Sprint launching BlackBerry Tour on July 20th?

When the teaser went up, we knew the hotly anticipated BlackBerry Tour for Sprint was right around the corner, but the only hint of a release date was "later this summer." Lucky for us, the, um, insiders at Inside Sprint Now have clarified the vague window for all of us mere mortals. They confidently state that the Tour will be available on July 20th, just over a week after the purported release date on Big Red. This hasn't yet been confirmed by Sprint, but we're sure they want this baby out sooner rather than later, so quasi-mark your calendars, quasi-set your alarms, and get your $199.99 ready.

[Chris @ Jun 27th 2009 2:48PM]

I just canceled my Sprint plan today. I just recieved a 260 dollar phone bill b/c I got text spammed and went over my text on a phone I rarely use. I have 500 texts and 600 minutes for 64 dollars a month and I only "SENT" 186 text for the month and the rest were incoming texts which put me 200 dollars over. I tried to settle this, but Sprints idea of settling was to make me extend my contract another 2 years and only crediting my accoutn 100 dollars, lame.

I was about to buy a damn Pre too, but there isn't a Sprint store in NYC that has them instock.

/end rant

BB tour looks good, too bad Sprint customer service is horrid.

Chris

[Rollins @ Jun 27th 2009 2:58PM]

Verizon would be happy to take you, I'm sure. :)

[Gi @ Jun 27th 2009 3:20PM]

Wow ultimate plan fail....you couldve had unlimited everything for less or even unlimited text for 7.50....shoulda ket trying with another rep


Anyway

I'd get this for my brother if it had wifi

[Miguel @ Jun 27th 2009 3:53PM]

Im sorry to hear that. Sprint has been calling people over the past few months to make sure that they are ok with their plan. Matter of fact, At $64 Your partially victim of having an old plan, let alone the spamming which you probably could have avoided by one having them change your number off the jump from gettin those texts (Cuz that can happen to you regardless of your carrier) or update your plan to unlimited data which is only $5 more (And they dont make u extend your contract to change plans anymore). Tough luck

[bronxbomber @ Jun 28th 2009 12:19AM]

How is this the carriers fault, ask verizon or att you wont even get that close of an offer

[chefjabril @ Jun 28th 2009 9:43PM]

why dont you get the everything plan, so much betta, unlmited everything

[Mitz @ Jul 3rd 2009 6:00PM]

Who do you have your service with now? I feel your pain

[Anthony M. @ Jun 27th 2009 2:51PM]

iPhone!

[Drew Green @ Jun 27th 2009 3:22PM]

No, this is the BB Tour. Get outta hear you damn iPhone fanboy!

[darkmax @ Jun 27th 2009 2:53PM]

for some reason, blackberry just don't sell very well outside of the N. America.... personally I can't see the appeal of the device.

[ahaveng @ Jun 27th 2009 11:47PM]

You don't see the appeal of a tool used by professions to get a job done?

[ahaveng @ Jun 27th 2009 11:48PM]

Maybe you should stick it out at starbucks a little longer serving those mission critical lattes.

[Gravaton @ Jun 28th 2009 5:41PM]

Older versions of the Blackberry OS were pretty bad and clunky but they've improved the platform to the point where it's a very competent all-round device. I've used WinMo and Symbian, and like both of them, and I would say that the 4.6+ version of the BB OS is very much a live competitor. I haven't used the iPhone or Pre at all so I can't comment on them. However, what really keeps the BB from selling outside of the US is the fact that it's mostly US companies that have gone for BES which makes the phone something of a necessity for many businesspeople here. Unfortunately Nokia decided to stop providing BES support soon after releasing the E62, which is why I have a Bold and not an E72 right now :)

[JZ @ Jun 29th 2009 4:44AM]

At the parent, you are partially right. RIM is the #1 smartphone seller (way infront of Apple) as a general mobile producer and yes their mayority of sales happen in the US. But I think this is the case due to that most companies in for example Europe don´t consider mobile mail to be that important. On the other hand as a European I´ve got the idea that I see more and more business people walk around with a BB and the numbers show that they are still gaining costumers.
Further maybe that mobile isn´t that sexy though for business people it does what it´s ought todo, work. I do wonder though if those minimum changes are worth doing so, on the other hand I know a certain producer who sells a phone like a smartphone with almost 0 changes and still manages to sell them.

[Eric B @ Jun 27th 2009 2:59PM]

No WiFi. Fail!

[Tony @ Jun 27th 2009 9:12PM]

Who needs Wifi?

This isnt a GSM phone.

[Brady @ Jun 27th 2009 11:34PM]

actually rumor has it that the Sprint tour will have wifi. and you make assumptions a little to fast.

[RLBurkes @ Jun 27th 2009 3:00PM]

I have found that the worst thing about working weekends is the slow news/updates of Engadget. Its understandable just sucks.

[benahad @ Jun 27th 2009 3:24PM]

There are few things quite as depressing while at work when you F5 your engadget window and it's the same post... meh...

[kmendes99 @ Jun 30th 2009 12:19PM]

I'm returning my pre and getting the tour. I cut my finger on the pre.

[Drew Green @ Jun 27th 2009 3:23PM]

Please explain....

[Kaitou KID @ Jun 27th 2009 3:32PM]

Then you're an idiot.

Just natural selection here folks, nothing to see.

[benahad @ Jun 27th 2009 4:29PM]

You should stick to smartphones not sharp-phones...

[Tdburn @ Jun 28th 2009 12:25AM]

Wo did you really cut your finger on the Pre?

[Drew Green @ Jun 27th 2009 3:24PM]

I was under the impression that VZW had some kind of US exclusivity on this device. I knew that Sprint was getting it later in the summer, but if VZW gets it the 12th and Sprint gets it the 20th... So much for that.

[Rollins @ Jun 27th 2009 3:31PM]

There may have been rumors at one point that VZW had an exclusitivity arrangement, but I'm pretty sure that's out the window now. Not a bad thing, though. Sprint hasn't even had the Storm to keep the BlackBerry faithful distracted.

[Miguel @ Jun 27th 2009 3:59PM]

Thats just Karma for the Verizon CEO talkin shit about Sprint as well as insisting Verizon would just snatch the Pre Away...yea right.

And the World knows regardless of specs, That Sprint puts more goodies in their Smartphones than Verizon ever has and probably ever will.

[Epsilon-Not @ Jun 27th 2009 4:42PM]

Personally, I'd prefer the carrier keep their stuff off of the phone as much as possible, but maybe that's just me?

The case in point is the Sprint NASCAR app, look at the all the Pre users desperate to get rid of that...

[MikeWard1701 @ Jun 27th 2009 3:53PM]

Wow, another Blackberry.... and it looks just like the others!

[m3nphls @ Jun 27th 2009 4:32PM]

WoW!!! look at the iphone 3GS looks like the 3G and the first generation one also!!!

fuck you u troll

[Griff @ Jun 27th 2009 4:33PM]

and I'm sure blackberry is fine with that, as long as it sells like all the others

[Tony @ Jun 27th 2009 8:44PM]

LOL @ m3nphIs

Rick rolled.

Seriously get out of here with this fanboy crap. We buy the new ones for the same reason you thick rimmed glasses corduroy jack wearing Starbucks sippin assholes buy the new Jesus phones. More memory, more power.

And who gives a shit about a compass, you weak asses would never be in the wilderness anyway.

[Jamesology @ Jun 28th 2009 5:22AM]

Why do people like Starbuck coffee? It taste like burnt coffee. Wow the things people pay for status.

[asdasd @ Jun 27th 2009 4:18PM]

Yea and the new Iphone is exactly the same as the previous....../sarcasm to your fail

[ronno @ Jun 27th 2009 6:04PM]

Yup, my Pre is going back in the box TONIGHT. Too small, fragile, and battery hungry. Using my old ugly 8330 until this 9630 drops. Yeehaw.

[skilzkilz @ Jun 27th 2009 6:21PM]

Aww screw the BB tour , give me the scoop on when Sprint will get the HTC touch pro 2.

[Brady @ Jun 28th 2009 9:51AM]

i am betting august. i heard a July release date, but then that got pushed back.

[cmil1212 @ Jun 27th 2009 6:21PM]

Don't they already have the Centro though?

[DizWhiz @ Jun 27th 2009 8:11PM]

Why would you want to pay $199 for the tour vs $199 for the Pre on Sprint? I can understand Verizon since they have no real selection right now (Looking at you Storm).

[Tony @ Jun 27th 2009 8:51PM]

Cause the Pre is a piece of shit?

[jdavis0034 @ Jun 27th 2009 10:10PM]

The plan also costs more for the Pre.

[Demo @ Jun 28th 2009 8:53PM]

Pre is a consumer device, Tour is a professional device.

[Neil @ Jun 27th 2009 8:26PM]

can someone explain the difference between a tour and a normal bb?

[Tony @ Jun 27th 2009 9:00PM]

There is no "normal bb" but ill assume you're talking about the curve, in which case:

3.2mp camera vs 2.0mp
256mb of memory vs 96mb
Quad Band radio (able to work anywhere in the world basically), the Curve cannot.
The Tour also has a higher resolution display, 480x360.

I you want to know ALL the differences just look here.

http://bit.ly/H6UB5

And before some asshole starts babbling about the world capabilities, the comparison was vs a Curve 8330.

[ronno @ Jun 27th 2009 9:41PM]

Also the Tour has faster data: rev. A versus rev.O

[David @ Jun 27th 2009 11:04PM]

what is the tour ? is it not the same wackberry crap they have been selling for years ? can someone please tell me that this device does anything well other than suck ash? y do people in the country still buy this unremarkable garbage ?

[Tony @ Jun 27th 2009 11:36PM]

And what the hell are you using? A LG slider?

[Curtis Harman @ Jun 27th 2009 11:39PM]

Tony is a little harsh on the words... and misinformed. While Sprint's Tour is a CDMA phone, it will have GSM capability if the user is abroad (will have to adjust plan in order to make/receive calls).

David, the tour is AT&T and T-Mobile's version of the B/B Curve 8900. According to preliminary reviews, the phone has been tweaked since its initial launch so Sprint's version should be nicer. If not B/B, what brand would you recommend... Nokia?

[Tony @ Jun 28th 2009 1:27AM]

I guess I mistated what I wanted to say.

Of course the phone has GSM capabilities, but we dont need to rely on wifi for a speedy data connection.

[URANIDIOT @ Jun 27th 2009 11:57PM]

you know i've been waiting for the sprint touch hd to come out and i settled for the touch pro but remained without a contract knowing at some point htc promise to release something better and that is the touch pro2. YET instead of giving a release date for the touch pro2 we get the pre and now this wackberry bold..err..tour. JUST A DATE SPRINT GIVE US WM LOVERS A DATE LIKE T-MO HAS DONE. June is over and no tp2! if only sprint was a gsm carrier i would had imported it already instead i have to wait for u baboons to get good phone. pre and tour look nice but i luv wm and a big keyboard and huge screen. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GIVE US WM HOPE..ERR DETAILS ON THE TOUCH PRO2 ALREADY!