Thread: Storm 2 insides revealed

(Image Courtesy of The BlackBerryZone)

Britishturbo, over at The BlackBerry Zone, has taken a Storm 2 apart and has the pictures to prove it. Included in this tear down is an explanation of the mysterious Piezo Technology. Britishturbo states:
"So the "secret" of the Storm 2 "click" is in 2 steps...
Step 1: How does the device know when you've pressed? Well it's quite simple... look close and you'll see that there are 4 regular pcb button pads... The screen sits on top of the "rubber" piece on top of the button, and when you press the screen slightly it closes one of the 4 switches... that's part 1... 4 buttons...

The secret to what happens lays in the silver pads under the buttons... Well the only way to find out is to flip one over...

Ta Da!

The four silver pads are Piezo Discs... Kevin was correct that there was Piezo "somewhere" in the thing... he just didn't know where... But I can tell you that's a Piezo disc..
So hows it work?

Quite simple...
When the Storm 2 senses that you pressed one of the switches, it turns on the power to all 4, yes all 4, of the Piezo Discs... the result is simple... the screen can then move a little more because the Piezo disc actually moves slightly away from the screen...
But what also happens is your fingers feel the "Haptic Feedback" from the Piezo "snapping" and so it feels like the screen really clicks... when in reality... it barely moves...

Simple yet ingenious in the application!"

Those are the words straight from the man who did the tear down.

As for the screen being solid when the device is powered off, this is not completely true. It can be moved as much as the rubber pads, which you will see below are depressed.

Without further ado, I give you all the pics.

(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)


(Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Zone)

Make sure to share your thoughts and opinions on this!

[The Blackberry Zone]

That explanation looks to be spot on. The technology won't last in my opinion. H.I. has far surpassed piezo however this may have been on the drawing table since the inception of the original 95xx devices.

Thanks bbprintz :fing02:

Great effort Britishturbo...thanks for sharing with us.

The buttons looks cheap and if colors will rub off over time. hmm?

So im curious... theres been all this talk about the NEW hardware in this storm 2... BUT i have yet to hear anything about the actual SCREEN. One of the biggest issues with the Storm was the screens were not sealed and you were "dusted" out in a matter of weeks, months if your lucky. Personally im on # 4 from that issue, and now after 5 months on # 4 i just noticed my first hint of dust in the screen( longest ones made it yet)
SO... Has there been an improvement to the screen to make sure we never get "dusted"?

Originally Posted by Drukan

So im curious... theres been all this talk about the NEW hardware in this storm 2... BUT i have yet to hear anything about the actual SCREEN. One of the biggest issues with the Storm was the screens were not sealed and you were "dusted" out in a matter of weeks, months if your lucky. Personally im on # 4 from that issue, and now after 5 months on # 4 i just noticed my first hint of dust in the screen( longest ones made it yet)
SO... Has there been an improvement to the screen to make sure we never get "dusted"?

There is lots of improvement in this area from what I've read. The gap between the screen and the edge of the housing is practically gone.

Wirelessly posted

Originally Posted by Drukan

So im curious... theres been all this talk about the NEW hardware in this storm 2... BUT i have yet to hear anything about the actual SCREEN. One of the biggest issues with the Storm was the screens were not sealed and you were "dusted" out in a matter of weeks, months if your lucky. Personally im on # 4 from that issue, and now after 5 months on # 4 i just noticed my first hint of dust in the screen( longest ones made it yet)
SO... Has there been an improvement to the screen to make sure we never get "dusted"?

I have not heard about the actual seal, but have read that due to new screen technology, the gap around screen is small to almost non-existent. Many people also mentioned that dust will NOT be an issue. That's also one of my concerns. I really hope that odin will replace the defects of storm.

Originally Posted by MePascal

That explanation looks to be spot on. The technology won't last in my opinion. H.I. has far surpassed piezo however this may have been on the drawing table since the inception of the original 95xx devices.

Thanks bbprintz :fing02:

Thanks man... I try to hold up the reputation!

Originally Posted by olta777

Wirelessly posted



I have not heard about the actual seal, but have read that due to new screen technology, the gap around screen is small to almost non-existent. Many people also mentioned that dust will NOT be an issue. That's also one of my concerns. I really hope that odin will replace the defects of storm.

I have heard the same thing, which is basically the gap between the bezel and the screen is much smaller and virtually no room for wiggle

Originally Posted by bbprintz215

I have heard the same thing, which is basically the gap between the bezel and the screen is much smaller and virtually no room for wiggle

that sounds like a good start, but again my major concern is the dust issue. I live in AZ... dust is just a part of life in the desesrt!! But i dont want it INSIDE my phone. Im just lookin for some reassurance, ya know, like the iphone claims "hermatically sealed" or whatever. Gimme a buzz word... or something to say that this truly is better..

Originally Posted by Drukan

that sounds like a good start, but again my major concern is the dust issue. I live in AZ... dust is just a part of life in the desesrt!! But i dont want it INSIDE my phone. Im just lookin for some reassurance, ya know, like the iphone claims "hermatically sealed" or whatever. Gimme a buzz word... or something to say that this truly is better..

How about we just tell you it is better then the previous Storm From everything I have heard, dust will be much less of an issue then it was on the Storm 1

when is the launch date for the storm 2??

Originally Posted by Leesh

when is the launch date for the storm 2??

This year.

This dust thing sounds pretty bad. I haven't really heard anything good about the first storm so hopefully they got it all figured out for the S2 and it's a much better device.

will the storm 2 have the option to turn the click screen off or make it so you dont have to click when your pressing something and just be a straight up touch screen?

Originally Posted by metsfan89

will the storm 2 have the option to turn the click screen off or make it so you dont have to click when your pressing something and just be a straight up touch screen?

This will be a touchscreen phone. Nothing I have heard suggests you will be able to turn this off.

oh ok thanks