BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Phone, Black (T-Mobile)

Some tips and thoughts October 14, 2006

Reviewer:  Aamir Gulzar  (Minneapolis, MN USA) -

I have never used blackberry before this one. I was looking for a cellphone with multimedia capabilities and with which I can check my email. BB Pearl fit that profile very well. I did read some reviews before getting it. Most of the reviews were very positive with one concern that was raised in some reviews that voice quality was not as good as reviewers expected. It was a concern to me but I thought that I could always return it if I noticed voice problems.
Here are some of my impressions from three weeks of use:
* Voice quality is excellent (I am in twin cities on t-mobile network). I haven't taken it outside the metro area or to another city yet. So, I don't know if that would effect voice quality
* I agree with couple of other reviewers that speaker phone is not the best quality. I only expect to use it on rare occasions.
* Phone paired easily with my samsung and motorola blue tooth headsets. I also have a stereo overhead bluetooth headset and when I paired the stereo bluetooth headset it worked great. It is amazing how clear other side sounds with a good quality stereo bluetooth headset.
* The back cover of the BB pearl seems to be made of flimsy plastic and I am afraid that if I removed cover too many times it might break and I will have to buy a replacement cover. When you open the back cover, you will see the battery. Underneath the battery are two slots. One for sim card and one for the micro sd card. You have to lift the latch and then insert the cards and close it. I am concerned that if I am not careful these latches to secure the cards may break. Seems to me a bit over engineering on BB's part. Because I was concerned about the durability of the outer back cover, I bought 1 GB micro sd card with plenty of storage, so that I don't have to open the back cover often to replace the micro sd card. You can transfer data to micro sd card either thru the supplied usb cable or thru bluetooth.
* Mp3 music: I transferred mp3 music files to micro sd and the player played without any problems. There are two issues to be aware of. One, the jack on the phone is 2.5 mm. Most stereo headphones are 3.5 mm. So, if you want to listen to stereo music on your favorite headset, you would need a small 2.5mm to 3.5mm converter. I bought mine from target for few dollars. The second issue is that I was unable to listen to music in stereo using my bluetooth stereo headphones (though I was able to listen to phone conversation in stereo using the same bluetooth headset). I don't know at this point why it was. I called t-mobile BB tech support but they were not able to give me a satisfactory answer.
* During the first week, I got number of "java null pointer exception" error messages during conducting different operations. The errors have decreased but I still got one couple of days ago. I am thinking these are software bugs, that t-mobile/BB need to fix.
* I am very happy with the email. It arrives instantaneously and I see a red blinking light when there is an email message in my mail box. Setting up email thru BB internet server was a breeze
* While email is great on BB. Web browsing leaves much to be desired for. Part of the problem is that t-mobile's network is slow (in the process of being upgraded), and then navigation on the BB browser is not easy. Perhaps, I will get used to it, but for right now I don't enjoy it much.
* Key pad is bit crowded. After three weeks of use, I still mistype a key once in a while, because the keys are so close to each other. I can't imagine using it for typing long messages. Just short quick notes. Perhaps, if you have more nimble fingers it may work better for you.
* Screen is very vibrant and clear. You would not be disappointed. I have had no problem reading messages, emails.
* Camera is ok quality. I would not throw my regular camera. I expect to only use it rarely
* Navigation ball is excellent and you would definitely like it to move "cursor" from application to application. I did notice one day that I could not move up the screen with the navigation ball. I turned off BB and started it again and the problem went away.
* As I said this is my first BB and before buying it I heard that you could read (not edit) microsoft documents plus pdfs. The gottacha here is that you can do that only if the documents are part of email attachments. So, for instance, you cannot upload a MS word document on your micro sd card and view it. I am disappointed with this limitation.
* The extra battery for BB pearl is being sold for approx $50. I consider it a highway robbery by RIM (maker of BB) to sell a $5 battery for that much. I am disgusted by this level of greed.
* I have noticed that after about a month of it's release still it's difficult to find accessories specifically for BB pearl like a leather cover. I liked the leather cover advertised at the official BB shop at shopblackberry.com but it's not going to be available until mid november. Meanwhile, beware of web sites which are re-marketing their existing products as made for BB pearl to make a buck.

Overall, I am very happy with the BB Pearl. Many of my complaints are minor to me and do not materially effect my decision to buy this BB. I hope my two cents will help you in making a better decision if this phone is for you or not. Goodluck

Best of all possible worlds September 19, 2006

Reviewer:  PeterC@AWS "rare reviewer"  (Seattle, WA) -

I think the Pearl is terrific. I was so hooked by the description that I went out and bought it on the first day it came out and have been enjoying it for a week now. Having used a 7100 for the past three years I have always disliked the size; too big to comfortably fit in your pocket and annoying (not to mention geeky) to clip to your belt loop. At last, a Blackberry with a reasonable form-factor! I immediately bought a 1GB microSD to put in it and am thinking of it as a day-to-day ipod replacement. Finally I can go on a short trip and bring a single device for communication and entertainment.

Agree with the other reviewer that the speaker phone is not the best quality but with the other advantages (size, style, color, audio/video/camera, email, calendar, etc.) I find it hard to knock the experience. Best phone I have ever had.

Great phone with e-mail September 16, 2006

Reviewer:  James Barry  (New Jersey) -

I have had the Pearl for a few days now in both the US and Europe. The phone clarity is great. The size is perfect to drop into your pocket, smaller than my friends Razor. The phone is very small and great as a phone. Battery life is great - four days and going strong on the first charge. The web browser is great, though I miss my Sprint fast connection on my Treo. T-Mobile needs a faster data connection. The pictures are great with the 1.3 megapixel camera.

The email is typically Blackberry. I even have my personal POP (normal e-mail) e-mail and it works as well as my corporate email. As an e-mail reader, it is really clear and easy to read. Easy to get to e-mail. But replies have been tough as I learn to type on the keys. I think they are too small for much of a reply.

Overall the Pearl is a great phone, with a wonderful way to read e-mail. If I want to send a lot of e-mail, this is not the phone for you. But if you want it all in a phone smaller than the Razor, this is a wonderful package.

Nearly Perfect Phone with Blackberry Features September 26, 2006

Reviewer:  Nolan Voyd 

Here are my thoughts on the BlackBerry Pearl.

Usability: After using a full-sized BlackBerry 7290 for nearly two years, I was skeptical of RIM's new SureType 20 button keyboard. But after a week of using it, I'm convinced that it's brilliant. Text entry on the BlackBerry Pearl is fast and intuitive. After a short period of getting used to it, you begin to concentrate less on the entry method and more on your thoughts. I have been able to type nearly as fast with the Pearl as I did before, although the keys are admittedly cramped if you have big thumbs.

The Pearl is designed with fantastic shortcuts that you can discover over time, which make up for the reduced number of keys. These shortcuts make the Pearl a pleasure to use as a phone and an email device.

Aesthetics: The BlackBerry Pearl is perfect for folks like me who hate carrying around and talking on the clunky bricks of full-keyboarded devices. The Pearl is slim, sleek, and svelte. It's just as much home in the office as it is at a bar on a Saturday night. The shiny casing smudges easily, but stands out, and the brilliant white pearl trackball is pleasing and functional. (I only worry that after months of use, it might get grimy or clogged with pocket lint.) This is a beautiful phone!

Call/Signal Quality: Sound quality is excellent. The speakerphone is loud. People on the other side of the line could not always tell that I was using a cell phone, and I have not yet had a dropped call. Reception is slightly weaker than the T-Mobile MDA, when compared side-by-side, but not unacceptably so. There is no wi-fi, although the EDGE network is acceptably fast for web surfing and downloading attachments.

Downsides to note: Even with the keyboard lock, this phone silences the ringer and vibrations as soon as the trackball or any key is pressed, and in your pocket this can happen easily (causing missed calls). Worse, if pressed down, the trackball might accidentally answer a call without your knowledge. This happened to me twice in two days before I wised up and reduced the trackball's sensitivity. Hopefully there will be a software fix. Also, the vibrate isn't the strongest, and the ring tones (even at maximum volume) are not as loud as that of other BlackBerries and other phones.

One final note: and this won me over big time. The phone comes with a mapping program, standard. Just click on any of your contacts' addresses, and viola, see a map of that place and get turn-by-turn directions. Unlike Verizon, there's no fee for this service. You can even pair the phone up with a Bluetooth GPS receiver, which I haven't tried yet.

Has the potential to be great, but needs to have software bug fixed October 3, 2006

Reviewer:  calvinyw  (NJ) -

Have used the Pearl for almost 2 weeks now. It's my first Blackberry.

Pro:
1. Powerful functionality. Email and ability to sync with Outlook. Despite its cool factor, it's still a blackberry at heart, and does everything other blackberry do.
2. Size. It's small, light and thin. Occasionally I put it into my shirt pocket and almost couldn't tell it's there. I don't like have a phone on my belt, so this is the only blackberry for me.
3. SureType. Takes a little to get used to. But overall it's quite accurate. Not as fast as the full keyboard on my bf's 7xxx Blackberry, but I still managed to type without looking at the keyboard most of the time. As one reviewer mentioned, it's a phone first, then email. If you want email with phone capability, go for the 8700.
4. Excellent screen. Easy to read even under sunlight.
5. One hand operation. With the trackball, I can type email with only one hand, while I am walking. Could never do that with the 7xxx. And I always have trouble with the thumbwheel on 7xxx as the wheel would slide off to the next object on the screen just before click it.
6. Battery is pretty good for a phone this small and with such a big and bright color screen. I usually charge it every 2 days. (I average about 1-2 hours on the phone every day.)
7. T-Mobile service is better than I expected.(I wasn't expecting much.) Not very good at penetrating buildings, etc. But overall had decent coverage as long as you don't go to rural area much.

Con:
Lots of software bugs! Here a few things I noticed:
1. The phone will stop ringing for no apparent reason. When this happens, if I go to Options and switch to other ringtones, it won't make any sound at all. (Usually when you scroll through the list of ringtones, it will play each one as the cursor moves.) The only way to get it work again is to pull out the battery. I have had a lot of missed calls because of this. I would leave it on the table with nothing touching the keyboard or trackball and use another phone to call it. I can see the call coming in, but it won't ring. Annoying as hell. So far, I had to pull out the battery 3 times in 4 days.
2. When I call someone, I can only hear silence before they answer. No ringing. The problem is on and off.
3. I had people complaining that when they call me, there's 3-second delay in me hearing their voice. Again, it seems to be on and off.
4. Volume (earpiece & ringer) doesn't go as loud as my previous Sprint Sanyo phone. If you are at a noisy place, you better set it to maximum volume and longest vibration, and you are still likely to miss some calls.
5. Reception is decent enough, but not on par with Sanyo or Nokia which can carry on a conversation even when the signal is wobbling around 1 bar and 0 bar.
6. Voice quality not as good as my old Sprint Sanyo. Could be the network. There seems to be more static noise on the line. You can definitely tell it's a cell phone conversation most of the time. I am comapring it to my old Sanyo. Keep in mind that Sanyo has the best reception among Sprint phones, and Sprint's marketing of "Clear Connection" actually has certain truth to it. So the combination of the two sometimes had made the cell phone conversation feel like a landline connection.
7. Speaker phone: Again, the volume is just acceptable, not great. There's some distortion with the sound coming from the speaker (more than my old Sanyo), probably due to the size of the phone forcing them to using a smaller speaker. For this reason, I only use it if I am on hold or waiting for the other person to pick up the line. The distortion makes it uncomfortable to talk on the speaker phone for extended period of time. On the mic side, the person on the other end reported that they can hear me clearly with no problem. It's still a half-duplex speaker phone, which means you and the other party cannot talk at the same time like on an office speaker phone. If you interrupt while the other party is still talking, their voice will be cut off as soon as you start talking, and resumed as soon as you stop. The switch over is fast and instantaneous, better than my old Sanyo which I will have to wait about 2 seconds after I stop talking before I can hear the other party's voice again.
8. Menu could be sluggish from time to time, although happens quite rarely.
9. Shiny screen & covers get dirty easily.

Can't say much about the multimedia part. The video play seems to have excellent quality, not sluggish at all. Plays MP3, but you will still want to keep your iPod or whatever. Camera is just for emergency use only. It definitely won't replace your regular digital camera. I don't care much about the multimedia part as I don't see myself use it often. If you are interested in the multimedia part, you are reading the wrong review. Actually, you are looking at the wrong device. Multimedia is NOT Pearl's strong suite, despite its sleek form. Go for something else if MP3/video/camera is important to you.

Overall, I still like the Pearl. Will keep it, but I wish they will come up with a new firmware ASAP. Even with so many software bugs, it's still the best smart/PDA phone around, the kind that you will actually put in your pocket and take everywhere. My boss & a co-worker both have Motorola-Q. It locks up once a day. One of them eventually returned it for a regular phone.

My advice: wait for the next firmware to fix all these problems before you buy.

************** UPDATE: 10/31/06 ****************
Now I have used this phone for about a month and half now. The biggest complaint so far is the voice quality. Sometimes it got so bad that I had to hang up and call the other person back just so I can understand what they were saying.

The problem is two-folded:

First, T-mobile's network. There's a lot of static noise on the line, even when I get a full signal. Some areas it's better, some worse. For example, Philly is worst than NYC. I talked to a friend of mine who works as a network engineer for T-mobile and what I was told was that it's a typical "dirty frequency" problem which means the network frequency needs to be re-tuned.

Secondly, the phone itself. It will garble up the conversation if it had some program failed to close properly and taking up resources at the background. It seems that the phone doesn't have dedicated resource to handle voice calls. At one time, I switched to answer a call in the middle of using Google Map, which caused Google Map to hang and failed to close properly. In every conversation afterwards, I would hear the other person's voice for 1 second, then 2 second of silence with a lot of static noise, and continue repeating like that. I had to remove the battery to fix the problem.

As far as the ringer problem mentioned earlier, the store gave me a new handset, and it only happened once on the new handset. The same problem happened once on my bf's 1-month old Pearl as well.

Email push bas been relatively consistent except for a few delays. Outlook sync was excellent and smooth since day one.

Refreshing upgrade from other BlackBerry's - Depends on Priorities September 15, 2006

Reviewer:  Drew Nichols  (Greenville, SC USA) -

I have had BlackBerry's for years since the "black and white" pager style models that didn't even have phones.

Over time, I have found that even though I had the large-keyboard units, I typed out relatively short messages, generally, and did not have a use for the detailed keyboard. I did write a memo on a plane one time that when printed was two pages. I would not want to do that on the Pearl.

What I can tell you is that if you are needing a phone plus email and not email plus a phone (note the difference), the Pearl is for you. I give it four stars only because it's not perfect; no phone ever has been.

PROS: Camera - good. Thin, narron (better than the Q's wide size). I like the pearl instead of the track wheel we're so addicted/used to.

Cons: Speakerphone is weak, to be expected for a small phone. Keyboard is too small to write long articles, like this one.

A nice midway point between a phone and a full-function PDA November 10, 2006

Reviewer:  Angela M.  (Seattle, WA, USA) -

*EDIT* Some of my initial problems with the phone have spontaneously resolved themselves since this review was initially written...see below.

This is a great phone, but there seems to be a really high incidence of lemons with this model, judging from my experience and from the reviews I've seen, so be aware of this when you buy it. To cite one (apparently common) example, my battery will not last more than six hours at a time without needing to be recharged. This hasn't occured with my husband's BB Pearl, however. [EDIT: A few weeks after I began using the phone, this issue was resolved, possibly due to an automatic firmware update of some kind. I have not had the problem since and now the battery lasts several days without a recharge, even though I frequently use the internet and play games on it!]

The Blackberry Pearl has a clean, attractive interface and is easy to learn to use, though if you have trouble with technology or get scared when there are lots of options in a menu, this probably isn't the right phone for you.

Things that particularly distinguish this model from other phones:
* The trackball (How did I ever do without this feature? It's great!)
* The size (slim, light, and not awkwardly shaped)
* The keyboard (easy-to-use, SO much nicer than trying to text on a regular phone keypad)
* The predictive-text capability (I've never had a phone where this feature actually worked, on the BB Pearl, it's quick, intuitive, and accurate)

Positives:
* Makes text-messaging incredibly easy
* Great sound and reception (I'm north of Seattle, and though we'd constantly drop calls with Verizon, we haven't yet lost one with T-Mobile)
* Extremely crisp, clear, bright display
* Password feature, which I prefer to the "push two buttons to unlock my phone" standard.
* Built-in support for common instant messaging programs
* Light flashes different color for different types of messages (green for text message, pink for IM, etc.) and when my battery is low
* Good volume range and easy, accessible volume adjustment

Negatives:
* Awful battery life on some phones [Seems to have been resolved as of December 2006.]
* Flimsy setup for SIM card and memory card
* Can supposedly handle movie files, but tends to freeze up at anything over a couple of megs
* Menu interface can be clumsy if you have a lot of games or applications, since there's no submenu feature I can find
* Even with a converter, I haven't been able to get sound in both ears for the music player...haven't had a music phone before, so I don't know how common this is.
* Mediocre camera

I wouldn't recommend the phone to people who just want baseline cell phone functionality (there are probably better models for that), who want a full-fledged media phone, or who need full-featured PDA-type functionality. It's sort of a middle point that works well for those of us who want a little of everything.

No Ready For Prime Time November 12, 2006

Reviewer:  Gadget Man "Gadget Man"  (California) -

At first I loved this phone. It is very cool, light, fits in your pocket easily, and has a terrific screen. But then I noticed that the software has problems. At least once a day, I have to take the battery out, to reset the software because the the phone won't call, the voice dialing stops working, or it refuses to work through the headset. No clue why this happens. But it is very irritating - especially if you try to use the phone while driving.

Next I found it's ability to let you know about missed calls is hit and miss. Sometimes it lets me know the number of who called, and other times, I haven't a clue.

The software design needs some rework. When you go to the dialing list, I'd like it if it always goes to the full list. Instead, this sucker goes to the last person you looked up. So if you want to call someone else, you have to back out two or three times till you get to the full list. This is annoying if you call from the car.

I got this phone partially because of the voice dialing capability. Unfortunately, you can't program the function, so you have to listen to incorherent robotic pronunciations of names, as it asks you do you want to call eeehnnnna. And you have to figure out what name it's referring to. Sometimes the feature works okay. But half the time it plod aimlessly with incoherent questions.

The MP3 is nice, but haven't figured out if it will work in Stereo. It seems to only be mono, but not sure if it's a matter of using a different plug for the headphones.

Camera is okay, but won't replace a real digital camera.

The coolest feature, is downloading Google Maps and checking for directions - plus viewing the satellite maps, plus traffic in your area.

This phone will be great when they get to version 3 or 4 on the software, rework the menu design, overhaul the voice dialing, and make the platform more stable. Till then, I'd look elsewhere.

UPDATE: T-mobile replaced my phone. Phone #2 had the same problems with software freezes. After one month the battery died completely. T-Mobile gave me two options - 1. free 7 day UPS ground shipping or 2. $15 for express shipping, which in their minds is 3 days. Unbelievable that they don't provide overnight shipping. I'm giving up on this phone and will try the LG EnV from Verizon. Hopefully it works more smoothly.


FURTHER UPDATE: T-Mobile's "express shipping" took 7 days. I've been using the new LG enV, and I can report is is a much better phone. The Voice Dialing is much much better - sounds like a real human, rather than an electronic chip in the Pearl. The menu structure in the LG is much more intuitive -- not the scattered thoughts approach of the Pearl. The LG has not had a single software glitch -- which after the Pearl is a great relief.

Recommendations for a better Pearl: 1. Total redesign of the menu structure so related functions are next to each other or subparts of the same tree branch; 2. Stability, stability stability; 3. Dump the weird voice dialing and get one the user can program, or license the one LG is using; and 4. Redesign the phone keys so the telephone keypad can be distinguished by "feel" - useful for dialing while driving.

Be Seduced... March 24, 2007

Reviewer:  WW85  (New York, NY United States) -

Yes, the Pearl is everything they say. Those who see it covet it almost immediately. Beautiful and slim, it is absolutely in a class by itself. What you need to decide is if it's really the class you want to be in. If you have to ask why you should add Blackberry Internet Service to your plan, then it may not be the phone for you. Because despite all its great features, email is still what BB does better than anyone else and is still the best reason to own one.

Sure, it's a great phone, a better SMS texter than any little phone ever made, it can handle pictures, movies the web and more, but with all the power comes some complex interfaces and potential landmines for those who just want a phone that can handle some multi media tasks. But if email is important to you, and you also need a cell phone and want them both in a small device, the Pearl may be the best thing to come into your life since, since- since I don't know what. Of all the electronic gadgets I've owned, laptops, ipods, digital cameras, this is right there at the top of the list of category killers.

In a way, it's very similar to the ipod. A device that came along and looked so good everyone wanted one, just because. It wasn't the first mp3 player on the market but it was easily the best. Now there are enough models that practically everyone can afford one, but not everyone should necessarily have one. Without the right computer the ipod is pretty much useless. Strange as it seems, co workers are asking me all the time if I can put some music on their ipod. They wander aimlessly from cube to cube, cd's in their hands...

The Pearl is not quite the same kind of breakthrough but it is similar in that those who buy it not knowing what it was truly designed for could become a little frustrated. And this is a shame, because it seems to be attracting many first time BB users, which is great. But the phone won't be as simple as their old Moto. It won't have the brute force of a Windows Smart device. It won't do simple things other cell phones do, like change time automatically as you travel around the country. But it combines email/SMS/MMS/phone/web/camera in a beautiful small device better than anything currently on the market. The Pearl track wheel transforms the device the way the ipod click wheel did for Apple. Mine works flawlessly, but I would not be surprised if future versions are of the non-mechanical variety- just as Apples click wheel evolved.

And not to sound like a broken record, but I underscore the EMAIL/Phone combination. BB users know already how well the email works, but unfortunately for many of them, they are not just addicted to their crackberry's, they are addicted to the full qwerty keyboard. They dismiss the small suretype keyboard as inferior without giving it a chance. No, it is probably not for real big guys, (but a few years ago who would have thought the original BB was?) It is probably not for power users who mash out endless missives to their unfortunate co-workers. But suretype for me has proven about 99.9% accurate and the keyboard as easy to navigate as my old BB7290. Easier in fact, as the centered trackball doesn't discriminate against lefties.

If you also understand the terms under which Amazon is able to offer such a great price, then you will have no worries. Read all the fine print. I received mine exactly as described and couldn't be happier. The commitment was no different than through T-Mobile, just way, way cheaper. TMO service has also been great in the 3 parts of the country I've tried so far btw. The Cingular claim to "fewest dropped calls" is bogus and stems from a small sample survey. The much larger Consumer Reports and JD Power surveys both rated TMO ahead of Cingy for network reliability.

Four stars only because nothing electronic can ever be perfect.

Great phone with one or two minor annoyances January 18, 2007

Reviewer:  B. Kennalley  (Chicago, IL) -

I switched from Sprint to T-Mobile because I wanted cooler phones than what Sprint offers. I was successful in that aspect - the Pearl is the coolest phone around. My friends with other BlackBerry products or Treos are all jealous of my Pearl. The size is amazing considering how much the phone has to offer.

The speaker phone is good. My girlfriend "hates being on speaker phone," but with the Pearl she can't hear a difference (and I'm not about to tell her).

Having Internet access wherever you go is incredible, as is the e-mail functionality. I was unsure of whether or not this would be worth the additional monthly cost, but after using the phone for 6 weeks there is no doubt that it is.

I am able to sync the phone with my Mac without any problem.

Now the negatives: Switching from Sprint to T-Mobile was a HUGE mistake. I live in Chicago and Sprint's coverage is undoubtedly far superior to T-Mobile. Sprint used to work everywhere, including basements, offices, hotels, etc. T-Mobile has many deadspots and I drop calls very frequently. If you live in Chicago and want a Pearl, I'd suggest going with Cingular. I can't vouch for their coverage personally, but I doubt it's worse than T-Mobile.

In regards to the phone: It takes a little while to learn how to use it. I was coming from a Samsung phone that was extremely intuitive. The BlackBerry takes a little adjusting, especially to use the keypad. It should be noted that I'm not a manual reader, I just played with it until I figured it out. Once you know your way around the phone it's great, but if you ever have to hand it off to a passenger in your car to work the maps application, you're in trouble.

The size of the phone is the best feature. It does not seem to sacrifice much durability, but the battery cover slides off all the time. It gets very annoying. The latch just doesn't hold the flimsy cover in place. Sometimes it comes off in my pocket but the worst is when it slides off while I'm talking on it... very hard to deal with if your other hand is full. I'm terrified of dropping a phone this expensive, and when it separates into two pieces in your hand it gets harder.

Overall I would suggest buying the phone - it is an incredible device with a couple of livable annoyances.