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Tour posts

Rejoice! BlackBerry support arrives on Celio REDFLY

by Darren Murph posted Nov 3rd 2009 at 7:11PM

We heard it'd be here in mid-Q4, and sure enough, it's here. And by "it," we mean "BlackBerry support for Celio's largely unwanted REDFLY Mobile Companion." Starting today, those looking for the Foleo's long lost cousin can snap up a REDFLY and download a free driver that adds compatibility for RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9000, Curve 8900 and Tour 9630. Granted, it's not like the BlackBerry web browser will be any less painful to use on an enlarged screen, but hey, whatever suits your fancy.

[Via TestFreaks, thanks Nirckolas]

Gallery: Rejoice! BlackBerry support arrives on Celio REDFLY

Verizon says trackball issue is 'addressed' on Tour, no longer a problem

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 18th 2009 at 10:59PM

Sprint had told us in a statement that its BlackBerry Tours only had trackball issues on "early production" units, and now Verizon is telling us pretty much the same thing:

Early on there was an issue with the trackball that affected a small percentage [of] the early production units -- far less than industry norms. The issue was detected early, addressed immediately and is no longer an issue. Returns on this device are some of the lowest among any of our smart phones.

In other words, it sounds like new buyers (and anyone who's taken the plunge recently) should be fine, and Verizon's actually taking it to another level by boasting that the handset's now one of its most return-proof smartphones. That doesn't change the fact that the trackball's a little too recessed for our liking -- but at least it should stay functional.

BlackBerry Tour mired by trackball problems, Verizon losing patience?

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 16th 2009 at 8:19PM

You might remember our complaint that the Tour's trackball seemed a bit too recessed -- and while we're not ready to connect the dots just yet, this does seem rather convenient. Some research investment dude is reporting that the phone requires frequent trackball cleanings -- which users aren't taking to heart, assuming they know it needs to be done in the first place -- and a lack of maintenance quickly leads to stuck trackballs. From there, it doesn't take a wild imagination to believe that the phone is quickly sent back to the Sprint or Verizon shop from whence it came, and therein lies the problem: rumor has it that Sprint's seeing fully 50 percent of Tours brought back, and they're estimating that quality control measures totaling a 2 to 3 percent boost in production costs would bring that stat way down. A trackball that's too recessed seems like more of a design issue than a "quality control" one to us, but who knows -- maybe they can get it fixed without rearchitecting the whole phone. For what it's worth, we've gotten an official statement from Sprint:

"We experienced a small percentage of early production BlackBerry Tour smartphones with trackball issues. As soon as the issue was identified, we worked closely with our partners at RIM to resolve the problem quickly. We recommend any customer experiencing issues with the trackball on their BlackBerry Tour smartphone visit a Sprint Service & Repair Center."

The "early production" part of that leads us to believe this might already be fixed on the assembly line, in which case new buyers shouldn't feel bad about marching into the store -- Verizon's allegedly threatening to give more love for the Sholes if the problem doesn't go away, but considering that BlackBerrys and Android devices don't really play in the same space yet, that's a pretty meaningless threat as far as your average business user's concerned.

[Via Electronista]

Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal

by Ross Miller posted Sep 16th 2009 at 7:48PM

Listen, we feel your pain, we know you've been dying to find another use for your REDFLY Mobile Companion, and while we're not sure this is it, at least you've got another thing you can tell your friends when justifying the purchase. Celio Corp's announced it'll be bringing BlackBerry support to the Companion C8N and C7 as a free update in mid-Q4 of this year. It works via either physical cable or Bluetooth, and at this point supports Bold 9000, Curve 8900, and Tour 9630, with more phones promised as they're released. Crackberry's managed to obtain a video demonstration, which is after the break if you're interested. It's okay if you're not, we understand.

Read - Press release
Read - First look

Continue reading Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal

LG Chocolate Touch and Samsung Omnia 2 slated for August 23rd, according to supposed Best Buy leak

by Ross Miller posted Aug 8th 2009 at 3:41PM

If this screen capture to be believed, August 23rd is gearing up to be one helluva day for phone lovers. According to this snapshot from Best Buy's computers, that's when LG's desirable BL40 Chocolate Touch will be making its way into the consumer world, alongside a red Xenon and a bevy of Samsung phones including Omnia 2, Rogue, and Solstice. No clue on what the Tour is doing up there dated for the 23rd, since it's already out on both Verizon and Sprint, but perhaps a major shipment is in the works. As for that M330 for September 8th? Yeah, we're not sure. Surrounding that tantalizing list from the top and bottom, respectively, are Samsung's eco-conscious Reclaim -- presumably listed for August 16th, although the date is obscured -- and a red and black "G2" from august 5th, which would undoubtedly be referring to T-Mobile's sophomore Android device, the myTouch 3G. Two weeks seem awfully close, but if this pans out, we certainly won't be arguing.

Video: watch an SSD get made at the Runcore factory

by Laura June posted Jul 28th 2009 at 2:11PM

Ever wonder how an SSD gets made? TweakTown's been on-site at the Runcore facility in Hangzhou, China as of late, and hot on the heels of testing its 1.8-inch Pro IV SSD line, they've taken a tour of the facility to see one of them being produced. During their tour, Runcore had the 128GB 1.8-inch ZIF Pro IV drive on the line, and it's a pretty interesting affair. The factory itself is not operated by Runcore, but you'll get to see the high speed SMT (Surface Mount Technology) machine in action, and also get a peek of the testing phase! Check the video after the break.

Continue reading Video: watch an SSD get made at the Runcore factory

BlackBerry Tours, come and get 'em on Sprint and Verizon

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 12th 2009 at 11:59AM

If you've had you eye on the Tour, we bet you didn't forget they were going on sale today -- but just in case you had, consider this your official reminder. Both carriers are now offering RIM's latest and greatest CDMA BlackBerry for $199.99 on contract, so you're probably not going to see a lot of defections between carriers this time around. Pardon us if we don't shed a tear for the lack of exclusivity on this one.

Read - Sprint
Read - Verizon

Verizon BlackBerry Tour 9630 review

by Jacob Schulman posted Jul 7th 2009 at 1:30PM

It's here, folks. The BlackBerry Tour has been unboxed, and now that we've had a few days to mess around with it, we're able to tell you how we truly and deeply feel. There have been countless leaks and unofficial reviews circulating for the past few months, but now that it's finally legit we can give this sexy piece of tech a proper shakedown. It's been roughly described as a CDMA Bold, but does it surpass its GSM counterpart? Be sure to head over to Engadget Mobile for the full review!

Engadget Podcast 153 - 07.03.2009: Independence Day edition

by Trent Wolbe posted Jul 3rd 2009 at 11:01AM

It's your holiday weekend America -- how are you going to spend it? We'll tell you how: by listening to Engadget Podcast 153 over, and over, and over. What better way to utilize your extra day off and barbecue-packed good times than by putting Josh, Paul, and Nilay on repeat for you (and your friends') enjoyment? Check out the 'cast this week as the boys explore the ups and downs of the Olympus E-P1, Dell's MID plans, and field a handful of questions from our handsome, intelligent, and just basically awesome listeners. You won't be disappointed.

Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Nilay Patel, Paul Miller
Producer: Trent Wolbe
Song: Virt - Katamari on the Rock

Hear the podcast

00:02:10 - Olympus E-P1 hands-on, test shots, and mini-review
00:10:26 - Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 gets officially detailed, priced for US market
00:14:22 - Wii MotionPlus impressions: it works, but so far the games aren't worth the fuss
00:24:45 - Dell working on iPod touch-esque Android MID, says WSJ
00:32:08 - Android 1.5 gets official SDK for native development
00:38:10 - Video: Mobinnova élan sporting a custom Tegra UI
00:47:30 - Video: NVIDIA Tegra's GPU gets busy with HD video and full-screen Flash -- Intel 945GSE shrugs, kicks dirt
00:47:30 - Verizon BlackBerry Tour unboxing
00:50:17 - BlackBerry Tour hands-on, wild sibling confrontation with Curve and Bold
00:53:00 - RIM CEO: "SurePress is here to stay"
00:57:00 - 13-year-old trades iPod for Walkman, reports on mysterious ancient artifact
01:04:55 - iPhone 3GS review
01:07:15 - Palm Pre review

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Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @reckless @engadget

Sprint matches Verizon's pace, launching BlackBerry Tour on July 12

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 1st 2009 at 1:14PM

So much for exclusivity, eh? Sprint is staying toe-to-toe with Verizon in the race to get the BlackBerry Tour to market, launching the consensus hottest RIM device to date on July 12 for $199.99 on contract after rebates. It's awfully refreshing to see an ominous statement like "later this summer" morph into "early summer" instead of slipping into the "dead of winter" as is all too often the case with hotly-anticipated phones, and we have a sneaking suspicion the Tour's gonna sell like a remastered Bonnie Tyler live album (that's a good thing, by the way). Who's in?

Verizon BlackBerry Tour unboxing

by Chris Ziegler posted Jul 1st 2009 at 12:12PM

You might say that Verizon's brand new BlackBerry Tour 9630... ahem, took a "tour" through our offices this morning, gracing us with its QWERTY-having, global-roaming, 8830-killing presence. There's absolutely no question it's the best-looking CDMA BlackBerry to date and we also think you'll be able to stop Bold owners in their tracks as you flash this thing around town; we'd argue that the Curve 8900 is still a cuter handset when you take the company's lineup as a whole, but then again, the 8900 lacks 3G, and the Tour's keyboard might just be the best RIM's ever crafted for a phone. Bottom line, owners of any BlackBerry on Verizon or Sprint should be salivating at the sight of this thing -- and if they're not, honestly, they need their salivary glands checked. Stay tuned for our full review, but in the meantime, enjoy an unboxing and a few quick shots of the Tour taking its first breaths!

Gallery: Verizon BlackBerry Tour unboxing

Verizon's BlackBerry Tour coming July 12th, pre-order page now live

by Ross Miller posted Jun 30th 2009 at 12:17AM

Looks like Verizon's got a winner here. That leaked promotional graphic was right on the money, as the carrier's just replaced its BlackBerry Tour teaser with a pre-order page and, lo and behold, it's indeed coming July 12th for a penny under $200. We're still waiting to see if Sprint's whispered July 20th date pans out, but regardless, if you want a Tour before anyone else, looks like VZW's the way to go.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Update: She's official. The press release says so.

Sprint launching BlackBerry Tour on July 20th?

by Jacob Schulman posted Jun 27th 2009 at 2:40PM

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.

BlackBerry Tour hitting Verizon on July 12 for $199.99?

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 26th 2009 at 10:12PM

You know what'd sell like a cold glass of water in hell? A $199.99 BlackBerry Tour on Verizon, that's what -- and it looks like that might be what the carrier's planning to unleash. Boy Genius Report has what seems to be a promotional graphic advertising the release of the Tour on July 12 -- just over two weeks from today -- which has the potential to make it the first Tour release anywhere, beating Telus' July 15 date and Sprint's nebulous "later this summer" window. Who's camping out in line with us?

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

by Paul Miller posted Jun 25th 2009 at 2:32PM

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.