We’ve modified this piece after feedback from Vodafone.
Old Story:
Vodafone initially saw the Blackberry Storm storm off the shelves at the rate of 20,000 per week, but that’s now dropped to around 6,000.
Initially touted at a consumer phone Vodafone want to position it in the SME arena and are training staff to better understand the smartphone. Vodafone may also bundle a 3G dongle in order to make it more attractive.
RIM haven’t quite got the software right and although it they’ve tried – it’s no iPhone.
Vodafone have got a hard slog ahead of them.
New Story:
Vodafone Group tell us they’ve sold over 350,000 Blackberry Storm handsets — and crucially, this doesn’t include the Verizon figures.
Now there are various reports across the market claiming that Verizon have sold more than a million Blackberry Storm handsets since November 2008.
Which would bring total sales — this is back-of-fag-packet-calculations — to 1.35 million.
Now even if you assume these figures are pinch-of-salt territory, the handset is doing pretty well.
I managed to grab a friend’s device for a few hours. Gorgeous, initially. But I’m not sure what day to day usage will be like as I am 100% accustomed to the Bold’s keyboard.
Ewan – I use one as my company mobile email tool and it is mostly OK. Two problems, the initial password entry at login sucks, you have to use the sideways keyboard where the keys are too small except for small children and the bloody thing keeps going into keyboard lock for no apparent reason. Oh and the battery life is appalling.
Steve
I have been using it for months now, and you may have already doen this but the firmware update does help with the battery although still not amazing.
Dont even start me on the keyboard…..as I have said before this is my first Blackberry device and I would imagine if I had been used to their standard keyboard before I would have found the touch interface sorely lacking 🙁
And I sooooo wanted this device to kick the iPhones ass 🙁 🙁
I have been using it for months now, and you may have already done this but the firmware update does help with the battery although still not amazing.
Dont even start me on the keyboard…..as I have said before this is my first Blackberry device and I would imagine if I had been used to their standard keyboard before I would have found the touch interface sorely lacking 🙁
And I sooooo wanted this device to kick the iPhones ass 🙁 🙁