BlackBerry Storm Is Off to Bit of a Bumpy Start

Verizon Wireless (VZ) and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) have high hopes for the BlackBerry Storm, which they spent nearly two years developing as their big response to Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPhone.

But despite a marketing campaign that cost more than $100 million, the smartphone has gotten off to a bumpy start. Some early buyers have complained about technical bugs with RIM’s first touchscreen BlackBerry, although others say most new gadgets have problems that need to be ironed out.

When Verizon Communications Inc. reports its fourth-quarter results Tuesday, investors will be looking for clues on how the Storm has fared. Verizon Wireless is the exclusive U.S. carrier for the device.

Read the rest of this post