Are BlackBerry Storm Owners in Denial?

I’m shocked. According to a piece in The Wall Street Journal, Verizon Wireless estimates that the return rates for the slow, buggy, and frustrating-to-use BlackBerry Storm ($359.99) has been in the single digits. I believe the carrier when it says that this figure is standard for a smart phone, but it’s hard to believe that the return rate isn’t higher. Sure, the software on this device has improved since launch through updates, but typing on the two Storms we have has not improved. It’s slow and inaccurate, and to me that’s unacceptable for a BlackBerry.

Sometimes I literally feel sorry for those poor souls who spent hard-earned money for this device when I see them using the Storm in public. But when I look for that shake of the head when the accelerometer doesn’t kick in right away, or for that grimmace when it takes a couple of stabs just to make a menu selection, all I see are straight faces. Are my expectations too high, or is theirs’ too low? I think it’s the latter.

To be fair, there are a lot of things I like about the Storm. Although many have complained that having to press down on the display to make a selection takes too much effort–including myself–its hard not to appreciate what RIM’s innovative approach. Getting tactile feedback that feels like a button press is certainly better than the lame buzz sensation that haptic touchscreen phones provide.  And as I noted in my review, the built-in GPS is well executed (via VZ Navigator); the call quality blows the iPhone 3G ($529.00) away; and the loud speaker is second to none. But even after applying the recommended (and leaked) updates, the Storm falls flat in terms of responsiveness and basic usability.

So why are BlackBerry Storm owners so willing to accept such a flawed device? One easy explanation is that they simply don’t agree with the critics and that they find the Storm to be good enough for their needs. Another could be that Verizon loyalists aren’t willing to jump ship to AT&T for a better device in the iPhone in exchange for a less reliable network, especially when it comes to data. Or maybe the Storm is the first smart phone or touch screen phone that many have encountered and they don’t know any better.

Whatever the reason, I believe that Storm owners are being taken for a ride. The device should not have been rushed to market just to hit the precious holiday buying season. And it’s inferior to first-class smart phones like the BlackBerry Curve ($264.99) and Bold.

RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie chalks up the scramble to get the Storm to market and its software glitches to the “new reality” of making complex cell phones in large volumes. That doesn’t excuse Storm owners refusing to accept the reality that they deserve better.