The BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold 9650 that was launched on Sprint two weeks ago just came through my door this morning, and I’ve had the day to play around with it. It feels a bit beefier than I remember its predecessor, the Tour 9630 being, but that’s by no means a bad thing. I’m used to the 9000, and the 9650 feels like an excellent upgrade. It has some heft, and a nice ridged battery door for extra grip, but otherwise looks like the original Tour. The trackpad replacing the trackball is the obvious exception, and the inclusion of Wi-Fi makes me think this was the all-in-one device that the first Tour should have been. The single thing that sticks out right now is the 512 MB of app memory – a first for any BlackBerry, and a pretty big deal considering how quickly 256 MB can fill up.
Sprint (NYSE: S) has been promising this one for a long time, but between the Bold 9650, Curve 8530, and Storm2 9550, it seems like most of Sprint’s bases are now covered. I’d like to see the new Pearl on a CDMA carrier, but that usually takes upwards of 6-8 months.
For folks looking for a CDMA version of the Bold 9700, the 9650 fits the bill, but I wouldn’t expect any pleasant (or unplesant) surprises. It’s got the same 3.2 megapixel camera, HVGA display, mediocre browser, and top-notch e-mail handling. Although you can nab it now from Sprint for $200 on contract, Verizon (NYSE: VZ)’s on the verge of releasing their own. Up here in Canada, I would be surprised to see Bell or Telus (NYSE: TU) offer it, since they’re both packing the GSM Bold 9700 already.
If you’d like to hear more about the 9650, stick around – a full review will be coming next week. In the meantime, here are some pictures and video. Show of hands, who’s thinking of picking one up?
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