New rumors suggest RIM's BlackBerry Bold 9650, a.k.a. Tour2, could be released in May. One of the questions I receive most often from BlackBerry-toting readers: When will the new BlackBerry Tour2, a.k.a. BlackBerry Bold 9650, become available? BlackBerry Bold 9650, aka “Tour2” (via BGR ) And my current answer is simple: I don’t know for sure, but mid- to late-spring, say May, sounds about right to me. Today, new rumors suggest that my past predictions may have been right on target. May sounds like a likely release-date for Research In Motion’s (RIM) successor to it BlackBerry Tour 9630, which will reportedly be named the BlackBerry “Bold” 9650, because pictures, technical specifications and even leaked operating systems have been floating around the Web for months, suggesting the device is nearly ready for prime time. And RIM’s largest show of the year, the 2010 Wireless Enterprise Symposium (WES) is to be held in Orlando on April 27 – 29. RIM has used this venue to unveil new devices in the past–the Bold 9000 at WES 2008, for example. So it would make sense for the company to unveil the Bold 9650 at WES 2010, amidst thousands of avid BlackBerry users. Mobile-industry blog BoyGeniusReport.com also says it got word from an anonymous source that the Bold 9650 is currently expected “around May” on Verizon Wireless in the United States. Sprint, the other U.S. carrier that currently offers RIM’s BlackBerry Tour 9630, will presumably get the new 9650 sometime this spring or early summer, as well. The name of the new Tour2/Bold 9650 is not yet official, but what appears to be a leaked user guide for the device makes reference to the “BlackBerry Bold 9650,” so it seems fairly solid that the 9650 is the next smartphone in RIM’s Bold lineup. I also happen to think it makes a whole lot of sense for RIM to scrap the Tour-name and go with Bold, at least from a marketing perspective. (Read “Why RIM’s New BlackBerry ‘Tour2 9650’ Should Be the Next BlackBerry Bold” for my explanation.) AS FREE CIO BlackBerry NewsletterGet better use out of your BlackBerry and keep up-to-date on the latest developments. Sign-up » Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP Generative AI’s ‘show me the money’ moment We’re past the hype and slick gen AI sales pitches. Business leaders want results. By Julia White Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence brandpost Sponsored by Zscaler How customers capture real economic value with zero trust Unleashing economic value: Zscaler's Zero Trust Exchange transforms security architecture while cutting costs. By Zscaler Nov 30, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Sponsored by SAP A cloud-based solution to rescue millions from energy poverty Aware of the correlation between energy and financial poverty, Savannah Energy is helping to generate clean, competitively priced electricity across Africa by integrating its old systems into one cloud-based platform. By Keith E. Greenberg, SAP Contributor Nov 30, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation feature 8 change management questions every IT leader must answer Designed to speed adoption and achieve business outcomes, change management hasn’t historically been a strength of IT orgs. It’s time to flip that script by asking hard questions to hone change strategies. By Stephanie Overby Nov 30, 2023 10 mins Change Management Change Management IT Operations Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe