Verizon wireless and Sprint TOUR!!!

by Todd Haselton – via blog.laptopmag.com —-As much as we love the BlackBerry Bold’s blazing performance and sharp display, many find that device a bit too bulky. At the same time, the Curve 8330 for Sprint and Verizon now looks old and tired compared to the sleeker (but 3G-lacking) Curve 8900 on AT&T and T-Mobile. The Tour combines (almost) everything we love about the Curve 8900 and Bold in one easy-to-carry device. Expect it to hit Sprint and Verizon Wireless in the coming weeks for $199 (after rebates).

As befits its name, the Tour boasts 3G data connectivity for both stateside (EV-DO Rev. A) and abroad (3G UMTS/HSPA). That world roaming capability will be a key selling point for business travelers. However, we would have liked for RIM to add Wi-Fi to the mix, too. Intrigued? More details and specs after the jump.

The Tour sports a classy black face with chrome “frets” that separate the rows on the keyboard. At 4.4 x 2.4 x .5 inches, the phone is a hair longer than the Curve 8900, but just as thick and wide. It also has a 2.4- inch 480 x 360-pixel display, which is smaller than the 2.6-inch Bold’s display, but with an even higher resolution. Everything from Web pages and photos to the icons in RIM’s latest operating system should really pop on this screen.

Like all recent BlackBerry phones, the Tour sports a 3.5mm headphone jack. That means it will easily double as a portable media player, whether you rock out to your own tunes or download apps like Pandora or Slacker Radio.  BlackBerry Media Sync software is compatible with iTunes and Windows Media Player (for unprotected content). You also get a 3.2-MP camera with flash.

Other features include integrated GPS, a full HTML Web browser, and RIM’s trademark push e-mail experience, compelete with DataViz Documents to Go for viewing attachments the way they were meant to be seen. We also like that the Tour has a speedy 528-MHz processor, so you should be able to multitask with ease. (The Curve 8900 runs at 512-MHz and the Bold at 624-MHz.)

Although $199 is nothing to sneeze at, the Tour could be the best BlackBerry of the year. At least on paper, it offers a great combination of style, typing comfort, and speedy data performance. Stay tuned for a full review.

Feature List:

• 3.2 MP camera with flash, variable zoom, image stabilization, autofocus and video recording*
• Full HTML web browser, including support for streaming audio and video (RTSP)
• Advanced media player for videos, pictures and music, a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack and support for the Bluetooth® Stereo Audio Profile (A2DP/AVCRP)
• 256MB Flash memory
• Expandable memory via hot swappable microSD/SDHC memory card slot, supporting cards of up to 16 GB today and expected to support next generation 32GB cards when available
• Built-in GPS with support for geotagging, BlackBerry® Maps and other location based applications and services
• BlackBerry®  Media Sync allows customers to quickly and easily synch music from iTunes® and Windows Media Player with the smartphone **
• Premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation, a low-distortion speakerphone, and Bluetooth (2.0) support for hands-free use with headsets, car kits, stereo headsets and other Bluetooth peripherals
• Preloaded DataViz® Documents to Go®,  allowing users to edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset
• Easy mobile access to Facebook®, MySpace and Flickr®, as well as popular instant messaging services including BlackBerry® Messenger, Yahoo!® IM, AIM®, Google Talk and Windows Live Messenger™
• Support for BlackBerry App World™, featuring a broad and growing catalog of third-party mobile applications developed specifically for BlackBerry smartphones. Categories include travel, productivity, entertainment, games, social networking & sharing, news & weather, and more
• BlackBerry® Internet Service allows access to up to 10 supported personal and corporate email accounts, including most popular ISP email accounts
• BlackBerry® Enterprise Server provides advanced security and IT administration features within IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® environments.
• Removable and rechargeable 1400 mAhr battery for 5 hours of talk time and 14 days of standby time

More posts

• RIM Hires The Mastermind Behind The iPhone User Interface
• RIM BlackBerry Storm Sells Out At Verizon Wireless Stores
• BlackBerry Bold coming to Japan early 2009
• BlackBerry tip: Transferring data via Bluetooth (Mac)
• Extending Battery Life on the BlackBerry Storm
• Introducing the John McCain Series of BlackBerry Accessories
• Apple iPhone vs. RIM Blackberry 8800
• Raketu Debuts Mobile Social Networking Integrated With VoIP and Communications Services for BlackBerry Users
• Bold OS 4.6.0.282 Officially Released by CLS Hong Kong
• Reliance Empowers Its Customers to ‘Be Bold’

This entry was posted on June 22, 2009 at June 22, 2009 and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.