on 9 Jan 2010 11:55 AM
Nothing to really jump for joy over just yet, but it looks like the BlackBerry 9650, aka Tour2, dummy units are now showing in Verizon's computers. This is typically a sign of good things to come and we can only hope that it means the actual devices will pop up in the near future. We still have no solid release date for the 9650, but sometime in the next few months seems like a safe bet.
I will be in the market for a blackberry in the next 5 months, I think the 9650 will be the perfect blackberry for me.
I've got an upgrade in april...so the timing is looking promising!
I am due in May and am anxious to get rid of my Storm!
VZW branded Tour 9650 units have been spotted in the wild, even before Christmas. Now the dummy units are in the VZW system. Great news.
For more good news on this subject, I was at VZW online a couple of days ago and there they had the BB Tour on sale for $99.99, online. This is considerably cheaper than it had been listed in the past. It seems apparent VZW is in clear-out mode on the Tour 1 to make way for the release of the Tour 2. Sooner rather than later, or so it appears.
According to Verizon they aren't marking down prices to get rid of inventory. RIM has just decided to do a mark down on their phones. Now do I entirely believe that? No, simply because marking down is a really great way of getting rid of inventory. However I do know that the associates at my local Verizon store had no clue they were getting the tour 2 until a customer told them.
I will be upgrading to the Essex/Tour 2 because for one the trackpad is amazing. The trackballs are failing a lot which is causing RIM to lose customers. Not to mention the screen is better, the camera is very nice, WiFi and 3G, for me personally I want WiFi, because it's faster than 3G and not all places in this country have amazing cell coverage. Take you phone to Ruther Glen, VA and when you go in certain subdivisions there kiss you bars goodbye. While I realize this phone operates on 3G constantly because it needs it to function it'd be nice to have WiFi. Also this new phone comes with more internal memory, faster software, and a updated operating system. The keys even I've heard are more defined on the new Tour 2 as well. Also the battery door is better as well.
I'm due on Feb 1st & it will be my 1st BB. So come out already!!!!
This device will bomb to no end on Verizon...
Why do you think it's gonna bomb? It's going to be an excellent device.
Way to be a negative nancy. You're supposed to send out positive vibes, man!
Well, actually it will do bad because most users who were interested in a new full keyboard BlackBerry have already jumped on the Tour. There is literally no market for the Tour 2. Most people had no clue about the Tour 2 when the original Tour was released, so they just bought it right away. This is Verizon's fault, not RIM's. Anyone who sells their Tour in order to cut down the price of a full retail Tour 2 has lost their mind. It's not even a worthy upgrade...
Looks like a considerably better phone to me than the original. The name is still dumb, but that's OK. I think plenty of people will jump on it.
How is it "considerably better"??? The only differences are the trackpad and Wifi. My trackball works great and I'd never use wifi and I suspect that's the case for most exisitng Tour users.
It's not meant to be an entirely new phone. It's meant to be a better version of it's predecessor. I'm sure everyone said that Storm 2 was stupid and not worth an upgrade when in fact it is a better phone than the Storm. The Storm 2 was not a whole new phone but a better version of it's predecessor. Idk about what you've heard, but it has more than just a track pad and WiFi. They vamped a lot of internal stuff. I'm getting this phone when it comes out because I'm eligible for an upgrade and it's gonna be my first blackberry since I need a phone with the ability to keep up with my hectic college classes.
My contract was up in Oct 9, and decided not to go for the Tour and wait for Tour2, So I'm One of many that have been waiting for it.
Tour owners should not buy this phone, because they have been screwed over by RIM. We all bought a Tour with our hard earned money just for it to not work. And now RIM wants us to give them more money for the fixed version? Please!? RIM can go to hell.
It's not RIMs fault really it's Verizons. Do you remember the Storm? I personally have a 9530 and love it, it's also the person who buys it without researching it and maybe waiting while the "guinea pigs" find all the problems with it. Verizon is the one who wants to push a product clearly not ready for the market and making it look better then it really is. Just like Verizon is sitting on a 5.0 OS for all the original Tour owners out there, why not release it already?
well, if it bombs, so be it....they will at least have 1 sale.
This makes me sad.. considering I just recently got my first Tour upgrading from the Pearl and the Curve. >_<
...hello tour2!
The real question that I have is which will we see first: Tour 2 released or OS 5.0 on current 9630 Tours? I have a feeling this will end up similar to the Storm 2 launch; Storm owners get OS 5.0, VZW launches Storm 2, no one really cares.
That's true. I've been eager for Verizon to release 5.0 for the 9630. I would be really angry if they didn't and just had 5.0 of the 9650. I think a lot of people would be angry too if Verizon did that lol. But I think you're right, they're probably going to release 5.0 to the 9630 customers so they don't think they were screwed over with the 9650.
I am jumping ship to a different carrier.
I am getting the Tour 2, but I have been running OS 5.0.0.419 on my Tour 1, and it is great. So upgrade today. I love it. Also, a lot of people got their Curves late. My friend is barely coming up on the end of her contract. So there will be a lot of user's going to the Tour 2.
i would be interested in the 2. the trackball sucks.
So you'd be willing to spend at least $200 just for a trackpad that probably costs $0.50 to make?
what do you care ? you don't have to buy one...
Well, I don't care. But there's no way you can justify spending $200+ just for a trackpad. That's stupid. No way around it.
Just because your salty, does not give you the right to bash those that want this device.
I for one want wifi. My work and house are hot spots. In my line of work, I do get dirty at times, the track pad would be of serious benefit to me.
Will I rush out and buy one, No. If I get a deal, yes I will buy it.
I guess you haven't read the leaked specs for the Tour2... There's more to it than the trackpad
i'd be willing to spend 200 on a phone that can run the latest software and apps. has bigger screen. more memory. higher res camera. AND trackpad. my upgrade is in 2 months. i have a curve right now. and not looking forward to my model being almost 4 years old when my contract expires. or a phone that isn't getting ANY kind of love for software and apps. and tour 1 is only 150 when it came out. same price i paid for my curve 2 months before tour came out. not knowing anythng about blackberry when i first bought.
Trust me when I say once you've had the pad, the ball will be obsolete! I had to defect to Verizon from AT&T (with the 9700) due to service issues and currently using a Tour (purchased from CraigsList) on the month to month basis waiting specifically for this device.
It's well worth in my opinion!
Judging from the SKUs, the 9650 includes a no-camera variant, just like the 9630. Sweet! I work for the government and cameras are deal breakers. If only they would make a camera-less storm.
Will they allow you to just remove the camera module?
I have a storm 1 currently and seriously thought about that. I am happy with the storm in all other respects now that the software has matured. Although I would be able to remove the camera module, I don't think that they would allow me to use it under those circumstances. We are talking about a secure U.S. government installation with a large bureaucracy and more people willing to say no than yes.
dude they stopped using USB drives in the govt too. Something about Japan or China putting some software on them that reported back to their govt with our information. but isn't it you're only not allowed to take it in certain areas or are you just in a job position where it's clearly a no go all the time cause of the projects your working on?
Also don't underestimate the number of us Curve users out here who sat on the fence a bit when the Tour was released to see how it shook out. Shortly thereafter the T2 rumors began so many of us have been saving our update in anticipation of the T2. The best part about the looming release of the T2 is that I'll upgrade my 8330 to a 9650 and quit getting e-mails from VZW telling me they'd be glad to update me to a new phone right now given the fact that they've noticed my NE2 has been up for a few months...
Hell yeah. I've been on my 8330 for a while now. Recently had an Insurance claim... so I have a brand new Curve (thanks to a screw-up by Asurion). I really just want the Tour2 to drop now... because I'm no longer in contract and am eligible for ann upgrade as of yesterday. I don't want to have to wait any longer on the Tour 2. Just want it.
Current 8330 user and my New Every 2 is up now (as of Jan. 1) but I'm going to hold out for the T2. I've checked out the T1 and I like a lot of its features. I will miss my 8330's keyboard, though, but I think the Tour's screen and many of its features will offset that loss. I believe BGR opined that the T2 may have a modestly upgraded processor compared to the T1.
I just think it sucks that Verizon decided to release (or is thinking about releasing) another version of the Tour less than a year after they released the Tour 9630. It's kinda like the Storm 9550, but at least that was about a year later. My cousin has the Curve2 and I love the trackpad and if the Tour has both a trackpad and WiFi I would be an unhappy camper.
It's true though, it was a bad decision for Verizon (or a very greedy decision - to get current Tour 9630 customers to upgrade at full retail price) to release (or even think about releasing) an upgraded version of the Tour so early.
...products being obsolete quickly is just a reality with RIM. With multiple phones and quick update cycle, the next best thing is always just around the corner (unlike Apple who has 1 phone that updates once a year).
why does item number 5 say BELL holiday gift card?
haha I have no idea
VZW sells different giftcards for the holidays... Some with xmas trees on them, some with snowflakes on them, and some with bells on them. That's all the bellgiftcard sku is.
I just switched to Verizon last night and hopefully it will come out in the next 30 days. If so...POW!
I CAN'T DECIDE TO GET Storm 2 ARE THE TOUR 2 CONTRACT IS UP 2 WEEKS. ARE WHAT PHONE WOULD YOU PICK.
if you're a heavy emailer, get the Tour2. typing simply isn't as accurate on the Storm, regardless of how long you use it. you either end up with more typos, more time spell correcting, or slowing down in order to avoid mistakes.
it depends on what you want. i tried out the storm 2 in the store and decided against getting it cause while yes it is remarkably better than the storm, it's still got the clicky clicky feature to it that annoys me. also the typing on it isn't as accurate as one would hope, half the time you are typing it is interupting you about typos and mistakes you made. however it's up to you. if you can't live without a touch screen smart phone I'd say go with this, but if you can live without it, I personally think the Tour 2 will be better. The storm 2 is also heavier than the Tour 2.
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