Storm2 Review (kinda) and thoughts
As several friends have noted, I change my cell phone as frequently as some people change their socks. Today is no different, I picked up a Blackberry Storm2. I had tried a Storm before but to call that phone a disaster would be giving it far too much praise, but I have read a lot of good things (Crackberry) and I decided to go have a look. I must say, hardware-wise it’s a lot better, it runs like I would expect it to…here’s my very quick “I have the attention span of a goldfish” review/thoughts).
The Good:
- Runs well, no lag, it’s solid…what I (and other) have come to expect from a Blackberry.
- BB OS 5.0 has a lot of improvements.
- Battery life “seems” good (I’ll update when I know for sure)
- Verizon is a solid provider (at least here)
The Bad:
- Browser, while better, still sucks. I wish they would just release a webkit browser already.
- Google Sync is a “tad” buggy (it works, but there were lots of graphical “glitches” in getting it setup
- Google Apps support, while “decent”, it’s still not the same as a iPhone (via Exchange) or an Android phone. Yes, there is the BES connector, but “one-way” sync…seriously? No doubt that Google is working on fixing that, right now it’s no bueno.
So, why did I dump the iPhone?
- Biggest reason: AT&T. Nothing like having 5 bars, then dropping the call, and still having 5 bars.
- Background Apps: Apple’s implementation of “background” apps, sucks. I do 90% of “internal” communication via IM; and while BeeJive and others offer GREAT apps…they are severely crippled by Apple’s poor implementation of “background” apps.
- Battery Life: I understand the technical advantages of a non-removable batter (the video applies to the iPhone as well), in reality it’s not so good. I have been running the battery down a lot, and I can’t just swap the battery and go…I had to recharge it.
Well, that’s it in a nutshell, if anyone has questions, please add your comments and I will answer them.
[UPDATE 10/29/2009]: After a full day of moderate – heavy use, I can report that the battery life is awesome.
Thanks for informing about the battery life.
I have had my pearl for 4 months. Its already shutting down! My sisters are still fine but mine is slow and acts old. Can I trade it for a storm 2 without any extra charge? Do you know how that works since you switch phones constantly? Please let me know. You can email me at prolifeluvr@gmail.com
Hello Haley,
I doubt after 4 months you can switch, but it depends on who your provider is and what terms you have. If all else fails, you can go with the Executive Email Carpet Bomb