[jdubgv]

Hey everyone!

I recently had to sell my iPhone3GS due to financial issues, and am planning on purchasing a used blackberry to replace it. Now, I have been researching like mad, trying to find a solid BB phone, and have decided to go with either the tour 9630 or the Curve 8900....or bold 9000 if I can find one cheap. So here are my questions for all the Blackberry users out there ( you know the product best ):

1) Product wise, whats the more reliable phone - more so build quality-functionality.

2) Is there one phone, in all honesty, that you would say is better all around - features, capabilities.

3) Finally, what is a good ballpark figure for price that I should expect to pay for these used phones - looking for a 9/10, not necessarily mint, but a phone that has been well taken care of.

** I realize the tour is a mix of the 8900 and bold. While the curve 8900 has wi-fi, and the tour 9630 does not, but the tour has 3g capability for overseas but not in N. America. ****

Obviously the Bold is the perfect mix between the two, but say it was out of YOUR price range, what would YOU choose? Thanks in advance!

[markaveli420]

I would choose the curve 8900 its the best out of the three IMO. Second, Bold 9000, and third the Tour. The Tour is already played out so if I were you I'd get da 8900 or 9000. They are all great phones tho
If you like the Tour then get it. All of these phones have similar specs except bold 9000 has 2 mega pixel camera instead of 3.2
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[jdubgv]

Thanks to the above poster ^^^^^^ I appreciate the response greatly. Anyone else have any experience with these phones. I actually just looked at one, in person, from a seller on kijiji tonight - the tour, maybe I was just upset that he said it was mint, and the phone, well I wouldnt even trade a mint for it, was all scuffed. But it felt really cheap, all plastic, and very very light weight. But anymore help would be much appreciated, thanks

[MrObvious]

The Tour does have 3G and is very nice IMO for everything really. If you wanna save a little money you could get some service like T-Mobile or Metro and just set the phone up for the service. T-Mobile has the Bold though and would be cheap. What is your budget?

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[jdubgv]

Well, Im not looking to go through a carrier, as I recently extended my plan to upgrade to an iPhone 3gs, but, had to sell it for some extra cash. My budget is 250. I have been looking on the crackberry marketplace, and have seen all three phones ( bold, 8900, tour ) selling for that or less. But on kijiji....no one sells for that, and ppl seem to be quite moody if they think you are low balling on their listed price. Thats why I would like a ball park figure on the phones, so i dont get ripped off.
Thanks for the response though, I see you own a tour...is that phone all plastic, or does it have a chrome outer like the bold? The one I saw tonight felt almost like a fake...if there is even a fake blackberry tour ( probably not ).

[BergerKing]

Tour has the metal bezel around it, it's not all plastic. I purchased one just under 2 weeks ago and it makes my 8330 feel like a toy. Overall, I am quite satisfied with the Tour, even lacking Wi-Fi. I know that's a gotcha for some, but CDMA 3G is pretty darned quick. I have a simple acrylic case on it for now, but if you have larger fingers, you'll find the 8900 keyboard a little cramped also. I loved my Curve's keyboard, Tour's is even nicer.

Even though I was waiting for the Tour's successor, I have no regrets with the 9630.

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[elvin1983]

I would choose the curve 8900 its the best out of the three IMO. Second, Bold 9000, and third the Tour. The Tour is already played out so if I were you I'd get da 8900 or 9000. They are all great phones tho
If you like the Tour then get it. All of these phones have similar specs except bold 9000 has 2 mega pixel camera instead of 3.2
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I'll politely disagree with this gentleman's post, and you'll see why in a second.
Here's how I'd rate them:
1. Tour
2. Bold 9000
3. 8900

1. Tour: 3G, 360x480 hi res screen, 3.2mp autofocus camera, 256mb memory, 3G world phone (GSM & CDMA)

2. Bold 9000: 3G, 480x320 hi res screen, 2.0mp camera, 128mb memory, WiFi

3. 8900: EDGE network, 480x360 hi res screen, 3.2mp autofocus camera, 256mb memory, WiFi

Here's why I put the Bold ahead of the 8900, the size/layout of the device, and the fact that it's 3G. The major downfall IMO of it is that it only has 128mb of memory, if it had 256 it would be perfect. The 8900 certainly isn't a bad device, and it was hard for me to put it behind the Bold 9000, because it is so good, however, since it is an EDGE device, and the majority of your data transfer is going to be over the native network, not thru WiFi, that makes the difference for me, and because I think the Bold 9000 is one of the best looking BlackBerries ever produced.

For me, the Tour packs the best of both, 3G, the better screen, the better camera, and 256mb of memory. As stated, the lack of WiFi isn't a huge issue, since the CDMA 3G data is pretty damn fast, plus, aside from the Bold 9000, I think this has the best layout available, everything is nice and proportional on the handset. An all around good device.

[jdubgv]

Thanks berger and elvin! I really appreciate the feedback. I had pretty much decided to go with the tour, but was kind of turned off with it when I met with a seller off kijiji. I do however realize that something was amiss with that phone, as berger explained the phone is not all plastic. The one I saw certainly was, so Ill keep looking. Do you think its possible to pick up a used bold for 250? I think its down to the tour and bold for now.

Elvin-- made a great point however about the tour, it does sound like a good mix of both worlds with 3g, screen res, keyboard. Wi-Fi isnt really an issue for me, my data plan is fairly big.

[elvin1983]

I would imagine that you would be able to, especially since the Bold 9000 has been out for a while, there is probably a fair number of handsets out there. I just did a quick Ebay search, and it looked like they range anywhere from $175-$300+. I'm sure you could find something!

[BergerKing]

I will add a mea culpa, there is a possibility that the bezel could be a plated plastic, but it has a metallic feel to it. If I am incorrect about my earlier statement, I'd rather not attempt to BS my way through. With disassembly, I cannot assume that it is really metal.

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[jdubgv]

Thanks elvin for doing a quick search on price for me, I appreciate it. I was hoping maybe someone on the crackberry marketplace was selling some of the phones, but Im from Ontario, CA...no one seems to want to ship there, haha. But I will keep searching. And berger, thanks for clearing some things up about the phone, I think I may head over to a wireless kisok and take a look at one...I honestly think a lot of my disapproval came from the fact that the seller lied about the condition...which turned me off from the phone instantly. Not only that, Im coming from a 3gs, which is a pretty heavy-solid phone. Im DOWNGRADING, so I have to keep in mind that with that, quality may not seem as top notch. But wow, guys, thank you again for your continued help, its really making the choices so much easier on my part.

[elvin1983]

Thanks elvin for doing a quick search on price for me, I appreciate it. I was hoping maybe someone on the crackberry marketplace was selling some of the phones, but Im from Ontario, CA...no one seems to want to ship there, haha. But I will keep searching. And berger, thanks for clearing some things up about the phone, I think I may head over to a wireless kisok and take a look at one...I honestly think a lot of my disapproval came from the fact that the seller lied about the condition...which turned me off from the phone instantly. Not only that, Im coming from a 3gs, which is a pretty heavy-solid phone. Im DOWNGRADING, so I have to keep in mind that with that, quality may not seem as top notch. But wow, guys, thank you again for your continued help, its really making the choices so much easier on my part.

I wouldn't necessarily look at it as a downgrade, especially since BlackBerries have a solid reputation for building a pretty durable device. Coming from an iPhone, which lacks many physical buttons, or a battery door, I could see where that is viewed as a more durable phone, mostly for no other reason than it's a one piece design (of course there are more than one piece, but you know what I mean). Don't worry, you're not jumping into a cheap-o phone just by getting a BB, they're just as durable, if not more than an iPhone.

[jdubgv]

I wouldn't necessarily look at it as a downgrade, especially since BlackBerries have a solid reputation for building a pretty durable device. Coming from an iPhone, which lacks many physical buttons, or a battery door, I could see where that is viewed as a more durable phone, mostly for no other reason than it's a one piece design (of course there are more than one piece, but you know what I mean). Don't worry, you're not jumping into a cheap-o phone just by getting a BB, they're just as durable, if not more than an iPhone.

Haha, sorry, maybe the term downgrading...in capitals no less, was a bad analogy. I fully understand that BB's are quite the solid machine, and quality is top notch. I mean, thats why they are so popular and have such a strong user base. Thats actually why Im choosing BB, I still want a solid phone, something reliable. Maybe I should have said less costly, as thats basically what Im doing...selling the more expensive phone ( as most anything apple is ) and moving towards something not as expensive. I think the iPhones all in one ( no back cover-moveable parts) does add to its expensive feeling and weight no doubt. But I honestly do realize that BB's are not cheap ( price or make ). Thought I should clear that up, lol.

[tour2storm2]

I have owned the Curve and the Tour and have used Blackberry for many years and I would throw in the Storm 2 in the mix. It's the happiest I've been with a Blackberry device. I bought the $3.99 option to get the sliderberry/IPhone screen in there so I get the functionality of the Blackberry, plus the "appearance" of an iPhone. Moreover, you will not miss the iphone as much with the Storm 2...if at all.

[jdubgv]

Yea, I have heard the storm 2 is quite the phone, a big uprgrade to the 9530, or so it seems ( what the storm should have been in the first place ). Only thing is, I doubt there are many used BB storm 2's out there, and if there is, they are probably out of that 250 range that Im trying to keep within. I should look into it though....if I do come across, say a 9530, is it really that buggy? How does the 9530 compare to a tour or bold ( outside of the touch screen )?

[tour2storm2]

the storm 2 has been out more than six months and that is the typical threshold for techies. You should find a storm 2 along your budget. I was one of those who thought of jumping ship to the iphone but luckily coverage prevented me from doing so. Plus, the storm 2 sealed the deal for me another year or two. This device I truly enjoyed a lot. I tether with it, browser isn't bad, exceptional email, and makes me lots of money haha. Bump your budget by another $50 and fun factor will increase times ten.

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[jdubgv]

the storm 2 has been out more than six months and that is the typical threshold for techies. You should find a storm 2 along your budget. I was one of those who thought of jumping ship to the iphone but luckily coverage prevented me from doing so. Plus, the storm 2 sealed the deal for me another year or two. This device I truly enjoyed a lot. I tether with it, browser isn't bad, exceptional email, and makes me lots of money haha. Bump your budget by another $50 and fun factor will increase times ten.

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How does the storm 2 fair against its predecessor, the 9530? What I mean by that is, is the 9530 even worth taking a look at? Wi-Fi is no issue to me, my data plan fits my lifestyle and than some. More so its functionality.