BlackBerry Pearl 8130
Average Ratings
Two thumbs up for the Pearl!
I chose the Pearl after switching from AT&T to Verizon and I'm extremely happy with both. The 8130 is my first BB and so far it has exceeded my expectations. I've had Motos, Palms, Nokias and LGs that were so lacking that I only used them out of necessity. I actually enjoy using my Pearl and I'm not the type who easily gets attached to gadgets. It's the first phone I've owned that seems to have been engineered with both function and form in mind. The absence of a true QWERTY keyboard has not slowed my typing speed.
Pros:
- Solid overall performance and function
- Easy and intuitive navigation
- Bright display
- Small form factor
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Small keys are difficult to read
- Verizon requires proprietary VZNav for GPS functionality
Best phone I have owned.
I've owned the 8130 (Sprint) for almost a month and I'm loving every minute of it. I dig the finish, look and feel of it. Even with it in the holster and in my pocket, I don't notice a bulge or any annoying feelings that large phones associate with.
I really love the fact I can run my Citrix Client.
Pros:
Excellent Internet and 3rd party support.
Phone as a modem is pretty impressive.
Mp3 player with Blue-tooth AD2P.
Charge while plugged in usb.
UI is fairly easy to navigate.
Camera with flash and decent zoom.
Outlook and multiple email capabilities.
Internet browser is a breeze.
Application management with desktop software is awesome for swapping.
64mb Internal memory with expansion card slot.
In the Middle:
Battery life. Considering the features and capabilities, I'm not surprised or upset.
Cons:
Wish holster had a clip. (Personal)
All in all. Well worth the buy and I see myself keeping this phone for a long time.
Great email machine, good at everything else
I've been using this phone for a few months now, and it's pretty much a keeper. Here's my thoughts:
Pros:
*Size: after using the Q, Q9m, and i760, it's refreshing to have a small phone!
*3.5mm jack: now my Zune stays at home as a mass storage and I carry all my favorites with me.
*Email: it's easy to set up and use, and it just works. I don't miss emails like I did with VZW wireless sync.
*Camera and flash: awesome, flash works even in the darkest rooms and pix look great.
Call quality is phenomenal
Cons:
*No onboard Office suite (though you can buy 3rd party apps)
*GPS is limitied to paid VZNav.
*Keys are a bit slick
*Media player took some time to get right, and I'm not sure what I did to make it work. It should have been easier to load music.
This has been one of my favorite phones of late. If you need email on the go, don't kid yourself, just get a blackberry!
Bravo!
Got the phone Christmas Eve. My first Blackberry and what a treat! Phone was much smaller than I anticipated. You won't be pegged as a tech geek when someone catches a glimpse of your phone. SureType is easy and quick to pick up. I feel comfortable using it to respond to e-mails - not just viewing.
Pros:
*Easy Email setup
*Great Sync'ing
*Expandable memory slot - try the new 4GB mini SD cards; after install you'll have 3.7 gb's to play with.
*Excellent sound; imported playlists (m3u's) and they work slick!
*Lots of software options & features
*GPS service available
*Nice camera with flash + video capability
*Very intuitive and well thought out
*Works seamlessly with Roxio Easy Media Creator (I had just purchased this the previous week and was surprised and pleased that the 8130 software included a Roxio module that works seamlessly with the rest of the suite.)
*Bluetooth works well; better than I am used to!
Cons:
*I still use Outlook 2000 which required downloading and downgrading to a previous version of the synchronization software
*My phone locked up when trying to view large image files transferred from my hard drive; once I reduced the image size, the problem was solved.
*There appears to be no easy way to take a picture and send it instantly via SMS to another phone. You must save the image, then send it via email.
*Included carrying case is inferior. Purchased a 'Body Glove'; not all the holes lined up but I 'customized' it.
*I had to deactivate the side buttons. Right defaults to the camera and left defaults to the Voice Dialing. I kept activating them each time I picked up the phone. Of course then I was picking up the phone gingerly and the next thing you know, you'll be dropping it and wishing you had bought phone insurance. Would be nice maybe if a double click were required to activate those side buttons.
*$$$ - wouldn't have it w/out a new 2 yr deal.
In Summary: I have been waiting for a phone like this for years. Well done!
Best. Phone. EVER.
Previous Phones (newest to oldest):
Mogul
Sanyo 8400
Sanyo M1
Samsung A920
LG Fusic
LG VX8300
LG VX8600
LG Chocolate
(And Moreâ¦these are the only ones still being sold, though)
I just got the Pearl with Sprint about a month ago ( I got it the day it came out, which was 11/23/07). Now, normally getting a phone the day (actually the month) it first comes out is the biggest no-no to veteran phone junkies (of which I can claim to be), but because it was RIM, and Iâd always such awesome things about them, I decided to ignore that rule of thumb and try my luck. Thank God I Did. It has literally been the best phone Iâve ever owned. Ever. Now, Iâve had the mogul, but that was literally for 14 days before I took it back. Horrible phone. Locked up all the time and was HUGE! I loved the 8400 (I have a review on that one as well, if you wanna take a look), and it did everything I needed, really, the only thing was that I wanted something with a QWERTY-type keyboard because I text ALL the time. I mean, I work in a call center. When I get off work, I refuse to talk on the phone. So, while I had mastered T9 quite awhile ago, I wanted a change. So, I wanted the keyboard and functionality of a smart phone, but without the lag of the OS. I thought I was going to have to settle for the Rumor and give up EVDO capabilityâ¦and then this little gem was announced. Could. Not. Wait. For it to come out. My BF has the 7130, and he let me mess around with the Sure-Type before I bought the pearl knowing that it would take me a little bit of time to adjust. Took about 2 days, and I was typing as fast as ever.
Excellent product
Well well well. Finally a BB Product that offers live TV from Sprint. Now all my needs are met.
I need to be connected to the markets 24/7 wanted a BB badly but couldn't because of its multimedia limitations until Sprint released the 8130. Excellent form, has live Sprint TV and more so I can be in touch get live news and updates, excellent camera and e-mail capabilities.
Then only negative is the battery drains quickly.
Then again, I cannot hold it against BB. They offer so much in this small phone, something's got to give.
The only thing that will make me move on from this phone will be the next BB for Sprint.... Or Sprint's BB Curve?
Great "all around" phone
I am using this phone in the SE Wisconsin area.
This is actually my 2nd time around with this phone. I had the Pearl for ATT when it came out, which was a great phone. NOW for VZW it is even better!!
Some of my thoughts:
SO SO:
1. 2MP Camera - good quality when using the view finder, once the picture is taken, however, it looks unclear...
2. Call Quality - Could be better, still not to shabby. It might be my area - some calls are crystal clear, some tend to have audio breakups.
PRO & CON
Built in GPS! However disabled by Verizon (not shocking, but frustrating to have to pay $10 a month just to enable hardware, that would be like Chevy disabling the defroster unless you pay a monthly fee)
Reception is outstanding!!
DATA Access is FAST!! The fastest of any phone I've used.
Resolution, for some reason it seems much better than the ATT version.
The ability to use Yahoo! IM application (blocked by ATT)
IMHO the best phone offered by VZW.
A Phone I Actually Like
I got this phone yesterday when it came out and have had it for 24 hours now. I have to say that in the short time that I have owned it, it has got to be my favorite phone. This is my 1st blackberry so I stil have to get used to it. GREAT PHONE!
Pros:
Great Camera
Good Battery Life
Nice Style and Feel
Cons:
Keyboard is a little hard to work at first but you get the hang of it over time.
If God had a phone, this would be it
Yeah, this is the one. Back when I had my Nokia 6230, I was in love with it. It was everything I needed it to be - fast, small, simple, and packed full of features. Since that phone I've owned several other Nokias and Motorolas. I never found a better phone than that 6230.
Until now.
This thing is absolutely brilliant, everything about it is fantastic.
Pros:
- Extremely intuitive interface
- Built-in user manual
- Trackball makes life easy
- Great 2 megapixel camera
- SureType is fantastic
- Everything else about this phone is awesome, I could go on listing shit forever
Cons:
- Battery lasts no more than 2 days, but if you weren't expecting that you probably shouldn't have a phone like this to begin with
In short, get this phone. I had a Q before it and thought I could never get used to a smaller-than-full-QWERTY keyboard again, but man was I wrong. I've had this phone for over a month now, but after a week of using it I was already typing faster on its keyboard than I could ever type on my Q. Windows Mobile blows by the way and should be abolished from the digital world.
I repeat. Get this phone, it's worth every penny.
Great phone
Just got this phone a little over 48 hours ago. This is my first BB. I have got to say this is one of my favorite phones I have ever owned so far and I buy several phones a year.
PROS:
-Great reception
-Great camera (flash is awesome, takes great pics in pitch dark)
-e-mail service is easily set up and very easy to use
-suretype takes some getting used to but after playing around with it for a while becomes second nature.
-good speakerphone
-very customizable
-small, stylish phone
CONS:
-Voice dialing button is easily hit by mistake on side of phone.
-keyboard could use more of a "rubbery" type feeling, buttons have smooth/plastic feeling therefore hard to tell sometimes what buttons you are on unless you are looking
-No "backup assistant" software for BB through Verizon, not compatible with BB UI as of yet.
