Tell me if I'm wrong.. I don't believe Black Berry Storm have Wifi.. And in Europe isn't the phone called Blackberry Thunder? Is the Blackberry Thunder and Storm identical is my question?
Phones 4U starts taking BlackBerry Storm orders
There's a Storm brewing. Looks like Storm cloud on the horizon. Is that a Storm blowing in? Yes, the puns are endless - but thankfully there is an end in sight to the wait for RIM's BlackBerry Storm 9500. Phones 4U has joined Vodafone and quietly begun taking orders ahead of this month's on-sale date for the phone it describes as, "a real candidate for the iPhone killer".
While talk of iPhone's death may be hasty, the Storm is likely to kick up a, er, storm, among BlackBerry fans who've been underwhelmed by the more traditional Bold. With a 3.2 megapixel camera, WiFi, GPS, HSDPA, it's certainly a fully-tooled machine, although we're yet to see whether that feedback loaded 3.25in touchscreen will win over purists wedded to their QWERTY Curves.
As Phones 4U has something of an exclusive with Vodafone, you won't be seeing the Storm anywhere else on the highstreet, other than in Vodafone stores themselves. It's offering it free from £35 on 24 month contracts or free from £40 on 18 month contracts - both of which get you 600 minutes and 3000 texts, although there's no mention of any unlimited data a la O2's iPhone deal or T-Mobile's web'n'walk bundles with the G1.
That doesn't quite concur with Vodafone's own pre-order pricing, which includes unlimited texts for the same amount and does have unlimited email and data (plus six months' of mapping), so we'll assume Phones 4U hasn't got the latest info on its website.
Meanwhile Pocket Lint reports that, according to a Phones 4U spokesperson, the Storm could be available in stores as soon as Friday. It also says a "high profile" launch is on the cards at Vodafone's Oxford Street store this Friday involving newly crowned Formula One champion, Lewis Hamilton. Cue utter pandemonium if that happens. We'll see you in the scrum.
UPDATE: Phones 4U has now added the unlimited Internet and email and 6 Months' Vodafone Find and Go to its page. It's aiming to deliver Storms on 11th November.
Originally published on www.mobilecomputermag.co.uk, now incorporated into Broadband Genie
© Dennis Publishing
© Dennis Publishing
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Comments
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You're correct, Verizon and Voda Storms lack WiFi. The author merely copied/pasted some of this info and didn't do his own research/verification.
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Eek! The lack of WiFi is indeed true - perhaps I should have copied and pasted and then it wouldn't have slipped in there :) It is most definitely called the Storm, though. Thunder was its codename and the name it was referred to in early coverage. So at least I got one thing right.
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Ethan, I should have noted that it is exceedingly likely that T-Mo will get the storm in short order, and their version will almost certainly have WiFi to complement the T-Mo HotSpot service. VZ, on the other hand, wants to charge more for airtime so they specifically required that WiFi be excluded from their storms.
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Thanks everyone for clearifying my questions out. Is it true that Blackberry Storm lacks Wifi mainly because Wifi decreases batteries life faster, not to mention the limited spaces they have left to add this option when Wifi possibly can be replace with the use of HSDPA.If T-Mobile is to have Wifi in the future, possible that something might get left out or shrink?
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Ethan, based on my understanding, WiFi fits just fine into the unit, VZ actually requested that it be excluded or taken out so that data use had to be used over the air and not via WiFi (they get more minute/usage data this way). It is well-known that RIM is already well under way designing Storm V2 and if I were a betting man TMO will get it with WiFi included. I want a storm, but want WiFi, dont want VZs high plan prices (2x TMO), and actually prefer to wait for V2 because V1 of almost all devices are plagued with bugs, problems, and are much better in V2 (think iPhone, etc.).
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why you need wifi when you have unlimit internet & email with the Vodafone traiff??!! wifi is a nice thing to have but if both are free, then surely it doesn't matter if there is wifi or not for the Storm. this kinda same it when people complain about the Wii can not play DVD movie, people just like to have more feature even tho they are not needed.
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Well... "unlimited" with a 500MB fair-use cap.
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In my case it's because I spend a fair amount of time (>7H day) in an area with no signal but with WiFi coverage - so surely it does matter. Further, VZ is notorious for "unlimited" data plans that actually have a cap, and you get charged for the extra. WiFi would abrogate this problem, which is why VZ specifically had WiFi excluded from their storm - to increase their revenue from overages. Finally, WiFi just offers another connection option when/if the others fail (or, as above, are unavailable). To those who do rely on WiFi, it IS a big deal and IS needed. Put that on top of VZs exhorbinant monthly rates compared to others like TMO, it just doesnt seem like a value (comparable VZ plan to my TMO plan will cost me about $600 more annually).
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I hope the day T-Mobile is to have the Blackberry Storm will soon to come, but if the Storm is to sell well with Verizon then I doubt RIM will bring its Storm elsewhere. A good example for this is the iphone which is exclusively with AT&T.
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Well apple is a different breed - RIM BB devices (curve, etc.) have for the most part always ended up on the 'big 4' carriers after some time of exclusivity with one carrier. For example, the curve was exclusive to TMO initially, and is now readily avail on most carriers. BTW TMO just released the Behold and note that it has quad band + WiFi.
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My comment above re: the Behold was only to point out that TMO does not release many units without WiFi.
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I'm beginning to suspect why Verizon remove wifi from the blackberry storm because without wifi, people would have to stick with Verizon as the only internet provider for data services. If the phone have wifi, then people can change carrier noticing that they can surf the internet without Verizon. Aren't they freaking smart? They'll make sure that you can't have internet on the storm without them. Besides you can't use the GPS on other providers as well because GPS is assisted by Verizon Navigation ... I really like the Blackberry storm, but a voice plan is enough bill for me to pay. Why do I have to pay an extra $30 a month or more than $360 a year for checking my email. In two years, I could probably buy myself a nice laptop with this money..
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