The BlackBerry Storm has issues – at least six of them, in fact

With hype comes scrutiny. Build consumer interest in a device up to that which Verizon has built the BlackBerry Storm, and you’re bound to hear the complaints. The Storm has been on the shelves for less than a week, and forums around the web are already littered with word of reproach.

A list of the issues that RIM has recognized as software flaws has been passed out to Verizon employees to keep them from accepting them as reasons to exchange the customer’s device. Of course, this list made its way out almost immediately. According to the document, we can expect the first set of fixes to come in Week 1 of December.

Far more interesting than the problems themselves are the interim solutions. Key press not recognized? Solution: Press it again!

Issues to be resolved by the first OTA update (Maintenance Release 1) – December, week 1:

  • If a customer receives a call while listen to music at low volume using a wired headset, the music volume may suddenly increase to the highest level (!). Interim recovery instructions: Lower the volume using the buttons on the side of the handset.
  • When using voice-activated dialing, incoming audio may be muted. Interim recovery instructions: Enter the menu and select “Activate Handset or Speaker”.
  • The handset may reset itself while sitting idle or while using multimedia applications. No interim recovery instructions provided.


  • Issues to be resolved by a subsequent Maintenance Release:

  • Customers may intermittently lose email connectivity via CDMA and/or international roaming modes. Interim recovery instructions: Main menu -> Manage Connections -> Select mobile network -> Turn radio off, then Turn radio on. If this does not resolve the issue, pull the battery.
  • When powering on the handset, the radio sometimes does not turn on. Interim recovery instructions: Main menu -> Manage Connections -> Select mobile network -> Turn radio on. If this does not resolve the issue, pull the battery.
  • Pressing the send key while the device is in landscape mode will open the phone application in portrait mode, but the speed dial function may not work. Interim recovery instructions: Press escape until the home screen appears, then press the send key with the handset in portrait orientation.
    Sometimes entering characters on the virtual keyboard doesn’t work. Interim recovery instructions: Re-select the character.