BlackBerry® Pearl™ 8130 Pink (Verizon Wireless)

Call quality: We’re happy to report that call quality is the best we’ve experienced to date on a BlackBerry. Callers were extremely loud and clear and they said the same of us. So we only needed to lower the volume using the side keys. We were even able to hear clear in windy environments. We also appreciated the speakerphone since we were able to speak simultaneously and callers weren’t cut off mid-sentence. Additionally, there was no degradation in call quality when we used a Bluetooth headset.

Audio Quality: While the playback of music on this cell phone is acceptable it’s far from stellar when played back over the cell phone’s speaker. There were occasions when we found the audio quality to be a tad tinny. However, quality should improve when using the included stereo earbud headset, but if you want to listen to music without the wire you can always get a stereo Bluetooth headset.

Menu/phonebook: If you love the BlackBerry interface, you’ll be happy to know not much has changed in the Pearl version of the popular device. Everything is like the old BlackBerry only a little bit more attractive. You can choose between a few different views: either have a few icons lined on the bottom or the left hand side of the screen; or you can have all applications appear on the screen for easy scrolling through applications. Don’t like the preformatted arrangement of icons, no worries, you can easily rearrange the icons to move the applications you use most to the top of your list. You can use the included software to easily sync contacts, calendar and e-mail between the Pearl and your computer. However, unlike the Treo, you can’t color-code your calendar entries. The Pearl comes with a miniUSB-to-USB cable so you can connect it directly to your computer or you can always use Bluetooth if your computer has that functionality. Finally, the alarm is great on this cell phone; it will continue to sound even if the cell phone is turned off. This is a good and bad thing. The other key feature with the BlackBerry 8130 is that it comes loaded with maps, so you can get directions to just about anywhere.

Messaging: The reason most people buy a BlackBerry is for the messaging; and, rightfully so, it really has messaging perfected. But before you get too excited, if you’re getting the BlackBerry Pearl for work e-mail, it’s not that it can’t do it out-of-the-box it can if your company has the right server. If your company doesn’t you will definitely need to consult your resident IT guy, he’ll have to set it up for you.

Another bonus is that you can send/receive e-mail from multiple accounts. Since the whole point of BlackBerry’s is to sync your e-mail on your computer with that on your cell phone, a copy of messages (even if it’s on your computer) is automatically stored in the device’s memory. Additionally, with the latest enhancements in this model and the BlackBerry Internet Service, you can now have a separate folder for text and multimedia messages and the text messages will not be included in the message folder which receives all messages. Nice!

Camera: The BlackBerry Pearl has a 2-megapixel camera and a flash. Overall, picture quality is pretty good when snapping pics using the Pearl. There’s also a tiny mirror next to the lens, which you can use to snap self-portraits. Now you can even delete pictures immediately after taking them by scrolling to the trashcan icon and press the scroll wheel down. Yet, our favorite feature is the integration of the trackball with the camera application. Once you’re setting up a picture you can scroll around to zoom or change the size of the picture. We admit it, it’s just plain cool! We should note that unlike previous Pearls, you can view and record videos on this cell phone.

Music: As noted, the Pearl has a music player as well. You can listen to songs stored in MP3 format. Music isn’t the Pearl’s strongest feature. As such, there really aren’t any options in the player to adjust audio quality. You can create playlists on the cell phone, as well as shuffle, and repeat songs. However, we should note that you can save tunes stored in your cell phone as a ringtone. But you’ll really need to get an extra MicroSD memory card if you want to put any music on the device because there’s simply not enough space on the Pearl to store more than a song or two at the most.

Bluetooth/Connectivity: You can do a lot with Bluetooth on this cell phone. Besides easily being able to connect to a Bluetooth headset (we found call quality was great when we used the Motorola H500). You can also take advantage of the high-speed EVDO data speeds by connecting the BlackBerry 8130 with a laptop computer and turn it into a data modem. This is a pretty good use of an unlimited data plan.

Look and Feel: Let’s get right to heart of this BlackBerry, the Pearl (that’s the white trackball in the middle of the cell phone). It’s just super fun to use. We think the side scroll wheel typically found on the side of BlackBerry’s is a bit more functional, but this option is just much more enjoyable. Besides it really adds to the overall style of the Pearl. There’s no denying this is one of the more stylish cell phones we’ve seen from BlackBerry and is arguably one of the more attractive work-centric handsets currently available. Plus it comes in a plethora of fun colors including amethyst (basically navy), silver, red, and pink (it’s more of a baby pink than a Pepto-Bismol type pink).

The display is easy to view in most lighting conditions and really pops in dimly-lit rooms and you can change the brightness setting, a good idea to maximize the battery life. We should not that the button with the dots on it on the left-hand spine of the cell phone is a little too sensitive. If the Pearl isn’t locked and jostling around in a bag or purse, it will constantly ask, “Say a Command.” This can be extremely irritating, so we recommend disabling the key or changing it to launch a different feature entirely. We would also recommend getting in the habit of locking the cell phone even when it’s secure in the black sleeve that comes with the cell phone. There were a couple of times that we didn’t lock the smartphone when we put it in the sleeve and inadvertently launched random applications. Finally, there’s a slot on the spine of the cell phone where you can add more memory via an external MicroSD card.

Keypad: If you’re a veteran BlackBerry user and have become all too accustomed to the integrated keyboard and fear that it’s just not going to be the same strictly using numeric keys, don’t worry. True, it’s not quite the same as two-handed typing, but it is pretty easy due to the predictive text application installed and the FastTap keypad, which puts a maximum of two letters on each key. This application not only guesses the word but provides a few options so you can make sure the predictive spelling stays on the right track. Plus, the keys are spaced far enough apart. We should also note that on the 8130 the keys are bit more spacious then those found on the original Pearl, which helps keep misdials at a minimum. Another nice feature is that the keys are slightly raised and curve making dialing in the dark pretty doable.

While many improvements have been made to this BlackBerry, there hasn’t really been a huge bump in battery life. This is because if you look at other full keyboard BlackBerry devices, you’ll notice it can support a much larger battery than the one found on the BlackBerry 8130. That said, this is what we found. If you use the cell phone frequently to make calls, to text and send/receive e-mail you’ll probably only be able to last about two days before needing to recharge. However, if you’re thinking of the Pearl primarily as a cell phone and less of a messaging device you’ll get about three to four days of battery life from it. We should note that Bluetooth doesn’t significantly drain the battery. Another plus, it charges quickly (within an hour).

• BlackBerry Pearl

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