According to an unnamed Verizon employee the BlackBerry Tour2 (code named Essex) has appeared in their Celebrite system for transferring data between phones. The name was changed to BlackBerry Bold 9650.
All final
details of the BlackBerryBold
9650 formerly known as the BlackBerry Tour2 were
officially announced on April 27 with a Sprint
launch on May 23 . The Verizon
launch date of the BlackBerry Bold 9650 online
is June 3 and in stores June 10.
The BlackBerry Tour2 has appeared in sneak peaks and here are the details we've be able to round-up:
- The trackball has been replaced with a trackpad that works well.
- It's about the same size as the original BlackBerry Tour.
- It has a faster processor, the same as the BlackBerry Storm2, which makes it run faster.
- The BlackBerry Tour2 9650 has Wi-Fi.
- The bottom row of keys is slightly shorter than the original BlackBerry Tour.
- Better camera. (Some forum members have suggested that to compete with other smartphones it should be 5 MP.)
- An forum member believes he saw the Sprint version of the BlackBerry Tour2 in a Sprint store. The rep told him that the price will be $50 with a contract.
- Different green call key.
- The BlackBerry 9650 has shown up in Sprint's cataloging system.
Editor's Note
04/18/10: New rumors confirm speculations of an announcement at WES (April 27-9) with a Verizon launch May 1 or later and Sprint launch 5/16.
Editor's Note
03/17/10: Latest reports suggest the BlackBerry Tour2 now called the BlackBerry Bold 9650 may be released in May.
Editor's Note 02/21/10: There is a new report suggesting that release of the BlackBerry Tour 9650, aka BlackBerry Tour2, has been delayed at Sprint due to Wi-Fi issues and at Verizon for an updated OS on the BlackBerry Tour 9630.
BlackBerry Storm Apps and BlackBerry Tour Apps lists.
Last week, “dummy” units of the BlackBerry Tour2 showed up in
Verizon’s
inventory.
Rumors originally suggested that the BlackBerry Tour2 would be ready in late January, or for the holiday rush. We don’t know if or when it will qualify for the Buy One BlackBerry Get Any Free BlackBerry or Device deal. Then when you buy one BlackBerry Tour2, you can get another BlackBerry or mobile broadband device for FREE.
Therefore you could buy a BlackBerry Tour2 and get a free netbook (with a contract.)