[John Yester]

From Kevin:

Take Note: MicroUSB Port Location on the BlackBerry Bold 9650 IS Slightly Different Than on the Tour 9630 | CrackBerry.com

Top: BlackBerry Tour 9630, Bottom: BlackBerry Bold 9650 - note the slight change in MicroUSB port location

This is one is a public service announcement for all of the soon to be BlackBerry Bold 9650 makers and to all of the accessory manufacturers and retailers out there. For the most part, the body / chassis / frame / etc. of the original BlackBerry Tour 9630 is identical to that of the new BlackBerry Bold 9650, with the obvious exception that there is now an optical trackpad on the front of the 9650 instead of the trackball.
Along the perimeter of the device however, there is another slight change to be aware of, and that is the location of the MicroUSB syncing/charging port. The location has moved just a bit... but it IS enough that some types of accessories that were designed for the Tour 9630, such as form fit cases and skins, may not fit optimally on the new Bold 9650 (you'll be covering the MicroUSB port).

I reached out to RIM to ensure that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, and received a response indicating that all OEM Tour accessories will work on the Bold 9650, with the exception of the skins. New skins were created for the Bold 9650 that are backwards compatible. The skins that were created for the Tour do not work for Bold 9650.

Keep in mind that's for OEM BlackBerry accessories - so for third party accessories you'll want to be on the lookout to ensure proper fit with formed and skin style cases. So there are couple key take away points here... First, to all the accessory manufacturers and retailers out there - don't just blindly mark third party Tour 9630 skins and cases as BlackBerry Bold 9650 compatible - be sure to check that the MicroUSB port holes are still good to go. Secondly, to people looking to pick up BlackBerry Bold 9650 cases, be sure you're aware of this so you don't pick up a case for your Bold 9650 which was a Tour 9630 case/skin to find the MicroUSB holes don't quite align. We'll be watching this carefully in our ShopCrackBerry.com accessory store.... you can find the BlackBerry Bold 9650 accessories as they arrive here.

Thoughts?

[rendrop]

good to know! almost bought a tour case to keep myself calm until the this phone is released....that is if it ever will!

[ridesno159]

I know it's not that big of a deal, but this is pathetic! What a dumb thing for RIM to do just to get more sales on cases. It seems RIM really doesn't like us Tour owners at all.

I mean, really? It would of probably been easier for RIM in the manufacturing process to leave it the same as the 9630.

Whatever though, thanks for making the thread, I feel better now getting that off my chest...

[jaydee5799]

Yeah I DID order a Tour 9630 skin just to keep me interested and I'm sure it wont be a problem as I never connect with usb unless I'm docked at home anyway...
Can't see it being too big a problem with a skin. However, it DOES su*k big time for people wanting to spend more $ on a nicer case...leather, hard case, etc. looks like they will have to wait for a specific model for the 9650.

[teg94]

I must be the ONLY person in the world who has never put a case on any of my blackberries?!?! And still I've never dropped the thing or gotten scratches, etc...

[nRRe]

probably moved it to accommodate internal hardware differences.

not like you lazy people can't get out a dremel and enlarge the hole in your case for it to fit still...


thanks.

[DougFNJ]

probably moved it to accommodate internal hardware differences.

not like you lazy people can't get out a dremel and enlarge the hole in your case for it to fit still...


thanks.

I'm going to guess it was more like business decision to assure more sales from accessories.....

Thank you for posting this thread, very helpful to know.

[Mystic205]

wait.....

you are all missing the point here..

kevin has a bold 9650!!!

where is the review??????

[DougFNJ]

wait.....

you are all missing the point here..

kevin has a bold 9650!!!

where is the review??????

Kevin has HAD the Bold

[John Yester]

wait.....

you are all missing the point here..

kevin has a bold 9650!!!

where is the review??????

Review? lol

Tour plus trackpad

Review complete

[tspderek]

pre-release: waaaa they didn't change the entire platform this sucks.
post-release: waaaa they changed something!

i'd say this is good news. it means they changed the internals of the thing enough that there was a need to shift the location of the port somewhat. i for one am happy that rim changed the most minor thing possible - it's easy to work around it, and lets you use all the other accessories. ****, you can still use the old cases if you want, you just have to remove to charge, which a lot of people do anyway.

or you can just think they're greedy without considering that maybe they made an effort to make the two as similar as possible.

[CBKevin]

I like that they moved the port even if only a cm. Having owned the Tour for a little less than a month, it was a pain in the *** typing on it while charging. Any additional room at the bottom will be more than welcome for my fingers.

[mrcoyote]

*#&*$(! ... wouldn't it make sense to put the ports in a standard position for all their devices so 3rd party companies would say - hey, let's make some great add-on stuff - like nice speaker docks, charging cradles, etc...

my iStuff speaker dock works with my BB, but I can't charge the BB with it sitting in the dock and I have to have the speaker wire hanging out and around the back of the dock.. ugh.

seriously... I don't see this stuff as 'rocket science' that RIM engineers shouldn't be able to say "hey.. that makes sense.. let's do it!".

[pflorio]

Did it move down or up? Either way, doesn't look like it makes a difference there oh well!

I like that they moved the port even if only a cm. Having owned the Tour for a little less than a month, it was a pain in the *** typing on it while charging. Any additional room at the bottom will be more than welcome for my fingers.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mulishaman187]

Always the complainers.... God for-f'ing-bid RIM does anything without consulting all of the whiners first. Come on people, if they moved the port so people have to buy new cases, fine, they're a business that needs sales to continue releasing the phones you complain about. Do you complain that your DVD copy of the Matrix doesn't look as good in your blue-ray player as the Blue-Ray copy does too? Shell out the $20-$30 for a new case when you get the phone and be quiet. Some of you complain so much that if a guy walked up and handed you a briefcase with a million dollars in it, you'd whine that it was ONLY a million. Ok now I'm done

[Eric The Duke]

The usb port should have been moved to near the top of the phone so you can easily type while charging.

[vrs626]

The usb port should have been moved to near the top of the phone so you can easily type while charging.

That would make too much sense. This is RIM after all.

[travelingfool]

Anyone who thinks the USB port location isn't an issue has never tried typing on a 9630 while charging. The minuscule location change on the 9650 will have zero effect on this, so don't get your hopes up.

The only way to fix this is to drill a 1" hole through the knuckle of your right index finger to accommodate the cable and plug.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[eve6er69]

Tour owners are the new red headed step children of the blackberry world. It used to be the pearl flip people. Lol

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[travelingfool]

Tour owners are the new red headed step children of the blackberry world. It used to be the pearl flip people. Lol

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

Why's that? I love my Tour. I've never had a problem with it since day one, and I've had it since November.

The USB port location is the only beef I have with it.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Angry_American]

Actually it should be in the center of the bottom, that way you could dock the thing.

[travelingfool]

Actually it should be in the center of the bottom, that way you could dock the thing.

You can dock it. There are two contacts on the battery cover on either side of the latch that allows it to be docked.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mikeplus1]

You can dock it. There are two contacts on the battery cover on either side of the latch that allows it to be docked.

Well, actually the two contacts on the battery cover only allow the battery to be charged, but not connect the phone to a computer like the usb port can.

[travelingfool]

Well, actually the two contacts on the battery cover only allow the battery to be charged, but not connect the phone to a computer like the usb port can.

Right you are

I should have added that.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[mikeplus1]

Too bad RIM did not move the usb port to the bottom and it would be nice for the earplug to be away from the volume controls, maybe the top or other side, but I guess that was would be too much of a redesign and make it too much like a Bold and less like a Tour?