Updated 26 May, 2012, 4:18 pm IST

BlackBerry Pearl 8100

13 Nov, 2006, 5:59 pm IST | by 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.

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

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