BlackBerry Storm 9530, Tested and Burned In

by Jennifer Johnson — Monday, February 16, 2009, 11:30 AM EDT

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Performance & Conclusion

Performance
During our tests, there were a few instances in which the phone appeared sluggish. There were also times in which we tapped and clicked an onscreen button and received no response. After tapping and clicking once or twice, the device generally responded. It’s hard to say what caused these issues. The Storm has already received a few over the air updates. Some of these updates seem to have resolved a few issues, but some still remain. It’s possible the company could release future updates that would solve the problems, though Research in Motion hasn't made any announcements in that regard.

Even with the few issues we experienced with the touchscreen and an occasionally sluggish device, the problems were not common enough to prevent us from using the device all together. In fact, the large majority of the time, the device worked perfectly and we didn’t experience any of these issues.

Call quality while talking on the Storm was very good. The phone's speaker was adequate as well, and the "feet" that are on either side of the device make a positive difference when you set the phone on a desk during a conversation using the speakerphone feature.

Because the Storm builds upon the popular BlackBerry interface, anyone who has used a BlackBerry device in the past should feel comfortable with the Storm. Even though it has a different form factor than previous BlackBerries, the Storm offers many features and input options that you may already be familiar with, such as the SureType keyboard. For users who desire tactile feedback when entering data on a phone, the Storm’s clickable touchscreen definitely provides a noticeable response.

Battery life on the Storm was acceptable. There were days where we was able to use the device throughout the day and for part of the next day without charging it. Of course, your experiences will vary depending on how much you use the phone’s data, GPS, Bluetooth, and voice capabilities.

We have yet to see a perfect smartphone that is always 100% responsive and quick to action. Despite a few glitches here and there in terms of the phone’s performance, the Storm is an acceptable device overall. We like the fact that Research in Motion has struck a balance between business and consumer use.

The saying, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it” definitely applies to the BlackBerry Storm’s interface. For years, Research in Motion has enjoyed great success with its BlackBerry operating system and user controls. Thankfully, the company stuck with what it knew and didn’t try to overhaul the device in order to make it work with a touchscreen. Instead, the company utilized similar menus and controls as are used in other BlackBerry devices and simply added touch controls.

Considering the Storm is a first-generation touch screen BlackBerry, the company executed fairly well on this first effort. We’re anxious to see how Research in Motion takes what they’ve learned from developing and marketing the Storm and incorporates those lessons into future devices.

At the time this article was published, Verizon Wireless offers the phone for $199.99. And as we mentioned earlier in this article, some outlets are selling the Storm for less.