Multiplied has now brought Poynt to the BlackBerry Storm and was kind enough to give us a copy early for a hands-on. After the jump you’ll find Poynt for BlackBerry Storm’s feature list, a bunch of screen captures, and impressions from our time with this nifty application. Or you could just download Poynt at the link below, considering this is one of the best applications out for the Storm right now.
Some friends at Telus just tipped us off that the Canadian carrier has received new shipments of the BlackBerry Storm 9530 that will hit stores today. We weren’t given any exact numbers, and it appears that only select Telus stores are receiving the delivery, but we were assured that ‘consumers now have the opportunity to get a Storm in time for the holidays and well into the New Year!‘
I’d recommended not taking any chances on this ‘New Year’ stuff and act now if you know you want a BlackBerry Storm. Otherwise, you might end up like the poor bastards above. If you find one, make sure to post on our BlackBerry Storm Chaser page, so the other members of the BlackBerry Nation will know where to get one!
Well colour me wrong. In my Telus BlackBerry Storm unboxing post, I mentioned that my Storm did not feature the BlackBerry Application Center. It appears I was only half right: while my Storm did not contain the aforementioned App Center, the video above proves that it did launch with the device yesterday.
I’ve contacted Telus and they’re not sure what the problem is (possibly that my Storm was activated before launch?), as I was the first to call in. Of course, the Storm has only been out for a day in Canada, and many new users might not even know what the App Center is to miss it. Post a comment and let us know if your Telus (or Bell) Storm came with the Application Center.
Our Canadian Music Blog, TransCanadaRadio.com also happened to be at the Telus BlackBerry Storm Launch Party. While I was at the back of the room playing with the toys, TCR was front row rocking out to Arts&Crafts recording artist Stars.
If you like what you see above (and you should) you can check out more live music at the link below. Rock and roll.
Similar to what we did for the Verizon BlackBerry Storm launch, we’re looking to build a page dedicated to helping Canadian Storm Chasers. Please, post a comment and let the BlackBerry Nation know if you were able to pick up a Storm today from either carrier, at what location, and if there are any more in stock. Consider this page to be ground zero for the Canadian BlackBerry Storm launch.
United we stand, divided we’re a bunch of Treo users.
Hoo Boy, wasn’t expecting this at all! I just received an email from Bell stating that they have also launched the BlackBerry Storm 9530. The Bell Storm is is available today at select Bell Mobility stores in the Greater Toronto Area and will be widely available tomorrow at stores nationally. Like Telus, Bell is selling the BlackBerry Storm for $250 on a 3-year contract, with a $45 data plan.
You can read the full press release after the jump. Bell’s online BlackBerry Storm purchase page is not yet live (it’s still says Coming Soon), but hopefully we’ll see that change later today or tomorrow.
It’s official! Telus has released the BlackBerry Storm today, making the Big T the first to launch RIM’s first touchscreen in Canada. So what do we have here? EV-DO Rev. A, GPS, 3.2 MPX camera with auto focus, WorldPhone capabilities, and a free 8GB MicroSD card loaded with music and videos from Canadian artists.
“We’ve experienced unprecedented interest in the BlackBerry Storm smartphone and are pleased that Canadians are just as excited about the BlackBerry Storm as we are,¨ said John Watson, president of TELUS Consumer Solutions. “With exclusive TELUS content and excellent plans for every kind of BlackBerry smartphone client, we’re able to take the touch-screen experience to new heights, while reinforcing TELUS’ position as Canada’s smartphone leader.”
Telus is selling the BlackBerry Storm for $249.99 on a three-year contract or $599.99 without a contract. BUT PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PART: Telus has limited stock from now until January 1st. While new shipments will be coming in every week, I highly recommend that you heed Telus’ warning that orders made after December 17th will not result in a BlackBerry Storm before Christmas.
After the jump you’ll find full Telus Storm specs, and a bunch of helpful links for purchase or hands-on impressions. Canadian Storm Chasers can now turn their eyes to Bell…
Despite both my intentions and best efforts, I actually ended up doing some work during the Telus BlackBerry Storm launch party. Judy Mellett, Director of Product Realization at Telus, was brave enough to spend a few minutes outside with me in the harsh Toronto cold discussing the BlackBerry Storm and the role it plays in Telus’ overall strategy. It was interesting to hear her position the Storm as both a business and consumer device. Check it out.
What would a launch party be without free schwag? Telus gave each attendee a sweet gift bag in addition to a free BlackBerry Storm at their launch party, which is a great way to make a lowly blogger feel like VIP. Favorite piece of schwag? Probably the Stars tee shirt. Yes, the chocolate was tasty. Oh, and my kitty enjoyed the stuffed meercat.
There’s nothing like unboxing a brand new BlackBerry, especially when it’s free. Especially when you’re using another another free BlackBerry Storm to record the video.
Here’s a few things I’ve learn since recording the video yesterday morning. Firstly, while the Storm demo units at the launch party were running OS 4.7.0.65, I can confirm that our boxed versions are running the much improved OS 4.7.0.76. In addition, it appears that my previous suspicions were correct — the Telus BlackBerry Storms do not contain the Application Center. Considering the launch is imminent, I don’t expect this to change before then.
P.S. Astute viewers may notice me picking up the missing BlackBerry Storm battery at the end of the video above. Consider this the perfect summary of the day I had yesterday.
