Latest BlackBerry Worth the Wait

If you've been pining for a new BlackBerry, the Tour—available from both Sprint and Verizon Wireless—is a sold 'Berry that will get you through the work day both in the US and abroad.

The BlackBerry Tour went on sale on July 12 at both Sprint and Verizon Wireless. Until now, if you've been interested in upgrading your BlackBerry on either of those two networks, you've been stuck with the aging BlackBerry Curve. The Tour offers most of the latest features and an attractive new design.

First, it works with the 3G networks of Sprint and Verizon here in the US, and can roam on the 3G networks in Europe, too. That means you can take it with you on your summer vacation and still remain in touch. Bluetooth for headsets and GPS for mapping and directions are also on board.

The Tour has a fantastic new display that is very bright and colorful. It is also high resolution, so video looks great on it. The Tour features a full QWERTY keyboard for typing emails and other messages. Want to take some pictures while on vacation? Go ahead. It has a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus. The Tour will also shoot video. If you're the type who isn't allowed to have a phone equipped with a camera, don't worry, the Tour also comes in a version sans camera.

The Tour packs most type of messaging known to man. E-mail, text messages, picture messages, instant messaging are all included. And if you're the social networking type, Facebook and Twitter clients are an easy download from the BlackBerry Apps World.

Given the combination of good features, solid network support and messaging capabilities, the Tour is a solid choice for those who use the Sprint or Verizon networks. It's only major weakness is that it lacks Wi-Fi.

The Tour costs $200 with a new contract after rebates.