My New Blackberry Storm 2 - Review

Hey everybody. Thought I would share my opinions of the new Blackberry Storm 2 9550. This is a first impression type of review and more detailed posts will surely follow.

The Blackberry Storm has received a luke-warm reception with complaints of lock-ups and usability issues, but is still a very attractive and productive device. The Storm 2 improved greatly on the virtual keyboard and I like the big display for web surfing and reading.

The Storm 2 has an on-screen keyboard, which is a little hard to get used to, but is very cool. Texting takes some practice on this type of keyboard. The interface is fairly intuitive even though I had some problems initially getting the device to play my music. Turned out to simply be a software update issue. This phone has so many features and it will take a little time and patience to figure them all out. I have read the user manual provided by my carrier (Verizon), but it isn't as detailed as it could be. Blackberry provides an online user guide in HTML or PDF format that is detailed, but somewhat hard to navigate. I expect I'll do as most people do and learn by everyday use and experimentation.

The email feature, like other BlackBerry devices, is simple to set up and is super handy for keeping up with my multiple accounts. The stock earbuds included with the device perform quite well too, even though I will surely upgrade to a more comfortable set. I love the sleek, glossy design and, of course, my first accessories were a protective case and screen protector. My Storm 9550 includes Wi-Fi capability. Wi-Fi allows for much faster Internet browsing, and allows for more network flexibility.

Uploading MP3's to my Storm 2 from my computer is very easy with the Blackberry Media Sync software. It will automatically "find" the Blackberry when I connect via the USB cable and integrates with Windows Media Player and iTunes to find your playlists. Verizon provides syncing software as well that integrates with Rhapsody and Verizon's VCast, but I haven't had any luck getting the software to find my device yet. I'll keep Googling the issue until I find a solution as the Blackberry and Verizon online help don't offer much in the way of an answer and I only call customer support hotlines as a very last resort. I currently don't use Rhapsody or VCast but it still bugs me that the software doesn't work correctly.


The Storm 2 is packed full of great functionality, is very compact, and looks great. I do have the occasional lock-up though. I'll keep you updated with any bugs and fixes I come across. As with all BlackBerry devices, the Storm 2 has it's purpose. I recommend the Blackberry Storm 2 for users who would benefit from a big display and touch controls. If you like to text, then try the on-screen keyboard out first before you buy. The device is very attractive and popular apps like FaceBook, Pandora, and Twitter are readily available as well.

Wes