[devek]

I'm dropping my AT&T and with it the Bold 9000 due to lack of reception in my new client's area.

Verizon has the best reception in the area and I wanted to know which is the best BlackBerry available under Verizon these days?

My Bold 9000 is unlocked, packed with 16GB of MicroSD card, applications, modified keyboard (from the original AT&T), Black body frame and in mint condition. I depend on it for my work as an IT consultant.

Thanks.

[californiablackberry]

Well, every phone has its flaws. It depends on what you want; touchscreen? physical keyboard? Better Camera? WiFi? Less heavy?
For a lighter blackberry; choose 8530.
For more authentic blackberry; choose Tour/ or wait for Tour 2.
For a Touchscreen; chose Storm 2.
If WiFi is a priority; Storm 2 or 8530/ or wait for Tour 2.
If less weight is your thing; 8530 is good.
It all mostly depends on what you would enjoy.

[devek]

Thank you. I really don't have time to 'enjoy' my device. I must have a keyboard, so the Storm is out... I love the Bold's size but hate the battery life. WiFi is not important since I have the data plan. Weight is also not an issue for me, but I have to have the Bluetooth ear-piece.

It looks like I will have to keep dropping calls with AT&T until the Tour 2 will be available. Any idea when in 2010 this might be???

Thanks again for the prompt reply.

[Old No. 7]

Tour 2 would be the best bet for you... or dare I say a Droid?

[TaZ52083]

Well in my eyes the storm2.

[devek]

Thank you.

I don't know about the Storm2 and smudge on the glass. I saw and played with the Storm 1 when it came out and was not impressed.

I held the Droid at the Verizon store. It is heavy compared to the large Bold, but not a deal breaker. It cannot sync with Outlook unless you use Gmail and On-The-Air sync through the Google cloud... Problem is, there was there was no "live" phone in the store to test speed.

I like the RIM network and concept. Email is a key for me. I have to type and enjoy the Bold's keyboard.

From the little that is available on the Net it looks like the Tour 2 will be available toward June of 2010 since there is another device due in between now and June.

Verizon did offer a 30 days return, so I might just go and get the Droid for 28 days to test it with a new phone number.

[Old No. 7]

The Storm 2 in all honesty is hardly an upgrade to the Storm 1, and if you haven't had either, I'd go for the 1 simply because it's cheaper, and just as good... only losing wifi and some memory... but you get real buttons!

*FOLLOWING INFORMATION I AM 90% SURE ABOUT... I'm pretty sure it's all correct though.*
And as for the Droid, if email is important, might not be the best thing for you then... since unless it's a gmail or exchange account, it's not going to be instant. It'll be pulled every x minutes. Also, yahoio and hotmail/live accounts have to be "plus" accounts... there are some workarounds for this, and you can also forward them to gmail and it will be pushed instantly to the phone..

I'm pretty sure that's all correct. It's all what I've heard about it's email. I'm seriously considering this phone to replace my Storm 1.

[EnergyPlus]

California, you had the best response here, but to be honest, you spent far more time and thought than the original question was worth. To ask "what's the best phone Verizon has?" is like saying "what's the best fruit in the grocery store?" The OP should have simply gone to Verizon, looked over all their phones, narrowed his/her choices down to a select few, than researched those phones to find the pros and cons. Once narrowed down to the top two, they could then look around the forums to read users thoughts. I'm growing tired of people asking for everyone else to do their homework for them (and then complaining when they wind up with something that's not to their liking).

Smart phones, if they're in the VZW store, are there because they're selling. If they're selling, that means that at least some people like 'em, while some are returned because other people don't like them. I would no more come into a forum like this and ask such an open ended question than I would to walk into an auto forum and say "what's the best car out there?" Different strokes for different folks.

I just bought the Storm 2, a few weeks after release day, after having the Storm 1 since its release day. I had very few problems with the S1 and it met my needs quite well. I don't agree with one post here about there not being much difference between the 1 and the 2, for me, it has important, critical differences and thus prompted my purchase. The S1 might be perfect for some folks, but not necessarily for others. Some like the Bold, others hate it, some like the Tour, others hate it. Heck, I sold my S1 to a guy that had the Pearl! That's why BB makes a bazillion different phones!

[devek]

Ah, you see? this is why I posted in the first place.

My question about the best BB with Verizon is NOT what they sell in the store. It is what users are using the most and can provide personal feedback about. I could care less about a 5MP camera and more if the device actually keeps calls from dropping.... So yes, California asked me the right questions.

I was looking for comparable features and power as the Bold. Obviously the Storm is WAY out of the question for me, yet, you like it.

I don't have time to go and visit the Verizon store enough to check all that there's available. I read the forums, and although liked the features of the Droid, it still has some major issues that will not go well with my clients' system.

The Tour seems to be the best choice so far, and the Verizon people never mentioned Tour 2... They try to sell me Curve 2...

Still, thank you for the insight of your experience.

[pkcable]

IF you can hold out wait for the Tour2, otherwise get the Tour. As you pointed out no wifi is not a deal breaker (it IS a nice extra thou), and the Tour has all the rest of the goodness. It has a great keyboard, the extra process memory (or RAM), great camera (3.2 MP), and is all around a decent BB. Trackball issues from earlier models are pretty much fixed, HOWEVER the Tour2 will have, what many are saying is a better navigation method, the trackpad.

[JoJoCal19]

IF you can hold out wait for the Tour2, otherwise get the Tour. As you pointed out no wifi is not a deal breaker (it IS a nice extra thou), and the Tour has all the rest of the goodness. It has a great keyboard, the extra process memory (or RAM), great camera (3.2 MP), and is all around a decent BB. Trackball issues from earlier models are pretty much fixed, HOWEVER the Tour2 will have, what many are saying is a better navigation method, the trackpad.

This. I have the Tour and its an amazing phone. I would say that if the Tour 2 is coming out soon I would wait for that since it has the trackpad. The ball on the Tour is the only thing that bothers me about it. The keyboard is amazing.

[Gawain]

Thank you.

I don't know about the Storm2 and smudge on the glass. I saw and played with the Storm 1 when it came out and was not impressed.

I held the Droid at the Verizon store. It is heavy compared to the large Bold, but not a deal breaker. It cannot sync with Outlook unless you use Gmail and On-The-Air sync through the Google cloud... Problem is, there was there was no "live" phone in the store to test speed.

I like the RIM network and concept. Email is a key for me. I have to type and enjoy the Bold's keyboard.

From the little that is available on the Net it looks like the Tour 2 will be available toward June of 2010 since there is another device due in between now and June.

Verizon did offer a 30 days return, so I might just go and get the Droid for 28 days to test it with a new phone number.

Based on this, and your previous note that WiFi is not a priority, the Tour 9630 will suit your needs. It has a good sized keyboard, and most closely fits the form factor of the 9000 you'd leave behind. The only thing you'd need to keep an eye on initially is trackball performance. If not that, then the Curve 8550 would be my next choice for you. The keyboard is smaller, but the keys are distinct, and if it follows on the previous Curve's form factor, then it should shape up to be a very reliable device.