BlackBerry Pearl 8130 Cell Phone Review - Intro
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Mark Brezinski Published on December 18, 2007 Comment on this |
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The Pearl 8130 is a slightly updated version of the original Pearl 8100. The differences are so small, in fact, that it’s hard to call it much of an upgrade. Some of the new features include an improved browser and camera. The changes to the browser are fairly significant, and propel it pretty far up our list of proprietary browsers. The camera is now 2-Megapixels and capable of capturing video. The quality hasn’t really improved much, however, as we noticed our captures tended to suffer from horizontal bands of noise. Though both of these are improvements, neither can compete with Nokia’s offerings: their proprietary browser is the best out there, and the N95 has one of the best cameras on a cell phone.
In case you’re not familiar with the Pearl series so far, it’s basically a much smaller version of a typical BlackBerry with a slightly different keypad. Those who find themselves in need of BlackBerry but don’t want to carry around a slab of phone might find the compact Pearl a viable option.
The Pearl 8130 is available from Verizon for $199.99 after a $100 online rebate and with a 2-year contract.
Below is a table of contents of the review. The links will lead to their corresponding sections.
Tour & Design - The Pearl is just like any other BlackBerry, just a bit smaller.
Audio Quality - The Pearl's audio quality was good, for the most part. Its side tone might make you talk more softly than you should.
Imaging - Video capture is a new technology for the BlackBerry line, so, of course, it isn't very good yet.
Making/Receiving Calls - The Pearl handles phone calls really well, and we were able to access all the advanced features easily through the comprehensive menu.
Messaging - BlackBerry phones are messaging machines. The Pearl follows in this legacy.
Organizer - The organizer is very comprehensive, though BlackBerry falls behind Series 60 devices in terms of comprehensiveness.
Multimedia - The Pearl is by no means a multimedia handset, but it does all right for itself anyway.
Software - BlackBerry provides a great operating system. Also, the Pearl has a much-improved browser the series will hopefully adopt.
Battery Life - Battery life was slightly above average in every category, which is somewhat below average for a BlackBerry.
Connectivity - Without wi-fi, the Pearl falls behind competing smart phones.
Hardware - The Pearl's hardware isn't very impressive. It has a lackluster screen, not much internal memory, and a keypad that really could've benefited from better key differentiation.
Other Features - The Pearl has GPS and can be used as a tethered modem. Both these services will require a fee, however.
Value & Comparisons - Despite costing four times what its predecessor is going for, the Pearl 8130 isn't necessarily a bad deal.
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