BlackBerry Tour 9630 Touch Screen Cell Phone
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| The feature-packed and highly refined BlackBerry Tour 9630 world phone for Verizon Wireless keeps you connected and lets you roam the globe in style. In addition to accessing the reliable and fast Verizon Wireless voice and data network, the Tour is also compatible with 3G-enabled GSM networks outside the United States, giving you the option to make phone calls in 220 countries and to access email and Internet in any of the 175 countries where Verizon Wireless provides data roaming services.
The BlackBerry Tour includes a large, highly tactile, full-QWERTY keyboard and a large 2.4-inch display with one of the highest resolutions available yet on a BlackBerry device. Other features include a 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder with geo-tagging capabilities, Bluetooth connectivity for handsfree devices and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion (a 2 GB card is included), easy access to favorite social networking and instant messaging services, support for BlackBerry App World, and up to 5 hours of talk time. Dual Connectivity But when you're traveling within a GSM network coverage area outside of the U.S. provided by Verizon Wireless' global roaming partners, the quad-band GSM-enabled Tour provides easy voice connectivity while roaming the globe. Additionally, it provides global 3G connectivity (2100 MHz UMTS) for fast access to the Internet, data and more when traveling outside the United States. It comes with a pre-installed SIM card.
With this GPS-enabled phone, you'll be able to access the Verizon Wireless VZ Navigator service (additional charges applicable) for voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions, heads-up alerts, local search of nearly 14 million points of interest in the US (such as landmarks, restaurants and ATMs), and detailed color maps. Additionally, this phone is compatible with the VZ Navigator Global service, which enables you to find locations and access turn-by-turn directions in North America and Western Europe, including Canada, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (with more being added). Helping to alleviate stress or confusion caused by reading road signs or directions in an unfamiliar language, VZ Navigator Global allows you to choose either English or Spanish as the default language, and miles or kilometers to mark distances. You'll also be able to find restaurants, gas stations, banks/ATMs and other popular spots in these countries using Local Search. With Mobile Broadband Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with Mobile Broadband Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices. Additional subscription charges applicable. With Visual Voice Mail, you can delete, reply and forward voice mail messages without having to listen to prior messages or voice instructions. Visual Voice Mail is the ideal tool for the busy mobile professional who may need to prioritize which messages he or she listens to first. Features include on-screen access to voice mail message status, save up to 40 messages for 40 days (or archive permanently), create up to 10 different caller ID-based greetings, and reply via call back, text or even voice mail. The V Cast Music service enables you to download songs instantly to your phone, or purchase music through your PC and transfer the files to your phone. If purchased from your phone, you'll receive two copies of the song: a Windows Media Audio Pro Plus format at 64Kbps stereo is sent to your phone, and a Windows Media Audio 9 format at 160Kbps stereo is sent to your account in the V CAST Music online store for downloading to your PC. V Cast Music offers nearly 2 million songs, with more being added all the time. In addition to the V Cast Music service, this phone is also compatible with the Verizon Wireless V CAST Music with Rhapsody, which enables you to access this exclusive digital music service for RealNetworks and for MTV Networks. V CAST Music with Rhapsody delivers unlimited monthly access to music on up to three Rhapsody-compatible mobile phones and players and online on multiple PCs and Web browsers. In addition, customers who purchase music over-the-air are able to download the master copy of the songs or albums to their PCs free of digital rights management (DRM) software that restricts how and where music can be played. Phone Features It offers premium phone features including voice activated dialing, enhanced background noise cancellation, and a low-distortion speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity (version 2.0), and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and file transfer. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server (additional charges or subscription applicable). With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).
In addition to the industry's leading mobile email and messaging solution, the Tour supports text (SMS), picture (MMS) and instant messaging (IM) on today's most popular platforms as well as social networking sites. Take your social life on-the-go with Facebook for BlackBerry and Flickr Photo Uploader for BlackBerry application. A Mobile IM feature provides access to Google Talk, MSN, Yahoo!, Windows Live, and AIM instant messaging services. The media player can play movies smoothly in full-screen mode, display pictures and slideshows quickly and manage an entire music and video collection, and with BlackBerry Media Sync you can quickly and easily sync music from iTunes and Windows Media Player with the smartphone. The Tour comes with a 256 MB flash memory (and 256 MB of RAM), and the device is expandable via MicroSD/SDHC memory cards up to 16 GB in size (a 2 GB card is included with the Tour).
Vital Statistics |
- BlackBerry smartphone with QWERTY keyboard; dual-network capable for 3G-enabled GSM access when traveling abroad
- Access V Cast, Music and Video services via fast EV-DO data network; GPS-enabled for turn-by-turn directions; use phone as a modem for your laptop
- 3.2-megapixel camera/camcorder; Bluetooth stereo music; MicroSD memory expansion to 16 GB; access to personal and corporate email
- Up to 5 hours of talk time, up to 336 hours (14 days) of standby time
- What's in the Box: handset, battery, travel charger (with international adaptors), 2 GB MicroSD card, wired stereo headset, swivel holster, USB cable, pre-installed SIM card, documentation
 Another GREAT Blackberry - The Tour 9630 |
| Review Date: July 16, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Tarun Chachra, Hillsborough, NJ |
| So, I have been using blackberries ever since the day they were released with the 8xx model and have since been through almost every model that has come out, including the Storm for one day. My recent device of choice was the Blackberry Curve II or 8900 which was a EDGE and Wi-Fi enabled blackberry with a beautiful screen and a great keyboard. The device prior was a Blackberry Bold, which incidentally sparked the new generation of Blackberries. Today I received my Blackberry Tour 9630 running on the Verizon Wireless network....sorry but the guy in the glasses was nowhere to be seen in the box and or around me. Jokes aside, the Tour touts the Verizon EVDO network and no Wi-Fi; it does have a SIM so that it can be used globally. I know there are dozens of reviews on this product so I am not going to go in to the features, I am merely going to try to share my experience with the device after one day.
Missing WI-FI: When the device became available I was a little worried that the lack of Wi-Fi might hamper its functionality, especially when doing things that required constant streams of data. I love TWITTER, as you all know by now, and thus I was worried that using apps such as the beautiful "Tweet Genius" would be cumbersome due to updates coming over the aged CDMA network. However, much to my surprise the speed is wonderful and I have yet to see any need for the missing Wi-Fi radio. Battery Life: Time will best tell this tale, but as of now the battery stands at a cool 80%. The battery was fully charged by the time I got the unit in my hands, in fact it had been charged overnight by one of my associates. I received the unit at about 8am this morning and started the Verizon activation process. Once activated on the network, I proceeded to do a Blackberry Enterprise Server activation for corporate email, etc. I have since been using it, rather heavily, for email, twitter, and even streaming financial data. Battery loss of approximately 20% after almost 11.5 hours of moderate/heavy usage to me is phenomenal, but, as I said time will tell this tale and I will post updates about it when I can. Keyboard: The Tour has a similar keyboard to the bold, except it seems to me that the keys are raised a bit more. The little addition of height allows for a better feel of the keys thus making typing a breeze. I was not a huge fan of the Bold keyboard but I do love the Curve II keyboard and now it would seem that this new style keyboard may just be the winner of the bunch. I am appreciative of the fact that Verizon left the number keys colored RED which AT&T always wants to re-color to white. The red actually provides for some contrast and makes using the device a bit more pleasurable. Screen: The screen on the Tour is the same beautiful half VGA (480x360) screen found on the 8900 (Curve II). It is bright, sharp, and displays 65,000 colors. Not much more can be said...but it comes close to perfect for the Blackberries. Camera: Again the same as the 8900, a 3.2mp auto focus camera with image stabilization and video capturing abilities. Yes, there is a flash also for those dark moments. Charging: As with every new cellular device, this has a Micro USB port positioned on its right side...which is a little bit of a bad placement job as it was on the 8900, but, not a deal breaker. My only gripe here is that I tend to want to use Blackberry Docks and with all of these different devices you must acquire a different dock. #FAIL on the dock not being universal...but accessories make these guys big money and so they do what they must. Sound: The built in speaker is finally right, its not stereo like the Bold but its also not tinny sounding like the 8900. It sounds great. The speaker for your ears sounds, to me, equally balanced for once...so it does'nt seem like someone is shouting in your ears..its a well balanced mid range sound. Overall Feel: This Blackberry is HEAVY, and I mean heavy. Personally I like to know that I am holding on to something and the weight of the 9630 makes it feel solid. If you are into holsters then you know this thing is on your belt. Enough said! Final Thoughts: The Tour comes with a newer version of the Blackberry operating system, v4.7.1.40, which is coincidentally used on the Storm. The OS seems to be well suited for the Tour and is very responsive. I did notice it stick here or there, but that has only happened 2-3 times and I am certain it was because I was taxing the device. I am, thus far, quite happy with this new iteration of the Blackberry and hope that I will have many days ahead with it. Box Includes: Blackberry, Battery, AC Adapter w Word Adapter, Micro-USB Cable, Blackberry Ear Buds, Plastic/Pleather Holster, Documentation, Blackberry Desktop Manager SW CD, and a BONUS: 2GB Micro SD CARD. I could go on into much more detail, but it would be redundant as there are thousands of reviews of Blackberries out there...I just wanted to share what I felt and thus the most pertinent observations are above. Please let me know if any of you are using this device and what your thoughts are. |
| Almost Perfect...So Far! |
| Review Date: July 14, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Wandrwoman, NY, NY |
| 7/29/10 REVIEW UPDATE: Device still going strong. This is what it does: make and receive phone calls in the US and abroad, receive and send emails for multiple accounts easily, text quickly with the querty keyboard, use simple but helpful apps such as Open Table, Google Maps, [...], Kindle reader(!),Spider Solitaire. It is just ok for web surfing. Perfect for quick fact checking but not leisurely browsing. It needs charging about every two days with moderate use, every night for a few hours with heavy use. It has never run out of power in the middle of the day. It is a useful device rather than a fun device. It does it's job. I don't use the Blue Tooth function so can't comment on that feature. I don't expect to receive email while I am talking on the phone so don't see the problem there. The camera is perfectly fine and I use it often. Here are the minuses: track ball can be pokey at times, sometimes this is a physical problem and sometimes it's related to malfunctioning apps. When the phone is receiving data the track ball will freeze for a second or two. This can be unsettling but if I see the little data arrows on the upper right hand corner, I understand that I might have to pause as well for a sec. I dropped the phone and found that the trackball wouldn't move easily as it was pressing against the rim. I moved the ball with my finger nail and everything went back to normal. (Now, I occasionaly check to see if the track ball is properly "centered", if not I do the fingernail thing). Hard reboot! The only way to really reboot the device is to remove and replace the battery! Some apps (Spider Solitaire) cause the device to hang and removing and replacing the battery is the only fix. Will I get another Blackberry when my contract is up? Will certainly consider it....along with Verizon's Android offering. Am not a touch screen fan.
10/22/09 REVIEW UPDATE: Almost perfect device! No sound or trackball issues! I read some of the other reviews and it seems like two completely different devices are being critiqued! How can this be? 9/21/09 REVIEW UPDATE: Still very happy! I've owned the phone for almost two months now and The Tour is part of my daily life. It continues to be easy to use, fast and even kind of fun. The sound quality is good, the screen is amazing and Verizon service is the best available anywhere you go in the US. (In case you haven't noticed it, AT&T service stinks). There is no "problem" with the Tour's track ball although I've noticed that when the device is receiving data (and this can be fairly often if you get lots of email, texts, rss feeds and the like) the screen and track ball freeze momentarily. Its more like a stutter than a long interruption....but it does happen. Another minor irritation is the way the keys are angled up and to the right on the left side of the key board and up and to the left on the right side of the key board. This seems as if it would be ergonomic and more productive for thumb typing, but I find it less comfortable and slower than my last Blackberry which had wider flat keys. One handed typing, say for number entering/phone calling, is much more difficult with the angled keys. As for apps, more and more are available every week through Blackberry App World. I do have to charge the phone once a day, but it charges very quickly, in just a few hours. So far, very, very good! 7/30/09 Great device! Works great! Excellent sound quality! Ultra Fast! Looks sexy. Feels good. Battery door secure! I use Blackberry Internet Service for email and it is seamless, and extremely easy to set up and maintain. Verizon tech support via phone is fast, responsive and speaks English! Used Media Sync to sync an ITunes playlist on to device. Transfered pictures easily between device and computer. Camera takes great pictures...for a phone. My only nit-picky complaint is that there are not enough apps yet, but there are more that become available every week. I am absolutely delighted! Original review: I've had the Tour for about a week now. I had been anxiously waiting for this Verizon Blackberry hybrid-cross between the Bold and the Curve for months after my contract ended on a Neanderthal 8700G with T-Mobile and I was afraid that my expectations would exceed reality. I have to say that I am very, very pleased! The device is beautiful, black and solid in one's hand. The screen is large and clear. The buttons are all in logical positions. The software is a vast improvement over earlier versions. The camera is 3.2 mp auto focus and takes better than average pictures....for a smart phone. I am still getting used to the qwerty keyboard....the keys are small, smooth and strangely angled. There must be an ergonomic reason for the up and to the side tilt to each key but my thumbs are resisting the logic! The track ball is slightly recessed and is easy to use (and the horizontal and vertical sensitivity is adjustable). Making and receiving phone calls is a snap. The call reception has been clear and virtually distortion free. I have no muffled sound experience reported in other reviews. Even on a noisy sidewalk, I am told that the sound quality is clear and crisp. I took the Tour up to a cabin in the Lake District of Northern Minnesota and it worked seamlessly. Calls, texts, and browsing as if I were home in Manhattan. My biggest pleasure so far is the lightening speed of receiving email! In HTML! And web browsing! And Googling! Fast, fast, fast. One complaint is that web pages are still a bit too small for really enjoyable browsing. And there is no touch screen to enlarge areas with fancy finger work a la IPhone. One can choose between "Column View" or "Zoom In" but sometimes neither option gets things really the size one would like. Why can't this thing ring and vibrate simultanously? Seems like a silly oversight but the Blackberry engineers must have some reason behind it. You can buy an ap to fix this problem....but? Another caveat is that the BlackBerry App Store is not fully stocked with Apps yet. The choice is still slim and sort of pathetic compared to the big, sexy, fully loaded "candy shop" of selections for the IPhone. The pre-loaded Blackberry Map application worked very well with the GPS function turned on. In fact, it navigated better than the Garmin Nuvi on the dashboard of the car. So far, I am sold on this baby. Will continue to report in the weeks ahead. |
| How to take the "Sock" out of your mouth |
| Review Date: September 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Guentner, Valrico, Florida United States |
| There have been several comments related to the transmitted voice quality of this phone. I have no problem with being heard clearly, but there is a little trick to it.
Look at the bottom of the Tour phone. The pinhole is the microphone to capture your voice. It has been engineered electronically and acoustically to cancel out background noise while capturing the speaker's voice clearly. For best results, hold the Tour 9630 so that that pinhole points at the corner of your mouth. You will be heard clearly and unwanted background noise reduced. While working for the telephone company testboard, I frequently used a headset to allow me full use of both hands. The last one had a tube from the earpiece that served as the microphone pickup. The factory instructions were to place the tube so that it pointed at the corner of your mouth. It did not work if the tube was pointed anywhere else. When I first tried a Blackberry, I had complaints about my audio. So I checked the phone for the location of the microphone. I then found a position for the phone that points the microphone at the corner of my mouth. For me, that is with the phone in my left hand, with my fingernails just below the temple of my glasses. Now I am heard clearly every time I use the phone. Try it. It works. P.S. I absolutely Love this phone! |
| This SmartPhone is Impressingly Smart |
| Review Date: September 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Christopher, California, USA |
| I just got my BlackBerry Tour 9630 from Verizon Wireless yesterday. This is my first BlackBerry (and my first smartphone). So far, this phone works great. I have read so many discouraging reviews here on Amazon that I almost wanted to skip this phone. But I'm glad that I went with my gut feelings on this one. Many reviewers complained about muffled voices. That was the first thing I looked into right after I got mine activated, up and running. I can confidently say that there is no truth to it at all. The voice clarity is impressive. I can hear the people I speak to very clearly without having to position my phone a certain way (as was suggested by someone here). The folks on the other end didn't have any problems hearing me (and yes, I did repeatedly ask them if my voice was hard to hear/understand, and that hasn't been a problem at all). Another common problem reported from Amazon reviewers about this phone is in regards specifically to the trackball. Some reviewers claimed to have had to send back their third BlackBerry Tour because they couldn't seem to get the trackball to move as smoothly and easily as they would like it. Well, this problem can be easily fixed by going into the phone's Option menu where you could set the trackball's sensitivity level to your liking. I found that mine was set at level 20 for both "horizontal" and "vertical" movements(perhaps factory default setting) and the trackball was somewhat of a challenge to use at level 20. But once I increased the sensitivity levels, the trackball was so much easier to use (I now have mine set at level 70 for both "horizontal" and "vertical" movements). You just need to play around with the various options in the phone's menu. Also, the Navigation system works wonders too. I especially enjoy using yahoo instant messenger on this phone and checking/sending emails. Web browsing is fast and easy. This phone is simply too good to be true. I highly recommend it. |
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Tagged with: 9630 • Black • BlackBerry • Phone • touch screen • tour • Verizon • wireless
Filed under: BlackBerry
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