Decision Time

I am now eligible for my New Every Two upgrade with Verizon, which means I have the following upgrade options:

1) Curve 8330 - $30
2) Storm 9530 - $150
3) Wait for possible new BB release this season and then decide

When first researching Blackberries the Bold was my first choice, but I am unwilling to leave Verizon at this time. Their coverage and pricing are currently the best match for me, and most of the people I communicate with regularly are Verizon users. If that dynamic changed over the next year or two, I would consider leaving, but am in no hurry to do so as of yet.

After resigning myself to not seeing the Bold on Verizon any time soon, I decided I would give the Storm a chance- I felt that I simply couldn't justify buying a Curve when the Bold was basically the same phone only a lot sexier. Besides, touch screen phones are becoming quite trendy.

My main concerns with the Storm are not the hardware or software complaints, but the steep learning curve and the currently limited selection of applications. I want to get a lot out of my Blackberry, and most of the cool applications I read about aren't yet available for the Storm. As a rampant texter/e-mailer, I worry that I may be dissatisfied with the Storm's keyboard. I see being a first-time BB user as an advantage in this respect though, since I am not already used to a physical keyboard. Either would take practice for me, I just imagine a physical keyboard as being inherently easier. With that said, based on what I've read I believe that the Storm has a lot of potential and could easily be a great phone.

I would probably enjoy a Bold more, though- or the comparable "Niagara" that is supposedly to be released by Verizon later this year. The question is: is it REALLY coming, and if so, is it worth the wait? What about upgrading to the Storm now and reselling it in a few months if a better option does become available? Will selling my Storm (assuming I keep it in excellent condition) give me a full return ($150) 2-3 months from now, or would I be wasting my money taking it on an extended test drive?

For those who want to help me determine which device I should lean towards, here are the features I value in a phone:
- Push e-mail (DUH!)
- Working browser
- GPS and ability to find points of interest (theatres, restaurants, etc.)
- Power to run lots of useful applications*

* If the Storm blows the Curve away in terms of power, speed, and memory, then that would probably override the Curve's larger app selection. The apps will come to the Storm eventually- more power won't come to the Curve.

The keyboard issue is not as big of one for me as it is for most people. I am a first time BB user and have no preference at this point. Touch screen is probably harder to learn but I doubt it would be impossible for me to become competent.

I guess the real question is: is the Storm worth all the headache, or is the Curve a better bet? Will the resell plan work as well for a Curve as it would for a Storm, assuming new BBs were released later this year? Retail price estimates on the Niagara?

Thanks for your patience and kind and/or insightful responses. :)

Thats a tough spot to be in. It depends on a lot of things. Is your current device broken? Personally, I would hold onto a working one to see what is going to come out later this year, keeping in mind that the latest and greatest devices tend to more expensive than the Curve for example. If you're willing to wait, I'd see what comes out, and compare, and if you don't like the new device, you can still buy a curve, and maybe the Storm will go on sale. Like I said tho, its all on what you feel you need.

Oh, an one more thing, Once Blackberry (RIM) launches their app store in March, I don't think you'll have to many problems finding aps for any Blackberry device, so that shouldn't be of much concern.

Originally Posted by JonB

Thats a tough spot to be in. It depends on a lot of things. Is your current device broken? Personally, I would hold onto a working one to see what is going to come out later this year, keeping in mind that the latest and greatest devices tend to more expensive than the Curve for example. If you're willing to wait, I'd see what comes out, and compare, and if you don't like the new device, you can still buy a curve, and maybe the Storm will go on sale. Like I said tho, its all on what you feel you need.

For the most part my current device is functional; it is starting to freeze up, not hold a charge well, and generally fail, but even so, it will last another six months- maybe even a year if I need it to.

The retail price for a Curve is $430 and the retail price for a Storm is $500, so I'm aware that the retail price of a brand new BB would be comparable- and that I would have to pay that price if I use the NET discount now. That said, if I keep the Storm in impeccable condition I could probably resell it for what I paid for it at minimum, which amounts to that much of a "discount" on a new BB when put towards the cost. Suddenly the Niagara is $350 instead of $500 out of pocket, which is still a bit hefty but not unbearable.

It's definitely a hard call. I know there's a 30 day exchange policy on Storms. If I try it for a few weeks and don't like it, could I exchange it for a Curve instead of a replacement Storm, or does the exchange policy only apply to replacing "defective" Storms (with other Storms)?

I may hold out for a couple more months, but part of the reason I'm eager to get a Blackberry is that my current phone doesn't have GPS and I need portable navigation. My choices are: wait on a new phone and pony up the cash for a portable GPS, or buy a phone with GPS in a reasonably timely manner. :S