Verizon schedules Storm for November 21 release, $199.99 on contract
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Nov 13th 2008 3:01AM
posted Nov 13th 2008 3:01AM
posted Nov 13th 2008 3:01AM
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About damn time!
Thank GOD!!! im super stoked about this even more now that we have a firm date lol. Hopefully i dont have to be in line too early for this guy...
Planning to leave Sprint & make this my first Blackberry.
So, how much is this going to cost me per month?
A lot more than it costs to be with Sprint. And I'm a VZW employee too.
It'll cost you at least $69.99/m for 450 min with no messaging or BES (if you need to hook it up to your corporate e-mail).
Chris...
Why do you CONSTANTLY post things that have been posted on BGR, and only having a link that says "read" and never thanking or acknowledging the hard working people at BGR as your source?
I, as well as many people Ive talked to who read both blogs have wondered the same thing...
Explain this...
Some of these things get E-Mailed via Press Releases and whatnot, so everyone has them but there isn't a "source" per se. I'm guessing this is one of those cases especially since the BGR article says "we are allowed to publish"....
To me that sounds like they have known... and the embargo was just lifted... Regardless of this particular case, I like seeing credit where credit is due. I haven't noticed the Engadge/BGR issue you mention but maybe I should be more aware of sources and such.
Notwithstanding that BGR is a world-class douchebag...
Maybe because Verizon broke this story? You know, by press release?
Do a google news search for "verizon storm" and sort by date. Every news source from CNN and the SF Chronicle to ZDNet and Popular Science had the full story and details at midnight last night.
They didn't all get it from BGR... Or should you flog them for not crediting poor BGR, too?
BGR just likes to act cool with statements like "we are allowed to publish," as if they had any idea when the phone would be released. They didn't. Check out HoFo -- insiders at RIM and Verizon didn't know, because *VERIZON* didn't know, because they've had to push the launch date back repeatedly due to software issues.
Do me a quick favor, Roger. Go to Google and type site:engadgetmobile.com "via boy genius report".
We work really, really hard to give credit where credit is due, and it's really upsetting when we're called cheats for publishing news that we've rightfully received ourselves. Please do your research before leveling these kinds of baseless claims.
If I have another year on my VZ contract, does anyone know a way for me to get this thing without paying full retail?
Threaten to cancel and switch to the iPhone. Worked for me.
I always have a 2 year contract, but when my first year is up, they let me just re-up for another 2 year contract & act like I'm a new user.......i've done this about 3 or 4 times now & never had a problem w/ it
If you don't have insurance, you 'might' be able to get the lost/stolen/damaged policy for 1 yr pricing, usually $70 higher than 2 yr price
YES Call VZW and set up Auto Bill Pay (you can cancel it after you get the phone) this wont be as cheap as new every 2 but you get the upgrade price which is $50 more then New Ever 2…
If you are one year into your contract with verizon, and are the primary line you can do an Annual upgrade and get it for the 2 year price. If you are a VIP customer you can also get an additional $50 off.
By VIP customer are you referring to the New Every 2 discount of $100? Or is this a completely separate $50 off?
If so some can get this phone for $49.99 ($249 on 2 yr contract - $50 MIR - $100 NE2 - $50 VIP discount)
Sorry Bob, it's either NE2 or VIP. You can't stack those discounts.
No. I wish it were that easy, but come on....the biggest Blackberry to hit the market in some time, there's no way that they'd let ya get it for that cheap.
*looks around*
well... that was the OFFICIAL announcement by Verizon. you know- the company that's actually going to release this device. So, I would say it IS that easy.
@ Smoke: if you qualify for an annual upgrade, then yes you can get it at the discounted price. you won't get any employee discounts or NE2 credits though (unless you're a VIP customer on a qualifying plan, then you get $50).
@ Rollins: you must have really lucked out with that, because the reps/sups I know wouldn't do that. threatening to cancel is a ridiculously old tactic and, in the gross majority of cases I've come across, doesn't work anymore. while a company would rather work with the customer than lose the business, getting a $500 phone for $200 is a loss to the company. especially since if you're still under contract, you'd have an ETF if you cancelled/ported out anyway. and even more so, once you get the new phone, there's still no guarantee you'd stay.
@ DM: you're right. an early upgrade will get you the Storm at discounted pricing plus MIR. if you're a VIP, and are the primary line (or qualifying single line), you could also get an additional $50 off.
@ Bob: you're actually pretty close. qualifying lines on a VIP account can get $50 off with their annual upgrade instead of the $100 if they waited the 2 years. and your 2nd part there about 49.99 would be correct, as well, if the line qualifies for the extra discounts.
tra la la, what are all the possible discounts?
$50 MIR everyone gets
$100 in NE2 discounts for existing customers 2+ years into their plans or $50 VIP discount if you don't use NE2
You mention the possibility of getting the phone for $49.99. What other discounts are out there?
Does anyone know if Verizon hobbled the native GPS for the Storm?
Stand-alone GPS is alive and well, just won't offer turn by turn with Blackberry Maps, great for off-network "where the hell am i" moments...
How does one become a VIP with Verizon?
it's acct dependent...
79.99+ monthly access (before employee discounts) for 6+ consecutive months
at least 12 months of service
not past due more than 60 days
Adding to tra la la's requirements for VIP... it must be a current plan being sold now. If you are on a grandfathered-in plan that is no longer being sold you will not be flagged as VIP the way the IT department wrote the database script. No matter how long you have been a customer the system will not select your account as a VIP.
I am a 10 year Verizon customer that exceeds all the requirements and I am not flagged as a VIP in their system. Plus they said they cannot make the change manually to make me a VIP.
If Verizon only knew that I am on the permanent JD Power list... obviously I will be ranking Verizon's customer service dead last this year when I get my survey. If I'm not VIP, they won't get my vote.
Few Questions:
DM, what do you exactly mean by a VIP customer? How do you become one?
Bob, thanks for pointing out the new every 2 discount also..I am due for that discount starting a couple of days ago, and completely forgot about it, but I only get $50.
Roger for the record and to back up chris... VZW sent customers the email at 5:36 am Pacific (at least thats when i got it..) to announce this....BGR and others may have known ( i knew quite a while ago since i know one of the people that tested the damn thing.) get off of BGR's NUTZ and let this site do its thing.... they give credit when credit is due and in this case credit belonged to BIG RED for dropping the email today....
Please note that certain corporations you may work for get employee discounts. One of them my GF works for gets 20% off per month + discount on the new phone with a new account.
Check with your local Verizon store.
I am still going to wait for Xperia to come out before I make my final decision but this phone is near the top for sure. After the Holidays, prices are expected to drop, so if you can wait, I suggest you do so.
@ Bob
And that is exactly why I pay no attention to JD Power awards, because douches like you hold stupid grudges for petty reasons.
I think Bob's use of his vote makes perfect sense. Customer Service isn't allowing a long term good standing customer that is supposed to be a VIP customer on the list because they can't make a manual change to a flaw in their system. That doesn't sound like good customer service. That sounds like a lack of service. The customer service rep could at least make a note in his account so he can still get the benefits he has earned & that others with Verizon for less time are getting. Sounds like poor customer service to me & a good reason to rate Verzion low.
On the topic of the processors again, I think we're making a BIG to-do about nothing. According to these two pages, the MSM7500A (VZW Touch Pro) and MSM7501A (Sprint Touch Pro) are virtually identical:
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a7500a
http://pdadb.net/index.php?m=cpu&id=a7501a
I just left from a local VZW store where I just ordered the Storm. Fed Ex will be dropping it off by my house on the 21st. I paid 266.86 that includes NC sales tax. When I called to try and order over the phone they told me I had to wait. The manager of the store is who assisted me, and had no problem putting the order through. Good Luck to anyone else trying to get a Storm.
I got to play w/ the Storm this afternoon. I was very impressed. The software was smooth and responsive. The build quality was fantastic. It was slightly heavier than I expected but nothing overbearing. The camera was also impressive. Did not get a chance to use the browser but typing was a breeze.
There is no preorder for VZW. There is no sku for the phone yet. Also, no access to stock either. So please don't give these other people false hopes in "pre-ordering" the BB STORM.
How am I giving false hopes I have the receipt in my hand? Maybe you check around I order my from the manager.
@ Coleman
I live in Raleigh and grant it, you got the 6.75% sales tax correct, it is indeed impossible to order right now. You cannot have a receipt in your hand. I went in yesterday afternoon and was put on a list of people they will call on Wednesday to order the phone. They will simply charge the account on Wednesday and then it will ship to my house Friday morning. If you have said receipt, then please post a picture of it.
Managers, nor District Manager, nor any sales rep can pre order. You CAN NOT pre order this phone. Managers in retail locations can't over ride what the CEO of the company has put into place.
Well it is actually funny cause my cousin works in telesales now and told me that she can order it and she has gotten me every new phone that i want in the past 2 years so you better check your info.
What are your thoughts on the durability of the touch screen? IMO, I like the storm, but the touch screen may be a deal breaker, not a deal maker for me.
I wish it came with a slide out QWERTY or something similar. I'm just concerned that after a few months, I'll be pressing real hard on the screen to type. I'm surprised they didn't include a conventional way to text/surf, etc., in addition to the touch screen.
After getting excited upon receiving my personal invitation to the Nov 17-21 private event, I couldn't wait to head in to see the Blackberry Storm, featured on the front of the mailing. I've been reading everything I could about this phone, and was looking forward to seeing it up close and personal.
After waiting a few days, in case there were crowds in the store, I decided to drive into my Manassas, VA store today (11/19) to have a look myself. Lo and behold, there were no Storm's in the store! The personnel there told me that they thought it MIGHT be in by the 21st. I suppose I should have called, but when the mailing clearly says Nov 17-21, you'd think that halfway through the 'private' event, that they'd have phones in the store...