The original Tour has been out since July of 2009 and I couldn't wait until my eligible upgrade date to go from my BlackBerry Curve to the Tour.  That upgrade date has now come and gone and yet I find myself still waiting.

I was going to upgrade to the Tour - until I saw the Curve 2.  There are several things that I don't like about the Curve 2:

1. It is the only new VZW BlackBerry that doesn't support the FiOS Remote DVR BlackBerry application;

2. The keys are small and it feels flimsy, particularly when compared to a variety of BlackBerrys, including the Tour;

3. I've read that it has a really short battery life, which particularly for someone in my industry (I'm a reporter and spend most of my day in the field) is a serious problem;

4. While I virtually never use the camera on my Curve, if I'm going to buy a BlackBerry with a camera, I want a decent one and I want it to have a flash.  Both are present on the Tour.

BUT I LOVE THE TOUCHPAD AND HATE THE TRACKBALL

My upgrade date was almost two months ago and as such I could have had a Tour back then (like I had planned), but I explained my concern to a Verizon customer service representative (via sales chat) who promised me that something I'd be happy with would be available the first week in January.  After poking and prodding I finally got her to say that it was in fact the TOUR 2 and would have a touchpad.

However that first week in January has now come and gone and my Curve is falling apart.  I've spoken to many VZW employees, none of whom have said anything about when the Tour 2 will come out, except to say that rumor has it the Tour 2 will be in the next round of new phones to come out; it's just that none of them seem to know when that will be (except to say "EARLY 2010").

Nonetheless I really want a Tour 2, because (from everything I've read and been told) it has all the features I'm looking for and then some.  I have a service contract, so I'm thinking of just getting a new Curve (free) and waiting out the Tour 2, but if it comes out without the FiOS DVR application or isn't sturdy and I end up buying a regular Tour (unlikely), I'm going to be pretty annoyed.

THE GOOD NEWS (AND SOMETHING TO CONSIDER FOR ANYONE FACING THIS DILEMMA): As a reporter, I have access to a variety of "inside information."  I have spoken with a PR person at Research in Motion (RIM), the company who o manufactures BlackBerrys and asked them about the Tour 2.  I was told that it will more or less be a CDMA/GSM version of the sturdy (I've tried it out) BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700) see http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-details/?device=BlackBerry%C2%AE+Bold(TM)+....

RIM's press shop absolutely promised me that at this point in time, all newly manufactured BlackBerrys will have the touchpad (exception being any touch screen and possibly those with a partial QWERTY [e.g. Pearl]).  So if (like me) you're holding out because you want a VZW BlackBerry (that's not the Curve 2), but has a touchpad, the Tour 2 is for you!  

As for when?  I'm with first quarter of 2010!