BlackBerry Pearl or BlackBerry 8100 to give it its generic name is Research in Motion (the makers) statement of intent to reach the wider public. The launch of the BlackBerry line of devices was a revolution that was clearly aimed at the corporate crowd. They have always been highly capable with greater functionality than your standard mobile phone. However, they had that aloof air of exclusivity which meant the general public really did not take to them. BlackBerry Pearl is different.
The first impression you get with the ‘Pearl’ is that it is quite attractive. It is also successfully metrosexual and the trendy type, male or female, will be comfortable, even eager, to be seen with it. It is light (89g), sleek and compact.
The ‘pearl’ isn’t simply an opportunistic moniker. It is the very functional trackball that has been included in this device. It is easy to use and the menu intuitive. One of the features that made previous BlackBerry devices rather unwieldy and unattractive was the full QWERTY keyboard. This has been maintained on BlackBerry Pearl but each key now has two letters instead of one. BlackBerry’s SureType software works surprisingly well with this new set-up.
The main strength of BlackBerry devices has always been mobile email. This is quite versatile. You can manage up to ten email accounts on your BlackBerry Pearl and you are notified instantly an email is delivered to any of them. All the other standard messaging services such as SMS and MMS are supported. In addition, you can carry on Instant Messaging via such programs as Yahoo!® Messenger or Google Talk™. There is a fully functional organiser.
Browsing the web is a breeze and the trackball works particularly well for this. On this, however, there is no 3G support and you have to make do with EDGE or GPRS which are not quite as fast.
Connectivity is unchanged and you can connect to your computer using USB which is also used for charging the battery. Bluetooth is supported. There is a music player and most of the popular formats including MP3 and AAC are supported. Memory is expandable via a microSD card. The location of the card (under the SIMM card) is, however, rather curious and probably not well thought out. You can also store and play videos.
A camera has also been included on this one, almost certainly as a ploy to attract more and younger people but at 1.3MP, this is unlikely to set any pulses racing.
In conclusion, it is difficult to fault the BlackBerry Pearl and, in spite of a few niggles, it is a triumph for design and functionality.
