Boy Genius Reports that the Tour (9630) and Atlas are dropping at the same time on Verizon Wireless (this summer). Does anyone have any idea what Atlas is?

Verizon’s upcoming BlackBerry releases: Tour, Pearl Flip, Atlas Storm 2 info : Boy Genius Report

Perhaps the BB Atlas is the Storm 2?

Storm 2 is "Oden"?

I have never heard of the Atlas.

Storm 2 is Odin, don't know a release.
Atlas is suppose to drop a week or two after the Tour, will have Wi-Fi. Different than Tour.
Aries still got a while before release.

I think the Atlas is actually the Storm 2. Not many references to Oden out there. There were a couple early on, but not now.

But does it really matter? These devices will hit when the carriers are ready, not before.

All these rumors.. I really wish we would hear something official!

(I really think I'm slowly killing my Curve lol)

But yea this is the first I've heard about the Atlas.. Could the Atlas be the new CDMA Pearl Flip, thats the only other BB rumor I've seen on VZW that is suppose to be released soon.

No the Atlas is not the Storm 2. They haven't even started production on the Storm 2 let alone release it next month? No. It's a different device.

Atlas = Tour with Wifi
Odin = Storm 2
Apex = CDMA Pearl Flip

So is Atlas going to hit VZW or only overseas?

If it turns out to just be a worldphone with wifi then it would tend to be just for vzw, but it also seems pretty unlikely that they would want to confuse their customers by launching two almost identical devices and its more likely that the atlas is a project at a much earlier stage that has had its name leaked e.g. maybe its an initial plan for the tour 2 and is over a year away.

Wirelessly posted

So can I take this to mean that the Atlas will be a world phone with wi-fi?

I understand that there is some merit to the rumor about the Broadcom chip set in the 9630 infringed on someones patent. Sprint was originally rumored to be the launch carrier for the 9630, but decided to wait for redesigned chip set instead of paying royalties to the patent holder. I don't think that this process caused a long delay as I hear that Sprint is currently testing this phone.

I'm still holding out hope that the Sprint version with the alternate chip set will actually be the BlackBerry Atlas (Tour with WiFi). Verizon did mention that all future BlackBerrys after the Tour would include WiFi did they not? This new CDMA chip set may very well be what made this possible.

Here's to hoping!

Really, I've always heard Sprint's rumored release date was Q3/4 of this year and that has been since Jan/Feb.

Hope your right.. Guess I should wait a bit before getting the Tour.. A CDMA Berry with Wifi, we can dream right.

There is a Gemini which is the extension of the curve correct?

The Gemini, that's the 85xx model with the optical trackball, more or less a refreshed 83xx Right?

So many damn models to think about....

The weird thing is it's named the Gemini not the Curve (so it doesn't officially carry on the series like the 8900), have 3 different sets of Curve would a bit confusing.. However carriers will probably stop carrying the 83xx series soon enough anyway.

Here's the Atlas, renamed the Essex.

Yet Another Upcoming BlackBerry Smartphone: Codename Essex is Next Revision of Niagara (Tour)?! | CrackBerry.com

Its really impossible for RIM to get things right isnt it?
Surely they knew that with the Gemini due to be coming out not long after the tour, that they should have held back the tour and put in the trackpad.
They also should have realised that the lack of wi-fi was going to be a complaint.

Why could they not sit down and go this is what we need for this device, lets not release anything till its ready.
as opposed to releasing so many devices to upgrade NEW devices already, that people are going to be even ore confused about which BB to buy, and end up buying something else that they can easily decide for.

*sigh*

I would have to agree. Its like their current logic is more phones are better, rather then a few or several very well designed phones are better. Less phones with more type deal. Why release the Tour mid-summer only to replace in the fall or winter of the same fiscal year with a device that looks just like it, same form factor, but add wi-fi and an optical track?

Perhaps they are hoping that true blackberry addicts are going to ditch the tour and buy at RRP or close to the "essex".
They wont be able to upgrade to it, being say only 6 months ish into a new contract, so if they want it they will have to buy it.
more money for RIM instead of a knock down prices for the carriers.

Actually, I think that they may be trying to satisfy fanboys like us. We're constantly complaining that there are few updates to phones and that RIM always takes forever to get devices to market. Could you imagine if we were still waiting on the Tour? Yes, the Tour had a so-so launch. Yes, it has no Wi-Fi. Yes, the trackball has been a big problem. But could you imagine if they pulled it for another 6 months? RIM operates in a very competitive world, one that requires a time to market solution rather than the perfect solution. They're under pressure, and it's showing.

I would be shocked if the Tour were still an option in ~Feb when Atlas/Essex/Tour 2 comes out with WiFi and trackpad. They'll simply exhaust the inventory, then stop selling it. VZW especially will not want to confuse their customer base.

But they are then admitting that "yes we released a device you're not happy with, we're idiots, heres a new one (which by the way you wont be able to upgrade to because you went and bought the tour!)"

If you ask people if they are generally happy with their tour now then I bet the answer from most of them will be yes they are because what they are using is not a crippled version of some vaporware that has had its codename leaked on some gadget blogs, they are using something that is a very good device in its own right and a clear upgrade from its predecessor the 8830.

Given that verizon will be launching the storm 2 at the end of the year then it seems likely that essex won't show up until more like march or roughly 9 months after the launch of the tour, so its around the right sort of time that people would be able to upgrade shortly after it became available or they could wait a bit longer and see if the late summer device was more to their liking or even more shocking they could decide that they don't actually have to upgrade right away.

If you are seriously surprised that there is a sequel to the tour being planned then I would like to welcome you to the world of computers and consumer electronics because you clearly haven't been paying attention to the way all companies in this area work and that is by selling you the next shiny new toy as often as they can get away with it.

Actually I am familiar with computers (extensively) and comsumer electronics and understand that.

I just think RIM has made some poor choices recently.

Such as what?

In the real world, any new hardware has to hit a particular hardware cost along with meeting carrier requirements and release dates, so in a lot of respects their hands are tied.

In a previous post you mention that they should have included wifi and the trackpad in the tour, but if you look at the onyx leaks you can see that it didn't have the trackpad until the latest hardware so they still had issues to deal with there that could have idiotically delayed the tour for such a minor feature and as far as wifi that clearly comes down to the carrier not wanting it included as seen by no released vzw blackberries having it yet.