Thread: Verizon 9550 Dummy Phone

There were photos recently showing Best Buy having one of the Verizon 9550 dummy phone. Today I visited a friend of mine at Verizon and low and behold look what they just got in. Sadly only dummy units and not the real device. Either way, I had to have one. With the stores getting their dummy units in, this just adds to the suspicion of the release date of the 28th. I know that dummy units are non working devices but resemble the real deal phone. With that said, I am hoping this "screen" issue I noticed is not present on the real unit.

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Noticing the bottom of the screen where the buttons are located, you can see how the level of the screen is not flush with the bottom piece. Thinking it was just a poorly made dummy unit, we checked the others and they all seem to be like that. If you push the end phone call button, the screen goes down even further causing the gap to be even bigger. I'm pretty sure this is because it is not an actual device and is missing the inside components. I bring this up because for the people who never touched one or follow BlackBerry news on the net. When they go to the Verizon store, they will push the screen and notice this issue which could draw away sales. I'm hoping that the people who have had the pleasure of touching and using a real 9550 can jump in and let us know if this is just only on dummy phones and not happen on the real working devices.

I think I know which issue you are talking about. And I think I have a theory about it. If my theory is right, it's a pretty dumb reason.

Can't wait for the BIG day!

Originally Posted by sunkast

I think I know which issue you are talking about. And I think I have a theory about it. If my theory is right, it's a pretty dumb reason.

Well, I may be the only one to think this but if they use dummy phones for customers to get a feel of how the device feels and the use of the touch screen, why not make it exactly like the actual device. If I was not a BlackBerry addict and did not follow BlackBerry news on the net and went into a Verizon store and looked and played with the dummy unit..I would walk back out because of that screen issue. They are going to assume that's how it is on the real thing as well. Maybe it is just me, I don't know. Either way, I think they may loose potential customers/sales due that. They need to make it so the screen functions EXACTLY like the real deal, even if it is not a working unit.

I'm pretty sure the screen click mechanism in the dummy units works NOTHING like the true piezoelectric screen. I played with a S2 dummy unit at the VZW kiosk at the mall last week, and it almost felt like it used the screen-click mechanism out of a S1 to simulate the click on the non-powered dummy device.

Originally Posted by Brett Wyman

Well, I may be the only one to think this but if they use dummy phones for customers to get a feel of how the device feels and the use of the touch screen, why not make it exactly like the actual device. If I was not a BlackBerry addict and did not follow BlackBerry news on the net and went into a Verizon store and looked and played with the dummy unit..I would walk back out because of that screen issue. They are going to assume that's how it is on the real thing as well. Maybe it is just me, I don't know. Either way, I think they may loose potential customers/sales due that. They need to make it so the screen functions EXACTLY like the real deal, even if it is not a working unit.

Brett, this would make the dummy units prohibitively expensive to produce. I think for a device such as the S2, they need to use actual units to demo the functionality. If they have to lock it up and only bring it out upon request, so be it. But to me, a dummy phone is a bad way to show off a device with unique functionality.

Originally Posted by Dave12308

I'm pretty sure the screen click mechanism in the dummy units works NOTHING like the true piezoelectric screen. I played with a S2 dummy unit at the VZW kiosk at the mall last week, and it almost felt like it used the screen-click mechanism out of a S1 to simulate the click on the non-powered dummy device.




Brett, this would make the dummy units prohibitively expensive to produce. I think for a device such as the S2, they need to use actual units to demo the functionality. If they have to lock it up and only bring it out upon request, so be it. But to me, a dummy phone is a bad way to show off a device with unique functionality.

I def. agree with you about it being expensive to produce. I just think they should not let customers touch these dummy devices because its going to give them the impression that the screen sucks.

If you'll remember, Salmondrin (sp?) noted in several of his S2 videos that when the power was off the screen went "hard" (like an Iphone)....no clicking or movement at all....

If the dummy phones are moving then they obviously are not anything like the actual S2 screen...

I do agree though that an uneducated consumer could walk into Verizon and their first impression be quite disappointing....Are these dummies produced by RIM or Verizon? I'm getting the impression, probably incorrectly, that Verizon is not really concerned with the success of the Storm 2....maybe they are putting their hopes on the Droid and later on the Pre, and just might still be a little ticked off at RIM.....anyone think this is possible?

Originally Posted by C6StingRay

If you'll remember, Salmondrin (sp?) noted in several of his S2 videos that when the power was off the screen went "hard" (like an Iphone)....no clicking or movement at all....

If the dummy phones are moving then they obviously are not anything like the actual S2 screen...

I do agree though that an uneducated consumer could walk into Verizon and their first impression be quite disappointing....Are these dummies produced by RIM or Verizon? I'm getting the impression, probably incorrectly, that Verizon is not really concerned with the success of the Storm 2....maybe they are putting their hopes on the Droid and later on the Pre, and just might still be a little ticked off at RIM.....anyone think this is possible?

I agree with you 100% on that. I do know with the flop of the first Storm and the issues with the Tour, Verizon has been putting more effort into the Android phones. Verizon has been let down by RIM twice with their phones. Android commercials, no Storm 2 commercials. Its pretty obvious.

...and they might secretly be working on that VZW/Apple contract

And VZW has no one to blame but themselves. RIM wanted to wait to release the Storm 1 but VZW forced the situation so they could release in time for the holiday shopping season. So really its not RIM who disappointed anyone, it was poor judgement on behalf of VZW.

I agree. RIMs fault with the Tour though.

Originally Posted by Brett Wyman

I agree. RIMs fault with the Tour though.

that's for sure

Originally Posted by Dave12308

I'm pretty sure the screen click mechanism in the dummy units works NOTHING like the true piezoelectric screen. I played with a S2 dummy unit at the VZW kiosk at the mall last week, and it almost felt like it used the screen-click mechanism out of a S1 to simulate the click on the non-powered dummy device.




Brett, this would make the dummy units prohibitively expensive to produce. I think for a device such as the S2, they need to use actual units to demo the functionality. If they have to lock it up and only bring it out upon request, so be it. But to me, a dummy phone is a bad way to show off a device with unique functionality.

They will use the actual unit, that's how they always did it, had a couple dummy around the store and 1 actual phone

Wirelessly posted (storm 9530)

Dummy phones are so stupid. If I'm looking at a phone I do not want to play with a fake one. I really hope they don't use these in the stores.