Comments on: Review: BlackBerry Tour 9630 (Verizon)

By: mg

mg — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 02:51:10 +0000

5 months later I will answer my own question: The SIM works fine with any provider in other countries regardless if Vodafone is there or not. With the latest FW update I am much happier with this phone. Before many apps didn’t work, no youtube, no pandora, etc. now it is great. Doesnt crash as much as it used to either. The only thing I think sucks is the browser. I use the standard browser for some things, the opera mini for other things, they both have their pros and cons. Both are 1000% better than IE, but nothing beats the iPhone in web browsing IMHO.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:12:39 +0000

i like my tour. i got it from gsmallover.com about 3 months ago. i’ve read all your complaints, and i somewhat agree, it’s not the BEST phone..but it works just fine for me. i don’t need much and i didn’t want to spend a forture just for a phone.

By: Bill W

Bill W — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:49:31 +0000

Sucky bands on the keyboard? I don’t think so.

You want sucky keyboard try the Omnia. Worst text entry I’ve ever seen. So what if it’s got a great camera if you can’t hardly see what you’re typing on it.

By: Dawson Allen

Dawson Allen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:05:58 +0000

Talking about the 30 day trial period you don’t get a
full 30 to try it out. They count the days before it gets to you as part of the 30 days. Guess the only
way is to get it directly from the store. The short of it
is don’t order it online.

By: Blackberry Man

Blackberry Man — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:52:22 +0000

Great phone, looks professional, feels professional, and it is very professional in how it works. Iphone isn’t professional, my little 18 year old brother has an Iphone. If you’re a business man/woman the blackberry is what you want to get. Don’t our president have a BB??

By: mg

mg — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 05:45:19 +0000

This is my first bb, I have been using windows mobile before.
I think this keyboard is great. I have never used the wifi on my old phone so I won’t miss it. I don’t get why that has anything to do with roaming,though ?! does the vodaphone sim limit me to vodaphone networks in countries where available? Even so, I get local sims anyway. What I don’t like is pushing on the trackball, I have to be carefull not to hit another key. I love this phone otherwise. I got the storm first and returned it. I am tired of touchscreens . This phone is the most responsive phone I had in years. Its not wasting my time with little animations , fade ins and slides etc. I am hooked on bb now like all my coworkers .

By: Rich

Rich — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:03:20 +0000

Two points I really agree with is the lack of ram and the poor Verizon phone selection. By now RAM should not be an issue it is 2009 after all. My thoughts are that since most of the world is GSM there are limited manufactures who want to develop CDMA phones, plus Verizon is borderline communist. One final note BB needs to make nice with Adobe.

By: j reacher

j reacher — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:32:24 +0000

I can live with the silver band. It does not come into play when I type….

By: Elmo Glick

Elmo Glick — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:29:50 +0000

The Sprint version of the Tour has the silver bands recessed so that each row is quite distinct.

Verizon must not be paying attention.

By: Terry

Terry — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:32:13 +0000

The Blackberry OS is antiquated. 256MB of ram for apps? Puh-lease. Clunky nonsensical layers of menus to do pretty much anything. No wi-fi is a showstopper for lots of people who get no reception in large corporate buildings. Plus its just user hostile for Verizon to cut wi-fi from this device. Verizon would have the same issues as AT&T if they had the iPhone with very heavy data usage on their network. I find in most major cities in the U.S. there is no difference in reception between Verizon and AT&T. In more rural areas AT&T sucks. I type just as well, maybe better on the iPhone 3GS using both thumbs on the widescreen keyboard as on any Blackberry and I have had Blackberrys for many years, long before they were phones. Opera mini is still not even close to the iPhone browser. The Blackberry is a poor media device and GPS and Google Maps on the BB are nowhere near as good as the iPhone. The fact that so many people who use Verizon are thrilled about the Tour is more a reflection of the very poor selection of phones on Verizon than anything else. The iPhone app store is a very big deal and BB is not even close to competing in quality, quantity or capability of iPhone apps.

By: Peter Ha

Peter Ha — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 03:23:00 +0000

If you’re on Verizon then this is the BB to get. Bottom line.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 00:24:52 +0000

having the same concerns – more onboard memory and faster processor than the curve, but otherwise pretty much the same thing but better looking…is it that much better?

By: Screen Sleuth

Screen Sleuth — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:43:36 +0000

When I read the feature list, its about the same as the BB I already have. No thanks….nice phone though.

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:09:47 +0000

I’m really fighting hard not to buy this thing. The only thing that stops me is the thought that this thing really doesn’t offer much over my current Berry.

By: Nate

Nate — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:08:45 +0000

Who cares? Throw Opera Mini on it and be done with it.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:21:22 +0000

hard to answer. For web browsing, go with an iPhone. For coverage and a solid provider, go with a BB.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:20:27 +0000

If thats the only flaw, sounds like a stellar device!

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:52:51 +0000

I have no issue at all with the keyboard on my tour. I think it’s great. I can’t touch the metal separators even if I press my hardest on the keys.

By: Corey Bozarth

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:52:42 +0000

Hey there. My primary phone is the iPhone, but because of coverage concerns in my area as well as the shoddy/spotty coverage of the iPhone (signal irratically goes in/out of 3G all day long) i’m trying out the Tour on Verizon.
I love the Tour, but from a usability perspective (ease of use) you can’t beat the iPhone. Same holds true with the multimedia and web browsing capabilities.

If you have good ATT coverage in your area and are most interested in web browsing and ease of use, go with the iPhone. If coverage is an issue and you’re more interested in good messaging capabilities, go with the Tour.

But at the end of the day…both providers offer you a 30 day trial period to try things out. So there’s no risk to give them both a try and see which one wins.

Good luck

By: Todd

Todd — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:44:22 +0000

Need assistance: trying to make a decision on if this new BB is better than the new iPhone 3GS, for ease of use, web browsing, and coverage of provider. Just moved back stateside and need some value added advice. Thanks!

By: Peter Ha

Peter Ha — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:26:31 +0000

All of the BlackBerrys in the last year do a great job streaming video and displaying images. Especially the Curve 8900 and Tour.

By: Noreen Mastellon

Noreen Mastellon — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:16:24 +0000

When do you think BB will catch up with Nokia with crisps photo images and videos that can actually be watched?

By: Peter Ha

Peter Ha — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:16:17 +0000

Pretty much. Not having Wi-Fi is a bummer, but it’s Verizon so I don’t expect it.

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:56:33 +0000

I wonder what RIM’s excuse is for that browser…

By: Corey Bozarth

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:30:08 +0000

I’m trying out the Verizon Tour as i type. Having owned several other models of BB, i have to say this one is the best to date.

My only gripe (besides the 1989 browser technology) is with the size. I wish it were a more pocketable size like the Curve (8900). The size of the Tour falls somewhere between the Curve and Bold. Nonetheless, it feels great in the hand and manages to do what a BB owner expects it to do – make messaging seamless, accessible and fast.