Verizon Store Reps LIED! "Tour will be Wifi" Right!

[JoelWug]

I've been to 3 stores over the past two weeks in Suburban Philadelphia, with the intention of canceling our company's plans to migrate to another carrier if Verizon did not rollout new Blackberry devices that supported WIFI, G4 networks. At each store, an individual Verizon Wireless representative told us that a version of the Blackberry Bold, sold by ATT, would be introduced in July, with the same feature set and capabilities, including full WIFI support.. 

Today, the TOUR was announced by VerizonWireless, almost identical to the BOLD with the caveat that the WIFI support has been disabled. The consequences of the lack of WIFI with the TOUR are EXTREME.

The new Blackberry OS, API's and enterprise platform were designed to incorporate the new SECURE WIFI extensions. How could Verizon release a version of Wall Street Journal's Business Mobile PHone of the Year for 2008, disable a critical feature of the phone that has is as important as "BLUETOOTH" is, according to RIM's executives! Over 200 Blackberry third party applications that were developed for the BOLD are now completely useless. 

So, now I learn on a Washington Post Blog that the BLACKBERRY TOUR actually will have WIFI enabled for specific corporate customers and government contracts.

Right on Gizmodo http://dvice.com/archives/2009/06/blackberry-tour.php

[XtremeBerry]

The Tour is the CDMA version of the Bold but they are not the same devices at all. THe Bold has a faster proc and is snappier than the Tour the only phone this year that will outdo it is another GSM phone codenamed Onyx. But you must have read that the Tour is to be the last Verizon phone without wifi. Wifi is not disabled at all, it does not have the radio.. period. The buffons you talked to didnt know what they were talking about.

 Actually just because apps were made for the Bold does not mean any of them will work for a Tour i.e differnt OS,GSM,wifi,CDMA,proc,memory.etc

Im sorry but take the Washington Post blog with a grain of salt if this was true it would have been splashed all over, Crackberry,BGR,Blackberry cool,Howards Forums. the fact of the matter is its not there.

I understand being angry because one is lied to but its hard to get to worked up considering there hasnt been one Verizon Blackberry with Wifi yet.

 Sorry about your experience and it is coming ....be patient grasshopper.

[blackwidowinsc]

Instead of calling them liars, how about calling them misinformed.  How easy it for a person to learn everything regarding their job and be able to recite the answer on demand.  It is sad that you spoke to so many people and received an answer that may or may have not been correct.  But maybe you should cut some people some slack, we are only human.

[XtremeBerry]

If you want Wifi think Curve. Take a look at thsi pic added to a Verizon site today notice anything strange yet vaguely familiar. Oh and that is not a Tour or an 8330. It very well could be the fabled Atlas that is suppose to release right after the Tour. A Curve 8900 made for CDMA. YEAAA

http://www36.verizon.com/fiostv/web/UnProtected/MobileAccess.aspx

Message Edited by XtremeBerry on 07-02-2009 01:51 PM

[Carm]

I guess we are all forgetting that we are talking about VZW. Why else would they leave WIFI out on 90% of their phones?

Answer: {keep it courteous}... Nickel and dime baby!

Message Edited by WendyM on 07-04-2009 08:23 PM

[Insider]

1) People CAN be mis-informed.

2) Do your own research beyond just asking a question.

3) They should not have issued a statement as factual without actually confirming it.

4) CDMA Blackberries do not have WiFi radios, The Curve, The Pearl, The 8830? Not on Verizon and not on Sprint either. It isn't something that VZW ommitted. I do not know the reason, but CDMA BB's don't have a WiFi Radio.

5) If you want WiFi on a VZW device, it's available on virtually every current Win Mo device ands will be available on upcoming WinMo's.

{keep it relevant}

Message Edited by WendyM on 07-04-2009 08:25 PM

[Carm]

---

vzwinsider wrote:

1) People CAN be mis-informed.

2) Do your own research beyond just asking a question.

3) They should not have issued a statement as factual without actually confirming it.

4) CDMA Blackberries do not have WiFi radios, The Curve, The Pearl, The 8830? Not on Verizon and not on Sprint either. It isn't something that VZW ommitted. I do not know the reason, but CDMA BB's don't have a WiFi Radio.

5) If you want WiFi on a VZW device, it's available on virtually every current Win Mo device ands will be available on upcoming WinMo's.

6) If you're just some nerd who hates Verizon or thinks he knows what he's talking about cause you "read alot on the web". Get a life, get a degree, get some true wireless experience or get the **bleep** outta here.

---

Post=1

Status= contributor

Message Edited by Carm on 07-04-2009 07:24 PM

[MrSpock2002]

And we need WiFi for Verizon why?  And the 200+ applications thing is **bleep**.  Sorry buddy but kindly move on.

[salescells]

To their defense... Black Berry requires data package.  I'm sure they too get a portion of take on a data package, because they process all data through their servers before shooting it over Verizon's Network.  Verizon isn't on their own forcing the purchase of a data package.  This is the same on all carriers.  It's how Black Berry does business. 

They don't do it to be cruel either.  They process all data on their system which allows them to maintain quality and security for all your data.  So really it's paying for a service they provide.

Besides, when you buy the BMW of wirleless phones you pay more for service because you get and are using more service. 

For all those out there like you and me who still want Wifi on their Black Berry for other personal reasons I assume we'll eventually get it.  I think Verizon is starting to 'get it' that even though they offer the most reliable network and we could potentially use it all the time, if we do opt. out to use Wifi when available we're not eating up their resources... but still paying full price.  We get what we want, they still get paid.  So everyone wins.

Oh yeah, and the phone is cheaper to make without a Wifi radio in it. 

[salescells]

I wouldn't be suprised if at one point they were told what they told you.  I doubt they lied more than they shared their hopes and excitement for the same device you were excited for as well. 

Things do change.

And yes you are right they shouldn't speak on what can't be promised because it promotes disatisfaction when it doesn't come true, but that doesn't make it a lie.

That said, I think you made a good choice for the network.  They really do have the best coverage and fastest data network.  With all the talk of LTE soon you wouldn't want Wifi anyhow.

Rest assured you're with the right company.  Pick the phone thats right for you and enjoy the ride.