BlackBerry Pearl 8100

The individual keys on the QWERTY keyboard on the older BlackBerrys have also been replaced by a smarter method of predictive text entry called 'SureType', which made it’s first appearance in the 7100 series. SureType is similar to T9, but instead of using 0-9 numeric keys, it offers the full QWERTY keypad, just with two keys on one. SureType detects key sequences and automatically types out words for you. It’s smart and very convenient, automatically extracting words from your emails and address books, but uncommon words that the technology doesn’t recognize are a little difficult to key in. The keys are also a little small, leaving no space between each other, so people with large fingers are likely to find it frustrating to use, but the device is so small, this is understandable. Numbers are available on the three columns in the center, and require a 'shift' modifier when typing them in text mode. At the home screen, these will start keying in numbers directly.

All the keys on the Pearl are small, including the call, end, menu and back keys. The call and end keys are still usable since they are on the top corners of the keypad, but the menu and back keys, which are used a little more in the BlackBerrys than the call and end keys, are inconvenient because of their size. In addition to the keypad, there are also two user-configurable shortcut keys on each side of the phone, a volume control on the left side and a mute button on the top, which can also be used to put the phone in to stand-by mode.