A little late in the game but better late than never, US Cellular now has the BlackBerry Tour 9630 available for purchase.

Pricing with 2 year service agreement:

• Price Before Mail-In Rebate:
  • $499.95 – Original Price
  • $269.95 – Best Price (With $230.00 discount for 2 year agreement)
• Price After Mail-In Rebate:
  • $269.95 – Before Rebate
  • $199,95 – After $70 Mail-in Rebate

The Tour 9630 from US Cellular is not available on prepaid plans. The $70 rebate is only available if you sign up for a 2-year service agreement on a calling plan at $39.99 or higher with a BlackBerry E-Mail & Web plan at $24.95.

For more info visit US Cellular.

Thanks to CellUnlock.net I have 100 BlackBerry unlock codes to give away!

Benefits of unlocking your BlackBerry include:

• No need to roam with your current sim when you travel. Purchase pre-paid sim cards when traveling. Many operators allow free incoming calls.
• Switch freely between service providers.
• Increase the resale value of your phone.
• 100% safe unlocking that does not interfere with the operation of your phone or warranty
• Absolutely no technical knowledge is required.

BlackBerry models this contest applies to: Pearl (8100/8110/8120), Pearl Flip (8220), Curve (8300/8310/8320/8520/8900), 8800, 8810, 8820, Bold (9000/9700), Storm (9500/9530/9550), Tour (9630). For more info visit CellUnlock.net.

CONTEST: For a chance to win 1 of 100 free BlackBerry unlock codes leave a comment on this post using a valid email address. Only leave one comment, duplicates will be ignored and will not increase your chances of winning. This contest will end at 11:59PM EST on Saturday, November 7th. Comments left after this time will not be considered. *

Software For BlackBerry® Tour (TM) 9630 smartphone
BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.7.1.117 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 4.7.1.117
Consisting of:

• Applications: 4.7.1.61
• Software Platform: 4.1.0.75
• File name: 9630AMEA_PBr4.7.1_rel117_PL4.1.0.75_A4.7.1.61_Bluegrass_Cellular.exe
• File size: 102.16MB

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

• Download: OS 4.7.1.61 for the Tour 9630 from Bluegrass Cellular
• How To:
  • Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry
  • Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS)

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. *

Yesterday I mentioned that the Verizon BlackBerry Storm 9530 might be getting OS 5.0.0.328 tomorrow. Since that post I’ve received a bunch of emails asking whether a certain BlackBerry model will get OS 5.0.

Up till now I could only base my answers on leaked information, but  thanks to a new knowledge base article posted by RIM we now know exactly which BlackBerry devices will get it!

List of the supported devices:

• BlackBerry® Pearl™ Flip 8200 series smartphones
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8330 smartphones
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8350i smartphones
• BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 smartphones
• BlackBerry® Bold™ 9000 smartphones
• BlackBerry® Storm™ 9500 series smartphones
• BlackBerry® Tour™ 9630 smartphones

Your BlackBerry must have at least 64MB of available memory in order to upgrade to OS 5.0 once it’s available.

According to the knowledge base article not all wireless service providers will support BlackBerry OS 5.0 for the devices listed above, meaning you might have to get it from another service provider. This isn’t a problem for those that don’t mind using an OS not issued by their carrier.

Here’s to hoping an OS 5.0 launch for all devices is just around the corner!

via KB17984

My buddy @Ackee_, the same tipper who sent me pics of the Verizon BlackBerry Storm2 dummy unit and promo flyers, sent over another picture that he was able to get of a Verizon “merchandising call agenda”.

The picture of the merchandising call agenda shows the Tour 9630 and the Storm2 with a 10/28 date at the top.  Although a rumor until Verizon announces it themselves, @Ackee_ has informed me that October 28th is so far the scheduled launch date for the Verizon BlackBerry Storm2!

A 360 demo of the Storm2 was already found on Verizon’s website and an interactive guide for the Storm2 9550 was also found on the BlackBerry website, so there is definitely some prep happening behind closed curtains.

I was given no guarantees, but I might be getting some better material tomorrow about Verizon’s launch of the Storm2 so keep an eye on BBRocks!

Elecite let me know that they’re having a big sale on two of their premium BlackBerry themes for two days only!

From October 20th through the 21st you can get the Analog and Focus themes for only $0.99 each by using the coupon code 2099 at checkout. Both of these themes are originally $6.99 each so this is a big discount you don’t want to miss out on.

Both themes are available for the BlackBerry Curve 8350i / 8500 series / 8900, Bold 9000, Storm and Tour series. For more info and screenshots check out the Analog and Focus themes at the Elecite website.

• Download via MegaUpload: OS 5.0.0.273 for the Tour 9630
• How To:
  • Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry
  • Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS)

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments.

DISCLAIMER: Install at your own risk. This is Leaked/Beta software that is not guaranteed to be stable, and therefore will not be supported by RIM or your wireless carrier should you run into some problems. As a precaution, if you decide to upgrade, it is highly recommended that you make a backup before using this software. If you are not comfortable using Leaked/Beta software you should probably wait for the next official release. *

These software versions contain a fix for the BlackBerry Browser bug I mentioned a few weeks ago. For more info about this bug click here.

Software For BlackBerry® Tour (TM) 9630 smartphone
BlackBerry Handheld Software v4.7.1.110 (Multilanguage)

Package Version: 4.7.1.110
Consisting of:

• Applications: 4.7.1.57
• Software Platform: 4.1.0.70
• File name: 9630AMEA_PBr4.7.1_rel110_PL4.1.0.70_A4.7.1.57_Sprint_L.P.exe
• File size: 102.16MB

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

• Download: OS 4.7.1.57 for the Tour 9630 from Sprint
• How To:
  • Backup And Restore Your BlackBerry
  • Upgrade your BlackBerry Operating System (OS)

Please report any feedback/findings in the comments. See a changelog after the jump.

REMEMBER: It is recommended that you make a backup before attempting to upgrade your BlackBerry just in case something goes wrong during the upgrade process. *

CONTINUE READING »

Dictionary.com has just released the first ever free dictionary and thesaurus application for BlackBerry available at their site and in the BlackBerry App World.

The Dictionary.com app provides users with more than 500,000 words, definitions and synonyms, audio pronunciations, spelling suggestions and their popular Word of the Day for both English and Spanish!

Features:

• Dictionary.com – Access the most comprehensive, up-to-date dictionary available online with more than 325,000 word definitions and spelling suggestions
• Thesaurus.com – Search the award-winning online version of Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus with more than 275,000 synonyms
• Phonetic & Audio Pronunciations – Hear pronunciations of words with a simple press of the audio button
• Dictionary.com Word of the Day in English and Spanish – Learn a new word every day with definitions and real examples from published writings through this popular Dictionary.com feature that is enjoyed by millions each day
• Recent History - View an editable list of recently searched words
• Social Networking Function - Email or SMS text any word and its definition to yourself or others right from the app
• Email Integration - Exclusive to this app on BlackBerry smartphones, users can instantly access a synonym or definition while reading or drafting an email

The Dictionary.com app is currently available for most models of the Pearl, Curve, 8800 Series, Bold and Tour with support for more devices coming soon. To download this app visit m.dictionary.com or click here for a direct OTA download from your BlackBerry Browser. Those with devices that aren’t supported yet can still use the mobile site while they wait for a compatible version.

More info in the press release after the jump.

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UPDATE Added a full-size image (packaging and all) after the jump. *

If there was any doubt, here is some more confirmation that the BlackBerry Storm 2 will be launching on Verizon very soon. @Ackee_ sent me a picture of a Verizon buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free flyer showing the “New Storm2″ next to its older siblings!

Earlier today I mentioned that Vodafone might be launching the Storm2 this week. If true, Verizon will probably launch either next week or the following week. Since Best Buy is already getting accessories for the Storm2 I wouldn’t be surprised if it launched within a few days, but let’s not push it .

Anyone else hear or see anything about the Storm2’s launch? Let me know in the comments or send me a message!

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