Cell Phones, Editor's Picks, BlackBerry, Reviews, Mobile Phones, BlackBerry 101
Is the BlackBerry Tour Worth the Hype?
BlackBerry Tour
What it is: The latest and greatest CDMA BlackBerry device -- in other words, it runs on Sprint and Verizon Wireless's networks -- and quite possibly the best BlackBerry ever.
Why it's different: It seems as though it's been an eternity since a new QWERTY-keyboard-equipped BlackBerry has hit the market for CDMA customers. While our BlackBerry-toting GSM brethren with T-Mobile or AT&T plans have had later and more evolved devices (with larger, brighter, crisper screens, and more spacious keyboards), the rest of us have been stuck with older models (or annoying touchscreen Storms) on Verizon Wireless and Sprint for months. The Tour is the first next-generation BlackBerry for Verizon and Sprint customers that brings the hardware into the year 2009. It sports a better and more full-featured browser than its predecessors, the Curve 8330 and 8830 World Edition, a higher resolution camera (3-megapixels), and a faster processor.
What we like: The size and feel of the BlackBerry Tour is near perfection. Coming in at .6-inches thick, it isn't the slimmest smartphone on the market, but the 2.4-inch width adds to the solidity of the device. It isn't as wide or as tall as its GSM counterpart -- the BlackBerry Bold -- but it feels great in your hand. The screen is incredibly vibrant and crisp, and text looks clear and lively on it. We also love the keyboard, which is both mushy and tactile at the same time. It's not as gummy as the keyboard on the Bold nor as hard as the keyboard on the Curve -- it's just the right balance between the two, making for smooth typing of text messages and e-mails. We also like the rubberized feel all around, and think it'll stand up to more abuse than if it were just hard plastic. Another bonus: This is a world phone, so that even if you're on a CDMA carrier in the US, you can use the Tour while traveling overseas. If you're lucky (or willing to pony up the cash), you can even get a carrier unlock, which will let you use it with SIM cards purchased in other countries when you get there.
What we don't like: For a flagship device, the Tour is disappointingly lacking in Wi-Fi capability. It seems to have every other type of connectivity -- Bluetooth, GPS, CDMA, world GSM -- but Wi-Fi is noticeably absent. Verizon and Sprint have made commitments to add Wi-Fi to future BlackBerry devices, but for the time being, youll have to make do with 3G mobile broadband (not so great if you want to download a lot while, say, roaming at high rates in another country). There's also a fairly large bezel around the screen, which leads to a hefty amount of dead space that we feel could have been used towards providing a larger screen. The battery life also isn't stellar, but it should be able to get most people through the day (provided they don't surf the Web or talk on a Bluetooth-enabled device non-stop).
Is it worth the hype? If you're a BlackBerry diehard stuck with Verizon or Sprint, absolutely. There's no doubt that the Tour is the best CDMA BlackBerry to date, and it smashes every older model with a physical keyboard to pieces in terms of specifications. We'll bet that there are a lot of Bold users eying the Tour for its smaller form factor and slightly more subtle aesthetic, and many who will actually switch. It isn't the cheapest device snag, but it's comparable to the iPhone and Bold on AT&T, and we're sure that some resellers will offer additional rebates or price cuts for new customers. Either way, the Tour packs quite a punch and we wouldn't have any problems recommending it to even the biggest BlackBerry junkie.
What it costs / where to get it: $199.99 with a two-year Verizon or Sprint agreement (includes a 2-gigabyte (GB) microSD card with Verizon, 1-GB from Sprint). You can buy the BlackBerry Tour here.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rollins said 12:26PM on 7-24-2009
If you look at the CrackBerry forums, you'll notice that there's a lot of problems with various manufacturer's defects, such as trackball issues, problems with the screen ripping when buttons below it are hit, faulty headphone jacks, and loose battery doors. I personally went through two before deciding to hold off until they can work out some of the kinks. It's a shame, really.
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KtCrash said 9:53AM on 7-28-2009
I think it depends on what batch you got, presuming they are different. I've had no problems with mine. Battery door is tight (first thing I checked before taking it out of the store), headphones work great, no screen problems (yet). The trackball takes a bit getting used to, but I replaced a Treo... so I expected that. I do wish it was a bit larger. There's a lot of give to it. Wouldn't have minded a bit more resistance and tighter fit to that.
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Jennifer said 11:58AM on 7-28-2009
(Sprint user) I haven't had a single issue with my Tour. The only thing I'm not too keen on is the rather weak vibrate function. Beyond that, I definitely prefer the Tour over the 8330 and the 8830, both of which I got and then promptly dumped to go back to my 8703e.
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