Skip the navigation
News

BlackBerry Storm firmware updated two weeks after launch

Analyst calls quick fix a 'wake-up call' for normally efficient smart phone maker RIM

By Matt Hamblen
December 9, 2008 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - Just two weeks after sales of the device began, Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion Ltd. have issued a firmware update of the BlackBerry Storm, which has some customers concerned.

One customer, in an e-mail to Computerworld, said she might just return the smart phone to Verizon, rather than bother with this or future updates, because of the hassle. "It's great that they have software updates for the phone, but you would think it would just be easier to fix it all before they come out with the phone altogether," said Jacquelyn Pourroy, who waited in line at a Boston store to purchase her BlackBerry Storm on Nov. 21, the first day of sale.

Pourroy, a chef, said she had a mixed reaction to the device, liking its touch screen and camera, but disliking several things, including the way it lags between some functions. "There are clear problems with the phone. The sluggishness ... is killing me. It takes quite a while for the phone to flip the screen from horizontal viewing to lateral viewing and back," Pourroy said.

According to documents obtained by Computerworld, Verizon told its customers that the upgrade, called Storm OS 4.7.0.75 (Release 107), resolves several problems with intermittent power off and on; intermittent muted incoming audio while using voice-activated dialing; intermittent incomplete dialing when dialing *86; and intermittent problems with audio volumes increased to the highest level for users on wired stereo headsets.

General improvements in the upgrade provided better multimedia performance, Bluetooth audio, and displaying of keys when switching between landscape and portrait mode, the documents said. The latter improvement might have been designed to address at least part of what Pourroy complained about.

The lag problem was also noted by some customers at a demonstration of the Storm devices at the Boston store that Pourroy visited, and showed up when a Verizon spokesman showed off the device to Computerworld the day before it went on sale.

One tester at The Boy Genius Report site recently found that one firmware upgrade improved the lag problem, but that was a different version from the one that Verizon officially released.

Boy Genius said that it obtained the Storm OS 4.7.0.76 and found a dramatic improvement when switching from landscape to portrait, as well as improved battery time and other improvements. But the upgrade it tested was reviewed on Nov. 30, and was in comparison with Versions .75 and .65 of the operating system. Boy Genius didn't say how it obtained the .76 build, and Verizon said it could not discuss builds other than those it officially released.



Additional Resources
Forrester Consulting - Optimizing Users and Applications in a Mobile World
WHITE PAPER
Solving application issues over the WAN requires careful consideration. Based on their independent research, Forrester Consulting offers recommendations on how to tackle application performance issues, insufficient bandwidth and the inability to quickly restore users in a disaster.

Read now.

Security KnowledgeVault
WHITE PAPER
Security is not an option. This KnowledgeVault Series offers professional advice how to be proactive in the fight against cybercrimes and multi-layered security threats; how to adopt a holistic approach to protecting and managing data; and how to hire a qualified security assessor. Make security your Number 1 priority.

Read now.

Cut Communications Costs Once and for All
WHITE PAPER
New IP-based communications systems are being deployed by small and midsized businesses at a rapid rate. Learn how these organizations are enabling faster responsiveness, creating better customer experiences, speeding office or mobile interactions, and dramatically reducing existing communications costs.

Read now.

Smartphones White Papers
Maximizing Smartphone Value: Standardize and Simplify
In today's tough economic climate, no company can afford to let the opportunities mobility presents pass it by. For that reason, implementing a...
Choosing an Enterprise-Class Wireless Operating System: A Comparison of Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows Mobile
This whitepaper will explore some of the key criteria necessary in selecting, deploying and managing a mobile operating system.
Embracing Employee-Acquired Smartphones without Compromising Security
More and more users are using their own smartphones at work - and it's crucial that IT departments have a clearly defined strategy...
Employee-Owned Smartphones: Seize the Opportunity
It's no longer feasible for an IT department, regardless of company size, to ignore the smartphone push from the majority of the employee...
Smart Policies for Personal-Liable Smartphones
Prohibiting the use of personal smartphones on the corporate network is a best practice that addresses security concerns, and it's one that's widely...
All Smartphones White Papers
Smartphones Webcasts
QNX® and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ Tablet.
RIM's multi-processor, multi-tasking BlackBerry PlayBook runs a new Tablet OS powered by QNX, a bullet-proof microkernel operating system. This track will take a...
A Close Look at Tablets
Learn More
BlackBerry® PlayBook™: Deployment Opportunities
Many enterprise customers have already deployed the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and understand there are several options about how to do it. Find out...
WorkFlow in the Enterprise
Enhance productivity for your executives and give them access to common workflow requests that sometimes takes days to get their attention. Allow them...
BlackBerry® PlayBook™ Security
Learn More
All Smartphones Webcasts
Newsletter Sign-Up

Receive the latest news test, reviews and trends on your favorite technology topics

Choose a newsletter
  1. View all newsletters | Privacy Policy
IT Jobs