BlackBerry Storm's Problems Have Hurt Sales

The BlackBerry Storm was one the most highly-anticipated smartphones to debut last fall. But initial problems with this device have slowed sales.

The Storm is the first BlackBerry with a touchscreen. This is actually the centerpiece of the device, as it is also the first BlackBerry without a built-in keyboard. Many potential customers were intrigued by the design, which is similar to the one used by Apple's very popular iPhone 3G.

But when the Storm debuted, the reviews were full of negative comments about this model's poor performance. Virtually everyone agrees that this smartphone suffers from performance lags and bugs. 

This has apparently caused some customers to turn away. Verizon Wireless -- the exclusive U.S. provider of the Storm -- sold only around 500,000 units in the four weeks after the debut, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

It's Not Easy

Adding a significant new feature to a well-establish mobile platform can be a tricky process, and the Storm is no exception. Integrating a large touchscreen that can rotate on the fly into the BlackBerry OS clearly introduced many problems.

Still, RIM has worked hard trying to iron out the wrinkles. It has already released one system software update for this model, and another is rumored to be coming soon.