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I just got this from the official RIM media page and it’s nothing all that exciting. It’s still worth posting in that it shows you a basic walkthrough of the device and its features. This video is likely meant for companies and carriers to use when creating ad and marketing material.
To enjoy the video, I suggest letting it buffer for a while, and then skipping at least a minute into the video. At the end, you can see the updated BlackBerry Maps application which looks very nice on the Tour.
Official Press Release: The New BlackBerry Tour Smartphone Launches on America’s Most Dependable 3G Network to Create a Powerful Mobility Tool for Those on the Go
The BlackBerry Tour smartphone from Sprint offers access to America’s most dependable 3G network, plus 2100 MHz UMTS/HSPA and quad-band EDGE/GPRS/GSM support for international roaming
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Jun. 16, 2009– With the new BlackBerry® Tour™ smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) available from Sprint (NYSE: S) on America’s most dependable 3G network1, staying connected won’t be a worry domestically, or when you travel around the world.
The BlackBerry Tour smartphone is a powerful mobility tool that operates on Sprint’s nationwide 3G (EV-DO Rev. A) network domestically. It also roams on other high-speed wireless networks around the world for reliable voice and email communication without missing a beat.
The BlackBerry Tour is a sophisticated smartphone that enables customers to be more productive and better equipped to manage both their busy personal and business lives. It is ideally suited for those who want to stay socially connected, and lets you share moments through pictures and videos via MMS and instant message on popular IM services or BlackBerry® Messenger. It also offers easy access to your favorite social networking sites like Flickr®, MySpace and Facebook®, and you get smooth integration between the BlackBerry Tour smartphone and your Facebook events and friends giving you a great view of what’s happening both personally and professionally. This is the most powerful business smartphone in Sprint’s line-up with instant access to emails, calendar, contacts, robust business applications and location-based services, leveraging the best performing networks both domestically and abroad.
Continue reading the official press release for the BlackBerry Tour on Sprint
Official Press Release: RIM Introduces the BlackBerry Tour Smartphone
New 3G World Phone Keeps You Connected on High-Speed CDMA Networks in North America and UMTS/HSPA Networks Abroad
Waterloo, ON – Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today introduced the BlackBerry® Tour™ – a powerful new 3G BlackBerry® smartphone for CDMA customers in North America. The new BlackBerry Tour smartphone offers state-of-the-art communications and multimedia capabilities with outstanding mobile performance and consummate styling. It is a feature-packed and highly refined world phone that keeps you connected and lets you tour the world in style.
“BlackBerry continues to be the top selling smartphone brand in North America and we are proud to add this powerful new 3G world phone to our successful product portfolio,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “With its striking design and exceptional performance, the new BlackBerry Tour will offer a compelling choice for the growing number of wireless customers looking to upgrade their existing cell phone to a smartphone.”
Continue reading about the BlackBerry Tour
You can’t hide from the Internet! A CB forums member went digging around the Telus site and by adjusting file link names, the user uncovered a picture of the BlackBerry Tour 9630. The size of the image suggests that the pic will be used for the devices page, where we’ll soon see specs and pricing associated with the device.
Rumor has it that the launch date is June 22nd, which jives with the launch of the U2 360 tour, sponsored by BlackBerry. The U2 360 tour kicks off June 30th.
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NinjaThemes have created a free theme for your BlackBerry Bold 9000 featuring Gambit from X-Men. The theme features some dark cartoons accentuated by a pink energy flare. It looks nice and is sure to be a hit with superhero lovers.
Download your free Gambit Theme for the Blackberry Bold 9000.
If you download the theme, make sure to tell your friends you just picked up a free Remy LeBeau theme for your Bold. It’s incredibly geeky but they’ll think it’s some fashion designer from Paris.
On Thursday, RIM will be reporting results for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 after the close of the market. We’re expecting some good news from RIM in light of the current competitive smartphone pricing environment.
With the $99 iPhone and the Palm Pre launch, the smartphone wars have become much more intense. This is forcing RIM and other smartphone manufacturers, who wish to capture more of the consumer market, to lower their prices to increase sales. We have recently seen the Bold and the Curve 8900 drop around $50, and this, along with other carrier promotions, have helped sales tremendously.
Last quarter, RIM managed to beat expectations with sales increasing 84 percent to $3.46 billion compared to the same period a year ago. But gross margin was down to 40 percent from 51.4 percent a year ago, and 45.6 percent sequentially.
The issue therefore, is margins. By reducing device prices, you can increase sales, but profit margins are becoming increasingly slim in this environment.
The BlackBerry Bold costs around $169.41 to manufacture but this price does not include IP and a variety of other costs the carrier needs to pay. This means margins must be tight if AT&T sells the Bold for $199.99. By comparison, the BlackBerry Storm 9530 which carries a combined materials and manufacturing cost of $202.89, sells for $49.99 on Amazon.
RIM has a brilliant team of economists on board so while I’m sure they have assured the profitability of these devices, one can only hope that price wars don’t drive down profits enough to affect R&D and device improvements.
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