[tjavette]

I ordered my Blackberry Storm from Verizon (in store) on the release date. It was shipped to me on Monday, December 1. I was really loving this little thing and rapidly becoming attached (especially since there were docs to go and other little things that made it exciting). Well... on Friday, December 12 around 1 pm my menu and power/end call buttons ceased functioning (devastated my world). So the major functions I could do weren't possible any longer. Friday evening, I visited tech support and the end result is now NONE of the buttons are working. I am taking the phone back today. I am unsure on what recourse to take from that point. Do you think I should return the phone and wait another month or two for them to send a replacement, or should I just upgrade to a different phone? If I do upgrade to a different phone, can anyone make a suggestion for a smartphone (Verizon) to change to? I may look into a Curve or a Pearl, but I am unsure since I spent all my research time into deciding between the Storm, the LG Dare and the Voyager. Thanks for your suggestions...

[stevebtx12]

I had a Curve before getting the Storm, and they are very good phones that will do anything you want. So, if you aren't happy with the Storm, I'd recommend a Curve, IMO.

[r0k]

I ordered my Blackberry Storm from Verizon (in store) on the release date. It was shipped to me on Monday, December 1. I was really loving this little thing and rapidly becoming attached (especially since there were docs to go and other little things that made it exciting). Well... on Friday, December 12 around 1 pm my menu and power/end call buttons ceased functioning (devastated my world). So the major functions I could do weren't possible any longer. Friday evening, I visited tech support and the end result is now NONE of the buttons are working. I am taking the phone back today. I am unsure on what recourse to take from that point. Do you think I should return the phone and wait another month or two for them to send a replacement, or should I just upgrade to a different phone? If I do upgrade to a different phone, can anyone make a suggestion for a smartphone (Verizon) to change to? I may look into a Curve or a Pearl, but I am unsure since I spent all my research time into deciding between the Storm, the LG Dare and the Voyager. Thanks for your suggestions...

Welcome to Crackberry!

The LG Dare or Voyager will only obligate you to a $15 a month data plan and may be a suitable unit to ride out the "storm". The Voyager might be the better bet as it has a hardware qwerty keyboard. In their haste to compete with iphone, a lot of companies are rushing to get touchscreen high-end feature phones out the door and the Dare and Voyager are two examples of this. The Voyager adds the safety net of a qwerty keyboard.

Before bailing on the Storm, I would try to determine what went wrong with the phone you have. Is it infant mortality? Will VZW overnight you a warranty replacement?

Whatever you do, don't wait till day 29 of your worry-free period to make a decision. If you decide to move to another phone, the Dare and Voyager will save you money (on your plan) in the long run with their less expensive "Vcast" data plans.

If you like BB, then the 8830 and Curve are both excellent QWERTY BB phones and should provide you a trouble free user experience. They will obligate you to the $29 BB data plan. If you really like the Storm, see how well the warranty replacement phone holds up. I pay the $6 insurance so if my phone goes over the falls, I pay $50 for a replacement refurb unit and don't get stuck with a contract extension.

Hope this helps...