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78 Comments

SKU for Verizon BlackBerry Tour2 9650 Dummy Units Now Appearing in Big Red's Inventory

By Kevin Michaluk on 9 Jan 2010 11:55 am
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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.

Topics: Verizon 9650 Dummy Units News & Rumors

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Kevin Michaluk Kevin Michaluk 3685 (articles) 3023 (forum posts)
78 comments

buzzed

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.

dvdowns

I've got an upgrade in april...so the timing is looking promising!

MizMimi

I am due in May and am anxious to get rid of my Storm!

Berrydale

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.

gummi

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.

fozzie66

I'm due on Feb 1st & it will be my 1st BB. So come out already!!!!

jorGeorge

This device will bomb to no end on Verizon...

NMchileman

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!

jorGeorge

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...

chuckh0308

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.

mciriello

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.

gummi

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.

artie

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.

dusteater#CB

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.

njbourne23

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?

lanmac30

If you want OS 5.0, then try the .419. It works great. No issues for me...

pcwilliams

well, if it bombs, so be it....they will at least have 1 sale.

dysFUNKtional

This makes me sad.. considering I just recently got my first Tour upgrading from the Pearl and the Curve. >_<

Gnome84

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.

davidsnoodles

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.

Dr.Boost

I am jumping ship to a different carrier.

lanmac30

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.

snowwy66

i would be interested in the 2. the trackball sucks.

jorGeorge

So you'd be willing to spend at least $200 just for a trackpad that probably costs $0.50 to make?

JustinD2473#IM

what do you care ? you don't have to buy one...

jorGeorge

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.

Dr.Boost

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.

clexman

I guess you haven't read the leaked specs for the Tour2... There's more to it than the trackpad

jorGeorge

Yeah...wifi.

The guy above me implied he's interested in the Tour 2 simply because the trackball on his Tour sucks. Maybe I'm absolutely out of my fucking mind, but spending $200 for a trackpad (and even wifi) seems a little unreasonable.

joshua.worth

Internal memory. Sure I want it free but that is just not how the world turns

snowwy66

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.

ibcop

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!

Ctaylor324

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.

chuckh0308

Will they allow you to just remove the camera module?

Ctaylor324

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.

gummi

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?

Dendrite

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...

eazid#cb

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.

c29flier

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.

davidsnoodles

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.

ab81

...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).

chuckh0308

Not just RIM, but any tech company.

b_baller00

why does item number 5 say BELL holiday gift card?

vinisdrunk

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.

hucworld

I just switched to Verizon last night and hopefully it will come out in the next 30 days. If so...POW!

stsullivan#CB

I CAN'T DECIDE TO GET Storm 2 ARE THE TOUR 2 CONTRACT IS UP 2 WEEKS. ARE WHAT PHONE WOULD YOU PICK.

ab81

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.

gummi

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.

dariuscuh

Dude get the storm2 I love that phone
If you like the surepress its not that
Hard to get use too, so yea storm2 would
Be good well again its up to you if you
Touch Screen or full qwerty keyboard =)

Jonezed7

Verizon screwed Tour users, 'nuff said.

dr sauch

Oh my god, the sheer amount of bitc*ing here is ridiculous!

1. Verizon did not "screw" Tour owners. First off, its RIM, not Verizon. Second, they released a product to satisfy a rabid and insatiable consumer base, and now they released the proper version. Everyone wants to have their cake (ZOMG RIM PLZ RELEASE NEU PHONEZ!1) and eat it too (Y ARE THEY RELEASING THIS PHONE SO QUICKLY LOL?!!1).

2. How are you going to say, on the one hand, that a new trackpad and wfi (assuming, arguendo, that those are the only mods), are not worth $200, and then in the same breath say that RIM is screwing Tour owners. Doesn't the latter imply that the upgrades are worthwhile? If they were worthless upgrades, then the old Tour owners wouldn't be "screwed!"

ibcop

Well said! A lot of people have sand stuck in their wussy's!

Jonezed7

No, it's actually RIM and VERIZON.

But good try.

SConnick

" How are you going to say, on the one hand, that a new trackpad and wfi (assuming, arguendo, that those are the only mods), are not worth $200, and then in the same breath say that RIM is screwing Tour owners. Doesn't the latter imply that the upgrades are worthwhile? If they were worthless upgrades, then the old Tour owners wouldn't be "screwed!" "

GOOD ARGUMENT.

yaksha

my ne2 is this month woot

TJM623

But lost my tour and had to use my other line upgrade to get a new one :(

ghosthound

im definitely going to look into buying one off CL or ebay... im sick of the messed up trackpad on my tour one, not to mention the screen ripple.

Hopefully i will be able to sell mine currently to offset the price.

joshua.worth

trackpad is what the new tour will have

boss1969mustang

Sweet, finally wifi! Just now sprint needs to catch up quickly so I can upgrade

esfandiary

Can't hardly wait for the new tour. Hopefully the looks changed.

tj4aces#CB

Ive read on pdadb.net that the 9650 has benn pushed back to march 2010

this would be the third time that site has pushed back the t2 history was Nov 2009 then Jan 2010 and now Mar 2010
I hate my trackball on my 9630 and was considering swapping out for a 3rd 9630 but im going to look into the 9650

vinisdrunk

it's the year 2010.. Newer and better phones are going to keep rolling out left and right. Get used to it. Just because you just upgraded your phone doesnt mean the the cellphone industry should wait a whole 20 months just for you to be eligible to upgade again before they relase a new model. . . Get over it. It is the time we live in.. If you want a new phone so bad just pay full retail for it and shut up.

nyyankeefan1021

So with the Tour2 coming out relatively soon (we think), wouldn't it make sense that RIM is waiting for this release to release OS 5 for the original Tour. The Storm didn't get OS 5 till the Storm2 came out. I doubt they'd ship the Tour2 with anything other than OS 5 since it is a new phone and since the Tour2 is essentially a Tour with a trackpad and WiFi, to me it makes sense that they'll release OS 5.0 for the Tour when the Tour2 is released.

ab81

Feb 3 is the launch date on Verizon according to Salomondrin (who definitely knows his isht). Let the countdown begin!

eazid#cb

Where did he say that?

ab81

page 10 on this thread: http://forums.crackberry.com/f172/essex-here-semi-official-400917

dusteater#CB

Booo! Give Tour owners this device for free! RIM is lame for selling us all non-functional Tours and getting away with it. Don't waste your money on a company that doesn't care about the consumer.

gummi

so your phone doesn't work at all? "RIM is lame for selling us all non-functional Tours and getting away with it." If your phone was non-functional when you got it and you walked out of the store that was just a stupid move. The Tour is not bad. However RIM is not ripping anyone off. They've heard the complaints yall have been listing about the Tours and now have decided to try and make a better model. Up to you if you buy it or not. If the company didn't care about it's customers then they wouldn't come out with new phones. Verizon has been nothing but utterly helpful to me in every situation I've ever had, simply because I remained respectful of them and that was given back to me. I don't believe that Verizon or any cell company should give any person a "free" upgrade to this phone if you had it's predecessor, because they've never done that to my knowledge with any other phone. Point and case the Motorola Krave was a crappy phone and I never got the model above it or the next touch screen Motorola that came out but they gave me a flip phone to replace it instead. I'm buying this phone when it comes out, cause I want it. But all it seems on this board is people whining and complaining about how their Tours are so bad and they don't have the money to drop on a new phone. That's too bad so sad. It's a new phone with a new price, by a company that has amazing customer service and is willing to work with you in all cases to fix a problem with your cell phone.

Tonio21

Ok, I have a curve 8530 and the track pad is nice, its my first blackberry and everything :). One thing about the track pad, and this was in the review about the curve, is it isn't as precise as a trackball. I don't know from experience but, I wouldn't mind a free tour 2 but I'm pretty satisfied with my little curve 8530. Just wanted to add my 2 cents.

Jake16

I think that the Tour2 will be available by Feb, just because pf how the palm pre showed up in Verizon's inventory right at the end of december and now they are launching that phone on the 25th of jan so i think that the tour2 will be here very very soon and when it does ill be looking forward to getting it

jetman1287

Sucks for Tour 1 owners! Welcome to Verizon

njbourne23

I love the fact that RIM keeps producing great phones but why are they releasing the Tour 2 when so many people still have problems with the first Tour? And i know they mentioned that it's basically up to the carriers to release the 5.0 OS for the phone that have yet to get one, but maybe they should have a clause in their agreements with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile.....that they have to push out the latest OS's before they can start selling a NEW generation. That would make BB users so happy i feel

derektallo123

i dont care what u duys say the tour 2 looks sick and im gonna pay the 500 for it cause i dont have an upgrade

smallt0wngrl

You know what really cracks me up?? The beginning of the post started with an information on the release of a newer and better version of a phone based on USER comments and suggestions, and I read all the time about how people hate their phone because it doesn't do this or doesn't have that, Get a F%$#@%$ life! You complain that the device you have now doesn't do enough, then you complain because the company fixes it with the release of a new device and claim that it was just to screw you over or entice more money out of you. Hate to break it to ya but most carriers make their money on the ARPC or annual revenue per contract than they ever make off of their phones that they lose money on by the way. Software releases come from the manufacturer not the carrier. Fixes come from the manufacturer not the carrier. So apparently everyone is damned if they do and damned if they dont cause you will never be happy anyway and just want a reason to complain and gripe cause you hate your life. So suck it up buttercups and quit being such a killjoy.

Personally I think that the release of the tour2 is great for those that like trackpads. personally I happen to prefer my trackball and well, as for the wifi. . . most carriers have customers carry unlim data plans on their pda's so thats neither here nor there.

gummi

Thank you so much for saying that! I mean seriously people get a life. No phone will ever be perfect or work perfectly. That's just life. The release of the Tour 2 will be great for people who want a track pad, more internal memory, a better operating system, a nice camera, and WiFi. If your looking for someone to grip to about your Tour, this isn't the forum, you need to go look for that elsewhere. Stop downing on RIM and Verizon for bring out a new phone that's better than it's original. You'll be able to get it if you got the money. And they lose so much money on phones anyways, so it's the customer they are doing this for not to get more money from you. If they wanted to get more money from you they'd charge you more on your fee for your data plan and cell plan.

jazzygirl22

The Blackberry Tour2 will most likely be released in May 2010..(a couple more weeks!) Specs are definitely being released and showed the Tour 2 is being featured on Verizon's advertising banners.. so what does that tell you? Our wait is almost at the end. However, I'm going to wait until some reviews come out first.. before I purchase this! I want to see this phone with 5 stars on the Verizon's website!!!!