Updated 14 Feb, 2012, 6:01 pm IST

BlackBerry Pearl 8100

13 Nov, 2006, 5:59 pm IST | Aalaap Ghag | Smartphones

Network and Connectivity
The BlackBerry Pearl is a tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone. Provided by Airtel, it uses its EDGE network to offer the BlackBerry email services.

The Pearl also has Bluetooth 2.0 and USB support, providing a standard mini-USB jack on the side that doesn’t require any special cabling. The device identifies itself to the computer as a mass storage device, so you can drag and drop files such as music and documents, but software installation is still necessary.

The absence of WiFi can be discussed because BlackBerrys are primarily email devices meant for business professionals, but email is so tightly integrated, you won’t miss it. Besides, the Pearl is supposed to be a common man’s device, remember?

Battery Life
Battery life is what BlackBerrys are known for, after the whole deal about real-time email connectivity. The last BlackBerry I used—the 7730—went on for almost 5 to 6 days on a single charge. That’s probably because it didn’t have any camera or multimedia features, but it’s mostly because I hated the device and didn’t use it much.

The Pearl goes on for just around 3 to 3.5 days on a charge when Bluetooth is mostly enabled and the camera is used to take a few pictures a day. Turning off Bluetooth and not using the camera may stretch it to around four or five days, but then what’s the point of paying so much for those features?

The Pearl seems to recharge via USB using a standard cable, but this didn't work for us with any PC or Mac, front or rear port. Even the included original USB cable didn't work—we had to use the AC adapter to recharge it.

Conclusion
The BlackBerry Pearl is an effort to make headway into the mainstream consumer market, and while it is a very good phone that offers the trademark BlackBerry email functionality, with new features such as a camera and media playback, it doesn’t have a very friendly user interface to make a non-BlackBerry user switch. The Pearl does, however, offer great incentive for the existing multimedia-deprived BlackBerry user to upgrade to.

Considering the likely audience (as opposed to the target audience), the high-sounding price tag of Rs. 24,990 is passable. If you did pay Rs. 18,990 for a black-and-white phone just one year ago (the BlackBerry 6230) or Rs. 32,990 for a color device with no multimedia features or camera (the BlackBerry 7730), then Rs. 24,990 for the Pearl does seem like the right price.

By itself, not considering the BlackBerry legacy, the Pearl is a little expensive. Had it been under Rs. 20,000, perhaps it would have been a great deal.

« Previous Page

Tags: RIM , BlackBerry , Pearl , Smartphones , Mobile Phones

Would you buy it?

We usually associate resale value with property, but thinking of the resale value of handsets before purchasing ...

RIM tells European developers it's "ready to compete"

Facebook and Twitter to be tied into BBM

RIM's Bold Heroes campaign faces Twitter thrashing

RIM CEO eyes "significant" plans for BlackBerry

Cellphone makers can expect poor reception in 2012

RIM not on Samsung's shopping list right now

How We Test

What do the ratings mean?

Ratings are simple - higher the score, the better the product. A brief listing of the features and what they mean are given below.

1 - 3

The product is bad in almost every aspect. We strongly advise against purchasing this product.

4 - 6

An average product that isn't the best you can buy, but isn't the worst either.

7 - 8

Product with this rating is highly recommended because it's priced sensibly, has a good set of features and performs well.

9 - 10

Exceptionally excellent product with features and performance unlike any we've seen in the past. A must-have for everyone!

What is the Average User Rating?

We at Tech2 take product reviewing very seriously and every product is tested with the utmost care and level of objectivity. The end user who buys a particular product and uses it over an extended period of time has his own take on a product and there might be nuances that he or she can shed light on. The Average User Rating is present to help readers get the complete picture of how good or bad a product is. The Average User Rating is calculated by averaging the ratings by the thousands of readers visiting Tech2.com every single day. To record your own rating of a product, simply click on the user rating bar. If you disagree with our ratings or our community's product rating, please don't hesitate from voicing your opinion in the comments section below the review.