Verizon launches BlackBerry Tour teaser page

It's hard to believe this is really the first official confirmation that BlackBerry Tour is bound for Verizon's network, given what we've seen and heard so far, but that's exactly what we've got. The self-proclaimed "America's Best 3G Network" company has unveiled a teaser page for the smartphone. Not much else here other than a fancy product shot and a newsletter sign up, but more importantly, it looks like an official launch can't be too far off now.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[bob cobb @ Jun 15th 2009 11:30PM]

so its basically a bold for verizon? I assume with better specs. RIM is getting kinda boring these days..

[Kaitou KID @ Jun 15th 2009 11:42PM]

I'm surprised how long they've lasted with that same old basic design. I guess those addicted to crackberries love the form factor though. I kind of want one myself, but again, that fucking expensive ass plan they force me on with blackberry is a huge turn off.

[DR House @ Jun 15th 2009 11:59PM]

Blackberry>Iphone

[Kaitou KID @ Jun 16th 2009 12:04AM]

Greg, that is probably true for people who want to get things done, but the iPhone is superior to the blackberry as a multimedia device. But I agree, blackberry > iphone for e-mail/text etc. for business people and people who don't want to use their phones as a multimedia video/music/web device.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 16th 2009 12:29AM]

It's not the form factor and design of the device, that is fine. RIM's main problem is that Blackberry OS is old, slow, not optimized for modern ARM CPUs, and doesn't support hardware graphics acceleration. And to make matters worse, they use mediocre chipsets with slow ARM11 processors, limited RAM, etc.

I mean, is this going to greatly improve the OS, application, and most importantly browsing experience over my crappy 8830? Until the OS can support hardware graphics acceleration, the browser will always be slow to pan and zoom no matter how fast the CPU they use. The CPUs they use now have integrated graphics that are not even used!

[Dan @ Jun 25th 2009 6:19PM]

I totally disagree that BlackBerry is somehow "better" than the iPhone for business users. I manage a BES with 50 verizon phones on it and I've also used iPhone OS 3.0's activesync on Exchange 2007.. they both accomplish nearly the same things. That myth is dying a slow death. Now, the iPhone keyboard can be debated, but I type 50 words a minute on it myself. It takes a long time to get used to it, but it isn't that bad. I type maybe 60 on the Curve.

[d889 @ Jun 15th 2009 11:30PM]

man i cant wait for this phone to finally replace my razr, which does everything and more than i could want right now

[auricom @ Jun 16th 2009 12:42AM]

you must love your slow and leisurely (albeit thin) life.

[aimopjay @ Jun 16th 2009 10:48AM]

@auricom

LOL thank you for that, i needed a laugh this morning.

[The Mad Mule @ Jun 15th 2009 11:34PM]

I'd hit that. Too bad I have to wait another year for my BB Curve to be eligible for that two-year swap thing.

[Jkswiss @ Jun 15th 2009 11:48PM]

You should complain to Verizon like the 3g iphoners are doing with AT&T with an unwarranted sense of entitlement because you're special with the blackberry.

[apt0s r0b @ Jun 15th 2009 11:35PM]

Man... you gotta love the Engadget army!

[Nelagster @ Jun 15th 2009 11:36PM]

ugh Verizon's constant "America's largest 3G network" or "America's most reliable network" make me sick

who cares? give me cheaper rate plans, better phones, less crapware shoved onto a phone, and fewer gay commercials on TV

sorry to rant about Verizon. phone seems alright

[wnr @ Jun 15th 2009 11:41PM]

I dunno, "America's largest 3G network" or "America's most reliable network" seem like pretty decent selling points to me. Some folks would be willing to pay extra for these and don't really care about having the shiniest phone. Not meant as an attack, just saying you might not be their target demographic.

[Nelagster @ Jun 15th 2009 11:52PM]

@wnr
ok well i have a question for you then. what EXACTLY does "America's most reliable network" mean? the calls don't get dropped? the coverage is great? the data speeds are fast? theres a whole bunch of people and helicopters that will follow you around?

basically, those commercials are vague and don't mean much to a person like me. I like commercials like AT&T's commercials that are right to the point. (the mother that scolds her kids about roll-over minutes haha)

sincerely,
Unhappy with cell phone industry

[Jeremy W @ Jun 16th 2009 12:00AM]

@Nelagster,

You can complain all you want, but Verizon's obviously doing something right. They're the largest cell phone provider in the US by a large margin.

[va jj @ Jun 16th 2009 12:20AM]

no one cares about spaghetti jimmy?

[m3nphls @ Jun 16th 2009 12:22AM]

@Nelagster

You can complain all you want about Verizon prices, but they're the same as AT&T

And I prefer million times that slogan as compared to the stupid ads AT&T about rising the bars and shit when they get the most drop calls ever.

[arkweld @ Jun 16th 2009 8:00PM]

"what EXACTLY does "America's most reliable network" mean? "

Simple. It means JD Power. Which is the go-to source for any marketing ammo for any customer-based company.

[Ben @ Jun 15th 2009 11:37PM]

Very niceeee... Too bad I also have the Curve and one year left. Although, an upgrade isn't needed right now... I love the curve!

[Ben @ Jun 15th 2009 11:39PM]

Yeahhhhh!

[Tom @ Jun 15th 2009 11:48PM]

What's the word on the Blackberry Atlas? Is it going to be the same as the Tour plus WiFi?

The last word I heard was that the Atlas would be only a few weeks behind the Tour, so it makes no sense to grab this one when a better one is around the corner.

I'm at two years plus on my 8830 right now, so this will probably be my upgrade, as well as the upgrade for countless other 8830 users.

[Andrew T. @ Jun 15th 2009 11:46PM]

Man, I wish Bell had what Verizon has with the new every two deal. It will be 2 years this summer with my 8830, the phone is great but the lack of memory is brutal. I don't know whether or not to get the 9630 retail or wait it out one more year banking on the fact that there will be another great BlackBerry next summer.

[KeegdnaB @ Jun 15th 2009 11:49PM]

I've been waiting for this thing for months.

It will be replacing my enV2 VERY soon

[SwineFlu @ Jun 15th 2009 11:58PM]

Wow, the 8900 with the Bold's parts inside... revolutionary!!! not. lame just like verizon

[Leindurstit @ Jun 16th 2009 12:03AM]

Sorry Verizon, too late to stop my PRE-order.

[Michael Scrip @ Jun 16th 2009 1:49AM]

Wait 6 months and you can have a Palm Pre on Verizon.

[MarkCohen @ Jun 16th 2009 2:43AM]

@ Michael

Maybe: http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/05/sprints-dan-hesse-verizon-needs-to-check-its-facts-on-pre-ex/

[Tom @ Jun 16th 2009 12:04AM]

any word on wether verizon locked the gps? i was RELLY hoping they'd have a hard time on a phone called the Tour.

Hopefully will replace my crappy dumb phone at just about release date.

[wnr @ Jun 16th 2009 12:21AM]

Well in my neck of the woods Verizon does have better coverage than the other networks and I did have far fewer dropped calls with Verizon than I did with T-mobile so that was what I had in mind.

[Jay @ Jun 16th 2009 9:56AM]

Same here, my AT&T Blackberry is ALWAYS dropping calls. My old (personal)AT&T phone dropped calls. I have not dropped a call since I moved the phone to Verizon.

[pfoneguy @ Jun 16th 2009 12:24AM]

Looks like Sprint is right there too... http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/dyn/reg.asp?promo=Tour&id9=vanity:tour

[Miguel @ Jun 16th 2009 12:25AM]

NOT SO FAST,

Sprints is coming out in August!

http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/06/16/sprint-joins-in-on-the-fun-announces-the-tour/

[Kaitou KID @ Jun 16th 2009 12:29AM]

woohooooo great news!!!!

shit shit shit... pre or tour...pre or tour... SHIT SHIT SHIT

[Ben @ Jun 16th 2009 12:28AM]

Verizon has unlocked the GPS on the curve at least... it works GREAT!!!! The same thing on my friends storm... you just have to turn the location ON in the settings. I don't think their locking the GPS anymore. Also, they don't "lock down" their blackberries... besides not having wifi.. I havn't had a slow internet connection anywhere in PA, NJ, and NY. Go verizon!

[Michael Scrip @ Jun 16th 2009 1:53AM]

The GPS on the Curve only works in the Blackberry Maps application. It doesn't work for any other app... without paying to "unlock" it.

The Storm is fully unlocked, I believe.

[salmoncannon @ Jun 16th 2009 2:00AM]

How the hell does it not have Wifi? Is it seriously that hard to make a decent phone with Wifi for Verizon? What year is this?

If only AT&T's coverage wasn't so poor and inconsistent I could have a much better phone selection...

[Steve @ Jun 16th 2009 7:42AM]

You've kinda answered your own question. Obviously, it's always better to have Wi-Fi than to not have it (choice>no choice), but I'm guessing that Verizon feels that their 3g coverage is broad enough to force reliance on it (compared to AT&T, which -- at least until the expansion is completed -- really depends on Wi-Fi to fill the gap for them).

[Coocha @ Jun 16th 2009 8:45AM]

I'm a verizon wireless user (hey, I'm on a family plan where it's $30/month for me right now). But it simply KILLS me that out of all their phones, 4 of them have wifi. And they happen to be 4 phones with horrible reviews or call quality. Something like the Curve can be had with wifi on AT&T, but noooo, Verizon only picked up the Curve and similar models in their non-wifi versions.

I heard they also lock out access to the on-board GPS system, in order for you to pay a fee for their GPS software. That's crap.

[carpecervisi @ Jun 16th 2009 8:52AM]

I am sick of hearing people complain about lack of wifi! I agree with Steve that it's nice to have choices, but if you have a blackberry, you have to have a data plan. I've never been in a location that doesn't get good 1XEV signal so I have no need for a battery-draining wifi radio. Granted, I live and work in the DC metro/270 corridor, but still.

Get off the "no wifi", "locked down", "bluetooth crippled" vzw-hate. Most of you don't know what you're talking about and probably aren't vzw customers anyway and want to piss your carrier's competition.

Christ.

[salmoncannon @ Jun 16th 2009 4:11PM]

I'm definitely a verizon wireless customer. We've been with them for over a decade save for a short period where we switched to AT&T, and didn't get a consistent signal anywhere (and absolutely no signal in our house). It's not like I live in the middle of Montana either- I'm in metro Detroit.

And I want Wifi because my college campus (where I live the vast majority of the year) has free Wifi EVERYWHERE, and I don't want to spend extra money on an expensive plan if I could be getting the same thing for free from a wireless router.

[loosely_coupled @ Jun 20th 2009 2:27PM]

@carpecervisi

If the phone has a modern WiFi chip (like most WiFi phones), then it takes far less power to use WiFi than it does to use 3G. Test it some time...

[john @ Jun 16th 2009 8:33AM]

what's so great about blackberry? nokia E72 ftw!

[Alex @ Jun 16th 2009 9:05AM]

That's pretty hot.

[steve @ Jun 16th 2009 9:39AM]

sprint is getting one

http://delivery.sprint.com/m/p/nxt/dyn/reg.asp?promo=Tour&id9=vanity:tour

[JennyChoo @ Jun 16th 2009 10:29AM]

Love the phone. Hate Verizon.

[rich.west.jr @ Jun 16th 2009 8:44PM]

I'm so happy. I've been waiting for this forever. Verizon network is the best in my area (So Cal, the OC).

[Josh S. @ Jun 21st 2009 2:07AM]

If the GPS is locked, that's the last straw. I'm switching carriers.