Not too much to say here other than an OS update for the Verizon BlackBerry Tour 9630, 4.7.1.61, has started to trickle out. Although it’s already available to download from Verizon’s website and through BlackBerry Desktop Manager, we’ve been told that a handful of users will receive on-device update notifications throughout the night with general OTA availability tomorrow. No change log has been released. Let’s just hope that it’s not much longer until OS 5.0 drops for your beloved tuh tuh tuh TOUR (yeah, we remember).

My, my, what a long road we’ve traveled. We’re back at it just like we promised. We combed through the BlackBerry Tour we had a while ago, but now that we have a Verizon unit in hand it’s a whole new ball game. We’re writing this review without looking at or referring to the previous Part 1 we did, so if some of it is a little similar in some places, it’s just because those parts of the device have not changed. Read on to get a glimpse of what we thought about the BlackBerry Tour for Verizon!

Screen:

The 480×360 screen is nothing new to BlackBerry lovers. The BlackBerry Curve 8900 features this display and while larger, the BlackBerry Storm does as well. The Bold seems like an outcast as it’s the only BlackBerry to utilize a 480×320 resolution LCD. Personal preference aside (I like the resolution of 480×320 better), the BlackBerry Tour’s screen is nothing short of stunning. It’s not a huge panel but it packs a punch. Colors are rich, there’s a great amount of contrast yet not too much, and text and graphics look as sharp as ever. Additionally it looks like there’s a harder plastic covering the LCD than there is on the Bold and 8900 and this is a good thing, people. It feels solid, not scratch-prone and is a display that we’re proud RIM has transitioned to as their standard screen for the Tour and other BlackBerry handsets to come. There’s that pesky black bezel around the LCD but it’s a minor annoyance and not a big deal.

Voice Calling:

Hello, Verizon. Yes, I can hear you. If those two sentences don’t tell you where this section is heading, you should probably stop reading. We realize the BlackBerry Tour is also launching on Sprint but since they didn’t send us a review unit, they won’t get included and we have nothing to compare the Verizon service or unit to. Back to voice calling… It’s an awesome experience with Verizon on the Tour. Especially compared to the other unit we reviewed, this is really solid. Calls came through loud and clear, callers could hear us perfectly on the other end (as opposed to sounding “tinny” like before) and even in low service areas we didn’t drop a single call. What’s equally impressive is how fast Verizon connects the call — almost instantly.

Since all phones are phones at heart, it’s nice to have a BlackBerry on Verizon’s network. BlackBerry devices in general (especially the latest family) usually offer great voice calling but coupled with Verizon’s network, we’re not sure it gets any better.

Speaker / Speakerphone:

The speaker and speakerphone function on the Tour are great. You can really tell this was designed as a business device. There’s only one speaker on the left side since the 3.5mm headset jack is on the right (the middle “speaker” doesn’t count since it’s not really a speaker — just somewhere for audio to flow out of) but we haven’t noticed this to be an issue. Besides a Nextel device or the HTC Touch Pro2, it’s one of the loudest and most useful speakerphones we’ve used.

One thing that’s a little strange is that while the speakerphone is quite loud, ringtones and audio in general plays back at a lower volume than the Bold does. It’s not that low — it’s louder than the 8900′s speaker — but lower than the Bold’s as far as audio reproduction goes. The high-end is a little lacking but hey, everything is relative and it’s a mobile phone.

Something that many BlackBerry fans will be pleased as punch to know, is that the vibrate feature on the Tour is aggressively strong. Probably the strongest vibrate on any recent BlackBerry, you can’t really miss it.

OS:

The BlackBerry Tour for Verizon ships with OS 4.7.1 and can be thought of as a non-touch Storm OS. It’s practically identical, just made for trackball navigation and QWERTY keyboard entry as opposed to touch (though some could argue that the Storm OS itself isn’t even designed for fingers… never mind) and for better or worse is practically the same operating system that you’re used to. It’s quick, responsive, and besides a couple random bugs here and there (nothing that got in the way of usability) it’s really solid. We’ve been pounding on two different BlackBerry Tours now and haven’t had a single reset, crash, or any other issue that would affect you in a major way.

Hardware:

In the interest of being upfront with everyone, we had some hardware issues with the first BlackBerry Tour we received. Verizon and RIM swiftly swapped it out for us and the one we’re using now is 100% good to go. Even the other Tour we reviewed from months ago didn’t exhibit the hardware problems we noticed and it’s pretty safe to say that you shouldn’t experience any major hardware problems.

Moving on to the actual hardware of the device, it’s great. Looking at it from a larger viewpoint, the device is incredibly well built. It doesn’t creak, it doesn’t waddle if you try to type on it when it’s on a desk or solid surface, there are no loose parts, and it seems again that RIM has improved their manufacturing and assembling processes. Getting granular, things are also perfect. The volume buttons and camera shutter button for instance aren’t mushy, they’re firm but not hard to press. The four main navigational buttons (Send, Menu, Back, End) also are perfectly sized and offer great feedback when navigating. The trackball might be too recessed for some but after a while of use, it’s not that big of a deal and you get used to using it.

We’ve been messing with a Tour on and off for the last three or four months and we have to say again, it really excels as a business device and we think it will stand up to various punches, nicks, drops, kicks, and the like without issue.

Keyboard:

Another QWERTY review? You bet. A true mashup of the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Curve 8900 keys, the BlackBerry Tour offers a great compromise. The keys aren’t as mushy as the Bold keys, they’re a little harder and a little “clackier”, something found on the 8900. As far as size goes, they’re roughly 20% larger than the 8900′s keys and are nicely sculpted. We’ve found the best and most efficient way to type on the Tour is not to press on an entire key but on the angled area of a key. This let’s you pound through emails with relative ease and doesn’t really let your finger hit more than one key a time. The BlackBerry Tour keyboard is a keyboard you’d come to expect from RIM — simple, easy to use, and perfectly laid out. It’s a winner.

Design:

While highly subjective, we find the BlackBerry Tour to be striking. It’s such a true BlackBerry if you think about it. Unlike the BlackBerry 8900 and BlackBerry Storm, the Tour is boxier but we think better. It’s a little thicker, but it’s comfortable to hold and use, and seems perfectly proportioned. RIM did an awesome job of letting all the components work together. The dark chrome bezel meshes beautifully with the soft-touch rubberized sides and the glossy black navigational buttons blend with the black screen and upper earpiece section, blending perfectly with the black powder-coated QWERTY keyboard. The camera lens cover flows perfectly into the back battery cover, also with a soft-touch rubberized finish.

Battery Life:

Battery life is really impressive. Coming from a heavy, heavy BlackBerry Bold user, the Tour is straight up refreshing. With the exact same usage patterns and same applications installed, I’ve been able to get double to battery life using the Tour compared to the Bold. I’m not sure why — CDMA devices typically use more battery than their GSM counterparts and the battery on the Tour is 1400mAh compared to 1500mAh on the Bold — but battery life is fantastic.

Email, voice calling, music playing, web browsing, Twittering (cheap plug), BlackBerry Messenger — all a go with great battery life.

Annoyances:

How could we review the BlackBerry Tour without complaining about Wi-Fi? We always say it, but whatever the reason — cost, weight, size — it doesn’t really matter. The BlackBerry Tour is Verizon’s flagship device for the Summer and there’s a glaring hole in it. We realize Verizon has the best voice and data network in the country with the most coverage. We applaud them. But, there are some places where service is bad, the buildings are too thick, the location is too remote. And that’s where you need Wi-Fi.

In general, using the device has been really pleasant. Besides a brief stint with an 8900 it’s the first time I’ve switched from my Bold since last June and I’ve been very happy aside from a couple slowdowns here and there. The 624MHz CPU on the Bold is nice and this is slower I believe by about 100MHz, give or take. Will the average user notice the difference? No. They’ll be too ecstatic coming from the Curve 8330 but it’s worth pointing out nonetheless. And hey, if that’s all we have to moan about, Verizon and RIM are doing something right, right?

Conclusion:

While the BlackBerry Tour lacks Wi-Fi and sports a slightly slower processor compared to the BlackBerry Bold, we can confidently say when it’s released later this month it will be the best BlackBerry on the market. We won’t look ahead, we’ll focus on what is in front of us and if we do that, the Tour is the top dog. It’s on a superb network, it’s extremely professional and durable, and it’s incredibly pocketable and versatile. 2009 BlackBerrys include 256MB of RAM and 3.2 megapixel AF cameras which are probably the only two things people would change about the Bold. Add in a smaller and arguably sexier package and you’ve got a sure shot winner. There’s no question this is the finest CDMA BlackBerry to date and if you’re on a CDMA network (Verizon or Sprint) this is a no-brainer. Besides being a fantastic handset, it’s a world device that will work practically anywhere on the planet, thus eliminating a difficult barrier of entry (people who want Verizon) for globe-trotters. RIM really knows hardware and it shows, and if you’re ok with the BlackBerry OS then we suggest you give the BlackBerry Tour a long and hard look come Sunday the 12th.

We’ve been playing with it non-stop all weekend. We’ve tastelessly shown it off with a dash of hood on video. But the review is now finally ready. We decided to split this into two parts, one now and one right before launch. That way no one will see things that aren’t final and vice-versa. It will also be a nice way to keep track of what’s changed/been modified. We’ll also do something new here… if you have any questions, drop them in the comments and we’ll edit the post and answer them in the Q&A section of the review!

UPDATE: We’re re-posting this review with all photos. Enjoy!

Hardware:

You can literally think of the BlackBerry 9630 as a BlackBerry Storm with a QWERTY keyboard. It’s that exact. From the cell radios (quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE, single band UMTS/HSDPA, 1X/EVDO) to even the layout of the keys on the side, it’s almost identical. It definitely follows RIM’s styling cues from the Curve 8900 and obviously the Storm as well. This will be tough for people contemplating switching to Verizon because it offers 90% of what every BlackBerry user has dreamed and it’s on the nation’s best network.

You know where we’re going here, don’t you? Wi-Fi. Verizon told us they really looked forward to releasing BlackBerry devices with Wi-Fi, blah, blah, blah. Cutting it short, as you all know, the 9630 doesn’t have Wi-Fi. There were rumors of pre-release devices floating around with Wi-Fi, and that obviously clears up any “technical” limitations (seriously, do you honestly think “we can’t fit it on the circuit board” is an excuse anymore?. This blunder is on Verizon’s shoulders, RIM, we excuse you this time.

Listen, we’re not going to really dive into it as our thoughts on this are pretty well documented, but, is it so difficult to stop being little bitches and just let people jam out with their Wi-Fi? We really don’t understand the difficulty, not one bit, and we’d love it if someone could fill us in and make things clearer. It’s just crap all around and it’s really frustrating that the perfect phone on the perfect network has a glaring hole in it.

Sorry, friends. No Wi-Fi on this one.

Phone:

Voice calling is an important part of any phone (duh), and it’s a combination of hardware and software. As far as the hardware portion goes, this is probably the best phone we’ve ever used. Yeah, seriously. The speakerphone is absolutely off the ringer. It is just insane how loud and clear it is. We’re not talking about phone performance like holding onto calls, and all that, just connecting the call and having a conversation. And in that area, both the ear speaker and speakerphone excel beyond almost any other phone, ever. Add in Verizon’s network and you’ve got one bad ass piece of machinery.

This is a tried and true BlackBerry — you know by now — everything is logically arranged and organized as far as the phone goes.

Battery:

The BlackBerry 9630 uses the same battery as the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Storm; a 1400mAh cell. Since we’re not running this on Verizon at the moment and the software isn’t final (read: not close), take these results pretty lightly, ok?

• 4 hours of talk time
• 3 hours of video playback
• 8 hours of music playback
• 18 hours of light email, messenger, SMS, browsing.

Screen:

The screen on the 9630 looks great. It really looks like a plasma display with a glass lens over it. Colors are rich, sharp, and images are crisp. One thing we don’t like is the bezel around the screen. The Bold and 8900 LCD basically goes right up against the outer case of the handsets, yet with the 9630, there’s a black bezel around the LCD. We would have loved for the screen to be a tiny bit bigger because as it is, the Bold is still reigning champion of BlackBerry screens, if only for size alone.

In terms of resolution, you’re looking at the same res at the 8900 and Storm, 480×360.

Keyboard:

As you’ll read below, the keyboard is also a mash-up of the Bold and the Curve 8900 as is the size of the phone. It’s just right. We have to give credit where credit is due, and RIM still knows how to bang out some of the most perfected and usable keyboards on the planet. The keys are a smaller version of the Bold’s with a bit more click like the 8900. Since the Bold is as wide as a boat, the keyboard could afford to be laid out extra roomy. On the 9630, however, things are smaller obviously. This isn’t a problem for the keyboard for the most part, but one annoying thing is keys on the edge. What we mean is that the curved shape of the key is flush with the actual outer case of the device, and if you don’t hit the key precisely on the right spot, you’ll end up typing on the chrome bezel.

One other huge negative is the placement of the back button. We’re not sure why it’s so close together (well, we are) but we wish there was another way of working that out. On countless occasions we’ve hit the back button while pressing in the trackball.

Size:

The size of the 9630 is a perfect blend between the BlackBerry Bold and the BlackBerry Curve 8900. It fits squarely in the middle. It feels great in your hand and is incredibly comfortable to use. One odd fun fact: we couldn’t put our finger on it at first, but after a while it finally hit. The 9630 feels like the BlackBerry 7130 (Cingular model). Not sure why, but its like the wider 2009 version of that.

The device is a tad skinnier than the bold, less wide, and less tall too. So you’re basically getting the entire Bold package without much sacrifice. Well, one big sacrifice actually — Wi-Fi. Though people could use the argument you gain Verizon so it evens out. We’ll leave that up to you.

Toting the 9630 around, it really is the perfect mix of form, function and size for a BlackBerry. We would have loved for the phone to be thinner (really just a bad ass RAZR-type BlackBerry) but since RIM plans so far out (what, you missed this from a year ago?), we understand why the hardware is behind.

Reception:

This is mostly going to be left for Part 2: Launch Time, but on GSM, the phone even in its way buggy state performed just as good as it’s cousin, the 8900, in the signal department. Literally side by side you’ll see them get the same reception as far as the bars are concerned. The actual signal reading doesn’t differ either.

OS:

Think of 4.7.1 as the same OS the Storm uses minus the touchscreen. All the visual elements look the same — everything from highlights and gradients to slight UI changes –and even “gestures” work. We say that clearly not insinuating there’s a touch screen, but if you for instance scroll left or right in the media application for example, the photos will flick left or right. It’s a nice touch.

Screen animations are not in this build, so we’re not sure if things like the sliding screens from right to left will make it in the final version, but we’d guess they will. Or maybe RIM realized this is more of a professional device and those cheesy animations were getting in the way of real productivity rather than helping. Just a thought.

Browser:

The browser in its default mode now zooms into web pages much more than earlier versions. We’re not sure if this is going to be the final way of doing things here or if it’s just temporary, but it’s kind of irritating. Things are so far zoomed in that it makes text look enormous and images look tiny. Another issue with this current OS build is that you can’t click on any links with the mouse pointer. You have to go to menu, then hit “get link”. It’s not like we care, though.

The browser performs super fast over EDGE but it really isn’t in a condition to be thoroughly tested. If you load a page that is decently large, then proceed to scroll down, the web page text will stick, etc. We’ll leave this open-ended and update you if anything changes but look forward to a real torture test in Part 2.

For now, early, early impressions are that 4.7.1′s browser would be better than all the rest (just going on it supporting newer JavaScript and obviously RIM having time to iron other things out).

Build Quality:

The 9630 just has this Verizon “halo” all around it. Seriously. If we had never heard of the 9630 or seen pictures and you showed it to us, we’d say, “that’s the one going to Verizon, right?” The build quality is great and you can tell that Verizon’s getting more durable hardware than say AT&T is. Now, that’s not an official statement, but when you start getting phones with speakerphones as loud as this one, something is going on and this ain’t Nextel, folks.

You can tell that this phone will stand up to multiple daily beatings, and that’s a really good thing.

The Bold’s build quality left a lot to be desired. The 8900 feels pretty plasticky and cheap (the cheesy plastic battery door doesn’t help) so the 9630′s build quality is very refreshing. We, again, think it’s going to stand up to various drops, punts, and drop kicks.

There’s a quality feel to the device and while we wish the battery door was metal (long live the Storm), we don’t see a big problem here.

Picture courtesy of Tweet Genius. Coming soon!

Q&A:

Is it confirmed that the BlackBerry 9630 will be launching first on Verizon and then Sprint?

Nothing is confirmed at all, but we’re pretty confident this will hit Verizon first and they’ll get a pretty decent head-start.

Will the 9630 be able to function using AT&T’s 3G network?

Sadly, no. It’s the same story as the Storm — GSM/GPRS/EDGE for North America, UMTS for the rest of the world (where 2100MHz WCDMA is supported, obviously).

Will there be a U.S. version of the 9630 with U.S. 3G and Wi-Fi?

We doubt it. There just doesn’t seem to be room in RIM’s lineup with the Bold and Curve 8900 released. Remember there is a Curve with 3G coming, so that might be pretty similar. We wouldn’t expect that for a while. Like, end of year, early next year-type while.

Questions from readers will be listed and answered here. Additionally, hit us up with anything you want to see in our real video walkthrough — we’ll try and make sure it gets added in!

Conclusion:

We went through this with the Storm review and we told most of you to wait for the 9630. Most of you didn’t listen and you’re bitching everyday about your Storm. It’s ok, we’re here to help. Basically, to you know, not beat around the bush. Verizon + 9630 = the best BlackBerry experience on the planet. This is the phone you’ve been waiting for. Smash those Storms, donate them to charity, sell them on eBay or give them to your significant others you want to slowly and cruelly torture. This is it as far as Verizon goes. We said the Storm was the best phone on Verizon (hey, everything is relative, ok?) and this obviously takes it a step further. In its complete buggy state probably more than 3-4 months away from release, this is going to be the big seller on Verizon when it launches. There’s not a single person who wouldn’t want this phone. Young, old, black, white, rich, poor, disabled, not disab… never mind.

RIM and Verizon, congrats. This will seriously screw with AT&T’s BlackBerry customers and poach more than a few. Just remember Wi-Fi is a friend and there are people that need Wi-Fi rather than want it.

We can’t wait until the 9630 launches, it’s going to be a great all around phone.

So… we’ve just got word from a really trusted source, dropping bombs all around on the BlackBerry “Niagara”. First off, the model number we’re told is the BlackBerry 9630, not 8930 or 9030, or anything like that. Second, the phone will definitely be a Verizon World Edition with support for CDMA 1x, EV-DO Rev. A, GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS, though we’d bet the UMTS band is going to be 2100MHz only. The last of the big news won’t surprise any Verizon-haters, but this bad beast is not going to have Wi-Fi. Oh man, they never learn, do they? To recap everything for you slow pokes:

• The OS actually we’re told is 4.7.1 (but possibly, possibly, be OS 5.0 depending on launch date).
• No Wi-Fi.
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support along with WCDMA support (bands not specified, but most likely 2100MHz).
• CDMA 1x/EV-DO Rev. A device.
• Release date unknown, but we’d say May/June if we had to bet.
• 3.2 megapixel camera (though we heard a rumor there might be a camera-less version, but that’s unconfirmed).
• The web browser supports JavaScript 1.6 (not huge news, but at least the browser is slowly improving).

Now how many of you are going to buy one of these things when they are released? We think a whole lot of people are.