RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 - dark purple (Sprint)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd. Part number: Pearl 8130 (Dark Purple) (Sprint)
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support.
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CNET editors' review
RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 - dark purple (Sprint) price range: $29.99
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 12/17/2007
- Released on: 11/23/2007
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 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. Sprint's version supports the carrier's various mobile entertainment services, and the device's messaging functions remain strong.
The bad: The BlackBerry 8130's SureType keyboard takes some acclimation. Video playback isn't the smoothest, and the various wireless options can take a toll on the battery life.
The bottom line: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support.
Editor's note: Portions of the Design and Features sections were taken from our review of the Verizon RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, as the two devices share many similarities in those categories. Exceptions are noted.
A couple of weeks ago, we reviewed the Verizon Wireless RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 and found it to be a true gem. Luckily, Sprint customers don't have to sit back, seething with jealousy, since the carrier offers its own version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130. For the most part, it largely resembles the Verizon model, except it comes in the stylish amethyst color and supports Sprint's mobile entertainment services, including the Sprint Music Store and Sprint TV. The sleek smartphone also features the added capabilities of built-in GPS, 3G support, and video-recording capabilities. And while we have some minor complaints (i.e., the SureType keyboard and video performance), we think the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is a great all-in-one device that combines messaging, multimedia, and productivity in one sleek package. It's available now for $199.99 with a two-year contract and after discounts and rebates.
Design
The hardware on the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 hasn't changed much from the original Pearl, but that's not a bad thing since we're fans of the Pearl's overall look. However, there are some slight tweaks, which we'll note as we talk about the smartphone's design.
Thankfully, the BlackBerry 8130 still keeps a slim profile, measuring a slight 4.2 inches long by 1.9 inches wide by 0.5 inch deep and weighing 3.4 ounces. You'll have no problem slipping this handset into your pants pocket, and it feels comfortable and natural to hold during phone calls. Of the two colors available, Sprint offers the amethyst version of the Pearl (Verizon offers the silver model), and we're quite taken with the color. It's a deepish blue purple hue, so guys, you don't have to worry about it being "girly."
Front and center, you have a 2.25-inch non-touch screen that displays 65,536 colors at a 260x240 pixel resolution. Text and images look sharp and vibrant, and the display features a light-sensing technology that will automatically adjust the backlighting depending on your environment (e.g., it will get brighter in darker rooms). You can choose different font styles as well as customize the Home screen to your liking with various themes, background images, and menu styles. There's also a small LED in the upper-right corner of the Pearl that illuminates various colors for different status alerts, such as new messages, low battery, and so forth.
Below the display, you'll find the same navigation array and SureType keyboard of past BlackBerry Pearls. You get Talk and End keys, a shortcut to the main menu page, a back button, and of course, the pearl-like trackball navigator that started the whole Pearl revolution. All the controls are easy to use, and you can adjust the trackball's vertical and horizontal sensitivity under Options > Screen/keyboard.
And then there's the SureType keyboard. I've made it no secret that I'm not a fan of the modified keyboard. For those who are unfamiliar with SureType, there are two letters assigned to one key. As you start to enter the letters of a word, the SureType software will present you with a list of possible letter combinations or words based on context. Personally, I found it irritating, but I also know plenty of Pearl users who don't mind it and have no complaints. As with anything new, it just takes some time to acclimate, and it's a trade-off for the smaller design.
The most notable differences between the Pearl 8130 and the original GSM version are found on the side controls--all welcome additions. On the left spine, you'll now find a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack, so you can plug in decent headphones, and the microSD expansion slot has been relocated from behind the battery to the exterior of the phone for easy access. There's also a mini USB port and a customizable quick-launch button on the left, while there's another convenience key and the volume rocker on the right. The top of the device has a mute button, and the camera lens, flash, and self-portrait mirror are located on the back.
Sprint packages the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a wired headset, and a soft protective pouch. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page
Features
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is noteworthy for more than just the fact that it's the first CDMA Pearl. It's also the first device from RIM to offer video-recording capabilities and the first Pearl to have built-in GPS, not to mention the EV-DO support and improved Web browser. But first things first: let's discuss the phone capabilities.
Voice features on the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 include a speakerphone, voice dialing, and commands, conference calling, text and multimedia messaging, and call audio enhancement, which lets you boost the bass or treble of sound. The address book is limited only by the available memory (64MB flash), and each entry can hold up to eight numbers, work and home addresses, e-mail and Web addresses, company information, and notes. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well as a group category--business or personal--or one of 45 polyphonic ringtones. The Pearl also supports MP3 and MIDI ringtones.
Unlike the 3G-deprived GSM Pearls, the Pearl 8130 works on Sprint's EV-DO network, bringing data speeds of around 300Kbps to 600Kbps, though they could potentially hit 2.4Mbps. This means you should enjoy a faster Web surfing experience, and it should also be more enjoyable thanks to the improved browser. Compared with Windows Mobile, Symbian, or Palm devices, the BlackBerry Web browser has always been kludgy and laborious for viewing sites; it requires a lot of scrolling up and down with the trackball or scroll wheel. However, now you get an onscreen cursor that you can move in any direction and place on any part of the page where you can click a link. In addition, there's a Page View option that allows you to easily zoom in on part of a page. It's definitely a huge improvement, and the boost of EV-DO speeds is heaven-sent.
Unlike Verizon's version, the Sprint Pearl supports the carrier's entertainment services: Sprint TV and the Sprint Music Store. Sprint offers these services as part of the Sprint Power Vision pack, which ranges in price from $15 to $25 per month. Sprint TV gives you access to programming from a variety of channels, including CNN, Comedy Central, E, the NFL Network, and Sprint Exclusive Entertainment. In addition, you can listen to live streaming music and talk radio from Sirius, VH1 Mobile, and MTV Mobile. Meanwhile, the Sprint Music Store offers simultaneous track downloads both to your PC and wirelessly to your phone. Song cost 99 cents or you can get a six-pack for $5.94. Also, be aware that you'll need to store them to a microSD card; otherwise you won't be able to download the tracks.
As for the built-in media player, you can create playlists as "folders" and shuffle and repeat songs within a certain folder. It also displays song titles, the artist, and album art, if available. It also supports MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI music files and MPEG4, WMV, and H.263 video clips. Plus, in video mode, you get the option of full screen, replay, and repeat.
Other wireless options on the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 include Bluetooth 2.0 and GPS. You can use Bluetooth to connect to mono and stereo Bluetooth headsets, hands-free kits, and dial-up networking. The built-in GPS allows you to use the Pearl as a handheld navigation device. The device comes preloaded with the BlackBerry maps application that can provide text-based driving directions and search for local businesses. However, you can also get more robust programs like Google Maps for Mobile or Sprint Navigation, which can provide real-time tracking, text- and voice-guided directions, points of interest, traffic data, and more.
The camera also gets an upgrade to a 2-megapixel lens (from 1.3 megapixels), but more importantly, you can now record video--a first for a BlackBerry. For still images, there's a 5x zoom and flash as well as three picture sizes and three quality options. You also get white balance settings and several color effects you can add to the photo. Video options are limited with just two video formats (normal or multimedia message), three color effects, and a video light.
Other than these new capabilities, the BlackBerry Pearl retains many of the same features that have made BlackBerrys popular, such as e-mail. The smartphone can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise to deliver corporate e-mail in real time. It also supports up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. Instant messaging is limited to the proprietary BlackBerry Messenger client.
For mobile professionals, an attachment viewer opens popular file formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more. You can also view tracked changes and embedded images and zoom and rotate documents, but you can't edit documents out of the box, though third-party software is available that allows this functionality. Sprint includes a link to its software store so you can download more programs for your device; you can also check CNET Download.com for more titles. Other applications on the Pearl include a calendar, a tasks list, a memo pad, an alarm clock, a password keeper, a calculator, a Brickbreaker game, and a voice recorder.
Performance
We tested the dual-band (CDMA 850/1900; EV-DO) RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 in San Francisco using Sprint service, and call quality was satisfactory. For the most part, we enjoyed clear sound and ample volume, but voices sounded a tad muffled, though not enough to prevent us from carrying on conversations or interacting with our bank's automated voice response system. Our friends didn't have any major complaints, and we didn't experience any dropped calls during our test period. Speakerphone quality was acceptable with good volume. We had no problems pairing the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 with Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset or the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.
General performance was responsive. There weren't any significant delays as we opened and worked in various applications. Web browsing was great, thanks to the boost of 3G speeds, and downloading songs from the Sprint Music Store took a matter of seconds. We were quite impressed by the sound quality of the Pearl. Compared with other smartphones we've tested, songs sounded rich and full through the device's speakers. Unfortunately, we didn't enjoy similar results with video playback. Picture quality was pixelated and at times, it could get choppy with interrupted audio. Finally, we checked out the GPS capabilities using Google Maps for Mobile. We were amazed that it only took the Pearl about two minutes to get a fix on our location. We entered a trip from the Marina District of San Francisco to a holiday party in Bernal Heights, and though we didn't necessarily agree with the calculated route, the phone ultimately guided us to our final destination.
The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is rated for 3.6 hours of talk time and up to 9 days of standby time. We are still conducting our battery drain tests, but we will update this section as soon as we have final results. We did notice that heavy Web use did have an affect on the battery life. According to FCC radiation tests, the Pearl 8130 has a digital SAR rating of 1.48 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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The Total Package!!!
by Amy Barrera on December 5, 2007
Pros: size, abilities, quality, user support
Cons: none that i've found...ill take a bigger keyboard
Summary: This is a great phone. I was worried that I was gonna have a lot of trouble switching from a Treo 755p but it was actually not hard to get ...
Summary: This is a great phone. I was worried that I was gonna have a lot of trouble switching from a Treo 755p but it was actually not hard to get used to at all. I had a few issues with freeing space, downloading themes and ringers but all of that was cleared up by bb users on the blackberry forums. Call Quality is excellent, the size is great. Navigation is awesome with turn by turn directions. If you turn the wrong way GPS immediately finds you and it re-routes your trip. This comes in handy with my job since most of my day is spent driving around town. I can't say anything bad about this phone. I'd like a full keyboard but this one is not bad at all for everything else that you get. It's so little It takes a little getting used to but as soon as you get it...you're golden! With the $30.00 Sprint BB plan you can't go wrong. The only way I'll be switching from this phone is if the Curve comes to Sprint! Otherwise...I'm very very happy!
10 out of 10 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Phone, Couldn't ask for more
by god546 on December 22, 2007
Pros: Great Camera, Well Designed interface, Runs quickly and smoothly
Cons: No MMS but thats not a big deal becasue you can email photos and such
Summary: Originally I hated Sprint, I had tried a few different phones and hadn't liked any of them. I was counting the days until my contract expired so I could ...
Summary: Originally I hated Sprint, I had tried a few different phones and hadn't liked any of them. I was counting the days until my contract expired so I could move on and potentially get an iphone or a blackberry curve. After my Lg Rumor broke( not a good phone) becasue they didn't have anymore rumors in stock they allowed me to switch for a blackberry pearl. I have to say that a month later I'm still in love with this phone. It does everything I want it to do, it runs quickly and efficiently. It has a great 2 megapixel camera with a flash and 5x zoom, you can add some great applications such as google maps and facebook, and typing on it is easier than typing on a blackberry with a full keyboard. When my contract expires in april I might have to stay with sprint just becasue I love my blackberry pearl so much.
8 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone/PDA, Nice interface & Features
by radioactive1 on June 27, 2008
Pros: Size, clarity of phone, easy e-mail setup
Cons: SureType can be quirky, lousy user guide, worthess online apps
Summary: When my wife wanted to buy me a new phone/PDA for Father's day, I started looking at what Sprint (my current provider) had to offer.
I immediately looked ...Summary: When my wife wanted to buy me a new phone/PDA for Father's day, I started looking at what Sprint (my current provider) had to offer.
I immediately looked to the RIM Blackberries. I'd read some good reviews on the Pearl and after a false start with a Motorola Q (real piece of junk), I went back to what I should have bought in the first place and picked up a Pearl.
I have to say that at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like it - here's why:
- The SureType keyboard assigns 2 letters to each key (for the most part). Basically you just start typing a word and SureType is supposed to be smart enough to know what you're typing. This works pretty well - most of the time, but at times the results can be pretty frustrating and undoing an unexpected result requires you to backspace start again and sometimes you have to do it more than once. However, with a little practice, I've found that I really like the SureType technology and after figuring out a few tricks (like pressing the "previous" key when it starts to mis-spell).
- The order of the applications provided with the unit made no sense to me. A lot of the worthless apps are first and the ones you use the most (like mail and task list) were further down. Then I learned that you can move the apps in any order you want by highlighting the app and clicking on the blackberry button (which gives you a menu where you can select "Move"). I re-arranged mine so that my top 9 appear on the main screen.
- Dialing from your address book - after I synced with my laptop (with over 200 addresses in my address book) trying to call a number from my address book while in the car suddenly became impossible - until I discovered that by pressing the button on the left side of the unit takes you to "Voice Command". Much better than my old phone - you can literally say "Call" and the first and last name of anyone in your address book and the Pearl will make the call. Does a nice job of confirming home vs. office numbers too.
Of course each of these little tricks I had to pick up on my own because the users guide provided with the Pearl doesn't mention ANY of the ones I mentioned above. The manual to be quite honest only provides the basics and MANY aspects of functionality aren't even discussed at all. The Help function provided with the unit isn't much better.
What do I like about the unit? Just about everything else - great size is smaller than other phone/PDAs with full-size keyboard, the clarity of the phone is excellent (better than any phone I've ever had) and the speaker phone works just as well - I can hear the other person talking while in the car and they can here me, without any distracting background noise.
A few things that I think anyone purchasing the Pearl should do day 1 - purchase a protective case (the one I got is a hard case that snaps over the phone and provides excellent protection, but the gel cases are good too), and a screen protector (the Boxwaveprotectors are excellent).
I didn't get the screen protector immediately and sure enough, I scratched the screen somehow, which gives off a distracting glare at times. This really frustrated me. Then I learned that the "screen" is really only a plastic cover over the real screen and can be replaced (for about $20 if you do it yourself). So the price of a screen protector is well worth the few dollars you'll spend.
The battery life is a little disappointing - I find that it lasts about a day and a half to 2 days, so I just got in the habit of charging it each night when I get home and keep a car charger as well.
The online apps that Sprint provides with the unit are pretty worthless in my opinion, so I don't use Sprint Store and their online TV apps.
If your a corporate e-mail user, you should know this. If you're running Outlook (or other common corporate e-mail clients), the blackberry requires your company be running Blackberry Enterprise Server. For some reason (I suspect license costs), it costs a company more to run this than it does Microsoft. My company only charges employees $5/month if their PDA runs Microsoft Mobile 6.0, but $20/month if you have a Blackberry. That on top of the data plan from Sprint runs into a lot of moola.
But here's how I got around that little problem. Setup "e-mail forwarding" on your Microsoft Outlook (other e-mail clients support this as well), and have your work e-mail forwarded to your personal e-mail. I setup an additional account with my home e-mail provider to keep them separate. Now every e-mail I get at work, comes to my Blackberry as well (and the original is there for me when I connect via my PC). Problem solved and it didn't cost me a dime.
The software (ActivSync) provided with the 8130 allows you to sync up your PC calendar, task list and address book with your blackberry and it works very well.
Setting up your e-mail account with the 8130 is a piece of cake too - just signon to your provider's account, enter your e-mail address and your done....no need to enter POP and SMTP servers.
So, I'm pretty pleased with the Pearl - another nice product from the folks at RIM.6 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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No true picture mail
by JTinAtlanta on February 15, 2008
Pros: Great Blackberry addition to the Sprint line
Cons: No MMS Picture capability
Summary: Ok..I'm not going to harp on all the things I like, because there are a bunch and they've already been discussed by the review. The biggest, and ...
Summary: Ok..I'm not going to harp on all the things I like, because there are a bunch and they've already been discussed by the review. The biggest, and I mean BIG, drawback is the lack of true picture mail functionality. To send a picture mail you have to send it like you would an email, which is fine if you just want to send it to an email address. If you want to send it out to your friend's cell, as most people would want to do, you have to know the carrier your friend uses and their email format required to send a email to their phone.
Sprint's stance is that the phone supports multimedia messaging as advertised, because it receives MMS Picturemail, but then gives you a link where you have to go online and look at the photo. Sending...not so much.
Trying to talk to Sprint gives you nothing. They say the reason they can't do it is Research In Motion's fault. Go to RIM's website and look up the problem on the support site, and they say to contact the carrier to configure their functionality which supposedly works.
I know it's one feature, but if you talk to any Sprint salesperson over the phone or at the store, they say it does Picture Mail. You go to the Sprint website and they claim the same thing. This is blatantly wrong.6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Like it better than my motorola razr2
by lakeke on December 30, 2007
Pros: battery life, color, sleek design, ability to check email
Cons: not compatible with Sprint's wireless backup, won't accept address book from other cell phones...only blackberry devices, suretype
Summary: I bought this phone to replace my motorola razr2. It has a longer battery life so I'm already loving it. It has a sleek design while being sturdy, but ...
Summary: I bought this phone to replace my motorola razr2. It has a longer battery life so I'm already loving it. It has a sleek design while being sturdy, but not bulky. I don't like the fact that I can't transfer address books from Sprint's wireless backup and I can't transfer address books from other cell phones that I own. It does come with a software disc that allows you to transfer data from one device to another, but this only supports other pda's and blackberries...not cell phones. I'm trying to get used to the suretype feature. For those unfamiliar, the blackberry attempts to guess what you are typing. The first few attempts caused me to take 10 minutes to type a 2 minute text. Supposedly, once the blackberry learns your language and the common combination of words that you use, typing should get easier. Unfortunately, texting as sped up, but it's sped up from 10 minutes to about 9. Of course you do have the option to switch to multi-tap at anytime. I did download one song to my pearl and it sounds just as good as any mp3 player. On the included cd, there is software that helps you transfer files from your computer to the blackberry pearl with ease. It uses the commond drag and click feature making transfers a snap. I've only had 3 days to use the blackberry so as I continue to experience my new toy, I'll keep you posted.
5 out of 6 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Critical Flaws in Sprint's Version
by mr.harness on April 14, 2008
Pros: Nice Functionality, Good Size, Great Features
Cons: Text Messages and Call Logs Get Deleted
Summary: I love using my blackberry pearl (8130). It does all of the things I expect it to do. I think the web browser is a little challenging. But, other than ...
Summary: I love using my blackberry pearl (8130). It does all of the things I expect it to do. I think the web browser is a little challenging. But, other than that - the phone does everything I expect it to do. HOWEVER!!!! the memory on the phone is VERY lack-luster. The text messages and call log information on the 8130 are saved on the system memory. This means, when the system memory runs low, all of your text messages, e-mails, and your call log information will be deleted automatically (with no warning of low memory). I think this information should be saved on the massive 4GB memory card that I purchased for my device. This would resolve this issue. I know Sprint and the Blackberry folks had to have thought of this...
I don't know if there is any fix for this issue, or if there is a way to configure your storage settings. But, I have called sprint and blackberry several times - and their suggestions on how to resolve this don't help. They only suggest ways to clear more of your system memory (deleting applications and lessening the functionality of the device).3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Blackberry phone has tons of features in a small package.
by vinmac1 on February 3, 2008
Pros: Easy to learn to use, sprint tv, gps navigation, 2 megapixel camera, camcorder, bright display, and fast on sprint's network.
Cons: keypad is going to take some time to get used to.
Summary: I've had the blackberry for 2 days now. I found it easy to use compared to the phones that have windows mobile 6 on it. I like all the ...
Summary: I've had the blackberry for 2 days now. I found it easy to use compared to the phones that have windows mobile 6 on it. I like all the features such as the tv, radio, gps, sprint music store, camera, camcorder, and all the other features. It says you can view all the ms word, powerpoint, and pdf files however I have been unable to figure out how to do that yet. The keypad will take a little bit to get used to but I don't think it's too bad. I really like the browser. I was able to check my bank account, facebook, myspace, and yahoo mail. I just wish that I could figure out how to read the word and pdf files on it. Overall, I feel this is a great phone.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Amazingly Small: Too Small to Use
by glcorbett on January 4, 2008
Pros: Handsome, fast, extremely portable
Cons: I could not type on it. So small, and the lack of a full qwerty keyboard made this too difficult for me.
Summary: This is a beautiful phone. I was so excited to receive it. Once in hand, it was staggeringly small and light. But my issue was with being able to type. ...
Summary: This is a beautiful phone. I was so excited to receive it. Once in hand, it was staggeringly small and light. But my issue was with being able to type. Others say they were able to master this, but I was not able to. I returned within a week, greatly saddened, as the phone offered many of the features I wanted, but it just would not work for me.
3 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I've had it a month and am throwing it away
by KanduOnCNET on December 16, 2008
Pros: Looks nice. Can override the SureType feature.
Cons: This phone has a lot of features, but apperently they weren't developed together or tested together. My phone will get "stuck" and the hourglass will rotate round and round ... it won't even turn off . I have to reboot it 2x a day.
Summary: I think they call it the Craskberry since it behaves like it is on Crack. It crashes all the time and the applications do not work well together. I don'...
Summary: I think they call it the Craskberry since it behaves like it is on Crack. It crashes all the time and the applications do not work well together. I don't know how much of the software is by Blackberry and how much by Sprint, so it is hard to know where to lay the blame. I have never been this frustrated by a piece of technology and I have been using computers since DOS and working in software startups for 20 years. This phone has a lot of features, but apperently they weren't developed together or tested together. And you really can't download very many before you hit the memory limit. Even with no "extra" apps loaded, my phone will get "stuck" and the hourglass will rotate round and round and round... When it gets like this it won't even turn off for 10 minutes. I called Sprint and the woman was very helpful (truly) by letting me know that I need to remove the battery when the phone is on to reboot it. This has saved me many times - but to the tune of once or twice a day. If I am on a call and the calendar gives me a reminder, the phone locks up. Sometimes when I call e-mail with the "push the 1 button for a long time" feature, it will connect me to voicemail and simultaneously enable the speakerphone and the mute key so that if I enter the password the keys are not "heard" by voicemail and it is useless. It erases all text messages after you read them unless you purposely save them (I have looked all over to try to figure out an override for this). The "message" alert will show that you have a voicemail, but you can't just click on it to get to voicemail - you have to go through one of the other channels. And if you don't call right away, the reminder disappears (since it is really a text message) and it is easy to forget. The "themes" make little sense. The SureType makes it nearly impossible to type in the web address you want (the MultiTap override is nice, but must be reset every time I reboot the phone). The phone lets you take/store around 4 lowest-res pictures, and does NOT let you erase the 10 or so default pictures - I mean really, even free phones let you have a bunch of Picture IDs. I bouight the 2GB memory card and it only seems to be good for storing photos, mp3s, ring tones, etc. and is not used as extra memory which I think this phone needs in order to work correctly. Also, I pay for GPS service, but was not prepared to find out that the phone has no GPS software (except a 2 week trial that you can renew for $9.99/month). I can buy a real GPS for $100. and not have to pay another cent. The internet is slow, the Sprint TV unwatchable (2-3 words out of each sentence with long pauses), and the GPS often cannot find my location. If you are out of range and the phone can't find a satellite connection, the hourglass spins and you can't even get to the other apps (i.e. to look up a phone number at a phone booth). I bought it because I needed a PDA. I can't use it efficiently as one. Te phone book is amatuerish - you can set categories, but cannot easliy sort by category. The phone log only shows you a list of names ordered by who you talked to last, but none of the useful info like when the call was, how long you talked, etc. that I am used to from even very very basic cell phones. You can set categories for the names in your address book but it takes many steps to sort by them and by default it shows all names of all people. I have a number of names in there that I may call once a year but need on hand, but I don't want to see them all the time. The Palm Pilot does this stuff much better. I am constantly amazed at how something with such a loyal and excited user base as Blackberry could put out a product that seems like an alpha or beta version. I'm writing this off the top of my head so have probably even forgotton stuff. My swearing has reached new high levels and my productivity new lows. Palm had this stuff figured out years ago and does it much better. I'm switching back.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I love my phone even when it did not love me.
by Micoletx on September 18, 2008
Pros: From what I hear many people did not like the sure type feature but for me coming from a Samsung A-920 that had to have every text typed and hunted for it's a blessing. I also love the size of the phone its not too bulky.
Cons: The only con I have is that when the phone stops working it really breaks down. I have run into some problems with the track ball and memory issues which were solved with the purchase of a memory card.
Summary: I love this product. I love the fact that at the touch of a button I have all my emails right in front of me. Not to mention the GPS ...
Summary: I love this product. I love the fact that at the touch of a button I have all my emails right in front of me. Not to mention the GPS that comes standard on my device that in serious times of need have helped me navigate my way out and around Dallas and other cities I have been sent to because of my job. Oh yeah the color does not hurt I mean being born in February and being able to rock my birth color everyday. Being on the Sprint network and being able to take advantage of their fully capable entertainment network and features that come with the plan that you select.. All I can say is thank you Blackberry for this phone. They might want to really think about creating this phone with a bigger memory just a suggestion.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
- Part number: Pearl 8130 (Dark Purple) (Sprint)
- Bottom Line: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 improves on an already-impressive smartphone with the addition of GPS, video recording, and 3G support.
General
- Product Type BlackBerry With digital camera / digital player
- Service Provider Sprint PCS
- Width 1.9 in
- Depth 0.6 in
- Height 4.2 in
- Weight 0.2 lbs
- Body Color Dark purple
Cellular
- Technology CDMA
- Band CDMA 800/1900
- Phone Design Candy Bar
- Caller ID Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Additional Features USB, GPS, microSD card slot
Messaging & Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages, PDF support
Multimedia Features
- Downloadable Content Ring tones, Games, Applications, Software, Music, Pictures, Audio files, Video files
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories USB cable
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Research In Motion Ltd.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Research In Motion Ltd. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.rim.net
- Address:
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3W8, Waterloo, ON - Phone: 519/888-7465
- Email: webinfo@rim.net
- Fax: 519-888-7884
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