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Bold 9650 spied running BlackBerry 6
RIM has already gone on record saying that the CDMA-equipped Bold 9650 has been mercifully tapped for a BlackBerry 6 upgrade "subject to carrier certifications in the months ahead," but where's the proof, RIM? How do we know you're not just spouting a bald-faced lie? Okay, okay, we don't doubt BlackBerry 6 is coming for the 9650 owners out there, but it's still nice to see a few shots of a Verizon-branded model with the new code in the wild. Word on the street is that it's running really slow right now, so it might be a while until they iron out enough kinks to get it to retail -- but who knows, maybe we can count on a leaked firmware or three in the meantime.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 video hands-on
We'll be very honest with you: unless you're a Tour user amped to upgrade to something that directly addresses your specific complaints, this video might be of little interest. That said, we were able to browse a little site called Engadget (using the same old non-WebKit browser, of course) over the Bold 9650's newfound WiFi support, and while it wasn't about to set any speed records, it'll take some more comprehensive analysis to understand how much blame the WiFi radio, the hotspot, and the browser's rendering engine should take, respectively. We totally dig the optical pad over the old trackball (pardon our stupidity in the video where we attempt to keep scrolling beyond the end of the page -- it wasn't the Bold's fault, honest), and the keyboard is every bit as good as it is on the Tour of old. Check the full, mind-bending experience on video after the break.
BlackBerry Bold 9650 announced, targets Tour owners' big complaints
RIM has a longstanding track record of refining its hardware with near-surgical precision -- from one generation of BlackBerry to the next, you almost always see a very careful, deliberate evolution, from the Storm2's revamped SurePress tech to the Bold 9700's optical pad and countless examples in between. "Evolution" is exactly how we'd describe the CDMA- and GSM-equipped Bold 9650, the Tour's spiritual successor that ditches the old name to join forces with the remainder of the Bold line. Dimensionally, the Bold 9650 is a dead ringer for the Tour -- it's still 4.4 x 2.4 x 0.56 inches -- but it packs on two-tenths of an ounce worth of weight in exchange for oft-requested WiFi support and an extra 256MB of internal storage (it's now up to 512MB total). The other big difference, of course, is the replacement of the dodgy trackball with an optical pad, continuing a trend that has now permeated throughout virtually all of RIM's lineup. Look for the Bold 9650 to hit American carriers -- presumably both Verizon and Sprint -- in May. Follow the break for a second shot and RIM's full press release!
BlackBerry 9650 spotted in the wild again, 'Bold' branding confirmed
The Tour branding never made a lot of sense -- RIM's most recently-released high-end portrait QWERTY device for CDMA networks occupies the same market position as the Bold over on GSM networks, so the name difference is kind of arbitrary and more than just a little bit confusing. It's all good, though, because CrackBerry has confirmation here that the Tour's replacement -- the 9650 -- is going to be wearing a Bold badge loud and proud around back by the 3.2 megapixel camera. It's not clear exactly when Sprint and Verizon are going to launch this sucker, but it's patently obvious that they both will -- it's just a matter of time -- so you may as well start prepping your eulogy for that infernal trackball now.
BlackBerry Tour2-compatible visual VM on Verizon suggests release is growing near
It feels like the Tour isn't quite aged enough to be replaced -- especially when you consider that the downright ancient Pearl 8100 series is still sold on carriers around the world -- but it seems that Verizon (and Sprint, naturally) might be champing at the bit to move on to a newer model with WiFi and a complete eradication of the pesky trackball. Verizon's posted a Java app to its site with the file name "vvmail_9650.jad," a reference to the Tour2's model number. Of course, the Tour2 itself has yet to be announced by RIM in any capacity -- let alone for a specific carrier -- so we've got some hurdles to jump before this is on shelves, but if nothing else, we can safely say it's coming to Big Red sooner or later. [Image via BGR]
BlackBerry 9650 Tour2 'Essex' shows up in Sprint's systems
Sprint appears to be taking a small step toward quashing the WiFi-less BlackBerrys in its product range here on news that the 9650 Essex -- quite likely to be called the Tour2 at retail -- has made its way into the carrier's internal systems. Besides the addition of WiFi, you can probably guess what else is going on in the new model: it'll swap out RIM's classic trackball for the more modern optical pad and likely carry over 99 percent of the original Tour's industrial design. No word on date or price yet, but considering that the first Tour is still just a wee tyke by BlackBerry standards, we wouldn't be surprised if it didn't hit for a few more months.
RIM's BlackBerry Tour2 9650 gets the hands-on treatment
There's practically zero doubt remaining that RIM has a next-generation Tour in the works, but if you're one of those tin foil hat wearers, you'll be glad to know that at least one of these things really, truly exists. Boy Genius just got his paws around the Tour2 9650 (shown left), and aside from the optical trackpad replacing the trackball (and the addition of a WiFi module), there's not much new here. Oh, except that presumably quicker CPU -- we're guessing to-be owners will dig that. We're told that the physical size is practically identical to the original Tour, and the keyboard is still phenomenal. Care to take a look? Sure you do -- hit the source link for a full hands-on gallery.
