Tech Gear News

Report: BlackBerry Tour being rushed out

By Tim Conneally | Published July 10, 2009, 11:36 AM

Research in Motion's BlackBerry Tour world phone will be released this weekend on both Verizon and Sprint for $199, and while the device has been received warmly by reviewers and BlackBerry fans, a point of consistent criticism has been the device's lack of Wi-Fi.

A report from Sprint has arrived, saying that Wi-Fi is a necessary feature in major devices, but the Tour was actually rushed out. Bringing the new BlackBerry to Sprint in a timely fashion outweighed the carrier's desire to wait for Wi-Fi, according to the report. Consequently, a version of the BlackBerry Tour will be released next year equipped with 802.11.

Verizon would not directly confirm that it will also be offering a Wi-Fi enabled Tour next year, but it did say it was working with RIM to bring Wi-Fi to future BlackBerry models. This statement could actually refer to the BlackBerry Storm upgrade, which will reportedly endow Verizon's exclusive touchscreen BlackBerry with Wi-Fi connectivity next September.

Research in Motion has not officially announced the device yet, but CEO Jim Balsillie confirmed to Reuters last May that a next-generation Storm was in the works.

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Escorts London
Jul 13, 2009 - 6:20 AM edited

Very interesting and informative article.Escorts London

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DonGato
Jul 11, 2009 - 8:52 AM

If you have 3G and it works well (in your zones), and the company doesn't apply extra data charges then Wi-Fi isn't so sexy or needed. :P

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shicaca
Jul 11, 2009 - 6:28 PM edited

You must have not compared 3G to Wifi. Wifi speeds blow 3G out of the water ... and it uses a very small fraction of battery life, as well.

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DonGato
Jul 11, 2009 - 8:16 PM edited

Yes, I compared it. A BlackBerry is not about speed but accessibility everywhere. With 3G you have speedy enough access everywhere. You don't plan to download Linux distros with it, do you?

It is a nice thing to have but not a limitation as the article seems to point out.

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