Device Reviews

BlackBerry Tour Review

by Kevin Michaluk

on 16 Jun 2009 09:27 AM

194

Hands-On First Look Review of the RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 Smartphone including Video, Images and Photo Gallery...

Update - June 16, 2009: Today, Research in Motion announced the BlackBerry Tour 9630, their latest next-generation non-touchscreen, full physical qwerty smartphone for CDMA carriers. A replacement to the popular BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, the BlackBerry Tour will with time roll out to CDMA carriers including Verizon, Sprint, Alltel, Bell, Telus and likely everywhere the 8830 was sold. We first reviewed the BlackBerry Tour three months ago in March, and while our device was pre-release our in-depth BlackBerry Tour review will give you a great hands-on look of what you can expect when it becomes available. You can find part one of our BlackBerry Tour review below, and Tour Review Part II here.

Read on For Photos, Video and First Impressions of the BlackBerry 9630 >>

Original Review - Published March 17, 2009 @ 14:55:21 -0500

The Full Qwerty BlackBerry CDMA Carriers & Users Have Been Waiting For!

Didn't we say when it rains it pours? As you likely surmised from the previously leaked images and video and forum posts, the BlackBerry "Niagara" 9630 has made its way into the wild. And once an unannounced, pre-release BlackBerry Smartphone gets loose you know it's just a matter of time before it winds up getting photographed and videoed on the CrackBerry review table. So following up on our pre-release reviews of the BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Pearl Flip, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Storm, it's time for a hands-on first look (lots of photos and video!) at next full-qwerty BlackBerry that'll be coming to a CDMA carrier near you in the months ahead.

* Disclaimer: Like all of our pre-release reviews, please note that this is non-commercially available device which means things could change by the time it comes to market. *

A Note About the Pre-Release Device Review

In the case of the BlackBerry Tour 9630 unit reviewed here, the hardware is actually really solid. Compared to the other pre-release devices I have handled, this hardware feels final form (which gives me hope that it could be announced and available sooner than Q3). However, while the hardware seems pretty much good to go, the device software is another. The 4.7.1.10 software on this unit is very early days, which means it's practically unusable. So for the purpose of this review, we're just going to focus on the hardware. We'll be back to talk software and device usage and performance once we get some updated code on it. Don't worry, there's still lots to get excited for and drool over in here!

An Intro and Overview of the BlackBerry Tour 9630

It's been a long time now since word of the BlackBerry with the codename "Niagara" first popped up in the forums and blogs. So what's it all about? It's probably easiest to think of the "Niagara" as the next-generation BlackBerry 8830 World Edition. It's hard to say which carrier will land this new device first (safe bets would be Verizon or Sprint), but the odds are good you will see the "Niagara" roll out with time to every carrier who currently sells the 8830.

BlackBerry 8830 WE vs. 9630 WE
Out with the old (8830) and in with the new (9630)!!

The BlackBerry 9630 itself is really a mash-up of RIM's BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Storm. Size-wise it fits somewhere in the middle between the 8900 and Bold, and it shares design influences from both. Though smaller, the 9630's keyboard is of same style as the Bold, with no spaces between the keys and "guitar frets" between the rows. The 9630's display is the same as the Curve 8900's, as is the layout and type of ports/buttons around the perimeter of the device. And with the 9630 being a world phone, under the battery cover the ‘guts' are basically the same as the BlackBerry Storm in terms of processor (528) and radios (though layout is of course different). And like the Storm and Curve 8900 both, the 9630 gets the new and improved 3.2 megapixel camera. Looking at the 9630, the most unique visual queue is its battery door which I'm happy to say I personally think looks much better in person than in the previous photos that popped up on the net of it.

A hands-on look at the BlackBerry 9630

One last thing to think about before moving on to some hand-on impressions is the name. While "Niagara" is kind of a cool name that won't be the go-to-market name labeled to the 9630. After holding the device, I'm really baffled as to what name it will be sold under. Is the keyboard what makes a Bold a Bold? Maybe it'll be the BlackBerry Bold 9630. Or BlackBerry Bold 9630 World Edition (or WE). Or maybe RIM will skip the brand name and just go with BlackBerry 9630 WE. It seems unlikely that they'd develop a new brand name to market it under, but they do have to name it something... and I don't think BlackBerry Curvy Bold 9630 would work!

BlackBerry Tour 9630 Video Hardware Overview

For those of you on CDMA carriers that don't offer the BlackBerry Storm of if you're simply not a fan of RIM's touchscreen smartphone, this is going to be the next BlackBerry you buy. Seriously, once you pick it up you're going to say to yourself "You Ought To Be With Me." So to that end, I'll save my voice for once I get some hands-on time with this 9630 running a more stable OS and for now we'll let Al Green do the talking...

BlackBerry Tour 9630 Hardware First Impressions

Every time I look at the BlackBerry 9630 I can't help but do a double take. And I'll bet the same thing will happen to those of you reading this when you first see it. The Curve 8900 and Bold dominant my brain when it comes to new BlackBerry smartphones with keyboards it seems, so to see this third same but different form factor keeps tripping me out.

Form Factor - In hand, the BlackBerry 9630 feels awesome. For all those who say the Curve 8900 is too small or that the Bold is too big, you're going to find this device to feel just right. As you can tell from the photos, the Curve 8900 is definitely the smaller device, which means the 9630 isn't quite as pocket-able (but it's still small). It also seems to be a hair thicker than the 8900. There's definitely a different and distinct feeling when holding the 9630 as opposed to the 8900. I think I like the feel of the 8900 a little bit better personally, but am sure many will prefer the feeling of the 9630.

Compared to the BlackBerry Bold the 9630 shaves off about a quarter inch of width, which is really noticeable when you back and forth between devices. All said and done, I think the 9630 is the first device from RIM to sort of "bridge the gap". A lot of BlackBerry users go with the Bold because they have big hands, and a lot people choose the Curve because they have small hands. I think regardless of hand size, most will be able to get a long with the BlackBerry 9630 just fine. As for comparing the 9630 to the 8830 World Edition... well.. honestly, there is no comparison. If you're on an 8830 right now, start saving your pennies.

More BlackBerry Tour 9630 Eye Candy

Keyboard - When it comes to the physical BlackBerry keyboard, I think RIM has a REAL winner here. I love both the Bold's keyboard and the Curve 8900's keyboard. I feel at home on both of them. But it was only after I installed Fabian Heuwieser's TyperSpeed app onto both devices that I could quantify that the Bold was the better keyboard for me. Though I can type fast on the 8900, the tightness makes it easy to make mistakes as you pick up the speed. On the Bold's keyboard, the design allows me to type faster on average. The slight downfall to the Bold's keyboard is the physical size - because it is bigger you have to move your fingers further for each stroke, which when typing out long emails (which I tend to do a lot) means more fatigue. Tooling around on the Niagara's keyboard appears that it should offer the perfect compromise and be the optimal solution. The feel and accuracy of the Bold's keyboard in a slightly more efficient (tighter) package. I'll be curious to hear what everyone thinks of it once they get in their hands.

Comparing the BlackBerry 9630 to its Siblings...

Other Stuff - Once I get some solid code up and running on the BlackBerry Tour I'll follow up with some more impressions. But drawing on the fact most of the hardware components have already been seen on other devices we know how they'll perform. RIM's 480 by 360 LCD as seen on the Curve 8900 and now used in the 9630 is awesome, and the 3.2 megapixel camera is much improved over the old 2.0 megapixel camera (which of course the 8830 doesn't have a camera). As for WiFi, or lack there of, you know... that is the sad story here. :(

Be sure to click all the images above to Zoom in... and I've left some notes in the captions for ya to read (gotta love the lanyard hook! lol).

BlackBerry Tour - Some Closing Thoughts for Now...

With the BlackBerry Bold and Curve 8900 available to GSM carriers, it's once again sad to see CDMA BlackBerry users trail behind in terms of getting new stuff (the exception in North America of course being the BlackBerry Storm). When the BlackBerry 9630 gets released, CDMA carriers will finally have a compelling device to call their own. This isn't them getting the 8830 or Curve 8330 a year down the road, but this is a device they can call their own... at least for a while I'm guessing! Bold owners will show a bit of envy towards the BlackBerry Tour's tight form factor and camera, while 8900 owners will be wishing for the keyboard and data speeds. There's just sooo many BlackBerry smartphones on the market right now, the variety is not making the purchase decisions any easier!

BlackBerry 9630 vs. BlackBerry Storm
The future Verizon, Bell, Telus decision - 9630 or Storm?!

Time to finish off this hands-on first look at the BlackBerry 9630 review and go play with it some more. And we'll be back soon with more. 4.7.1.10 is early, and we know there's .17 (and even newer by now I'm thinking) out there. Hope you enjoyed this CrackBerry first look. Talk to ya soon.

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194 Comments

Posted by driphter Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I want mine now!!!

Posted by TBeeeee Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

+1 on the Al Green

Posted by NewJack9 Wednesday, Mar 18, 2009 1052 days ago

What are you guys all guessing for?

This is an upgrade to the Bold - pure and simple.

It will be marketed as the Blackberry Bold 9630

The current 9000 model will soon be discontinued

Posted by antprdgm Wednesday, Apr 15, 2009 1024 days ago

except for the fact that the Bold 9000 is only available to GSM carriers... this is an xx30 phone which means CDMA... so it actually cannot be an update to the Bold at all... it is a completely different beast altogether...

Posted by tnewton3 Tuesday, Jun 16, 2009 962 days ago

100% correct on that statement. Absolutely not an upgrade to the Bold.

Posted by NM08SRT8 Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009 954 days ago

Um, lol, this is the stupidest comment I've read on a site. The 9020 Onyx is the Bolds replacement. Get your $hit straight

Posted by bbuser2934 Monday, Aug 10, 2009 907 days ago

It is actually an upgrade to the 8830 (World Addition) even though it looks a lot like the Bold, it is still considered to be an upgrade of the 8830 because it has international calling. It is the size of the Curve, the design of the Bold and some features from the 8830. It has the same software as the Bold because that is the new format for the next Blackberrys to come. The Tour is similar to the Curve 8900. The Curve 8900 is for T-mobile and AT&T, while the Tour is for Sprint and Verizon. The Tour is an awesome Blackberry Smartphone and is a 3G phone which is one of the advantages it has over the Curve 8900. Although the Curve has WI-FI they are both solid devices with minor differences!

Posted by joshua.worth Friday, Mar 12, 2010 693 days ago

How do they say... Full of shit?

Posted by kwnortherner Friday, Mar 20, 2009 1050 days ago

ummm is it more or does the "crome" on the sides just look alittle to rounded and raised like equal with the keyboard and almost too big.. IDK maybe i'm being nit picky but i think it could be alittle toned down just makes the whole phone look alittle weird/almost fake/cheap?????

Anyone else catch my drift??

Posted by DenDMan Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I tell you its Crackberry or nothing. Good job Kevin.

Posted by lakerz4lyfe Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

nice!

Posted by the brother Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Excellent stuff. Shout out to my friend amy who wants this the second it cums to Bell, eh?

Posted by amy w/bell Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

mmmm this phone is hot!! of course I do brother ;)

Posted by the brother Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

lol...by the power invested in me, i now pronounce this your next phone. hottttt!

Posted by amyh074 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

haha i'd def hit that

Posted by fatfat935 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1052 days ago

If U Seek Amy

Posted by npunk42 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Im back to liking it again. Nice job. Now I really feel more informed. Thanks

Posted by smeemm Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I am gong to reserve my decision on which device I end up with. I have the Storm now and have had it since the 2nd day of release. I am running the .114 hybrid (works pretty good). If the next official VZW release is a long way off, or just sucks, I will be headed to the 9630. If VZW can release a decent upgraded OS for the Storm I may stick with it for awhile longer.

Posted by youngkyun739 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I held off on switching to AT&T for the bold because of these pictures that just started to come out. Very excited. Being a person that hasn't had a PDA before, is having only 3g fast enough to browse without feeling like I should slit my wrists? I've seen the glory of WIFI on the bold and was very impressed, hope the lack of WIFI on the Niagra won't be a deal breaker...thoughts?

Also...the BOLD looks very polished, sturdy and high-end with its chrome trim and leather back. Does the Niagra feel cheeper or worse being that it seems to be made of plastic?

Posted by Shadnic Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I thought not having wifi would be a big deal when I first got my cdma curve, but honestly, I'm so impressed with 3G speeds that I couldn't care less about it now. You'll be absolutely fine without it, and you won't have to worry about having to be in a wifi spot to get your best internet, you'll just have it everywhere!

Posted by Propa Tuesday, May 26, 2009 983 days ago

be clear, 3G is NOT everywhere just yet so hold off on the false info...with that being said, wi-fi is great for areas that arent 3G...

Posted by C-Dub Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Let me be clear... I personally find it CRAZY that you must wait SO LONG for Verizon to get a decent Blackberry. I was a Verizon customer for 7 years and I just left for AT&T and the Bold. I tried to stay with Verizon and the Storm but it honestly SUCKED for those serious users and the lack of wi-fi on Verizon device blows. I must say I am EXTREMELY happy with my Bold. Wi-fi is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Posted by alancalan Wednesday, Jun 17, 2009 961 days ago

I love the IPhone but that is a total washout, first having to rely on Apple and second it gives business users nothing. The Tour looks like a nice little phone but I could never call anything with that small a screen a PDA.

I have a Dell X51v PDA and there are times when I wish that 4 inch screen was larger. The Bold and the Tour would do nothing for me. The idea that you can create and edit Excel spreadsheets on that small a screen is a joke. Once again, it's even tough on the Dell.

I am waiting for a new Storm that has a faster processor and WiFi.

I also have a question. I have a Stowaway bluetooth keyboard for my Dell. I wonder if anyone has been able to use that with any Blackberry? Alan

Posted by artie Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

to those who wait; Sprint. GREAT!!!

Posted by o_ssie Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

OH MAN !!!

too bad its cdma
too bad it has no wifi
too bad it doesnt have NAM 3G

9620 WHERE R YOU?

Posted by lyoko37 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Awesome Kevin! Thanks for the review! Sad to hear about the wifi though

Posted by daleman Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Wow nice review.......If one has a storm and obvious the storm and the 9630 have sim card slots....would i be able to just purchase the phone by itself and stick my storm sim card into the 9630 per say??????

Posted by irie Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

You can stick the sim card in but that will not activate it on verizon. You will still have to do an esn change due to VZW and CDMA.

Posted by cadsystems Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

My wife likes my 9530 but I think she prefers a keyboard.

Posted by ashantiblack Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

this has to be the best looking BB out period.. omg i cant wait for this to be released on Sprint.. i was pretty sad over the Curve 8900 being GSM so far cuz i liked it too but this 9630 beats it outright.. it looks solid too..
CANT WAIT...

Posted by Bla1ze Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

That thing looks like it screams quality device, all around!

Posted by maven454 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Want, want, want, want!!!!!

Thanks for the fix Kevin. We appreciate it. I do think I like the 9630 in terms of appearance better than the 8900 or the 9000 and I can't wait to replace my 8830 (which'll be going to my flatmate).

--Maven

Posted by lang007 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

But I still like my BOLD.

Posted by Wickel Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I have a blackberry curve 8330 on verizon and i have no wifi and my internet is QUICK! On top of that, i am running on a pathetic 4.3 OS so i think you guys will be able to survive without the wifi. i think wifi is pointless anyway, because most places u go, you won't even be able to get a wifi source. I am SOOOO excited for this phone to come out. I have been jealous of ATT costumers for too long, it's about time I can have an awesome phone of my own to upgrade my curve to, soooooo ready!!!

Posted by pitviper45 Wednesday, Mar 18, 2009 1052 days ago

Since you have to get a data plan with blackberrys on verizon, wifi isn't as big of a deal as some people make it out to be (verizon's 3G is fast and widespread). That being said, and this being a world edition, it would definitely be nice to have wifi when abroad because if you put in a prepaid sim card when abroad, data will be extremely expensive. And it's unlikely that as a US resident you will have a contract plan for whatever country you are visiting. You could activate Verizon's global unlimited data plan when you are abroad (and temporarily deactivate your regular plan). But if you do that then voice minutes cost an arm and a leg (unless you swap a prepaid card in when you want to do voice)... My friend has a nokia E61 and he can do VOIP via his wifi connection when he is abroad. This is the scenario that Verizon has nightmares about.

In summation, verizon excludes wifi so that they can make more money. However, if you stay in the US (non-rural areas) it doesn't affect you much if at all.

Posted by cbanks_80 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I've gotten word from a reliable source in Verizon, that it will be called the Bold and will be available this summer.

Posted by DenDMan Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I agree with cbanks 80. I also got the same information form a source in Verizon. Well to add to this he said that there is a good chance that will be out with the Niagara.

Posted by Slinky317 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

When in the summer? Early, late, middle? Details, man... details!

Posted by VZW bb Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Will not be called the BOLD/ All you people that listen to retail reps who are the very last to know anything, just makes me laugh.. Look for it on VZW may/june

Posted by bbolduser1 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Theres no way that this phone will be called the Niagara. If it were, that domain name would not be on sale on eBay.

Posted by ushneb Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Now I'm really thinking that Kevin is the guy who bought it off eBay. :D

Posted by chris4851 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I said to myself before I purchased the bold coming from the curve that WIFI was not that big of a deal to me. All I have to say is I can stand here today and back up WIFI on a phone for hours because it is 100% required and worth it. I will not purchase another phone without WIFI even if it does have 3G. 90% of households, coffee shops, malls, airports all have WIFI and I find myself connecting to almost all.

As for the no 3G comment, is that also true? If so, I’m wondering why a CDMA version of the Bold/Curve 8900 would be released without one of these features. Seems like a waist to me, but hey everyone has there own opinion.

I have never been more satisfied with the Bold on AT&T, by far the best phone I have ever owned.

Posted by kwnortherner Thursday, Mar 19, 2009 1051 days ago

yah chris feel the same way.. This new berry is cool but just seems like rims mixing and matching things from different berry now.. But when it come down to it the bold is still on top as a far as all around BEST device with the most features. In the keyboard category. Storm is sort of in its own "storm of problems" world.. lol .. so i dont really include it when i'm talking about these things. Wifi does matter if you think it doesn't you just haven't fully expierenced the power of it yet. When i'm at home i'm on wifi, at school... wifi.. downtown i'm bound to pick up some sort of signal. if not then i got my network. I still think the Bold is the cadillac model and deffinatly set the bar high. It will be hard to reach for any device. Camera is the only thing really to pit against and maybe the fact of a slightly lower resolution then 8900 but still has wider screen.
Only way i see it being over taken is with a bold touch screen and maybe thinner but i still don't see the bold being out dated in the next year.

Posted by ericsmcdonald Thursday, Apr 02, 2009 1037 days ago

The reason you need WIFI on the Bold is because ... you have AT&T. The 3G AT&T network is terrible. My friend has a Bold and his phone constantly kicks back to EDGE. Then he flips on WIFI and the phone works great. So basically the WIFI makes up for AT&T's poor network deployment.

Plus, this phone has 3G in CDMA and UMTS, of course UMTS only working outside the US.

And while 90% of those locations you listed have WIFI, how many are free? The last few airports, coffes shops, and malls I went to required me to purchase some sort of data plan for the time I was going to be there. However, I had full bars of Verizon 3G, so what's the big deal?

I guess people don't understand, 3G basically gives you DSL speeds anywhere. I didn't realize that was holding you back SOOOOO much.

The only place you cannot use your phone's connection is on an airplane, and that's where a lack of WIFI is truly felt.

But let's stop bashing the lack of WIFI. DSL speeds anywhere makes up for that lack.

Posted by trimax84 Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Here's the Bold/8900/8320 measurements (presuming they are correct): http://www.sizeasy.com/page/size_comparison/20560-BlackBerry-Bold-vs-Bla...
If someone has some measurements for the 9630, go ahead and add it (though it isn't too hard to imagine an in-between size).
Seems more storm-sized from the video...wonder how the weight compares.

Thanks Kevin!

Posted by ausch Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

Kevin you know it's not a good idea to buy a phone off eBay with a crappy OS on it. :p

Posted by Tortolita Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

RIM, please make a version without a camera. I'd like to upgrade my 8830, but my company won't buy a cell phone with a camera.

Posted by wac3 Thursday, Mar 19, 2009 1050 days ago

I'm with you Tortolita... The first post I read on the 9630 talked about a no-camera option. I'm holding out for that option, but I hope I don't have to wait long - my 8830 is starting to show its age.

Posted by jorGeorge Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I called it! Kevin you really do love us!!

Posted by brianjking Tuesday, Mar 17, 2009 1053 days ago

I want to throw my Storm at the wall and after today's iPhone OS 3.0 announcements I am even more impatient for at least a BlackBerry that doesn't suck total ass.

Beautiful. Keep us posted. Thanks!

BlackBerry Tour Review

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