Just when you think the Tour wasn’t going to receive anymore OS love, look who shows up with an update. Sprint has officially released OS 5.0.0.983 for the BlackBerry Tour 9630. If your with a different carrier you will have to delete the vendor.xml file if your going to upgrade. As always, backup your data to be on the safe side. I can not say enough good things about Sprint when it comes to releasing OS updates for BlackBerry devices. Keep it up Sprint.

Package Version: 5.0.0.1631
Consisting of:

• Applications: 5.0.0.983
• Software Platform: 4.2.0.433
• File name: 9630AMEA_PBr5.0.0_rel1631_PL4.2.0.433_A5.0.0.983_Sprint_L.P.exe
• File size: 111.02MB

Note: The Software Platform and Applications version numbers can be found under Options-About screen on the handheld.

Here is the link to download the official OS 5.0.0.983 for the BlackBerry Tour 9630 from Sprint.

Remember, if you need help we have a complete How-To Guide section on our website. If you have questions about How-To Backup your data, or How-To Upgrade your OS, click on the links that are highlighted

Is anyone still using the Tour 9630? Find any new features worth mentioning? Let us know in the comments.

via: BBerryRocks

Verizon Wireless will be sending out software updates for the BlackBerry Tour, Bold, and Curve starting today at 6:00 PM EST. While most hope for OS 6, the word we are receiving is Verizon has not updated their website yet for the new release. We will keep our fingers crossed in hopes that this is finally what everyone has anxiously been waiting for. Here is the official word from Verizon: 

Verizon Wireless will have software updates available for the BlackBerry Bold 9650, BlackBerry Curve 8530 and BlackBerry Tour 9630 starting today at 6pm EST. These updates include software enhancements to all three devices. For more information about the updates and instructions on how to download please visit www.vzw.com/boldsupport, www.vzw.com/toursupport or www.vzw.com/curve8530 support depending on your device. 

As soon as we get confirmation on the update we will post it on our site. So, are you as anxious as I am  to get your hands on an official OS 6 update? Leave your comments below. 

via: CrackBerry

You want to get a new BlackBerry but the one’s on the market right now are far too expensive for you? Well, then here’s some good news for you. Sprint just launched their new national Certified Pre-owned Device Program. So now you can get refurbished devices at a lower price. Aside from devices like the Samsung Reclaim and the Sanyo 2700, you can also get the BlackBerry Tour for $79.99 or even at $29.99 with a new two year contract. That’s a good choice if you want a BlackBerry but don’t want to pay a lot for the device.

Read through Sprint’s official reasons why pre-owned devices are a great option to have:

-  You get innovative devices at an exceptional value!
Sprint Certified Pre-owned devices are a great value. You can get an exceptional, feature-rich Pre-owned device with features comparable to a new phone at a lower price.
- They are in like-new condition
These devices are thoroughly inspected, tested and, if necessary, remanufactured. Each device comes with the same 30-day Return Policy as any other device from Sprint.
Every Certified device is:
Prepared for resale by facilities certified by the original manufacturer of the device
Subjected to a comprehensive 30+ point quality checklist to ensure compliance to Sprint standards
Inspected for any cosmetic defects to make sure your device looks like new
Returned to factory default settings
Updated to the most current system software
- It’s good for the environment
Besides making economic sense, buying s Sprint Certified Pre-Owned device also makes sense for the environment. Reusing 1,000 mobile phones instead of recycling them saves enough electricity (39,790 kilowatt hours) to power four U.S. households for a year.

To sum it up:
Every pre-owned device get’s inspected, is updated to the latest software and returned to factory default settings. To me that’s a great option, so if you’re on Sprint or plan on getting a contract on Sprint, why not give it a try?

What do you think about refurbished pre-owned devices? Would you consider buying one or would you rather prefer a new device?

via: BusinessWire

There were a few of you requesting the BBerryDog theme in different colors, so we’re (when I say we’re I mean Don from Dream Themez) here to deliver. As of right now the only other color available is crimson from Today’s iPhone, but they will be coming in the assorted colors associated with PhoneDog’s network sites, TmoNews, Today’s iPhone, and DroidDog. (Therefore, green, fuchsia, and orange are left as you can see in the picture below.)

To download your new, red BBerryDog theme, click here. As of right now it’s only available for the 85xx, 96xx, and 9700. Also, we have also received quite a few requests for a BBerryDog theme for the 83xx series. Your wait is over! You can now download the red version here from your BlackBerry Browser (blue version pending). Don is spread pretty thin between work, being a contributing editor, and making themes, so if the color you’re waiting for is not available yet, it is coming, but it may take a little longer than originally expected. He is working diligently on these themes for us and we want to make sure there is a flavor out there for everyone. So anyone who wants to show a bit of gratitude, you can follow Don on Twitter, or ask us about how you can donate. Also, if you’re an MMA fan like many of us here at BBerryDog and Don, check out Don’s other theme site Dream Themez MMA, and Unfiltered MMA where Don is a contributing editor.

We usually don’t talk much about hybrid OS builds here at BBerryDog due to the risky nature of installing untested software on your device, but this one is just too cool to turn down. Last night BlackBerryCool clued us all in on some hybrid builds of BlackBerry 6 mixed with other leaked OS 5.0.0.xxx versions for various models.

While I am no expert on hybrid OS builds, I have installed a few on my various BlackBerrys with no problem. Essentially, a hybrid OS is formed by someone taking files from one leaked version (in this case the leaked BlackBerry 6 for the clamshell device) and merging them with an OS from another build, typically for a different device. According to BlackBerryCool, 80 files from BlackBerry 6 have been successfully copied over into the different OS 5.0.0.xxx builds. While you probably won’t see any visual differences, the main purpose of the hybrid builds is to merge the beneficial parts of multiple OS’s together. It’s a genius idea, and always fun to tinker with.

I would not recommend attempting to install an hybrid OS unless you’re comfortable installing different OS versions on your phone and recovering a bricked device. As always, downloading and installing non-official builds is done at your own risk. With that said, if you’re interested in trying out the hybrid, giving feedback, and you’re using either a 9000, 97xx, 95xx, 96xx, 89xx, or an 85xx device, go here and download your respective hybrid OS files.

via: BlackBerryCool

I know this is a little late, considering the device launched nearly a month ago, but they always say better late than never. Upon opening the packaging for the Bold 9650 on Sprint, it’s all very under-stimulating. There is only one noticeable change between the Bold 9650 and the Tour 9630 at first glance, and that’s the optical trackpad. As all of you probably know, I’m impartial to both. I’ve had both optical trackpad and trackball, and either one is fine with me. I never really had any issues with the trackball when I had my Pearl, Curve, Tour (minus the manufacture error on the batch of Tours), etc. As a recurring BlackBerry user (more like fiend), this device in no way provoked me to tinker or play. I remember back when I got my first, and even when I got my second and third BlackBerrys. I played with it and tinkered throughout the night, adding applications, tweaking settings, etc. When I pulled the Bold 9650 out of the box, I made the first change I always make on my BlackBerry, disable dialing from home screen, and pocketed it. The only application I put on it was SocialScope, and I have yet to even load my contacts onto it.

I really haven’t felt the need to play with it that much, as it is truly no different from my Tour on Verizon. Once we get BlackBerry 6 in our hands, I may be more excited about my 9650, but right now I’m less than impressed. It’s not the fact that this surprises me in any way, because it doesn’t. I knew this device was only ever-so-slightly upgraded from the 9630. My main problem with this is the fact that RIM has not really pushed anything with the Bold 9650. They fixed what everyone was complaining about (the trackball and low application memory), but in no way advanced their product beyond consumer expectations.

However, what RIM did do, and quite well might I add, is refine the hardware in almost every way. Holding the 9630 and the 9650 side by side, the 9650 simply has a better feel in the hand. Not only does the 9650 ship with a better fitting battery door (which definitely gives it a much sturdier feel), it also comes with a more raised, more curved keyboard. The keyboard on the 9650 is raised and arched to accommodate for the bigger trackpad. I talked with Aaron about this when I got the phone. Aaron hates the keyboard and said it makes it a little bit harder for him to type. Personally, I don’t mind it in any way and it probably would have taken me a while to really notice a difference. It does make your fingers slip-up and hit the wrong keys a little easier, but I’m sure it’s something my typing would adapt to. Another almost unnoticeable difference between the two is the bottom row of keys. Since the trackpad is bigger than the trackball, the entire keyboard has been slightly shifted down (about 1/8 in.) and the bottom row of keys is ever-so-slightly shorter than the 9630′s keys. Again, this is another barely noticeable difference and really doesn’t change my overall opinion of the phone at all. All of these tiny modifications definitely give the “Bold” impression over the feel of the Tour. On the terms of hardware, I’m impressed. They’ve upped the bar and definitely focused more on build quality, rather than pumping out as many units as fast as possible.

Notice: The keyboard on the 9650 (left) is arched and raised where the 9630′s (right) is not.

It’s really hard to notice, but if you look closely, the trackpad is slightly slanted toward the right.

If there is one hardware complaint I would have to make about this device and essentially all optical trackpad equipped BlackBerry devices, is how sloppily the trackpad has been integrated. In almost every way, RIM’s optical trackpad technology is the most accurate, easiest to use, etc. But in almost every implementation, at least every trackpad equipped BlackBerry I have held, has had a lopsided, or slightly slanted trackpad. On my 9650, it is actually raised on the left side and flush with the back button on the right. It annoys me quite a bit, but it’s something I would eventually get used to, just as I did with my wompy-jawed (southern term) 9700 trackpad.

Overall, the 9650 is a great device. If you love your BlackBerry and don’t already have a Bold or a 9630, I would recommend it. If you already have a higher-end BlackBerry, I wouldn’t burn my upgrade on it until BlackBerry 6 releases. That way, when 6 finally drops, you will have a brand new phone to enjoy it with. With new hardware and new software, you’re bound to be impressed. If you get the phone now and become tired of it, 6 will more than likely only partially-rejuvenate your love for your ‘Berry.

I will do a video hardware comparison of the two soon, and a full review, so stay tuned! So what do you guys and gals think? Is the 9650 a good move for RIM or should they have waited and released it with BlackBerry 6 pre-installed? Is it worth upgrading to from a Tour? Do you think the build quality is much better? Tell us your thoughts on the 9650 in the comments below!

For those with a case of the Mondays, an update from Verizon for the 9630 and 9650 BlackBerry smartphones may be the cure.  The 5.0.0.732 update for the 9630 adds a laundry list of ‘enhancements’ and ‘improvements’ (because the PR guys at Verizon like their thesauruses).  Said enhancements cover push-to-talk, network switching (for world travel), sound profile, and voice mail.  The updates for push-to-talk make it more refined and usable. Enriched language recognition and video playback are listed as some improvements. These updates are for the 9630, as no official documents have been released to address what this update will contain for the 9650 (although it will more than likely be identical). The full list in a pdf format can be found here. These update should be coming OTA within the day, but we all know how that goes.

via: BBLeaks | CrackBerry

Time to get your game face on FOOOOL!!! Bplay’s latest game release (just in time for the movie release), The A-Team, is an explosive, armed to the teeth, blow everything up, free for all.  Unite forces with Hannibal, B.A., Face, and Murdock, as you fight your way through 15 action-packed levels. Issue commands, use grenades or missiles to clear your path, or just use your fists along the way. Whether surprising your enemies, going toe to toe, or completely obliterating everything, you will enjoy this game from start to finish.

The A-Team can be purchased from Bplay for $5.99. You must have a data plan/internet access on your Blackberry device in order to install this game. Please refer to the installation instructions in the e-mail sent to your BlackBerry device upon purchase of this game. Use this link to take you to Bplay’s website here, and the direct link for The A-Team game here. While you’re there, check out everything Bplay has to offer such as themes, games, and applications for your BlackBerry. What are you waiting on FOOOL?

If you have played this game or plan to, tell us about it the comments section below.

Since it was a rather slow news day, I thought I would elaborate on a good way to customize your BlackBerry. A few customers I have ran into in the past few shifts of mine at my other job have complained to me about how their BlackBerry wasn’t very customizable. For the average user, it isn’t. Themes aren’t the easiest thing to find, installing them can be tedious if you don’t know what you’re doing, and RIM doesn’t really promote the use of themes outside of App World.

A few days ago I was browsing through Twitter and I stumbled upon what is Dream Themez by Donald Conrod, or @i_c_u_hater on Twitter. I’ve personally lost my interest in themes due to my being very picky and I can’t seem to find or make exactly what I want. So, I gave up and I just stick to stock, or pretty darn close to it. Even though I can’t get past my own pickiness, Donald’s Dream Themez are very nice, high quality themes. He has themes for the Storm/Storm2, Bold 9700 and 9000, Tour, Curve, Pearl, Pearl Flip, and a section for ladies only. If you’ve been in the market for some customization, hit up Dream Themez, you may find what you’ve been looking for there.

You can find Dream Themez by clicking here, and you can follow Donald on Twitter for updates on his themes.

Are you looking for a mobile TV fix for your BlackBerry? Bitbop has come to save the day, sort of. If you own a Bold 9000, Bold 9700, Curve 8900, or a Tour 9630 you can enjoy some free mobile TV (for the time being). Since this service is still in beta, they’re just looking for feedback. Down the road there will be a $10 per month subscription fee. That definitely seems like a doable price for signed networks such as CBS, NBS, Fox, Comedy Central, etc. They also plan to be adding movies in the future.

With Bitbop you will get full TV episodes of a lot of the best shows on TV. If you’re always on they go (and near a charger) this definitely seems like the route to take. So far, with what I’ve used of Bitbop I like it. The only problem I’ve encountered at this point is I keep getting an error with every few shows. So what are you waiting for? Go sign up for the beta before it turns into subscription! Some screen shots will be available after the break.