5 Comments on BlackBerry Tour 9630 Phone, Black

Crabby on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 1:32 am


After 2 weeks, the trackball stopped responding well, and the screen freezes at the lower 25%. . . making most things unreadable. . . and no wifi option, like the bold. If you are not travelling abroad, go with an iphone. . . otherwise, stick with your world phone, or switch to a bold. . . wish i had.
Rating: 1 / 5

Joe Citizen 2009 on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 3:58 am


I have no general complaints with this phone when it works. It has a nice screen and a fast web browser for a Blackberry. The major problem with the phone is a trackball that hardly scrolls horizontally. (which unfortunately is needed for basic top level navigation of the phone’s features). When I took the phone back to the store to complain about the problem, I was told by the rep that there are known issues with this model’s trackball (and specifically the horizontal scroll). I was also told that it is made in several different countries and that the the phones that were made in Canada seem to be the most reliable (take that for what its worth).

What prospective buyers should beware of is dealing with Verizon Wireless. In my opinion, they have extremely unethical business practices and customer service reps that are not empowered to actually help customers with problems. Despite the fact that I have a long-term relationship with this vendor and that I am an extremely profitable client for them, they have twice refused to provide me with a new replacement phone. They will instead offer to send you a refurbished phone, which in my experience at least, means that your replacement phone will have something wrong with it as well (and which has a higher chance of breaking again in the future). I’m on my second try now and they still refuse to send me a new replacement for a phone that never worked.

My advice to prospective buyers of this phone would be:

1) Put it on a credit card, and if you ultimately have an issue with 60 to 90 days, tell Verizon that you will charge back the purchase if they don’t live up to their end of the deal. If they refuse to handle the issue to your satisfaction, call your credit card company and initiate the charge back process. (Unfortunately, I can’t do this as it had to be provisioned through my company. )

2) Consider a smart phone on an alternate provider (perhaps the IPhone with AT&T if you don’t need it for serious business use).

Rating: 2 / 5

Dustin Schultz on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 6:37 am


I have been a BB user for years and used many devices on many carriers in my time. The Blackberry Tour 9630 is by far the worst phone ever made by RIM. Let’s start with the most obvious flaw. . . the trackball. It doesn’t work. Period. There is a serious manufacturing issue with this phone and none of them have working trackballs. I have had mine replaced more times than I can count and I still don’t have a working phone.

The keyboard is poorly designed. I came from the 8830 WE, and there is no comparison. I do like the keys all being together more than say the Curve, but the indicidual buttons on the Tour do not have ridges like the 8830 WE. They have odd little despressions on the corners that make it very hard to type on, plus the keyboard being smaller than the 8830 WE.

The speed of the phone while using the OS is very slow. Slower than the Curve or 8830 WE. I am not sure how they accomplished this with supposedly better hardware in the Tour, but they did.

Stay away from this phone if you want one that will actually work.
Rating: 1 / 5

James Brittain on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 7:08 am


I read on Crackberry. com ‘replacing your Curve with the Tour is a no brainer – too bad it didn’t have WiFi’.

Didn’t have WiFi – as if the phone would be worth a dime it it did?!

I sadly don’t think so.

I have had my ‘Tour’ now for a week.

The Tour won’t download FoxNewsMobile, CNN Mobile or any other mobile application outside of proprietary applications.

Further, I use a Plantronics Bluetooth that had zero issues with the Curve but cannot be used with the Tour as nobody can hear you.

As far as the phone functionality – I am repeatedly asked if I have people on speakerphone!!

I have rated the phone one star as it has been a complete waste of time (probably a full day of sitting in the Verizon store flipping contacts, emails and IM’s as well as trying to setup the home screen to a format that was half as functional as the curve).

Sadly, I have to sit on old technology because RIM can no longer compete apparently.

I was truly hoping to rave that the Iphone holds no merit to my new Blackberry – I can’t even keep it. . .

Save a headache – Don’t waste your time.
Rating: 1 / 5

Christopher OConnor on Tue, 29th Dec 2009 8:12 am


First time doing a review.

The Tour is a great phone. I would say the Tour and Bold is the same phone just different providers. I had the bold for a few weeks for for a company. Great phone but horrible service.

Now for the Tour. If you want quick response, great features and fast set up. The Tour is for you. The camera is also great. This is better than the Storm. I had the Storm. It was worthbeing apart of the “blackberry touch screen crew” but if you trying to do work and read business, The storm is crap and many can second me on that.

The tour has the new usb port feaature of many future blackberrys but I am happy the converter port was in the box. The clear hd type view is great. It can not be topped.

Alot of customizations available. Great pick and I dont regard it. If you always on the go and it is do excel, email on email and messeges sending, this is a great choice.

IMPORTANT: battery life is long as well. GET IT ASAP
Rating: 5 / 5

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