Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
phone
Newbie

I am ready to upgrade, and I was thinking about the Tour. I've read a lot of reviews, and I heard about the rumored, new one, and that it is a much better upgrade. However, I have no idea when that one will be released, and I wonder if I should just get the current Tour, Storm 2, or new Curve. (I like the idea of a trackpad over the trackball and wifi) Thanks! :womanwink:

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
nmchileman
Master - Level 3

There's no solid release date for the Tour 2. Rumors say anywhere from a February-May time frame for release. So if you can bare waiting a few months without any solid info, then the Tour 2 is definitely your best option. If you can't wait any longer then the current Tour device is excellent. I wouldn't go with the new Curve, despite the trackpad and WiFi, the camera is still subpar and it's not as snappy as the Tour can be. The Storm 2 is very nice, the touch screen has been much improved and overall it runs really nice.

 

So yes, it's a difficult decision to make. So the question is..how patient are you?

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
TheGreatOne
Master - Level 1

 


phone wrote:

I am ready to upgrade, and I was thinking about the Tour. I've read a lot of reviews, and I heard about the rumored, new one, and that it is a much better upgrade. However, I have no idea when that one will be released, and I wonder if I should just get the current Tour, Storm 2, or new Curve. (I like the idea of a trackpad over the trackball and wifi) Thanks! :womanwink:


 

I have read mostly positive reviews on the Tour and not to many complaints. I would recommend getting the Tour now.

 

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
AJames
Newbie

I honestly have no experience with the storm2 so i cant and wont judge it, however the original storms touch screen

i was far from a fan of.

 

The tour vs curve2 though is not reallly much to compair. Wifi and trackpad vs trackball. The keyboard on the tour i personally think is much better designed, it feels better to use, like you have a bit more control over key location. The camera is much much better on the tour, curve2 has OS5 however tour "supposedly" will eventually too . Wifi is useless on a blackberry with verizon in my personal opinion, since your plan will include unlimited transfer and MOST of the country has EVDO coverage.. Trackpad is nice if you like that but thats the only real feature that i personally think stands out, the tour trackball feels slightly different if you've ever used or owned some of the older blackberrys, but its fine and easy to get used to. I personally own the tour and have for quite awhile, I went from the 8830 to the 8330 to the tour and its by far the best blackberry i've used.

 

As far as waiting, Its as stated above, its not a known release date yet and blackberrys have a track record of falling slightly behind on all their release dates (though never majorly) so its up to you if you can wait or not. If you dont, I advise the tour. Reviewers love it, and I personally beat the heck of out mine daily and she runs like a dream

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
LuUkizZ
Newbie

I say get a Bold 9700 unlocked :smileyhappy:

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
TheGreatOne
Master - Level 1

LuUkizZ wrote:

I say get a Bold 9700 unlocked :smileyhappy:


I don't think the Bold will work on Verizon. Verizon runs on CDMA network and Bold runs on GSM network.It is incompatible.
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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
larrye
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have also been trying to make a BB decision. The Tour is now $99.99 and having heard about the impending release of the Tour 2 makes me hesitate. I spoke to people at Verizon and they tell me that Tour 2 is not imminent.  Also, keep in mind that the Tour 1 has only been around for 6 months. Anyone hear differently? I hate the thought of buying a Tour only to see the Tour 2 come out a month or two later.

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
mahnyc
Newbie

The original Tour has been out since July of 2009 and I couldn't wait until my eligible upgrade date to go from my BlackBerry Curve to the Tour.  That upgrade date has now come and gone and yet I find myself still waiting.

 

I was going to upgrade to the Tour - until I saw the Curve 2.  There are several things that I don't like about the Curve 2:

1. It is the only new VZW BlackBerry that doesn't support the FiOS Remote DVR BlackBerry application;

2. The keys are small and it feels flimsy, particularly when compared to a variety of BlackBerrys, including the Tour;

3. I've read that it has a really short battery life, which particularly for someone in my industry (I'm a reporter and spend most of my day in the field) is a serious problem;

4. While I virtually never use the camera on my Curve, if I'm going to buy a BlackBerry with a camera, I want a decent one and I want it to have a flash.  Both are present on the Tour.

 

BUT I LOVE THE TOUCHPAD AND HATE THE TRACKBALL

 

My upgrade date was almost two months ago and as such I could have had a Tour back then (like I had planned), but I explained my concern to a Verizon customer service representative (via sales chat) who promised me that something I'd be happy with would be available the first week in January.  After poking and prodding I finally got her to say that it was in fact the TOUR 2 and would have a touchpad.

 

However that first week in January has now come and gone and my Curve is falling apart.  I've spoken to many VZW employees, none of whom have said anything about when the Tour 2 will come out, except to say that rumor has it the Tour 2 will be in the next round of new phones to come out; it's just that none of them seem to know when that will be (except to say "EARLY 2010").

 

Nonetheless I really want a Tour 2, because (from everything I've read and been told) it has all the features I'm looking for and then some.  I have a service contract, so I'm thinking of just getting a new Curve (free) and waiting out the Tour 2, but if it comes out without the FiOS DVR application or isn't sturdy and I end up buying a regular Tour (unlikely), I'm going to be pretty annoyed.

 

THE GOOD NEWS (AND SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FOR ANYONE FACING THIS DILEMMA): As a reporter, I have access to a variety of "inside information."  I have spoken with a PR person at Research in Motion (RIM), the company who o manufactures BlackBerrys and asked them about the Tour 2.  I was told that it will more or less be a CDMA/GSM version of the sturdy (I've tried it out) BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700) see http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=BlackBerry%C2%AE+Bold(TM)+....

 

RIM's press shop absolutely promised me that at this point in time, all newly manufactured BlackBerrys will have the touchpad (exception being any touch screen and possibly those with a partial QWERTY [e.g. Pearl]).  So if (like me) you're holding out because you want a VZW BlackBerry (that's not the Curve 2), but has a touchpad, the Tour 2 is for you!  

 

As for when?  I'm with first quarter of 2010!

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Re: Wait for the Tour 2 (Essex) or get a current bberry?
mahnyc
Newbie

I sooooooo wish that I could do that!  To me, both the original Bold and the 9700 are the two best BlackBerrys ever made.

 

Unfortunately, as was previously mentioned, the 9700 (even unlocked) can't be activated on the VZW network.:smileysad:

 

The World Edition needs a SIM card to operate globally.

 

The Tour is a CDMA/GSM hybrid, hence you can use it on Sprint and Verizon.

 

The Bold is GSM only and can only work on AT&T and T-Mobile.

 

Trust me when I say that if an unlocked Bold were an option with VZW, I would have had one years ago!:smileywink:

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