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I’ve made no secret of my disdain for Verizon’s practices when it comes to GPS and WiFi. I love the network, don’t get me wrong. However, that doesn’t mean I love all facets of it. The GPS issue is especially bothersome. GPS signals are free to use, and I have a unit in my phone that is designed to receive these signals. Yet I cannot use said unit unless I not only pay Verizon a monthly fee (on top of my calling, messaging, and data plans), but I can also only use their GPS navigation application. This bothers me to no end.
WiFi is a slightly different story, since the Verizon handsets just don’t contain the proper hardware. However, as we learned late last week (though we pretty much knew it all along), Verizon is the reason why there is no WiFi on the Storm. This kinda irks me. WiFi is great. It’s fast Internet and a way to get off the damn EVDO network. Yeah, it’s fast, but not as fast as WiFi.
Will the lack of these readily available features deter you from purchasing the Storm? I know it will for some people.
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19 Comments ↓
Absolutely. I’ll stick with my 8830 and upgrade only when/if Verizon quits playing these games.
That said, one of the main reasons I haven’t gone for an iPhone is the AT&T issue. Better Verizon than that rotten provider.
It only bothers me because other carriers offer the same phones with wifi. The lack of wifi on my Verizon BB Curve does not matter to me as much anymore now that I have the unlimited data plan. The boost in speed would be nice though.
Has it ever been confirmed that the gps will be locked?
Not confirmed, per se. But this is what Verizon does with all their phones. It’s not like they’re going to make an exception.
Not as annoyed with the lack of WiFi, as I find finding free WiFi signals outside of home to not necessarily be the easiest thing anyway. But the fact that my Curve has the GPS shut off annoys me.
Nobody buys a fridge with the ice machine padlocked, available to be unlocked with an extra fee.
Well, here’s the way I look at it:
I have the VZW Pearl today, so no WiFi or GPS. I never miss WiFi, the internet is fast enough for me. I hate the GPS crippling, but I use mapping rarely, very rarely. Probably becasue my car came with it, so why would I? I know, if I traveled more it would come in handy, but I’ll end up turning Navigator on 2-3 times a year for that.
So, bottom line, I live without them now, and the Storm looks like it beats the Pearl in alot of serious ways. But even if I changed vendors… no Storm. So, yep, probabaly will switch.
I just hope that when other providers start to carry it they will have a model with wifi. For now I will stick with my 8320.
WiFi is not a deal breaker, but GPS might be. I use ATT Navigator service, but I might want to do a one time purchase of something like Garmin’s handheld product for $100.
If possible, I would be willing to hack the storm. But I am also hoping that people will put pressure on Verizon to change their policy - there are so many other apps that use gps, it would be a shame if they decided to be jerks like that.
I have been using Verizon Navigator and like it better than my previous “free” TomTom, so that is no issue.
Likewise the lack of WiFi.
Given that I could not even receive my previous carrier, AT&T, inside my own house in the middle of Phoenix I will put up with Verizon’s quirks to get the much better reception.
From the insane amount of research I ve done on cb over past couple months it seems like the gps will open to BB Maps the user manual mentioned so but there is language in there that would create an exception for a carrier who excludes.
I use the google apps which is faster and better but it does suck. I’m going to get a bold unlocked and tell verizon to go suck on it
These issues will *absolutely* keep me from going Verizon.
Do you hear me now?
Unfortunately, no amount of annoyance over the GPS lock will get me off the best network in the country. I never drop calls, and have fast EVDO. My 8330 also has more internal memory than the 8320. I have no love for Verizon, but I choose my phone for phone service, and they’re the winner there.
I could care less about lack of WiFi.
It WILL annoy me if they lock down the GPS, after all this device was purpose built FOR Verizon. There are indicatons that Verizon may not restrict the GPS to only their VZNavigator, but until I can walk outside a VZW store with a Storm in my hands and see either BBMaps or GoogleMaps get a real GPS fix (not that cell tower approximation crap) I won’t believe it. It would be a trade-off for me as I can’t take a camera phone most places I visit for work (due to security), BUT I might deal with the hassle IF the GPS is unlocked for other apps to use.
As for those that keep commenting or implying that GPS is only good for navigation, you’re missing the point of location based services. This GPS lockout by VZW prevents a LOT more than just navigation. You can’t use it in your golf game, you can’t location tag photos as you shoot them, you can’t integrate with the location awareness features of things like FaceBook, etc. The list of location based services is growing every day and Verizon preventing their customers from using it frustrates many and loses them some customers. I’ve talked to Verizon reps expressing MY frustration, and they too seem to be of like mind and don’t seem to have any grasp that people would want to do more with a handheld GPS phone than just get maps or search for the closest gas station or coffee shop.
In the end though I’m like Nathan. VZW’s network just plain and simple offers far and away the best coverage and service in the places I want to go, so I won’t be switching carriers any time soon.
Supposedly you can be a sprint customer and have unlimited roaming on the VZW network (voice and data) for $5/month. I went with Sprint once because their plans are cheaper and figureed I could upgrade to the $5 roaming option if it became necessary. Instead I wound up using Sprint’s netwoork and never had a problem. This might be a good option for all those annoyed by VZW. This is in the NYC region so YMMV.
BTW, I am now on VZW because work pays for my phone so I ain’t complainin’
I agree with the author’s gripe. This too, has pissed me off to no end - and I am seriously considering cancelling my Verizon contract. Correct me if I’m wrong: Isn’t Verizon now required to other phones on their network as part of them being forced to open up their networks as part of that massive spectrum deal they won earlier this year? They were required by the FCC to have completed this by the end of this year. Where is my g-Phone on Verizon? Doh! Can you hear me now?
[...] Will the lack of GPS and WiFi keep you from buying the BlacKBerry Storm? I asked this question late last week, and it elicited some passionate responses. I agree with the consensus: Give us GPS, Verizon! [...]
I was also concerned about this since I’m considering switching from Sprint to VZW. One seemingly knowledgeable person was saying that the GPS will NOT be locked on the Storm. He went on to explain that “Assisted GPS” will only be available in the VZ Navigator application, but conventional GPS would be available to BB Maps and most likely all 3rd party apps. He explained that assisted GPS was just a technology that uses proximity of cell towers in conjunction with the phone’s GPS to select satellites and find your GPS location faster than conventional GPS. For those of us on Sprint or another network with free use of GPS, that (conventional) is probably what we’ve been using all along.
So it sounds like VZW has been listening. I’d still like to test it in person first before signing the next 2 years away ;)
Hmmm… I hope that they add wifi later on cuz Im gettin it but dont no if I shud get it now or later
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