6) Battery life is horrendous and if you
actively use it for emails (50 per day) then thats your battery
gone I now use it solely for emails and have a Nokia classic to
make calls on. The nokia is fantastic as it has a battery that lasts
and enables you to hang up on calls after you have finished them
which I don't think is too much to ask for a phone Vodafone should
offer to recall all handsets as most users are tied into a 2 year
contract. I will be amazed if the Blackberry Storm 2 last longer
than 6 months Rating:
Reviewed by E.Joubert from SouthAfrica
on 25th Jan 2010
This phone has push screen issues, freezes with most 3rd party apps
and just try and end a call, you can't. I'd give it no stars if
possible. Needles to say I have not tried another storm2 handset,
nor would I bother. First impressions last longest, unfortunately. Rating:
Reviewed by R JONES from Wales UK on
23rd Jan 2010
Did not like this phone at first but it is growing on me. I have
experienced some call dropping but not much. This is my first high
end ( or there abouts ) phone and I find it fine. I think people
are possibly expecting it to be too much like th iphone. As for
people saying the battery lasts half a day if you follow the 5 step
guide to pro longing battery life by switching stuff off u dont
always need it lasts MUCH longer. Its not amazing, but its ok. Rating:
Reviewed by landon from uk on
20th Jan 2010
very good phone not hard to use. worth the money Rating:
Reviewed by jane from uk on 14th
Jan 2010
would love my bb storm 2 - if it actually did what it's meant to.
Looks great, loads of functionality but battery barely lasts half
a day and the constantly dropped calls are driving me insane. At
wit's end....! Rating:
Reviewed by james from uk on
13th Jan 2010
when i first got the storm 2 i think i had one problem with it were
the call dropped after a couple of seconds with a hard reset of
the phone this fixed the issue no problem. the screen is nice and
bright all text is very clear the camera and video are not the best
but i think all the other features on the phone compensate for that.
alot of people say the iphone is better than the storm 2 and many
other phones to be exact but personally i think the iphone is just
a fasion accessory if you want a phone which has all the bells and
whistles then i would choose the blackberry. internet and emails
are very fast only had the phone a week and know that i am not going
to have any further problems Rating:
Reviewed by Mo from UK on 8th
Jan 2010
This is the second worse phone I've ever had...the first being the
Storm 1 (I was eventually given a free upgrade to the Storm 2 by
Vodafone after all the problems I was experiencing with the first
Storm). RIM have learnt nothing, nearly all the problems with the
first handset are present in this latest abonimation, most importantly
the call dropping, OS freezing and non-existent signal. I've just
called Vodafone Customer Services to log my latest complaint and
was informed by a manager that VODAFONE ARE DISCONTINUING THE STORM
2 in the very near future (as soon as existing stock is depleted).
The handset isn't even 3 months old yet - says it all really. Rating:
Reviewed by Kevin Houston from UK on
5th Jan 2010
DONT BUY Rating:
Reviewed by caz smiley from United Kingdom
on 1st Jan 2010
Im now onto my second storm 2 within a 2 week period and have to
say for all i love it, i am having to return this again, as it keeps
freezing and being unable to send text messages same problem as
the last phone Not a good start to using blackberry hoping to change
to the bold 9700 The reception is also extremelly bad even though
apparantly the network is a very good area ?! as a result of this
the internet will not connect due to low reception Rating:
Reviewed by Jeff from UK on 24th
Dec 2009
I got a mate with this phone and he hates it. I tried it out and
tried calling with it and it kept dropping. Apart from that its
not bad, but then i didnt do much with it. IMO i wouldn't buy it. Rating:
Reviewed by Jon.S from UK on
23rd Dec 2009
This phone is absolutely hopeless. I say that as a mobile phone
user for over ten years, with a mobile phone being vital for my
work. The touch screen is very error prone, and I find it impossible
to type any word without making a few errors each time. I take 4-5
goes each time entering my password to unlock the screen, unless
I try type exceptionally slowly, in which case it's still rarely
correct first time. Make an error, and try and delete the mistake,
the enter button is right under the back space button so you sometimes
enter the incorrect password. No wonder the unit gives you TEN attempts.
The phone has a sensor to align the screen in portrait or landscape
format but there is an annoying delay of 1-2 seconds. Just give
us a button to switch will you?! Speaking of buttons, the menus/buttons
are also annoying. There is a "back" button on the front, but it
doesn't always back you out depending what menu you are in. I have
been mired in options before, selecting the wrong ones half the
time due to the touch screen issues, had enough and tried to back
out only to find it won't let me. This is the worst phone I have
ever had. It's never used, and sits on desk at work as a paperweight.
I use my own phone to call suppliers, contacts, and workmates. I
am going to ask for a change of phone from the provider. They have
initially said they won't swap it (after 4 weeks, outside the 14
days) but I will return it time after time for the entire length
of the contract whilst they give me a loan phone if need be. Rating:
Reviewed by Tom from UK on 21st
Dec 2009
I've had the Storm 2 for five days now and have just arranged for
it to be returned. My old phone had signal coverage, this the Storm
had none, the wi-fi conectivity is miniam and by even just going
upstairs the signal dropped. my wife has the iphone and in comparison
performance wise, it is like having something from the nineties
slow and poor I am more annoyed with the guy in the shop who talked
the talk but delivered rubbish Rating:
Reviewed by GaryH from Uk on
16th Dec 2009
Must agree, Calls drop all the time - 6 times in 2 mins the other
day. poor reception, lost business. Shame because the idea is great
with the calendar being a great way for office to organise work
and sync. I have even changed sim card with no effect. Rating:
Reviewed by ChrisD from UK on
14th Dec 2009
Had the Storm 2 for 5 days...I honestly gave it every chance as
i really liked everything about it...apart from not being able to
make/receive any calls! I'd estimate i had a 90% call failure rate.
Yes it could have been a faulty handset but judging from other users
feedback, methinks it could be a wider issue and as the end of my
7 day return policy with vodafone was looming - decided to bail
out and opt for the new Bold 7000. As a gadget - five stars. As
a phone - zero. Save yourself the heartache and avoid. Rating:
Reviewed by davey boy from salisbury
on 7th Dec 2009
RUBBISH, SOLD THE PHONE ON EBAY AFTER 1 DAYS USE, LUCKY TO SELL
AND ONLY LOST £70 PHEW. Rating:
Reviewed by joe from uk on 5th
Dec 2009
I just brought this phone. call quality is bad, most of the time
keys don't work, call drop etc. I wonder how people have given 5
star. i will suggest never buy a touch phones from blackberry, they
have no idea how to make one. Rating:
Reviewed by Jo from UK on 1st
Dec 2009
I have the orginal Blackberry Storm and LOVE it, my husband feels
sidelined now!I have had it since 24 Dec 2008 and I have never had
a problem with it at all. I have dowloaded apps to it I use facebook
and emails on it all the time, this is the best phone I have ever
owned. I think there must have been a batch at the beginning that
had problems but I cannot fault mine. Friends have IPhone but one
has had lots of trouble the other no problems again I think its
personal preference, and mine provided excellent contact on recent
stay in hospital, I was able to keep in touch by text, phoning,
facebook and emails. I cant see me upgrading to Storm 2 whilst mine
works but wouldnt be able to go back to any other kind of phone
now.... Would recommend anytime. Rating:
Reviewed by Attiq Malik from Pakistan
on 25th Nov 2009
Really bad phone. Call dropping/voice fading is a huge issue on
Storm2. I will return it very soon. The Quality Assurance guys @
RIM need to be fired. Rating:
Reviewed by chris from england on
24th Nov 2009
expanding on 'oh dear', the phone was perfect for at least 4 days
after getting it on vodafone. however it took a turn for the worse,
the phone crashed and nothing at all would help it except to simply
leave it to sort itself out. my blackberry storm also had a sense
of humour, as it liked to randomly call people from my las dialled
list, it would have been a good joke if i could disconnect the call
without taking the battery out. there were several other issues
with slow response, freezing, and above all with all those minutes
i got on my contract each phone call was limited to around 20 seconds
as it would hang the call up for me. i had three storm 2's and became
impatient of waiting for a 'software update' so now have a sony
ericsson satio. Rating:
Reviewed by Charlie from UK on
19th Nov 2009
The Storm 1 is the worst phone I have ever had. One review stated
it was "virtually unusable" and I agree with that. I have found
Vodafone incredibly unhelpful and difficult to access, compounding
my dissatisfaction. Complaints directly to RIM were not followed
up. I have been a blackberry user for nearly 10 years (having lived
in the US). The keyboard is the biggest issue, even in horizontal
mode, when it gets there, my 12 year old daughter with slim fingers
can't type effectively - she can text faster on a numeric keypad!
This their worst product by a country mile, your reviews are far
too gentle, perhaps you are worried about ad revenues. [Editor's
reply: Your review is NOT a review of the Storm2, so we would normally
not have published it. However, we want to respond to your criticism
of our editorial independence. I think that in our review we have
drawn attention to the issues of the user interface and the problems
that beset the original Storm. Our objective is always to avoid
bias and to help people to choose the best phone for them. If you
want to see just how "ungentle" we can be in our reviews,
I suggest that you read our reviews of the Motorola
Aura or the Sony Ericsson
P990i for example.] Rating:
Reviewed by Taxi man from england on
19th Nov 2009
we Taxi men like our gadgets well first impressions first Blackberry
Nice bit of kit received two emails as soon as connected i like
this simple solution of not running to computer to check mail.i
an 50+ as much as iphone has appeal i just want working tool it
works well with my mac with calendar and contracts email set up
easy my impression is how did i manage with out it connects to my
Prius Bluetooth i am impressed thank you To Blackberry for my phone
yours Taxi man Rating:
Reviewed by Steve from England on
18th Nov 2009
Upgraded to the Storm 2 from N95 8GB. Hugely impressed and more
than happy this will be my phone for the next 2 years. Had no problems
with dropped calls, signal or touchscreen. It is everything I wanted
from my new phone. Camera and Video camera both excellent, as good
as my old N95 camera as far as I am concerned. Rating:
Reviewed by chris from england on
14th Nov 2009
oh dear! [Reply by Sarah from England on 17th Nov 2009: Chris what
does "oh dear mean?" Not very helpful!][Reply by Ron from England
on 17th Nov 2009: Chris - this is a review site. "oh dear!" doesn't
quite qualify. Would you care to expand?] Rating:
Reviewed by Martin from United Kingdom
on 11th Nov 2009
Looking at this and need to decide between this and the new 9700
Bold. My son had the Storm last year and never had any issues after
the initial firmware update and has done so as soon as soon as others
were released. I agree that this looks to be the phone the first
should have been. This an area that Rim could exploit well if done
correctly. The specs on the phone look good and on demo in store
it responds very well. To Ian I would state that the Iphone too
is not without problems and the 3gs version does have known dropped
call problems. Dependent upon my choice will provide further info
later Rating:
Reviewed by dave from eengland on
11th Nov 2009
i think its good Rating:
Reviewed by Paul from UK on 11th
Nov 2009
Ian, not a very informative review, maybe you could let us know
where the flood is located so we can read up on the problems you’ve
listed. On the plus side, at least you didn’t go for the classic
“It’s not as good as the iPhone” one liner?? [Reply
by Ian from UK on 16th Nov 2009: Paul, head over to the Vodafone
Blackberry Storm 2 forum, you'll find all the info there. BTW, I
don't have an iPhone so I wouldn't know!] Rating:
Reviewed by Ian from UK on 8th
Nov 2009
Oh dear, reports are starting to flood in re bad call quality, dropped
calls, clickscreen issues, fluctuating signal - all the problems
that the Storm 1 had. Rubbish. Rating:
Reviewed by Steve from UK on
31st Oct 2009
The four click actuators under the screen are much better than the
single one on the Storm 1. You can now type easily even with two
fingers resting on different letters, as the sensors can tell which
finger pressed down. It's all haptic - turn off the phone and the
screen no longer clicks/moves! Wi Fi a great addition. Inertial
scrolling means scrolling no longer stops suddenly when you lift
your finger - more natural, faster, and easer. Handsfree speaker
is repositioned, which means the Storm 1 stupid little 'feet' that
kept the speaker off surfaces are gone, so you can use the Storm
2 on a table without wobbling all over. Messaging now has a Send
button you can just tap (no longer need to do Menu / Send) SMS is
so much easier, threaded conversations, reply window always there
(like an IM). Rating:
Reviewed by Pete from Uk on 31st
Oct 2009
I had the Storm 1 and i kept updating the firmware each time an
update became available. The latest releases made the Storm 1 a
very nice phone. I got my Storm 2 today and it is awesome. As has
already been stated by Sean, this is what the Storm 1 should have
been. I am very happy with this phone, it is very fast, precise
and the build quality is excellent. Rating:
Reviewed by Sean from UK on 27th
Oct 2009
Got mine today (Had the Storm 1) and this is the phone the first
one should have been! The screen is brighter, sharper and the click
is still there but so much more improved. I was lucky to never have
any real problems with my Storm1. Already though I can see this
one is quicker, almost too quick actually when scrolling! If you
are ready to change your phone go and have a demo of one at least,
outstanding!!!! Rating:
Reviewed by Rakesh from U.K on
25th Oct 2009
Had a go on the phone today, awsome phone, screen still presses
in slighty but its actually really go, works so much better than
the last one and build quality is still really good, Rating:
Reviewed by Rakesh from U.K on
22nd Oct 2009
Looks really nice, seen the dummy phone, bit worried as the screen
still presses in. work for vodafone and i hear that the phone is
expected to do a lot of things, looking forward to it! Rating:
