Anyone know any information about the Atlas? I know there are some videos out there showing it's a GSM device but there are a ton of postings saying there will be a CDMA version with WiFi on Verizon's network. Anyone have a timeframe? Thoughts?

The consensus here is that the Atlas is just the Tour with WiFi which will initially from launch be available on CDMA then onto GSM possibly, to be launched on Verizon if i recall correctly...

Seems a bit daft in my opinion cos no-one will choose a non-WiFi Tour over a Tour with WiFi (aka Atlas)

I agree. My wife has the current Tour and loves it. I would like to have it because it is ultimately a world phone AND have Wifi. Wifi for me is good because I work in an environment during the day where I get no cell coverage but have access to an open wifi network. At least I will be able to send/receive email.

What i don't understand with the Verizon BlackBerry's of late (Tour, upcoming Storm 2 etc) all have the 2100MHz HSDPA radio built-in to them which are Europe-specific, and more importantly work in the UK yet no UK carrier sees it fit to bring one over here!!

So what's coverage like in general in your area? As i understand it, GSM 3G lets you do Data and Voice simultaneously however CDMA Ev-DO lets you either do Data OR Voice and not both at the same time

The storm 2 will be out on vodafone just like the storm, but as far as the tour there just wouldn't be any point, the carrier would have to go through their whole approvals process for a product that offered them less than the bold they were already selling.

As far as the tour+wifi thats been rumoured, then maybe we'll also see a gsm variant because it's a slightly different form factor from the bold 9700 and some people may prefer a slightly larger device, but they wouldn't just launch the tour+wifi in europe since the cdma radio would add cost for almost zero benefit.

If the Atlas is the Tour with WiFi, as has been suggested, will the Atlas also retain the Tour's current GPS capability? Thanks in advance.

The atlas is a GSM edge phone comparable to the 9700 in other departments. Salomondrin over on crackberry has one. He's even used it on AT&T and posted videos. It's curve sized.

The Essex is the Tour with wifi. It's gonna have liquid lens camera at a higher resolution than the Tour.

I thought the Atlas was the new curve 2 which would replace the old model curve and have wifi but no GSM and the ESSEX is the true Tour 2 with GSM/wifi, etc etc.