The BlackBerry Bold is well constructed and has a solid classy feel, though it does seem a bit heavy but it fits in your hands perfectly and it fits well within your pocket. In terms of size, it lies between the two; its dimensions are larger than the Curve but smaller than the BlackBerry Bold.

The Blackberry Tour uses the same 2.4 inch 480 x 360 pixel resolution screen as the BlackBerry Curve resulting in sharp, clear and bright images full of lively colors. Below the display panel, sits the trackball navigator, back button, Talk, End keys and a menu shortcut. The QWERTY keyboard though not as large as the Blackberry Bold, is comfortable to use. You are still able to type with accuracy and speed.

The voice quality of the Blackberry Tour is outstanding, whether you are using headphones or speakerphone; the reception is loud and crisp with little or negligible background noise. Messaging options are numerous; you can choose from SMS, MMS, IM or social networking updates. Besides Blackberry Messenger, Google, Yahoo, MySpace, facebook, AIM and Microsoft are among other IM clients found on the Blackberry Tour.

The 3.2 megapixel camera is definitely a plus as it comes with a 2x zoom, image stabilization and auto focus. The Tour comes with a video recorder and geo tags your photos automatically. Overall the pictures’ are quite nice and can be classified as above average quality.

The GPS in the Blackberry Tour guides you accurately and quickly and offers two mapping choices. The Blackberry Maps which gives GPS positioning without voice guidance and the VZ Navigator which offers turn by turn directions with voice directions. However the VZ Navigator has to be purchased as an optional feature.

Even when not in the office, the Blackberry Tour can keep you connected with your work through features like conference calling, voice dialing and a built in speaker phone. Bluetooth which can also act as a modem is another feature of the Blackberry Tour. You can also get Visual voice mails by paying a nominal monthly charge. Speed Dial, 3.5mm jack and a mini USB port are also a part of the Blackberry Tour’s many features.

Its dual functionality; in other words its ability to support the CDMA networks in the US and GSM networks outside US has made it the most suitable device for frequent travelers. It switches effortlessly between GSM and CDMA network for international roaming. It is compatible with many e-mail and messaging clients and though it lacks Wi-Fi, its absence does not make any significant effect on the phone’s performance.

The Media player is quite impressive and an optional 2GB micro SD card provides storage space for videos and music. The Blackberry comes with 256 MB of built-in memory.

Screen lock, password protection and sleep mode are some features which will protect your Blackberry Tour. The removable and rechargeable 1400mAhr lithium battery powers the Blackberry Tour supporting approximately 5 hours of talk time.

Conclusion

The Blackberry Tour 9630 is a stylish and practical mobile phone which communicates effectively both online and offline. The phone is ideal for travelers as it can switch between CDMA and GSM networks. The 3G support is fast for browsing, downloading and messaging. On the entertainment front, it performs pretty well and the images and videos are sharp, brilliant and full of life. You can record your memories with the 3.2 megapixel camera; the camera takes clear pictures even in dark environments. The Blackberry Tour has all the abilities which will suit the needs of any consumer.

Please see our Author’s box below for incredible Blackberry Tour Cell Phone offers, and other exciting news of what you need to know before purchasing a Blackberry Tour Phone