BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold
By Paul Miller 
posted Jun 25th 2009 2:32PM
posted Jun 25th 2009 2:32PM
posted Jun 25th 2009 2:32PM
The percentage of electronics at the end of their lives which were recycled.
The EPA found that the percentage remained consistent from 1999-2005. Even as recycling rates went up, the amount of electronics reaching end of life outpaced the increase, leaving the figure static. (source: EPA, July 2008)
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this is just more of the same to me
Is that a bad thing? RIM has refined this form factor to the point where any advances will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. They have other form factors that are developing in other directions too (Storm, Pearl).
Apple's hardware is more of the same, so is HTC's. They've all found something that works, and now they're trying to make it work better.
Yeah, um... which one is which in that picture?
@Thunda Chunky
Try telling an iPhone 3G from a 3GS with just a picture. Compared to that, telling BlackBerry devices apart is easy.
I honestly can't. Blackberry devices have subtle differences but I can't tell one from the other. That "new" iPhone is even worse. (In terms of device... individuality, I guess is the right word.)
i know i've said this before, but i'm actually serious this time...
engadget, can you please make some kind of chart to distinguish all these models, similar to the eepc netbook chart from a while back?
I got to try my friend's new Bold the other day, and all I can say is, OMFG. The new BlackBerries are positively awesome. Good job, RIM.
And when Lando Calrissian says it's good, you KNOW it's good.
Han has a Bold?
Han uses a Touch Pro, Chewy has the Bold.
Good RIM job...
Nasty.
Colt 45... works every time! loooolz
the bold absolutely sucks on ATT's network, the phone looks nice and feels nice, but usability is pathetic.
Agree w/ fishypops
...yet was incapable of finding the little, green "+" button...
This and the Hero need to be released on Verizon ASAP. Verizon has crap for phones and I am about to leave for the iPhone flaunting ATT. I'm sick of bad flip phones.
Enjoy your dropped calls.
@superfresh
I'm on AT&T and I can't remember ever having a dropped call in the last 8 months.
@Superfresh You do know that if the iphone came to verizon the network would be destroyed before launch day was over. Verizon has NO phones that use data like users of the iphone. They can talk up their network all they want, but there is a reason they cripple all of their phones, so they can keep talking about how awesome their network is.
Mark my words, the day that Verizon gets any serious high data consumer phone like the pre or iphone, its going down. Blackberry Users with their 200k of email a day don't count for shit.
I totally agree with you. but at least some good ones are coming out
that phone look pretty much the same as it predecessor. RIM needs to innovate more if it hopes to stay competitive in the smart phone arena that is attracting more and more players.
What does "innovate" mean?
If they start copying other phones' features... it would be copying.... not innovating.
There are already touchscreen phones, slider phones and candybar phones... they all check email and surf the web, have GPS, etc... what more to you want?
and what "innovations" did you have in mind?
ever heard the phrase "if it aint broke, don't fix it"? you know, there is a reason why blackberry is the #1 smartphone in the world and trying to "innovate" could just mean trouble (storm).
it's like a computer keyboard..sure, update it from time to time, make it look slicker, nicer, but DON'T MOVE THE KEYS FROM WHERE THEY BELONG!
it is proven highly successful form factor and changing it would not be as innovative as it would be foolish.
It doesn't look anything like its predecessor if you think about it... This is a world phone and it is replacing the 8830. They look plenty different. :-)
I honestly don't understand all the hype for the Tour. What makes this phone stand out from the other 238 blackberry devices??
It will be the first "updated" Blackberry for CDMA networks since they got the curve (with the exception of the Storm, but IMO that doesn't count). If a VZW user wants to get a BB, they now don't have get the storm or a two year old model. I can't wait for it since my contract is eligible for upgrades a few days before this should be out.
Thanks, so its just because verizon is finally getting a decent blackberry.....I got it. I can sympathize waiting for decent handsets being a T-Mobile customer (though it seems they have been really improving lately)
Oh... I dunno... I have about 1000 VZW 8830's that will be replaced by the Tour... I'd say it's a big deal.
None of you have said why its a big deal. Just that it is.
Nothing.. this phones is just another boring Blackberry... it's the Bold, but on Verizon... OMFG... lame
It's not just an update for VZW. It's also a happy median for BB users. Some fine the Bold too big and the Curve too small. This phone measures up right in the middle of the two with the keyboard of the Bold.
I agree with loren. Verizon lacks in the phone department.
Looks like the screen is cracked!
I totally thought this too.
Heh, that's exactly what I thought when the page first launched.
Unfortunate photo.
I have a Curve 8900 (javelin). It's brilliant. Very happy with it. No, it doesn't have all the apps of a iPhone, but it does have the ones I'll actually use (twitter, flickr, IM, etc.)
At home, with the Wi-FI connection it rocks, but the added 3G coverage of the above Tour would be glorious. I rarely use the net on the move (other than for checking email, and well, it's a BlackBerry so that's covered), but it's awfully slow on the odd times I need to confirm a post on my blog or whatever. In the UK we have decent 3G coverage, so for that at least I miss my Nokia N95 8GB.
Read your text messages!
Give it Wi-Fi, an OLED touch screen, and replace the trackball with the trackpad. Voila! The perfect BlackBerry! I'm happy with my 8220, in fact, it's the best phone I've ever owned, but there is room for improvement in some areas (web browser!!!).
Any word on the Atlas model? All I've heard is that it's supposed to trail the Tour by just a few weeks, and that it will have WiFi.
I live in Venezuela and we´ve had the Bold for almost a year. I own one and they´re great and very business oriented devices but, compared to the iPhone they´re just boring.
I've enjoyed my BB. Anxious to try this one.
When is this coming out on VZW? I know a BB fanatic or two with old curves that have been beat to hell and would love to upgrade to one of these.
Yea does anyone have a date? Or at least a ballpark range? I'm eligible for an upgrade now and I would LOVE for this to come out within the next two weeks.
there's rumors of a mid-july release, july 15...although i'm hoping it comes sooner!
so its either this or the storm 2?
What does everyone think? Is this just finally the "bold" coming to verizon?
What did you take those pictures with, a RAZR? Couldn't you make them a LITTLE bit better quality?
I love BB's..after you blend them, they make the BEST lawn fertilizer.
anyone see the charging port on the verizon tour? haha....
Micro USB ports are funny? You have a strange sense of humor.
yea thats the smaller usb Mini right?
the Onyx will be the phone to get excited about.