Mammoth BlackBerry Storm update released

7 May 2009 11:49 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Vodafone has announced that the latest software update for the BlackBerry Storm - version 4.7.0.141 - is now available to download by desktop.

The huge upgrade claims to deliver "a number" of improvements to the multimedia performance, messaging and the touchscreen display, Bluetooth and browser as well as some new features.

Key improvements are listed as tweaks to the media player with more format support, improvements when listening with a headset, the ability to preview music and play MP3s on the Internet and a more reliable video player.

The camera is now faster to take and display a picture, it has improved resolution and processes an image more quickly. It's also said to be easier to record video and play it back.

Sound quality on a call has been improved, including when using the speaker phone, voice dialling has also improved, as has the reliability of using mute. While speed dialling on a call using a Bluetooth headset is better and there's said to be improved reliability for maintaining the connection with the network when disconnecting a Bluetooth car kit.

MMS and SMS error messages have been addressed, incoming call alerts are now displayed more clearly and face detection is also now live so that the phone does not trigger the touchscreen when being used to make a call.

The signal indicator is now more accurate and it's now apparently easier to find software downloaded to the memory card, while the LED indicator when charging or switching the phone off is more reliable.

The Storm's touchscreen will be "more responsive and reliable" and is less likely to reset. Zooming in on a web page is now more responsive and users will see a new "Go" button in the browser to make searching online quicker.

Users will also now see an icon to show where the cursor is when writing an SMS, and the accelerometer is quicker to change from landscape to portrait view. There is also an option to choose a full QWERTY keyboard when using the phone in portrait view.

With such a long list of fixes, observers might hark back to co-chief executive of RIM, Jim Balsillie's pragmatic statement that "software glitches" are part of the "new reality" of making complex cellphones in large volumes.

More information on the full list of fixes, and the download itself, can be found at http://devicehelp.vodafone.co.uk/storm/

Full tags

Phones, BlackBerry, Vodafone, RIM, Software updates