We'd been hearing a lot about the BlackBerry Tour over the last month, and today Verizon Wireless finally took the wraps of their version of the globetrotting BlackBerry device. In terms of style and capabilities, the Tour is strongly reminiscent of the BlackBerry Bold on AT&T or the BlackBerry Curve 8900. It's a classic BlackBerry design, with the full QWERTY keyboard beneath a roomy screen up top. On the inside, the phone will be the first full-QWERTY phone on Verizon Wireless' considerable BlackBerry lineup to use the new BlackBerry OS 4.7, so Verizon user will finally see the updated interface we'd enjoyed on other recent models.
Verizon Wireless' Tour will be available on July 12 for $200 with a 2-year contract and a mail-in rebate. Because Verizon Wireless uses a technology that isn't usually compatible with 3G networks outside of the U.S., the BlackBerry Tour will feature dual-mode radios, capable of browing Verizon's 3G EV-DO Rev. A network here in the states, or foreign 3G HSDPA networks, on the 2100 MHz band, in Europe and elsewhere. Verizon Wireless says the phone will be able to make calls in 220 countries and access e-mail and Internet in any of 175 countries where Verizon Wireless provides data roaming services.
In addition to the advanced networking, the phone will also get a 3.2-megapixel camera with geo-tagging and video recording capabilities. The camera will also use auto focus to sharpen up shots. The phone will support GPS, but Verizon Wireless' version of the BlackBerry Tour won't support Wi-Fi networking.
Verizon Wireless is currently taking pre-orders for the phone. The Tour comes as Verizon Wireless is ending its popular buy one get one offer for BlackBerry phones, though the carrier is offering that $70 rebate for BlackBerry devices across the board. This brings down the price of older BlackBerry devices, like the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition of the older Curve 8330, to only $50. Even Verizon's top-of-the-line BlackBerry Storm device will be discounted to $150, making it cheaper than the new BlackBerry Tour. We should note that the $70 rebate will come in the form of a debit card.
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