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BlackBerry Tour goes to OS 5.0 on Verizon, right on time
Actually, saying that this update happened "right on time" might be a bit of a stretch considering the wide variety of BlackBerrys across multiple carriers that have already been boosted to OS 5.0, but this does match up with previous rumors that we'd be seeing an upgrade for Verizon's Tour today, especially considering the announcement that users would have access to push-to-talk services this week. Indeed, Tour owners across the land are now being pushed BlackBerry OS 5.0.0.591 with improvements to Bluetooth, messaging, calling, and camera features, so even if you're not into PTT, it seems like a decent download, especially considering that it's painlessly available over the air. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Skype mobile heading to Verizon smartphones on March 25th
We knew it was coming, and now we have a concrete date. Starting this Thursday, March 25th, Verizon Wireless customers with one of nine select smartphones (Motorola Droid and Devour, HTC Droid Eris, various BlackBerrys) and data plan will be able to use Skype over the 3G network. As we heard before, Skype-to-Skype calls will not affect your VZW minutes, and now you've got the option to use the app for cheaper international dialing using the mobile app. Full list of compatible devices after the break, a list we're hoping gets expanded in the not-so-distant future.
BlackBerry Tour coming to US Cellular
A spec page unearthed on the carrier's website (complete with an image of a branded handset) tells us that US Cellular is going to end up carrying the BlackBerry Tour at some point, following Sprint's and Verizon's leads down the path of BES-compatible global roaming QWERTY joy. That's cool, but we don't have an inkling of a date or a price -- and with trackball-gate still fresh in Tour users' minds, it'll be hitting shelves with a bit of an image to overcome; then again, the alternatives are the ancient 8330 and 8830, so let's be honest -- it'll probably do alright for itself. [Via PhoneArena and Boy Genius Report]
Video: BlackBerry support coming to REDFLY Mobile Companion, adds only marginal appeal
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
Video: RIM's BlackBerry Tour respectfully torn to bits, reassembled
We've already given you our thoughts on RIM's BlackBerry Tour, but our warm hearts just wouldn't let us take the crowbar to it. Thankfully, the tool-wielding fiends over at GSM Phone Unlocking are a bit more calloused, as they've decided to dissect and reassemble the aforementioned smartphone in a nail-biting 5 minute, 38 second YouTube clip. Head on past the break if you're interested in seeing the innards of Verizon's newest 'Berry, but unless you're ready to rock, we'd recommend nailing the mute button first.[Thanks, Omnifox]
BlackBerry Tours, come and get 'em on Sprint and Verizon
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 - SprintRead - Verizon
Oh, by the way: July 10, 2009
Here's some of the other stuff that happened in the wide world of mobile for Friday, July 10th, 2009: Russia's RoverPC is now shipping its G7, X7, and V7 models running Windows Mobile 6.1. All three feature heavily-customized interfaces by SPB. [Via TamsPPC] If you're willing to go with a refurb, the iPhone 3G 8GB is now down to $79 even on AT&T. [Via TUAW] The BlackBerry Tour 9630 is available through Canada's Bell -- beating Sprint's and Verizon's Sunday launches -- for CAD $249.95 on a three-year deal. [Via Electronista]
Verizon BlackBerry Tour 9630 review
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!
Verizon BlackBerry Tour review
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? Read on to find out!
Sprint matches Verizon's pace, launching BlackBerry Tour on July 12
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
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!
BlackBerry Tour emerges in Alltel livery for those non-Sprint, non-Verizon types
We've got to give the divested markets representing the hollow husk of what was once Alltel a lot of credit -- they seem to be doing everything in their power to continue rocking. For proof of that, look no further than this -- pretty solid evidence that there's an Alltel-branded Tour coming down the pike. Assuming they can keep the price within reason, it'd make for a truly epic purchase on these fancy new one-year contracts they've moved to, would it not?
There'll be a BlackBerry Tour without a camera, too
Only the most buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk still require phones without cameras these days -- and seeing how the BlackBerry Tour is destined to become the new de facto choice for buttoned-up, high-security businessfolk, it stands to reason that a cameraless version makes a whole lot of sense. Sure enough, it turns out that Verizon will be offering a non-cam version right alongside the regular Tour when it launches on the 12th, but don't think of this as a great money-saving opportunity if you don't snap a lot of photos -- Big Red wants to charge the same $199.99 on contract for this one that they're charging for the regular version. CIA operatives, though, have to be pretty stoked.[Via CrackBerry]
Sprint launching BlackBerry Tour on July 20th?
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?
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 in the wild gets Verizon branding, 15 minutes of fame
You can't have one just yet, but someone certainly can -- and here's the proof. A BlackBerry Tour complete with silkscreened Verizon logo at the bottom and a heavily Verizon-influenced (read: red) theme has found its way onto CrackBerry's forums, which -- apart from some characteristically miserable photography and a heartfelt expression of love scrawled in permanent marker -- is pretty awesome to see. If this release goes anything like the Storm's firmware release schedule, we're in for a bit of a wait, so let's hope they're fast-tracking this one.[Thanks, Ben H.]
Telus to get BlackBerry Tour on July 15
We're hearing that Telus is primed to pick up the BlackBerry Tour right alongside -- if not before -- its US counterparts, getting real for customers on July 15. Pricing will come in at CAD $249.99 (about $220) on a promotional three-year deal, meaning that you need to be agreeing to a new contract on a voice plan of $20 or greater with a data package of $15 or greater. Otherwise you'll pay a whopping CAD $449.99 on a three-year all the way up to $649.99 contract-free. Of course, we suspect the Tour is so much better than the Curve and the 8800 series that people will be paying in droves at any price, but still, it's pretty painful to get in on this thing without springing for the promo.[Thanks, Riley Freeman and Pirate]
BlackBerry Tour announced by Sprint, too: $199.99 later this summer
New BlackBerry models are few and far between -- particularly of the CDMA variety -- so when one is announced, the usual carrier suspects typically fall in line within a few weeks of each other and announce their branded versions in rapid succession. This one was particularly tight, though: Sprint has announced its plans for carrying the Tour 9630 just minutes after Verizon. It'll launch "later this summer" for $199.99 after $150 worth of rebates and a two-year contract, which makes the Pre comparison virtually inevitable. Keep the comments civil, though, alright?[Thanks, Martin]
News flash: Verizon redirect calls out the BlackBerry Tour
We're not sure whether this has any bearing on a release date, but we can say with some certainty (as if we didn't have enough proof already) that a seemingly innocent redirect set up on Verizon's site confirms the name "Tour" for the BlackBerry 9630. Browsing over to vzw.com/tour moves you over to another site, estore.vzwshop.com/bbtour, which is where you'd presumably go to buy a Tour of your own were they available. Sadly, the link's dead -- but we're still happy to know that the carrier's hard at work setting up the internal plumbing for this thing to be sold.[Thanks, karandeep, image via CrackBerry]
BlackBerry Tour spec sheet reveals little but our impatience
Most of the specs printed on this leaked sheet provided to MobileSyrup about the upcoming BlackBerry Tour were either known or could've been easily deduced, but a couple line items in here stand out: EV-DO plus HSPA 2100, 256MB of onboard storage, 3.2 megapixel AF camera, and an 480 x 360 display are all confirmed one more time as this thing trudges toward release. If we had our druthers, this would already be available on Verizon by now -- but current rumors have it pegged for a mid-summer release, which would line it up with where MobileSyrup says the 9630 will launch on Bell in the middle of July. In the meantime, those dang 8830s certainly aren't getting any younger.
