[srheug]

I am new to the BB world I currently have a windows smartphone, but last month I bought my wife a Curve 8330 from Verizon. I am so impressed with it that I wanted to upgrade my phone, which is due 10/3. I figured since the 8330 was so cool I'd go the next step up and get the Tour 9630. Now with the announcement of the pending Essex. I don't know which way to go. Any comments will be appreciated.

No wise crack about my current phone are required. I said I want to upgrade.

[moni19]

well, from the rumors it doesn't seem like the Essex will be here any time soon...it may be released some time next year, so if you don't mind waiting that long, then just wait...otherwise, the Tour seems like a pretty decent phone. I would get one myself but I have to wait for my upgrade (Nov) so I might as well just wait it out until the Essex comes out...

[StLouisRN]

Thats the same thing im pondering. I have the 8830 and storm but may wait it out.

[pkcable]

Might want to consider waiting till Oct and getting a Storm 2.

[gwtiff54]

I say get a Tour. But that is totally up to you. I had a Storm and I really liked it. But I got to where I missed a key board. If you are wanting a touch screen I would go with the Storm 2 when it comes out. If you wont a full qwerty pad go with the Tour. Best of luck!

[mjbesen310]

If your impressed with a Curve, your gonna be blown away then with a Tour. The Tour is a great phone and by far the best phone i have ever had!

if you like touch screens, you might like a storm 2. The only main difference obviously a storm 2 will have is a touch screen and wifi. The Tour does not have wifi, so if you need wifi in a phone, the storm 2 might be good for you.

me personally, I would choose the Tour as I am extreamly happy with it!

[Dusteater]

Do not buy the Tour. The 8830 is far superior in every way. I came from the 8830 and really want to go back to it. The Tour is just poor quality, period.

[experiment 626]

In this case "pending" probably means 2010.I would give a serious look at the Storm 2,which is rumoured to come out a couple weeks after your upgrade is available.Personally I'm way underwhelmed by the Tour so far.I think the Essex is what the Tour should have been all along.I wonder how much an 8330 from ebay would be?At lest to tide you over.

[maxxgrl]

I like the Tour over the Curve but was somewhat disappointed of the rush/cheap job they did on some basic features... the loose battery door (on some models), ripple in the screen (no problem on my end with that one. Otherwise I luv the size in my hand, the keyboard (still missing the Curve keyboard). The browser speed is much better than the Curve overall. I can't wait til 5.0 and above come out because after trying the beta leak--- it's really going to be a great phone.

[gwtiff54]

Now just remember they have corrected the Tour problems.

[infamyx]

The Tour is nice, but personally im waiting for the Aries/8530 to drop, which if it comes during Nov like im reading ill be forgoing the Storm 2 for that until the Essex arrives.

[codemaker]

Do not buy the Tour. The 8830 is far superior in every way. I came from the 8830 and really want to go back to it. The Tour is just poor quality, period.

Do not listen to this poster. OK, so this is his subjective opinion. I respect that, BUT I have the 8830 and very badly want to upgrade to the essex because of the 8830's limitations. If I could get a free tour today and upgrade to the essex when it is released, then I would do that.

Whether you should wait or not comes down to what features you want in your phone. If you are fine with the tour's lack of wifi and the trackball, then go ahead and upgrade in october. I doubt the essex will offer much over the tour besides wifi and the trackpad. For me, wifi is a must so I am going to wait it out.

[Dusteater]

Now just remember they have corrected the Tour problems.

They have? I have had mine replaced multiple times, no fixes to anything. =(

[sunNsnow]

They have? I have had mine replaced multiple times, no fixes to anything. =(

I agree ... I felt like a beta tester for RIM, except that I paid for the Tour since I'm not due for an upgrade yet. I gave up after two Tours within a two week period and got a refund.

For me, bluetooth on the Tour is still an outstanding issue (see sticky-ed post under the 9630 discussion) and not fixed. I know the trackball is still a problem since I met someone who recently purchased the Tour and confirmed the issue exists on his phone. That leads me to believe there are still units out there with unfixed hardware problems. Since there is no official update for the OS, the software problems, e.g., bluetooth, with the Tour obviously have not been solved.

It's a coin toss as to whether you'll get lucky or not.

That being said, the Tour is an amazing phone if it did not have as many problems as it does right now. The positives of the Tour: the big screen, easy to use qwerty keyboard, fairly quick data speeds for internet browsing, more memory [most new BBs have more memory than the Pearl ], you can travel internationally with it. Oh, and the Tour is a heavy phone compared to the Pearl and probably heavier than the Curve (in case you need to consider that sort of thing).

So, it's up to you if you want to wait or get the Tour. As DevilDrifterX mentioned, the next BB this year will be Storm 2. If you don't mind having no keyboard and a touch screen, then that may be phone to consider.

I'm impatiently waiting for either: updated OS on the Tour or Essex (is this the Atlas everyone speculated about?)

[thebokonist]

Do not buy the Tour. The 8830 is far superior in every way. I came from the 8830 and really want to go back to it. The Tour is just poor quality, period.

You've got to be kidding me. The Tour is superior in every imaginable way. I have an 8830 for work and I haaaate that piece of garbage.
I looove my Tour to death. Camera, screen, memory, os....there is no way I could ever turn back.

[Jancy10]

I say wait, at least until an OS update is released because the Tour has too many software issues right now and they are mostlikely caused by the current OS...

[dziekank]

If you were impressed with the curve I think you will love the Tour. And if you like touch screens maybe think about the Storm 2. Either way I think you will get a great phone.

[thebokonist]

I say wait, at least until an OS update is released because the Tour has too many software issues right now and they are mostlikely caused by the current OS...

What software issues? Everything works great on my Tour.
Unlike the Bold and Storm, which were riddled with OS problems.

[ickmule]

Don't know about software issues but the trackball issue on the Tour is enough to make me wait. I got my Tour in the mail yesterday and the trackball was crap right out of the box

[silverspeed]

I would go with the Tour... I mean yeah new phones are cool and all but hopefully by your 10/3 upgrade all of the Tour kinks will be worked out which = perfect phone. Besides the Essex (Or whatever it will be) probably won't surface in the real world until sometime next year.

[srheug]

Thanks to all of you for your comments. That being said..... I'm still in a quandary. Most all of you say what a great phone the Tour is, except for all of the problems. Like I said in my initial post, "I was really impressed" by the 8330 I bought for my wife and it wasn't just the phone it was the whole Blackberry experience. Their support on the web site, the basic attitude of the phone and the professionalism.

Also with the problems that some of you have experienced, you all seem to stick with Blackberry phones.

What ever I decide to do come 10/3, I'm sure it will be to purchase a Blackberry phone.

Thanks again to all

[experiment 626]

The 8330 is still a very solid device,even if it's not a "cutting edge "BB like the Bold or Tour is today.RIM always keeps us guessing so anything could happen in 2 months.Just follow CB.

[mjbesen310]

I say wait, at least until an OS update is released because the Tour has too many software issues right now and they are mostlikely caused by the current OS...

there are no software issues with the Tour, where are you getting your information from?

The Tour is by far the best blackberry on the market right now for us CDMA ussers

[Dusteater]

there are no software issues with the Tour, where are you getting your information from?

The Tour is by far the best blackberry on the market right now for us CDMA ussers

I prefer the 8830. At least I can use the trackball on it. The Tour's trackball alone makes it a terrible device. The keyboard is also much better on the 8830 because it has ridges, unlike the Tour, which has depressions.

[yelowsnomann911]

if you really like the tour id get it now because the essex wont be out until early 2010, but i would wait and see what new features the essex will have other than wifi and a trackpad because ive heard rumors they might put a touch screen and 5 mp camera on it, not to mention OS 5.0