RIM BlackBerry 9530 Smartphone
- Screen Size (Diagonal): 3.25 inch
- Installed Memory: 1000 MB
- Operating System: BlackBerry OS
- Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB
- Performance: Quad Band
- Design: Mobile
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Not bad, but some work is needed
Pros
Large screen, Sure-Click screen, SureType keyboard, Java applications, BlackBerry OS
Cons
Keyboard sensitivity can't be adjusted. Poor battery life. Slow camera.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
It's a good product that will get better with software upgrades.
The BlackBerry PIM
This is my first BlackBerry, and I have to admit that it took me a day or two to get used to the interface, which is different from the standard Verizon interface. Specifically, I had a hard time learning how to adjust the controls and maintain the contacts directory. The directory syncs with Outlook or other mail programs, including Web-based mail systems, instead of with the Verizon Backup assistant. For a few days, I didn't have several friends’ phone numbers. In addition, I had to remove the addresses of contacts whom I rarely called or emailed.
Once my directory was up-to-date, the BlackBerry’s interface became an asset. For example, I have the choice of replying to calls, texts, and emails by calling someone back, leaving a text or multimedia phone message, or sending an email. It doesn’t matter in what medium the initial message was sent. Incoming calls can be easily saved to the directory, but the software does not merge the new contact information with existing contacts.
Camera and Pictures
The integrated camera is another asset. It’s 3.2 megapixels, one of the best in a cell phone. The disadvantage of the phone is that it has an extremely slow shutter speed, so it's horrible for a subject who is moving. Nevertheless, the ability to shoot a picture and immediately email it to people who are in it is handy.
I have to admit that one of the main reasons I bought this phone was its large screen. I have a new nephew, and I wanted to be able to view larger pictures of him. I love the large screen and the ability to infinitely expand picture size.
The network
Verizon likes to advertise the reliability of its network, and that's the reason I've been with the company for many years. It has the best coverage and reception in my area. (As measured by local consumer studies) Most of my friends are on the system, so it's cost effective to remain. However, the real advantage isn't the Verizon network, but that it runs on multiple network technologies: CDMA in the United States, and GSM elsewhere. This means that I would be able to use the Storm anywhere in the world. It includes a Verizon SIM card, but I imagine it would be possible to insert another carrier's SIM card, as well.
Battery Life
One of things I noticed very quickly was the poor battery life compared to that of my regular phone. I was really surprised because the Verizon online catalog indicated that the Storm had talk time and standby time that were at least twice as good as those in my Samsung phone. The catch was that these numbers represented the times when the device is used as a phone only. I quickly learned to turn off data services, such as email and Web browsing, when I was near a computer.
Touchscreen
One of the product's most written about features is the clickable screen. I like it. It assures that I'm not sending a command or typing something when I don't mean to be. The clickable screen does take some getting used to, and there are definite advantages to a multitouch screen such as the iPhone's. It's a little difficult getting used to typing on the screen, and one of the downfalls is that the keyboard's sensitivity cannot be adjusted. I soon came to like the SureType system used in portrait mode. I wish the QWERTY keyboard available in landscape mode worked with a dictionary the way the SureType keypad does.(BTW, forthcoming operating systems offer a full QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode.)
Software
The fact is, the Storm, and any BlackBerry, is a computer running over the cellular networks; it is not (just) a cell phone. With this device, I can do anything that I can do on a laptop. I can send email, surf the Web, run Web applications, and even edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. If I were to pay for the full version of Documents to Go, I could even create new Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files.
Two advantages to the device being a computer are that it can run applications and that its operating system can be upgraded. Unlike other Verizon phones, which use the BREW method for adding applications, and therefore tether users to the Verizon GetItNow store, the Blackberry's applications are Java, and can be downloaded from the Web. BlackBerry has an Application Center similar to Apple’s AppStore, but that doesn’t have many applications. There are various sites for getting free applications from around the Web. There's even a third-party application store application.
Verizon offers its GPS-based navigation system, VZ Navigator, for an additional $9.99 per month. I've used VZ Navigator with other phones and found it excellent. Other GPS-based navigations, including Telenav, are also available. The free AmazeGPS software may not even be worth the price. For directions without turn-by-turn commands, Google Maps for Mobile works well.
The Web browser, with several levels of zoom, is good for a mobile browser, but it's not so good for sites that require passwords.
Many of the Storm's problems – slow camera, accelerometer’s slow response at turning from landscape to portrait, slow response, and poor battery life – are taken care of in versions of the OS beyond the officially supported version. I played around with OS 4.7.0.130, which includes Semitic language support, an additional phone button under the applications, a new cut and paste feature, and some fixed glitches. Installing an unofficially released OS backs up old data, but removes it from the handheld. I removed .130 and put .75, the official release, back because the new one did not move my Application Center applications and messages over.
Price
Finally, a word on price I was able to get discounts through my company on both the device and the plan. I bought it for about $100 and have a plan that costs less than $70 per month. One of the disadvantage of buying this or any other BlackBerry through Verizon is that the company requires a $30 or $45 data plan. I chose the less expensive plan because I'm not syncing to work email accounts that use Microsoft's server. The full price of the device is around $500, so be sure to get a cover and screen protectors to keep the Storm in good condition.
This is my first BlackBerry, and I have to admit that it took me a day or two to get used to the interface, which is different from the standard Verizon interface. Specifically, I had a hard time learning how to adjust the controls and maintain the contacts directory. The directory syncs with Outlook or other mail programs, including Web-based mail systems, instead of with the Verizon Backup assistant. For a few days, I didn't have several friends’ phone numbers. In addition, I had to remove the addresses of contacts whom I rarely called or emailed.
Once my directory was up-to-date, the BlackBerry’s interface became an asset. For example, I have the choice of replying to calls, texts, and emails by calling someone back, leaving a text or multimedia phone message, or sending an email. It doesn’t matter in what medium the initial message was sent. Incoming calls can be easily saved to the directory, but the software does not merge the new contact information with existing contacts.
Camera and Pictures
The integrated camera is another asset. It’s 3.2 megapixels, one of the best in a cell phone. The disadvantage of the phone is that it has an extremely slow shutter speed, so it's horrible for a subject who is moving. Nevertheless, the ability to shoot a picture and immediately email it to people who are in it is handy.
I have to admit that one of the main reasons I bought this phone was its large screen. I have a new nephew, and I wanted to be able to view larger pictures of him. I love the large screen and the ability to infinitely expand picture size.
The network
Verizon likes to advertise the reliability of its network, and that's the reason I've been with the company for many years. It has the best coverage and reception in my area. (As measured by local consumer studies) Most of my friends are on the system, so it's cost effective to remain. However, the real advantage isn't the Verizon network, but that it runs on multiple network technologies: CDMA in the United States, and GSM elsewhere. This means that I would be able to use the Storm anywhere in the world. It includes a Verizon SIM card, but I imagine it would be possible to insert another carrier's SIM card, as well.
Battery Life
One of things I noticed very quickly was the poor battery life compared to that of my regular phone. I was really surprised because the Verizon online catalog indicated that the Storm had talk time and standby time that were at least twice as good as those in my Samsung phone. The catch was that these numbers represented the times when the device is used as a phone only. I quickly learned to turn off data services, such as email and Web browsing, when I was near a computer.
Touchscreen
One of the product's most written about features is the clickable screen. I like it. It assures that I'm not sending a command or typing something when I don't mean to be. The clickable screen does take some getting used to, and there are definite advantages to a multitouch screen such as the iPhone's. It's a little difficult getting used to typing on the screen, and one of the downfalls is that the keyboard's sensitivity cannot be adjusted. I soon came to like the SureType system used in portrait mode. I wish the QWERTY keyboard available in landscape mode worked with a dictionary the way the SureType keypad does.(BTW, forthcoming operating systems offer a full QWERTY keyboard in portrait mode.)
Software
The fact is, the Storm, and any BlackBerry, is a computer running over the cellular networks; it is not (just) a cell phone. With this device, I can do anything that I can do on a laptop. I can send email, surf the Web, run Web applications, and even edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents. If I were to pay for the full version of Documents to Go, I could even create new Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files.
Two advantages to the device being a computer are that it can run applications and that its operating system can be upgraded. Unlike other Verizon phones, which use the BREW method for adding applications, and therefore tether users to the Verizon GetItNow store, the Blackberry's applications are Java, and can be downloaded from the Web. BlackBerry has an Application Center similar to Apple’s AppStore, but that doesn’t have many applications. There are various sites for getting free applications from around the Web. There's even a third-party application store application.
Verizon offers its GPS-based navigation system, VZ Navigator, for an additional $9.99 per month. I've used VZ Navigator with other phones and found it excellent. Other GPS-based navigations, including Telenav, are also available. The free AmazeGPS software may not even be worth the price. For directions without turn-by-turn commands, Google Maps for Mobile works well.
The Web browser, with several levels of zoom, is good for a mobile browser, but it's not so good for sites that require passwords.
Many of the Storm's problems – slow camera, accelerometer’s slow response at turning from landscape to portrait, slow response, and poor battery life – are taken care of in versions of the OS beyond the officially supported version. I played around with OS 4.7.0.130, which includes Semitic language support, an additional phone button under the applications, a new cut and paste feature, and some fixed glitches. Installing an unofficially released OS backs up old data, but removes it from the handheld. I removed .130 and put .75, the official release, back because the new one did not move my Application Center applications and messages over.
Price
Finally, a word on price I was able to get discounts through my company on both the device and the plan. I bought it for about $100 and have a plan that costs less than $70 per month. One of the disadvantage of buying this or any other BlackBerry through Verizon is that the company requires a $30 or $45 data plan. I chose the less expensive plan because I'm not syncing to work email accounts that use Microsoft's server. The full price of the device is around $500, so be sure to get a cover and screen protectors to keep the Storm in good condition.
