Mobile Phone Reviews

RIM launched the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 for GSM networks in 2006. In 2007 it released a version of this smartphone for CDMA carriers called the Pearl 8130.This offers support for the 3G service EV-DO and, unlike the original 8100, it also has a built-in GPS receiver, its camera has been upgraded to 2 MP, and its microSD card slot is external.

The original BlackBerry Pearl marked a shift in philosophy at RIM. Until then the name BlackBerry had been associated with the corporate world, but the Pearl set out to bring the power of the BlackBerry service to the consumer market. It was a hit by any measure, but until recently CDMA users were left out in the cold. With the introduction of the Pearl 8130 not only do CDMA customers get a Pearl of their own, but they get an upgraded one to boot. Notable changes from the original 8100 include upping the camera to 2 megapixels, moving the microSD slot so it is easily accessible, a 3.5mm headset jack and, probably most importantly, 3G data (EVDO). Other important features included GPS, a SureType keypad and of course, BlackBerry’s excellent push email service.Silver BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is marginally thinner and heavier than its predecessor, but it’s still quite compact and slips easily into a pocket. It has the same bright 2.3-inch, 260 x 240-pixel display. One welcome design change is the 3.5mm audio jack for plugging in high-quality headphones. Pecking out messages was relatively painless with the SureType keyboard. The layout takes some getting used to,
The 8130’s built-in Web browser is a big improvement over past models. It now has a “mouse” cursor, a zoom mode, and improved fonts, making it much easier than before to navigate mobile Web pages. Both models work as EV-DO modems for your laptop, and I saw impressive average speeds of 700 to 1,000 kilobits per second during testing. The Pearl felt very responsive when running most applications, though my Java benchmarking suite wouldn’t run, so I couldn’t get CPU test numbers.
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support.

Pcmag reviews RIM upgrades its successful Pearl for Sprint and Verizon customers. The 8130 gets some of the latest technology, including a 2-megapixel camera, GPS, and 3G data speeds, while keeping all of the original Pearl’s virtues intact.

Cnet reviews Overall, the Pearl 8130 was a responsive device with minimal performance lags. We tried out the GPS capabilities with VZ Navigator, and it took about 3 minutes for the Pearl to get a fix on our location–pretty impressive for a cell phone.Once locked on, it did a good job of tracking our position and offered accurate driving directions, though we think in-car use is a bit limited, given the smaller screen size. Multimedia performance was OK. There was a bit of hollowness to songs, and we craved more bass.

Infosyncworld reviews Is this the best Pearl of the bunch? It certainly is an enticing phone, and RIM has quietly addressed some of the aesthetic issues that bothered us so much in the original. The original phone packed the stodgy BlackBerry OS into a slick, little device. The new Pearl 8130 gives the OS a haircut and a new suit to wear, and it makes the phone much more pleasant to be around. There’s still room for improvement. Some advanced multimedia features, like a great music player and some 3G services, would be nice, as would a desktop-grade browser. Still, potential BlackBerry users should think twice about other devices if you haven’t taken a look at this Pearl.
Summary-:

The good:  The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 keeps the same sleek design of its predecessor but adds built-in GPS, EV-DO support, and video-recording capabilities. The smartphone’s Web browser is also improved, and it has a 2-megapixel camera. The device’s messaging functions remain strong.

The bad: The SureType keyboard takes some acclimation, and call quality could be slightly better.

The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support.

Specs: OS provided: BlackBerry Handheld Software; Installed RAM: 64 MB; Band / mode: Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO
Cnet Rating-           8.2/10