[joepocky]

Okay, so I realize this may sound like a stupid question but hear me out.

From what I can see, the 9700 is going to fall into the Bold series. However, it physically looks much more like the Tour (being a mash-up between a Bold and Curve). So why on earth is the 9700 going to be a Bold and not a Tour? What separates these two series of phones? Is it simply the processor? Faux-leather battery door?

It makes sense that each series has some variety. There are now three series of Curves (8300, 8500, 8900) and two series of Pearls (8100, 8200). Physically the phones vary from series to series but they remain in the same family because of key features (Pearls use SureType, Curves have separated QWERTY keys and are generally more consumer-focused).

I guess it's just strange that RIM started a whole new series (the Tour). Why didn't they just call the 9630 a Bold as it is (for the most part) aimed at business users and has the Bold-style keyboard. It can't be simply that it's a CDMA variant as all of the other series maintained their product line name.

So yeah, what makes a Bold a Bold and a Tour a Tour?

Maybe this all just bothers me because I work in marketing, LOL.

[cajunrph]

The name RIM gives them .

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Sara_cakes]

The Tour looks like the Curve.

The Onyx does not have that chrome edge thingy and I guess it's similarities like within the keyboard?

But who knows :P

[JRFI]

I know that the Tour has a better camera and more memory than the Bold simply by the specs. other then that I don't have the technical knowledge to comment.

However, having played with both, I strongly "feel" that the Bold is a much better quality phone. The Tour "seems" to me to be of cheaper construction.
I am waiting for the Onyx/Merlin to launch and hope it is of the same quality as the Bold.

[joepocky]

I definitely get that the 9700 lacks the trim that the Tour has and all of the other minor differences, I just don't think it makes sense in the product line-up. I mean, the Curve 8520 has a trackpad, not a trackball, yet it's still a Curve. I can't imagine chrome trim or a battery door would be the only differences between the Tour and Bold series.

I dunno, maybe an insider has an idea about what the heck RIM's marketing department is doing?

[google123]

The way things are going with all the different models, before long there will be so many phones that the only difference will be the color of the phone. Lol.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[markgnyc2]

Probably, because AT&T has an exclusive agreement to carry the "Bold" so they needed to come up with a different name...

[Jancy10]

Probably, because AT&T has an exclusive agreement to carry the "Bold" so they needed to come up with a different name...

In a way this sorta does make sense..I agree with this....

[Yomny]

doestn't the bold allow data and voice simultaneously and the tour doesn't?

[AZBBFAN]

Yomny is correct, the bold will do voice and data at the same time. The Bold has a faster processor and the Bold has wifi. Many believe the Bold to still be the best BB made.

[joepocky]

doestn't the bold allow data and voice simultaneously and the tour doesn't?

Yeah but that's a network limitation, not so much because of the phone. CDMA (Verizon, Sprint, etc) can't do it while GSM (AT&T, Rogers, etc.) can.

Interesting reasoning regarding AT&T exclusivity. If that's the case, I wonder what the 9700 series would be called on T-Mobile and what the Storm will be called on GSM providers. Hmm...

[Yomny]

So then the onyx should have date and voice simultaneously considering its on GSM networks? I brought this up because the tour is on CDMA and doesn't have data with voice and this thread is about what makes a Tour a tour and Bold a bold.

[papped]

So then the onyx should have date and voice simultaneously considering its on GSM networks? I brought this up because the tour is on CDMA and doesn't have data with voice and this thread is about what makes a Tour a tour and Bold a bold.

Yeah. It will.

[BlueNova1914]

I've been trying to figure that that same question the onyx doesn't even look like a bold its the size of the 8900 and it just looks like a tour with wifi. Honestly the bold still looks better. I don't understand why everyone is talking about the size of the bold. The size is just fine to me.

[owadkelly]

this question was answered in another thread


some things are
faster processor
compact form factor
better design

[joepocky]

this question was answered in another thread


some things are
faster processor
compact form factor
better design

That is not an answer to the question...

Compact form factor and better design is hardly specific to the Bold series - what with the 9000 and 9700 having different form factors. If anything, the 9700 is closer to the 9630.

The question is why are there two different series? Bold and Tour

[latina berry]

The way things are going with all the different models, before long there will be so many phones that the only difference will be the color of the phone. Lol.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

I agree

[gilmour93woo]

How much faster is it? I think I am just going to get a Bold and be done with it. I can't wait anymore!

[omarjiwa]

maybe im just stupid but maybe the fact that its not GSM only makes it in a different series

[briankeith513]

Differences between the Tour and the Bold are: Tour is smaller, better camera, slightly sharper screen, more ram, whereas the Bold is larger, only 2 megapixel camera, wifi, and faster processor, less ram. I use both, and I prefer the Tour. If you require wifi, or data plus voice at the same time, go with the Bold.

[joepocky]

Differences between the Tour and the Bold are: Tour is smaller, better camera, slightly sharper screen, more ram, whereas the Bold is larger, only 2 megapixel camera, wifi, and faster processor, less ram. I use both, and I prefer the Tour. If you require wifi, or data plus voice at the same time, go with the Bold.

(SIGH) I'm not referring to the Bold 9000 but the Bold series. The new Bold 9700 has all of the features you just stated re: the Tour. That's where my question lies. What makes a Bold a Bold and a Tour a Tour?

Also, it is not a GSM vs CDMA thing because Pearls and Curves have been available for both without a name change.

[venommuyo]

Plain and simple, the Bold and Tour series are different sizes.

Bold is the biggest phone. Specs aside..
They may look similar in pics (especially the keyboards), but in person and side by side, the bold is bigger. The Tour is smaller, its the size of the Javelin (8900)

[storm9520]

the bold line for sure is one of the high end phones. it has leather rather than cheap plastic. it is built rather solid and has an overall feeling of luxury.

i cant speak much about the tour line, because i have no experience with it. id rather get a 8900 or just wait for the onyx if i was looking for a full qwerty keyboard. but some ppl have said that the build quality is cheap (chrome is peeling off on the keyboard? or buttons arent working? stuff like that) maybe its a phone line that is not as high end as the bold?

[TLD1]

Yomny is correct, the bold will do voice and data at the same time. The Bold has a faster processor and the Bold has wifi. Many believe the Bold to still be the best BB made.

The Bold is/was such a huge, clear improvement over the Curve...that I tend to agree that it's the best BB made to date. I mean, anyone could just look and see that it was a flagship device.

With the 9700...I dunno. Yeah, spec-wise there are some nice tweaks and improvements, but to say it's a worthy successor to the 9000 Bold is stretching things.

[TLD1]

Plain and simple, the Bold and Tour series are different sizes.

Bold is the biggest phone. Specs aside..
They may look similar in pics (especially the keyboards), but in person and side by side, the bold is bigger. The Tour is smaller, its the size of the Javelin (8900)

Hope you're right. If the Onyx/Bold/9700 is the same size as the Javelin 8900...then I'm officially "out".