Smartphone users today have come to expect a certain level of inherent innovation with any new device release. Simply put -- we have been spoiled.

Be it by the likes of the ever-inventive Apple brand bursting onto the scene, or Google's Android platform with it's ludicrous growth and penetration rate, consumers have a plethora of new options appear each time they turn around.

You could almost say that BlackBerry devotees, on the other hand, have come to expect quite the opposite. Modest upgrades and what most consider a somewhat stale operating system have left more than a few members of the BlackBerry community feeling a bit behind the times.

The BlackBerry Bold 9650 is no exception.

The 9650 is an update to the now year-old Tour 9630 for Verizon Wireless and Sprint. To say it's a modest upgrade is polite at best.

Click here for our BlackBerry Tour 9630 reviews

Design

At a glance, those familiar with the BlackBerry Tour 9630 might very well mistake it for just that. With a list of changes that I would call passable, if I'm being generous, the Bold 9650 updates very little regarding hardware.

The phone now displays the Bold moniker on the backside, and adds RIM's much-needed optical trackpad in lieu of the hackneyed trackball found on BlackBerry devices past. Aside from a slight nudge of the USB port necessitating the repurchase of some peripherals and most accessories, the physical changes stop there.

While the design of the Tour, upon its release last summer, was welcomed with open arms by Verizon BlackBerry users, I can't help but feel that the Bold 9650 is more like what we should have seen at that time. When the Tour launched in 2009, RIM had already begun implementing its optical trackpads into the lower-end Curve 85xx line of devices, yet the Tour saw an unveiling with the old trackball still in tow -- a trackball that would ultimately be a major nuisance, plagued with issues.

The keyboard is everything I've come to expect from a recent BlackBerry, and only slightly (if at all) different than the keyboards found on the Tour and the BlackBerry Bold 9700. With the time, experience and ingenuity that has gone into getting to this point, it's hard to argue that it isn't one of the best physical QWERTY keyboards in existence, hands-down.

Internal Specs

This is where the Bold 9650 really shines -- if you can call it that.

Probably the most significant update from the Tour to the Bold 9650 lies within the device's on-board memory. With a double-up from 256MB to 512MB, it places itself at the top of the BlackBerry pile with regard to storage.

Lesser-equipped RIM units often see crippling performance issues due to lack of space once you get all your apps and the ever-popular themes installed. With the 9650, it's quite a feat if you can load enough junk in its trunk to bog it down.

To its credit, the Bold 9650 is definitely one of the more spunky BlackBerry phones on the market, thanks in large part to the aforementioned storage bump. In fact, the 9650 manages to be ever so slightly more responsive than the lightning-fast Bold 9700 -- a phone heralded as being one of the most spry BlackBerry phones in the world.

This additional memory and decent processor also make it a perfect candidate for RIM's upcoming operating system BlackBerry 6.

Another no-brainer improvement is the much-needed addition of Wi-Fi. Traditionally, you could bet with almost complete certainty that buying a CDMA BlackBerry device would net you zero Wi-Fi radios. But as time has progressed and the mobile landscape has changed, Wi-Fi has become a bit of a given in smartphones. Much to Verizon and Sprint's chagrin, it can now be found in all of their recent BlackBerry releases.

However, again, RIM has neglected to put its absolute latest tech into this model. The Pearl 3G, which has recently seen its debut on a couple of Canadian carriers, packs 802.11n Wi-Fi. The Bold 9650 remains at 802.11b/g.

Overall Impression

More of a game preserver than a game changer, I guess I'd say the BlackBerry Bold 9650 specializes in familiarity.

If you're an in-contract Tour user who's absolutely green with envy over your friend and his 9700's optical trackpad and Wi-Fi, or if you like to keep a virtual metric ton of themes on your device, then the Bold 9650 is for you.

As a phone and as a BlackBerry smartphone, you've got everything you need with the Bold 9650. What's more, Verizon's famously far-reaching coverage ensures that you can stay connected just about anywhere you go. The Bold 9650 also moves data with haste thanks to Verizon's solid 3G network.

Verizon aside, however, I recently purchased a Bold 9700 from AT&T, and I have to say that its sleek, sexy form and distinctly smaller size make it a more streamlined and more pocketable device. While the Bold 9650 does have a few great things going for it, the 9700 -- which launched last fall, mind you -- further solidifies this phone's last-year looks.

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Storm and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Storm

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Storm:
   1. Dial *71xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   2. Dial *90xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   3. Dial *92xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your Verizon Wireless voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail:

1. Dial *73 and press Call
2. Dial *900 and press Call
3. Dial *920 and press Call

This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Storm will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Storm guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Storm review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Tour and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Tour

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Tour:
   1. Dial *71xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   2. Dial *90xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   3. Dial *92xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your Verizon Wireless voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail:

1. Dial *73 and press Call
2. Dial *900 and press Call
3. Dial *920 and press Call

This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Tour will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Tour guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Tour review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8530 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8530

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Curve 8530:
   1. Dial *71xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   2. Dial *90xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   3. Dial *92xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your Verizon Wireless voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail:

1. Dial *73 and press Call
2. Dial *900 and press Call
3. Dial *920 and press Call

This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Curve 8530 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Curve 8520 & Curve 8530 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Curve 8520 review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Storm2 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Storm2

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Storm2:
   1. Dial *71xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   2. Dial *90xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
   3. Dial *92xxx-xxx-xxxx (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your Verizon Wireless voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail:

1. Dial *73 and press Call
2. Dial *900 and press Call
3. Dial *920 and press Call

This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Storm2 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Storm2 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Storm2 review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Bold 9000 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Bold 9000

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Bold 9000, dial *004*xxx-xxx-xxxx# (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. A forwarding confirmation will be displayed on your screen
5. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your AT&T voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail, simply dial #002# (AT&T) or ##004# (T-Mobile) on your BlackBerry Bold 9000 and press Call. This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Bold 9000 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Bold 9000 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Bold 9000 review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8900 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8900

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Curve 8900, dial *004*xxx-xxx-xxxx# (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. A forwarding confirmation will be displayed on your screen
5. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your AT&T voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail, simply dial #002# (AT&T) or ##004# (T-Mobile) on your BlackBerry Curve 8900 and press Call. This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Curve 8900 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Curve 8900 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Curve 8900 review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8520 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Curve 8520

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Curve 8520, dial *004*xxx-xxx-xxxx# (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. A forwarding confirmation will be displayed on your screen
5. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your AT&T voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail, simply dial #002# (AT&T) or ##004# (T-Mobile) on your BlackBerry Curve 8520 and press Call. This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Curve 8520 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Curve 8520 & Curve 8530 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Curve 8520 review

Google Voice provides a wide variety of functions to users, but many people aren't looking to take advantage of all the features Google Voice affords.

Even if simultaneous ringing and free SMS don't appeal to you, Google Voice can still be used as a great replacement for your carrier's standard voicemail system. What's more, Google Voice offers a free voicemail transcription service that uses voice-to-text to transcribe messages. Voicemail transcriptions can then be delivered to you via email or SMS.

In this guide, we show you how to set up Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Bold 9700 and configure the attached voicemail transcription service.

Activate Google Voice voicemail on your BlackBerry Bold 9700

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Locate the phone you wish to activate voicemail for and click Activate Google voicemail on this phone
3. On your BlackBerry Bold 9700, dial *004*xxx-xxx-xxxx# (where xxx-xxx-xxxx is your Google Voice phone number) and press Call
4. A forwarding confirmation will be displayed on your screen
5. On the Google Voice website, click Done

Configure voicemail transcriptions and delivery

1. Log in to the Google Voice website and click Settings in the top right corner
2. Click on the Voicemail & SMS tab
3. Next to "Voicemail Notifications", check the box next to Email the message to and select an email address to receive your voicemail transcriptions via email
4. Beneath "Send a text (SMS) message to", check the box next to each cell phone on which you want to receive SMS voicemail transcriptions
5. Next to Voicemail Transcripts, check the box next to Transcribe Voicemails
6. Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the screen

That's it! Google Voice will now replace your AT&T voicemail, and it will deliver transcriptions of each message via email or SMS.

If at any point you wish to deactivate Google Voice voicemail, simply dial #002# (AT&T) or ##004# (T-Mobile) on your BlackBerry Bold 9700 and press Call. This will deactivate all call forwarding and the BlackBerry Bold 9700 will use the standard voicemail system once again.

Click here for more BlackBerry Bold 9700 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Bold 9700 review

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Bold 9650 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just five easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button, and select "Options"

2. Scroll to and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper should be set.

Simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a Wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

RIM currently has a handful of different BlackBerry smartphone models available with a myriad of carriers worldwide.

Here in the U.S., the BlackBerry Bold 9650 will be locked to a CDMA carrier when purchased from either Sprint or Verizon, but what if you want to try out T-mobile or AT&T or use a local SIM card while roaming in another country?

We show you step by step how you can unlock your BlackBerry Bold 9650 for use with any GSM-based carrier, in the U.S. or abroad, in a few easy steps.

Note that you will need to obtain an unlock code prior to unlocking your BlackBerry smartphone. Unlock codes are available for purchase from a variety of sources -- we recommend Cellunlock.net -- or they can sometimes be requested from your carrier's customer service department. In order to obtain an unlock code from a carrier, typically your account must be out of contract and in good standing.

Step by Step:

• Go to Settings or Click on Options (depending on your folder structure) (figure 1)

• Click on Advanced Options (figure 2)

• Click on SIM Card (figure 3)

• Type mepd -- you will not see what you are typing and thus you must make sure you are typing the code correctly
• Type mep2 -- again, you will not see what you are typing so just type mep, press the alt key, then press the 2 key (e on keyboard)
• Enter the UNLOCK code you purchased/received

Note: The commands in the final two steps above are case-sensitive and therefore must be typed in lowercase

You are now free to insert a SIM card from any GSM-based cellular provider in the U.S. or overseas.

So you have seen our screenshots on various how to guides and you are wondering, "How did they get those terrific screenshots?" The following guide will show you how easy it is to take screenshots on your BlackBerry Bold 9650 handset.

The first thing that is required is the "Capture It" application, which is currently at version 1.4 and available for free.

• Launch the BlackBerry browser
• Browse to http://m.thetechmogul.com/
• Click the provided link to download the application

• On the next screen, click on the Download button

• The application will be installed and in some instances you will be asked to reboot your device
• Once the reboot is complete, the application can be found in the Downloads folder or on the home screen of the BlackBerry (depends on operating system version)

Once Capture It has been installed, it is fully integrated into the BlackBerry menus and allows you to take a screenshot of any screen on the device. The following steps explain how to grab a screenshot, find it on your device and utilize it. This particular section will focus on emailing the screenshot.

• Open the screen you wish to capture
• Press the BlackBerry menu button (to the left of the trackball or trackpad depending on your model)
• Scroll to the top of the menu and select Capture It

• The application will capture the screenshot and save it to your BlackBerry
• Browse to the Pictures application and view all pictures
• The screenshot will be the first image displayed -- open the image
• Press the BlackBerry menu button
• You now are given a full menu: Zoom In, Rotate, View Actual Size, Fit to Screen, Send or Share, Set As Wallpaper, Set As Caller ID, Delete, Copy, Move, etc.
• Simply select Send or Share -- then Send As Email
• A new email message is created with the screenshot attached -- enter the recipient's email address and send the message

Note: Most options above will be similar for all operating systems on BlackBerry devices. Your experience may differ depending on the version of the operating system you have.

Google Voice is an excellent call aggregation service that has a myriad of features for its user. It is almost like having your own personal PBX (private branch exchange).

The following guide will show you how to download, install and utilize Google Voice directly from your BlackBerry Bold 9650. This guide assumes that you already have a Google Voice account and that you have it setup with personal options.

First things first; we have to install the Google Voice application on your Bold:

• Launch the BlackBerry browser
• Browse to http://m.google.com/voice
• You will be shown a Google Voice screen with a link labeled Install Now (figure 1)

• Simply click the link and you are prompted with a download screen -- click on the Download button (figure 2)

• The application is now downloaded and launched immediately
• Enter your Gmail address (the same account is used for Google Voice) and your password (figure 3)

• Scroll to and click on the Sign In button
• You are now presented with a list of all configured phones, simply select the number assigned to your Bold 9650 and click OK
• The application will now update your call history and SMS message history (figure 4)

Once installed, the application is fully integrated into your Bold and allows you to make calls and send SMS messages directly via Google Voice. Naturally, incoming calls and messages are routed to your device if you have set the preferences accordingly on the Google Voice Website.

How to use Google Voice:

1. View your contacts via the Contacts application
2. Select the contact you wish to reach
3. Tap the Blackberry Menu key
4. Scroll up to the top of the menu and select either: Call using Google Voice or SMS using Google Voice
5. Your call or message will now be processed via Google Voice

Note: If you select Call using Google Voice, you will be presented with a list of the contacts phone numbers, thus allowing you to select which number to call.

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Curve 8500 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just five easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button, and select "Options"

2. Scroll to and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper should be set.

Simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a Wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

Click here for more BlackBerry Curve 8520 & Curve 8530 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Curve 8520 review

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Tour 9630 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button, and select "Options"

2. Scroll to and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper should be set.

Simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a Wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

Click here for more BlackBerry Tour guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Tour review

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Bold 9700 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just five easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button, and select "Options"

2. Scroll to and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper should be set.

Simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a Wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

Click here for more BlackBerry Bold 9700 guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Bold 9700 review

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Storm 9530 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button, and select "Options"

2. Highlight and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper should be set.

Simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a Wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

Click here for more BlackBerry Storm guides

Click here for our full BlackBerry Storm review

Changing the wallpaper on your BlackBerry Storm2 9550 is incredibly simple. We'll show you how in just five easy steps.

1. From your applications list, hit the Menu button and select "Options"

2. Highlight and select "Wallpaper"

A dialog box will pop up with thumbnails of the pictures on your device.

3. Scroll to the picture you want to set as your wallpaper, highlight it and select the image.

The image will then be displayed full-screen.

4. Hit the Menu button again, and select "Set As Wallpaper"

5. Press "Escape" twice, and your new wallpaper will be set.

It's as simple as that!

You can also set any image in your "Pictures" folder as a wallpaper by navigating to it, hitting "Menu" and selecting "Set As Wallpaper".

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The SurePress touchscreen on the BlackBerry Storm and Storm2 isn't exactly the most intuitive variety of screen available. It isn't horrible, and many actually love it, but when compared to other modern touchscreen devices such as the iPhone and even many Android and Windows Mobile devices, it's hard to justifiably consider it on the same playing field.

However, experiences can vary greatly depending on the settings you keep for the screen and keyboard. Here, we break down some configuration tips that should provide you with a more enjoyable Storm or Storm2 experience.

Access the Screen/Keyboard settings menu

1. Select "Options" from the main application list.

2. Highlight and select "Screen/Keyboard" from the Options menu.

Configuring the screen and keyboard

3. Scroll down, and highlight and click on the "Key Rate" toggle.

4. Change the Key Rate setting to "Fast" in the pop-up menu.

The Key Rate setting controls the speed at which characters are repeated when held, how long it takes for letters to capitalize when a key is pressed and also how rapidly letters are deleted when the delete key is pressed. The faster this is set for, the less time you have to wait for routine actions to take place.

5. Scroll further down, and highlight and click on the "Tap Interval" toggle.

6. Change the Tap Interval setting to "100" in the pop-up menu.

The Tap Interval setting essentially controls the amount of time needed in between two taps to register them as two separate taps. This is not the same as clicks of the SurePress screen. Times where double tapping would come into play are, for instance, utilizing the zoom feature of the BlackBerry's native web browser.

7. Directly below Tap Interval, highlight and click on the "Hover Period" toggle.

8. Change the Hover Period setting to "100" in the pop-up menu.

The Hover Period setting controls the time it takes to activate a hover function in the BlackBerry system. For instance, when typing a message, to access the special characters on the keyboard, you must hover, or continually touch without pressing, on whatever letter contains the character desired. The lower the Hover Period, the less time you have to wait for what you want.

9. Directly below Hover Period, highlight and click on the "Swipe Sensitivity" toggle.

10. Change the Swipe Sensitivity setting to "(High) 6" in the pop-up menu.

With the Swipe Sensitivity setting, you're in control of how deliberate or slight of contact is required to activate a scroll or swipe in the Storm2's OS. On the SurePress screen, you can never have this set too high. As this setting gets lower and lower you have to press harder and harder while swiping, to the point where you almost inevitably depress the screen every time, activating functions that you did not intent to.

Important notes

We've found these settings to provide the optimal experience for our use. If you configure your device as such, we're confident that with regular usage and continued SurePress experience, these settings will prove to bring you the most enjoyment possible from the somewhat unorthodox SurePress screen on the BlackBerry Storm and Storm2.

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The BlackBerry Storm2 9550 was the first smartphone from RIM to bring built-in Wi-Fi to Verizon. Naturally, using Wi-Fi can be an excellent alternative to 3G data, especially if you don't have high-speed coverage where you are. It also comes in particularly handy if you don't have an unlimited data plan on your device and can save you a substantial amount of money. If you haven't used a BlackBerry with Wi-Fi before on another carrier, we'll show you how to set up a new Wi-Fi connection in this step-by-step guide.

Preparation

Before doing anything from your Storm2, you'll want to make your you have a Wi-Fi signal to connect to, and that you know the security key, if the network requires one.

Adding the network connection to your phone

There are two ways to get to the proper settings area for setting up your Wi-Fi network. One way is to view your full applications screen and select "Manage Connections". In the route that we'll demonstrate below, you can get to the same page directly from the homescreen by clicking on the signal indicator.

1. Open "Manage Connections"

2. Highlight and select "Set Up Wi-Fi Network"

Note: At this point, it is not necessary to turn on your Wi-Fi just yet. We will do that before searching for networks if it's still off at that time.

This will bring you to a "Welcome to Wi-Fi Setup" page. Once you comfortable setting up Wi-Fi networks on your device, you can check the box next to "Don't show this introduction again," and you will not have to navigate through this page any longer.

3. Highlight and click "Next" at the bottom of the screen.

4. The next page will say "Select an option". Highlight and select "Scan For Networks" at the top of the list.

At this point, if you still have your Wi-Fi turned off, a pop-up will display, asking if you want to "Turn on Wi-Fi to perform a scan?"

5. Highlight and select "Turn Wi-Fi on".

The list of available wireless networks will populate.

6. Find the wireless network you are looking for (in this case, "Hamrick"). Highlight and select your network of choice.

Depending on the router you are connecting to, a screen may pop up saying it supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup. For extra security, your BlackBerry smartphone can create a PIN for utilizing in the connection. For the sake of this guide, we will not do this.

7. Highlight and select "Cancel".

This brings us to the Wi-Fi Security page. If your router has a security key, you will be asked to enter it here.

Note: If you do not have a security key set up on your network, it is strongly recommended if own and have access to the router settings.

8. Tap in the "Pre-Shared Key" text box, and enter the security key, if applicable.

9. When you are done, highlight and select "Connect".

As long as there is no problem connecting with your router, you will then come to a completion page that says, "Wi-Fi Success".

10. You can now highlight and select "Finish".

If you started this process the way that we demonstrated, upon clicking "Finish", you will immediately return to the homescreen. If you accessed "Manage Connections" from the applications list, just a few clicks of the escape key will get you back to the homescreen.

If everything has been done correctly, you should now see the Wi-Fi logo/indicator at the top of your screen. You should also see the name of your network somewhere on the screen as well (vacation may vary, depending on theme).

Disconnecting from the Wi-Fi network

Any time you travel outside the range of your router, service will automatically disconnect. However, the Wi-Fi radio itself will not shut itself off. To do so, you must go back to the "Manage Connections" page and un-check the box next to Wi-Fi.

Note: If you are not using the Wi-Fi on your device, it is advised that you turn the radio off to conserve battery life.

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