RIM continues to refresh its BlackBerry lineup with optical trackpads to replace the trackball “pearl” that has become almost synonymous with the BlackBerry brand. The latest BlackBerry to get the optical trackpad treatment is the BlackBerry Tour2 9650 (codename: Essex), and it’s looking good. Thanks to pics posted by BGR, we can see that the Tour2 looks almost exactly like its BlackBerry Tour predecessor, save for the optical trackpad that replaces the trackball.
The Tour2 also packs a faster processor that does away with a lot of the lag in the original Tour. And, with WiFi now on board, the Tour2 brings its feature set up to speed with other smartphones in its class. The Tour2 feels more “snappy” now, according to BGR. Fans of the Tour’s impressive keyboard will be happy to hear that it makes an appearance on the Tour2.We don’t know the price or launch schedule, but expect to see the Tour2 coming to Verizon in early 2010.
Check out BGR‘s hands-on gallery here.
[Via: Electronista]