BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold

While some interesting things may or may not be happening under the hood, the freshly announced BlackBerry Tour for Verizon and Sprint (pictured in Verizon garb on the left) is hardly a departure on the surface. It mostly appears to be a minor modification to the Curve (right), though it does seem inexplicably thicker. The Bold seems positively overwrought in comparison. We didn't get much time to play with the OS, but the screen and the keyboard are pure new-generation BlackBerry charm.

Gallery: BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold

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[fishypops @ Jun 25th 2009 2:35PM]

this is just more of the same to me

[Jorvay @ Jun 25th 2009 2:45PM]

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.

[Thunda Chunky @ Jun 25th 2009 2:47PM]

Yeah, um... which one is which in that picture?

[Rollins @ Jun 25th 2009 2:59PM]

@Thunda Chunky

Try telling an iPhone 3G from a 3GS with just a picture. Compared to that, telling BlackBerry devices apart is easy.

[Thunda Chunky @ Jun 25th 2009 3:10PM]

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.)

[Josh @ Jun 25th 2009 3:11PM]

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?

[Lando Calrissian @ Jun 25th 2009 2:37PM]

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.

[Ryan @ Jun 25th 2009 2:54PM]

And when Lando Calrissian says it's good, you KNOW it's good.

[Kaitou KID @ Jun 25th 2009 2:57PM]

Han has a Bold?

[Lando Calrissian @ Jun 25th 2009 3:06PM]

Han uses a Touch Pro, Chewy has the Bold.

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA1 Plumbing @ Jun 25th 2009 3:12PM]

Good RIM job...

Nasty.

[schnoochnoo @ Jun 25th 2009 5:35PM]

Colt 45... works every time! loooolz

[Jon @ Jun 25th 2009 8:37PM]

the bold absolutely sucks on ATT's network, the phone looks nice and feels nice, but usability is pathetic.

[Jay L @ Jun 25th 2009 2:39PM]

Agree w/ fishypops

[Jorvay @ Jun 25th 2009 3:11PM]

...yet was incapable of finding the little, green "+" button...

[lorenwhite @ Jun 25th 2009 2:40PM]

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.

[superfresh @ Jun 25th 2009 2:57PM]

Enjoy your dropped calls.

[Lando Calrissian @ Jun 25th 2009 3:07PM]

@superfresh

I'm on AT&T and I can't remember ever having a dropped call in the last 8 months.

[Tsing Tao @ Jun 25th 2009 4:34PM]

@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.

[David.olszewskirn @ Jun 27th 2009 10:57AM]

I totally agree with you. but at least some good ones are coming out

[jay jay @ Jun 25th 2009 2:40PM]

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.

[Michael Scrip @ Jun 25th 2009 3:03PM]

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?

[iroq321 @ Jun 25th 2009 3:26PM]

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.

[Dorf @ Jun 25th 2009 4:21PM]

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. :-)

[shootingblue @ Jun 25th 2009 2:41PM]

I honestly don't understand all the hype for the Tour. What makes this phone stand out from the other 238 blackberry devices??

[Byrdman @ Jun 25th 2009 2:45PM]

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.

[shootingblue @ Jun 25th 2009 2:48PM]

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)

[Dorf @ Jun 25th 2009 4:22PM]

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.

[Terry @ Jun 25th 2009 7:13PM]

None of you have said why its a big deal. Just that it is.

[SwineFlu @ Jun 25th 2009 8:02PM]

Nothing.. this phones is just another boring Blackberry... it's the Bold, but on Verizon... OMFG... lame

[Zboy613 @ Jun 26th 2009 11:42AM]

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.

[nickg333 @ Jun 25th 2009 2:51PM]

I agree with loren. Verizon lacks in the phone department.

[Sherwin @ Jun 25th 2009 2:59PM]

Looks like the screen is cracked!

[wtfx @ Jun 25th 2009 3:03PM]

I totally thought this too.

[aaronsheath @ Jun 25th 2009 3:06PM]

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.

[Jay @ Jun 25th 2009 3:01PM]

Read your text messages!

[Webber @ Jun 25th 2009 3:03PM]

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!!!).

[Tom @ Jun 25th 2009 3:07PM]

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.

[Gabriel @ Jun 25th 2009 3:19PM]

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.

[The Heff @ Jun 25th 2009 3:11PM]

I've enjoyed my BB. Anxious to try this one.

[CollateralDmg @ Jun 25th 2009 3:20PM]

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.

[NrainO @ Jun 25th 2009 3:26PM]

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.

[iroq321 @ Jun 25th 2009 3:30PM]

there's rumors of a mid-july release, july 15...although i'm hoping it comes sooner!

[j @ Jun 25th 2009 3:29PM]

so its either this or the storm 2?

What does everyone think? Is this just finally the "bold" coming to verizon?

[slinky317 @ Jun 25th 2009 3:39PM]

What did you take those pictures with, a RAZR? Couldn't you make them a LITTLE bit better quality?

[marmot_egg @ Jun 25th 2009 3:43PM]

I love BB's..after you blend them, they make the BEST lawn fertilizer.

[Matthew @ Jun 25th 2009 3:43PM]

anyone see the charging port on the verizon tour? haha....

[AutumnBringer @ Jun 25th 2009 5:07PM]

Micro USB ports are funny? You have a strange sense of humor.

[jcoulter36 @ Jun 25th 2009 3:52PM]

yea thats the smaller usb Mini right?

[gregerst @ Jun 25th 2009 5:51PM]

the Onyx will be the phone to get excited about.