BlackBerry Pearl 8130
Average Ratings
Decent phone
This was the first smartphone that I jumped to. It was a huge upgrade from a previous phone that I owned. Over all, this phone has a lot of great options.
Pro's:
- Screen quality is great.
- Keyboard is easy to use, once you get a hang of it.
- Phone's OS is easy to operate.
- Love the zoom and the flash with the camera
- Comes in a few colors.
- Fits great in my hand.
- The BB email works great.
Con's:
- Memory likes to delete my inbox and call logs, whenever it feels like it.
- Trackball is a little too sensitive.
- Trackball got dirty quick, no way to really clean it.
- No WiFi :(
- A few issues with hotmail access.
I think its a great phone, and with time, they'll make better. I would encourage anyone looking at getting a smartphone, its a good place to start with!
1st Smartphone, so far so good!
As stated in my title, this is the first smartphone I have ever owned.
I have the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 on the U.S. Cellular network in the Des Moines area. I have it in the Amethyst color ... more like dark grey. I got it a few weeks ago and everything seems to be great so far.
The internet is very fast and the predictive text typing is very easy to get used to. At first I didn't have the patience to try to figure out predictive and was using the tap method. However it is very easy to figure out predictive and you will end up typing much faster.
I had been told by a friend with the original BB Pearl on T-Mobile that the camera wasn't the best because it's only 3 megapixels... It honestly isn't as bad as I pictured. It isn't high quality like a lot of camera phones out these days, but it serves it's purpose and has a great flash, I am satisfied with the camera.
I am unlike a lot of people in that I like my ringtones to be generic and professional sounding, and this phone comes with plenty of those types of tones for people like me. However, if you would like to put your own music on there as a ringtone that is very easy as well.
When I first got the phone I was unsure if I would like the light censor that dims the screen and lights up the keypad when you are in darker environments.. however it works VERY well and it is nice to be on the phone in the dark and not be blinded by a bright screen.
One complaint I have about the keypad in the dark is when it lights up it looks somewhat dingy.. It does not light up very clear and almost appears as if it is used or worn, I have seen this on other Pearls as well.
Another complaint about the pearl is flimsy casing, mainly with the battery cover ... I am aware this has been a common complaint but it seems they didn't try to fix it when updating the Pearl into the 8130.
Overall - a great phone! And a great first smartphone!!!! I think I'm hooked on BlackBerry!!!! :D
pure awesome
so, i've had the pearl for a few months now and absolutely love it. i can't function without it at this point. even after spilling tequila on it, it still works well. the only issue i've had with the phone is the "memory leak" which is easily fixed with a memory card. i work for a cell phone company and suggest the phone to everybody. i'm really glad that it plays streaming video, so when i'm bored i can be on youtube. plus it's really loud, i always hear it ring, and can hear it from across the room when i'm using my mp3 feature. basically, this phone is pure awesome. and if there's any doubt, play brickbreaker for about 5 minutes... you'll never put the phone down :)
Good
I have to start by saying I hate suretype, that the is my biggest complaint about this phone, I thought I would get used to it,but I have not after months of use.I think I would probably be happier with the curve and a full keyboard despite the size difference.
Pros
Size, really small, fits in your pocket nice
Battery Life, even with a lot of web surfing, 3000 minutes a month and up to 50 emails a day the thing still makes it two to three days for me
Internet, speed on Verizon is great
Navigator, If you need GPS this is the best available on any network
Cons
Scroll wheel, that stupid little ball for navigation likes to have good and bad days, sometimes it just doesn't seem to respond
Suretype, personal preference but I hate It
Data Loss, instead of deleting my old emails and text if memory gets low it likes to clear my recent messages instead, I have had it clear an entire weeks email on me, but email from a month ago is still in there...very annoying
All in all if you want a PDA or Smartphone you cannot go wrong with a blackberry. They have their issues but for ease of use and dependability I would choose them first any day. If you are concerned mainly about size check out the pearl, but if you hate suretype like me go get the Curve
WOW Knock out punch to cell phones
WOW WOW WOW
I love this phone so much memory and endless possibilities blackberry is obviously the elite smart phone guru.
nice job RIM
Love it
I Love my blackberry! i have sprint and as far as the whole erasing stuff issue all you have to do is go into the settings and configure how long you want the phone to keep your messages for the default setting is set to five, so that is why it deletes them.
Phone is Sexcellent, Sprint is run by Nincompoops
I have had this phone for about 3 months, running on the Sprint network in NYC.
Previously I had a Helio Ocean which was great, but eventualy found out that I was in need of Mac compatibilty. I didnt want to shell out $400+ for the Iphone - especially with the lack of 3G and physical keyboard. (I have an ipod touch and am not too fond of the virtual keybooard.) Then I found out that Blackberry released mac compatible desktop software.
The reception, call quality, and features of the phone are great. Sprint's Power Vision pack is a decent deal compared to most - unlimited data, basic TV/video channels, unlimited text, and free gps for an extra 30 bones. Their vision pack is the reason why I chose them over Verizon.
I ran into problems with Sprint's customer service department when I tried to port in my number from Helio. It took over 3 weeks of constant calling and threatening to cancel my contract for them to get my number ported.
Pros:
Great reception
Great Call quality
Small form factor with Qwerty keyboard
Camera and flash are impressive (for a phone)
Syncs with Ical and Contacts on my Mac
EVDO
Push email
Blackberry OS
3.5mm headphone jack
good media player
easily upload your own mp3 ringtones
Internet with OperaMini is very fast
Cons:
Sprint Customer Service
Lack of MMS
Lack of multiple sms
Suretype takes some getting used to
Blackberry default browser is lame - use Opera mini!
I wish the battery lasted longer, but I'm a heavy internet and text user.
So glad I choose the BB Pearl 8130
This web site played a huge part in my choosing a BlackBerry Pearl 8130, and I'm so glad I did. After about 4 months, I'm still thrilled with it. Because it's such a powerful smartphone, I'm still learning about it day-by-day. In fact, I'm blogging about what I learn, see http://blackberry8130.wordpress.com. After doing your homework on this site, I welcome you to my blog if you think the 8130 might be right for you, and you can study up on that model a bit more. Maybe even ask me a question.
PROS: Love the smaller size. Love all the features of a BlackBerry. Audio quality is better than any cell phone I've owned. I've had almost zero dropped calls even though I live and drive in rural areas with very weak signals. I took the time to learn SureType and have NO problem with the smaller keyboard. In fact, I'd MUCH rather have a smaller phone than a larger one with a full keyboard.
CONS: The worst tradeoff for me is the smaller screen for when I'm surfing the web. Only then do I wish for a larger phone/screen. But overall I think the tradeoff is worth it. I really haven't found a web site that can't be used on my Pearl solely because of screen size.
When it's time for my 2-year upgrade with Verizon, I don't know how I would be able to part with my Pearl 8130. UNLESS it has a successor that does even more!
SIMPLY AWESOME!
WAY TO GO BLACKBERRY!! EASY TO USE. VERY SLIM AND SLEEK. NO DROPPED CALLS. THE MUSIC PLAYER IS SIMPLE TO USE. I UPLOADED TONS OF RINGTONES AND IT DIDN'T EVEN SLOW MY PHONE DOWN AT ALL. THE WEB BROWSER THEY UPDATED IS AMAZING! YOU CAN WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS WITH ABSOLUTELY NO BUFFERING AT ALL! I GOT THE PINK ONE AND IT IS THE BEST PHONE I HAVE EVER OWNED. I WILL FOR SURE BE STICKING WITH BLACKBERRY FOR AS LONG AS THEY KEEP MAKING PHONES! THANX!
Great Phone
I really liked this phone. The thing this phone does that all Blackberrys seem to excel at is email. Simple to set up and just works.
Pros:
Great screen
Great sound
Small size
Decent calendar
Nice contact set up
Best push email
SureType predictive text far superior to T9 or ITAP
Bluetooth is good
Pictures and music pretty good
Syncs with Macs with included software but I prefer Mark/Space software
Cons:
Voice dial eminates through speaker not ear piece
Text to only one person at a time unless I have erred
Internet is still not really useable on a small screen
Vibrate feature a bit on weak side
Ringtones are not very exciting
Battery Life could be alot better
Phone a bit slippery
$30.00 per month Verizon charges for data
Overall this is a great phone for business and regular users alike. Most of the cons are pretty minor.
