RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 - silver (Verizon Wireless)

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
It doesn't get much better than this.
If any of you are sitting on the fence waiting for the greatest Blackberry ever to be offered by Verizon, ...
If any of you are sitting on the fence waiting for the greatest Blackberry ever to be offered by Verizon, your wait is over. It's been 5 days since my pre-order of the Blackberry Pearl 8130 was delivered and this phone has exceeded even my expectations.

First I want to say that I've owned the Motorola Q [both Q and Q 9m just released], the Palm Treo, and other Blackberrys. The only reason I drifted away from the Blackberry in the past was because of it having no camera or video. But I might have become a Blackberry lifer with this one.

If you own a non-Blackberry that runs on Windows Mobile or Palm operating system, you must've experienced the 'lag' or freeze up as you move from one application to another. I thought the reason that Blackberrys didn't have this lag was because it didn't have the camera function that I thought ate system resources. With this phone, I found out I was wrong. I timed myself with pulling the camera out of it's holder and taking a picture and moving to another application on the phone. 2.5 seconds. With or without a camera Blackberrys just don't have that lag or freeze up.

Syncing with my Outlook on my Dell desktop with a Vista Operating System took less than 3 minutes to complete. My Motorola and Palm phones never went this slick. Moving files [videos and pictures, etc] is as easy as drag and drop. As I write this review, I am accesing the internet via the VZ Access Manager that comes with th phone [$15 a month to use this through Verizon].

The main improvement that I love is the trackball replacing the trackwheel. You can move side to side on your Blackberry maps as you are getting directions. You can move down you emails/texts and just click when it when you need to reply, delete, etc.

This phone has made me realize that Blackberry has perfected the cellphone. Now that they have a phone for Verizon that has added the camera and video functions, I'm expecting all the Verizon Blackberry users are going to be moving to this phone. I would've gave this phone a '10' but the keyboard does take some getting used to. It took me about 10 minutes. Because it has SmartType that fills in the word for you, I would be surprised if anyone had any problem getting used to this shortcoming. Besides the phone is more compact because of this feature so there is an upside to getting used to this.

I got the Monthly Modem add-on for $15 from Verizon but this is unnecassary unless you spend more than 5 days or more a month away from the office. I didn't get the VZNavigator because I think $10 a month is steep when you have the Maps already loaded into the phone. But these two draw-backs are hardly any reason not to go with this phone. Read more
by sithlord55123 (see profile) - November 10, 2007

42 out of 43 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
fabulous all-in-one communications tool
I got the BlackBerry 8130 Pearl to replace a Palm Treo 700p. I have been a Palm owner for 8 ...
I got the BlackBerry 8130 Pearl to replace a Palm Treo 700p. I have been a Palm owner for 8 years; the Treo 700p is a complete lemon (the Edsel of smartphones), and I decided to find a replacement. I am now a BlackBerry convert. This phone *rocks*.

Design is elegant. Calls are clear. The voice dialing feature is excellent. The built-in web browser does the job - it is vastly superior to Blazer on the Treo. Opera Mini is available for free if you want more sophisticated browser features.

The OS switches between applications instantaneously, unlike Palm OS and Windows Mobile devices. It goes without saying that email is outstanding; RIM really gets email. A vast improvement over VersaMail or SnapperMail for the Palm. The email and messaging systems just plain work right.

The reduced keyboard takes some getting used to (2 letters per key, not a full QWERTY keyboard) but the "educated guess" typing software works surprisingly well -- except where you aren't dealing with standard English, such as typing web URLs, where it can be annoying.

Palm still has an advantage over RIM in the intuitiveness of the user interface. The BlackBerry's UI is not the most intuitive -- you actually have to consult the Help system or read the manual to figure out a few things that ought to be obvious out of the box; for example, it took way too much effort to figure out how to put the phone on vibrate.

The PC software is far from intuitive, unfortunately. The simple act of syncing addresses and calendar entries with Outlook takes more effort and non-intuitive setup than it should (more effort than with Palm Sync). The desktop software takes forever to install, requiring two reboots of your PC. But once you have it configured, it works fine.

The other carp I have is that Verizon Wireless has disabled the built-in GPS, in order to get you to pay $10/month for their Navigator service. This is just greedy. Can anyone figure out how to disable it? Because the GPS would work great with Google Maps, which is also available for the BlackBerry and is superior to the built-in mapping program.

However, in design, smoothness of operation, feature set, tight integration of built-in applications, utility of phone features, and overall configurability, this phone is a gem -- especially for the price ($150 after mail-in rebate), and the VZW retail store threw in a basket of extras such as a Bluetooth earpiece.

A winner. Read more
by billrosenblatt (see profile) - November 24, 2007

32 out of 32 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Just bought the 8130 Pearl from Verizon
I have used all the Treo's ( 700wx) since they can out, but yesterday I went to the Verizon store ...
I have used all the Treo's ( 700wx) since they can out, but yesterday I went to the Verizon store and upgraded to the Pearl. I was the first person to get it from that store. It was 299.99 -100.00 (upgrade) and then a mail in rebate for 50.00 puts this at 150.00. So far I love it but it takes getting used to after using Treos for years.
The size is great and screen is to. The keyboard is small so that is the hardest part to use so far. The voice activation works really good and the camera and video are nice also. I synced it with outlook on a laptop that runs on Vista and it synced the first time with no problems. Read more
by socal xlt (see profile) - November 6, 2007

28 out of 30 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Blackberry won me over with the Pearl 8130
This is the best phone I've owned to date. To sum it up, the Blackberry Pearl 8130 does what ...
This is the best phone I've owned to date. To sum it up, the Blackberry Pearl 8130 does what it claims to do very well. Next to switching to Mac, this has been the best piece of technology my blood-pressure could ask for.

1) The Blackberry Pearl 8130 performs flawlessly as a phone. The call quality and reliability are excellent on the Verizon network.

2) I love the keypad and predictive text functionality. I've had other phones and found the predictive text to be more irritating than helpful. However, this smartphone really is smart. I can type much faster with the Blackberry Pearl than my old Treo 700p. Basically, you just key in the letters on the corresponding buttons until the word comes together. You don't keep typing the same button until the right letter/number comes up like on most cell phones. Instead, the phone uses combinations of those letters and pulls a list of words it could be, and you push enter or select the correct word with the trackball to go on to the next word. The exception to this is when you're entering a password. The Pearl 8130 also automatically uses the correct case and capitalizes the beginning of a sentence or proper nouns. There's a button that you can push to change the case, but you can save a step by letting the phone automatically pick. You can also save time by not selecting the first letter each time, but keep keying in your word until it appears. For example, if the word you want to enter starts with "a" and the list pulls words that start with "s," it will figure it out as you keep keying in the word as if each button only had one letter.

3)Dialing is a heck of a lot easier on two accounts. The number keys are lot easier to see than most smartphones when dialing by number, and the predictive text picks up the contact for which I am searching really quick. If you have a friend named John Doe, you can key in John or Doe and it will come up either way. This is useful for someone like myself who has some entries with just the first or last name.

4) The e-mail functionality is so much better on the 8130 Pearl compared to other phones that I've used. This is the #2 feature of importance on my list of priorities. Everyone, I spoke with told me that Blackberry is the way to go when it comes to e-mail. I'm glad I listened to their advice. It's so fast and works with Hotmail, unlike the Treo 700p.

5) I really like the form factor. At first, I leaned towards the Samsung i760 because I liked the larger screen and it seemed to offer more computing power. However, I'm really happy with the size after using it for a while and have yet to be disappointed with the features. The Blackberry Pearl looks and feels like a high quality constructed device.

6) The browser works great and can be customized for personal use. Not to sound like a broken record, but the Blackberry's browser works so much better than my old phone. The Treo was really quirky and slow compared to the Blackberry Pearl.

7) One of the concerns I had after owning another smartphone was the stability of the software. I have been very pleased with the Blackberry Pearl. I have had none of the freezes, random resets and continuous loops, and waiting for the phone to reboot and discover the network as with my old "smartphone."

8) I have a Plantronics 655 Bluetooth headset and it works great with the Pearl. Once again, this feature delivers where my last phone performed poorly.

9) I've only used the picture and video functions sparingly, but I've had good results with the footage I have taken.

10) I'm quite happy with the battery life. It's one of the few things I liked about my Treo and I think the Blackberry Pearl does an admirable job as well.

The only suggestions/complaints I have are quite minimal.
1) The Treo did have an infrared port that was nice because I could use it to open the electronic key-boxes we use in my business. I have another device that does the job, but it's nice to have one less gizmo to carry around.

2) The trackball is susceptible to becoming partially responsive due to dirt, lint, and possibly oil from the skin. Cleaning helps: annoying, but not a deal-breaker.

I highly recommend the Blackberry Pearl 8130 for those who needs to stay on top of their e-mail on the go without compromising call quality or reliability. Read more
by DallasRealtor (see profile) - December 4, 2007

16 out of 16 users found this user opinion helpful.

2 out of 10 - Terrible
Major Software Error
After reading the positive reviews here, I decided to purchase the Pearl from Verizon. After installing the desktop software, I ...
After reading the positive reviews here, I decided to purchase the Pearl from Verizon. After installing the desktop software, I attempted to synch my Outlook Calender and was unable. 5 hours on the phone with Verizon/Blackberry, and a week of waiting later, Blackberry informed me that this problem required new software to be written and could take weeks, if not months. They also informed me that this is a problem that affects ALL Verizon Pearl users who don't use a company network.

I'll be returning my device and would NOT RECOMMEND buying it until this problem is resolved. Read more
by kev4333 (see profile) - December 4, 2007

23 out of 37 users found this user opinion helpful.
1 comment posted to this opinion

8 out of 10 - Excellent
Great Phone For Work and Personal Use
Now that my phone has been fully functional for a week, here is my review. Please note that this is ...
Now that my phone has been fully functional for a week, here is my review. Please note that this is my first PDA type phone. I had previously been using the Mot E815.

Form - Good looking phone. I like the size but it is taking me a bit to get used to coming off using a clam shell for so long. When talking for more than a few minutes at a time, bluetooth seems like the way to go.

Reception - good but not quite as good as my E815. In my half hour commute I have one drop out point with the E815. With the 8130 I now have an additional drop point.

Clarity - Incoming voice clarity is excellent. It would be nice if the volume could go a few notches louder. Outgoing voice (mine), at least 3 people I have talked to have complained about background noise (when I was not in a loud area). Unfortunately, the 8130 seems to pick up background noise very easily. The is one of my biggest issues with the phone since it is annoying to my customers/people I am talking to.

Speakerphone - Only used it once so far and it was ok. Needs to be louder.

Suretype - First time using it. I like it. Getting better at it every day.

Software - Seems fine, no issues so far.

Battery life - Average. I expected battery life on a PDA to be less than my old phone since it is constantly downloading emails, etc. With my usage and current settings, I need to fully charge every 24 hours. In comparison, my E815 usually lasted 48+ hours between charges.

Speed - The speeds are very good for both email and internet.

Camera- I have only used it sporadically and the pictures seem very good. I have not used the flash yet.

Ringers - For my taste, loud needs to be louder and vib needs to be stronger.

Email - BIS - I was shocked how easily it was to set up my email boxes and they immediately began working flawlessly.

Bluetooth - I have not set up yet so but I will be later today.

Overall I am very happy with the phone so far. Read more
by Webbull (see profile) - November 12, 2007

14 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
The best Pearl to date!
Now that I have had the time to fully check out verizons pearl 2,It is time for my mini ...
Now that I have had the time to fully check out verizons pearl 2,It is time for my mini review. T he first few thing you notice about the pearl 2 that is differnt from t-mo's pearl is the door for the micro sd on the side,the keyboard(its raised on the numbers and lower on the letters)The keyboard takes a little getting used to as t-mo's pearl had flat keys. Your fingers tend to slip off of them. The trackball is sunk in a little more which makes its use a hole lot better! There is now a 3.5mm headphone jack! so if you have a great pair of headphones,you can use them with it!(also included is a nice pair of head phones with built in mic)


UI-- You all will be happy to know that the verizon theme that is on the paerl 2 is pretty nice looking. I noticed that verizon didnt limit too much on here like they do with other phones! Gps is locked to bb maps and vz nav other then that its verizon tamper free!

BROWSER-- Rim has done a very good job of reconstructing the browser 4.3 includes a zoom feature thats outstanding and i dint have a hard time pulling up random sites.(note- sites with heavy flash didnt work very well but it did load up all other content).The speed of the browser with evdo is just insane! sites load up very fast and clean,mms are sent in about 20 sec's and text is gone befor you hit send! I was also happy to be able to download opera mini 3&4 and the speed of those browsers on verizons evdo is mindblowing!

MEDIA & MEMORY-- First of all the pearl 2 supports up to 8gig micro sd cards! I have a 4gig micro in mine and the phone did not struggle or bog down at all while reading writing or searching! The pearl 2 also has a 2mp camera with video recording but video will onle work if you have a memory card in the phone! pix from the camera were very nice looking crisp and colors looked pretty good. While taking photos the auto backlight feature makes pix look a little dim but the turn out good. The flash on the other hand is dam bright for a phone! They really turned up the juice on the flash! The music player is pretty bare bones but you can create play list,shuffle and repeat you know. There is some new beta software out called flipside that is a great music player for the pearl! it looks and feels just like the iphone the way your music art covers filp back and forth its awesome!

EMAIL,TEXT,MMS-- Well with the new 4.3 they changed the layout of text and you can now send and recieve ringtones through mms with no problems. As you all know email is Rim's pride and joy and it is very very good as always, and stupid fast on Evdo!

VOICE,SPEAKERS AND BATTERY LIFE

Rim included some new noise cancle software and you also have bass and treble ajustments for voice but not for music? strange. The earpeice is great clear and static free! no crackle either! The pearl 2 comes with 2 ext speakers instead of the single that was on the first pearl. so ringers and music are loud and clear but too much bass makes them crackle a little so take it easy on bass music.On the other hand music through headphones is loud! with very good sound qualty. I just wish it had some ajustment to your music. As for battery life I did the first 12 hour charge thursday morning @ 10am and im charging for the second time @ 11:27 on Sat with email,text,web,opera,music,youtube,pix and video FINAL THOUGHT
Im very very impressed. Comming from t-mo the pearl was my fav phone but there data speed was stupid slow. I love this phone!The size is great,music sounds good and typing is speedy once you get past the new keyboard. I give it a 9 out of 10! you cant bet it for $149.00 on a 2 year. I got mine for $229.00 I bought it outright and got a discount from work. well thanks for checking out my mini review. Read more
by michiganmobile (see profile) - November 11, 2007

13 out of 13 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
It's the best overall verizon phone.
After looking for my first smart phone for almost a full year, I had flip flopped from wanting the iPhone (...
After looking for my first smart phone for almost a full year, I had flip flopped from wanting the iPhone (still do but not on at&t's network) to the Samsung SCH-760 (didn't want to deal with the unstable windows mobile, I'm a mac guy) and waiting for ever for the Pearl on Verizon, I finally made the leap.

To be honest I was a little worried at first because my first thought was "man is this thing small, I will never be able to type fast on it", and man was I wrong on that. After having the Blackberry 8130 for just over 3 days for Verizon, I have to say it is overwhelmingly the best cell phone I have ever used.

Form Factor: This phone is tiny and fits great in your pocket, and yet is comfortable to hold (a little small, and the keyboard is very well designed and makes typing with sure type extremely enjoyable, but I would not recommend it if you have huge hands.

Screen: What can I say but for a phone this size the screen is amazing, clear and crisp.

Call Quality: Best call quality I have ever had in a cell phone, retains great signal at all times and people say that even the speaker phone sounds clear.

Third Party Application:
Downloaded Gmail is great. Google maps is beautiful. ESPN is ESPN and that is just the free ones I have started with.

Build Quality: Feels sturdy and good in the hand, and the trackball is fun to use.

Media: Supposed to be pretty good but I really have not used these features yet. I am sure in this area it is no iPod.

Internet: Browsing is good on this phone with its built in browser and to be honest at this point I prefer it over Opera mini, due to the fact that full screens are way to small on this tiny screen, to the point that you don't know what to zoom in on. Verizon's network speed is great with this EVDO phone.

Overall I would say that if you are on Verizon and looking for a great all in one device that is not bulky, or looking to enter into the smart phone world, this phone is for you. Read more
by mattag29 (see profile) - November 16, 2007

10 out of 11 users found this user opinion helpful.

7 out of 10 - Very good
Great BlackBerry, but...
I love all the features this BlackBerry brings. It is a big improvement over the 7100 I was using. However, ...
I love all the features this BlackBerry brings. It is a big improvement over the 7100 I was using. However, it seems to have some software issues. I like to use the standby feature, but 1-2 times a month it quits working...I press the button and nothing happens. I called customer service at Verizon and they sent me a new device. Same thing happened after a few weeks. Went through a software wipe and download with RIM only to have it quit functioning again. Now I just remove and replace the battery when it happens, but it gets to be a pain. Also, twice now I have had my call log and text/mms boxes go completely empty. Not good when they both contained info I needed. Verizon said this seems to be a widespread problem and RIM will probably come out with software upgrade. Other than those two issues, I love this device. Read more
by blue1244 (see profile) - January 30, 2008

8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

9 out of 10 - Spectacular
Fantastic Phone!
I was torn between the Pearl and the i760 but since having toyed around with both in the stores as ...
I was torn between the Pearl and the i760 but since having toyed around with both in the stores as well as read many reviews I finally chose the Pearl and thus far have not been disappointed.
Pros: The media is incredibly simple to use and there are programs out there that actually convert video for free to a playable format for the phone. With the micro SD card in there it acts like another drive for windows so its as simple as drag and drop if you don't want to use the sync software for adding and taking files. The speaker on the phone out performs any other verizon phone that I know of. The camera quality and auto flash are very good. the video quality isn't bad, enough to save the memory. The organizer is easy to use and can be a life saver. Oh, and the phone is very pretty, the screen has great resolution. For all intents and purposes this has a great deal of the same functionality as the nano. One other thing to mention since this is a PDA phone, the response time for the operating system doesn't have any pause like all of the windows mobile devices (this is actually something that can be quite an issue)
Cons: My biggest complaint would be the sync options. I used to use thunderbird for my email with the add-on lightning for my calendar which had a two-way sync with google calendar. Life was good. Blackberry doesn't offer you the option of "choice" when it comes to synching organizer info: calendar, tasks, memos, etc. I have since switched to Outlook (which I don't like at all) and yahoo online calendar. Although it is possible to sync outlook with google calendar, the software out right now is very buggy. The keyboard is still taking some used to with my big fingers as well as the input method, but I am getting used to it and it has the potential to be faster than t9 in my opinion.
Overall: for $150 it beats the pants off of almost all of the phones at verizon as far as price and features. Plus, you DON'T have to buy the data plan. Don't let anyone at the store or on the phone tell you otherwise b/c they will try. I was adamant and I knew what I wanted which is why I currently pay 0$ (a.k.a pay as you go) a month for my data, which is the same as not having one (the pearl has a function where you can turn all data communication off but still have phone and text messagin so you don't have to worry about incurring unknown data charges). I live in an area where it wouldn't be worth it to have data access, plus, I'm a student and can't afford th 45$ or 25$ extra for the plans. Read more
by Gazork23 (see profile) - November 15, 2007

8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.