BlackBerry Pearl 3G Review

It seems to have become something of a trend – making mini versions of smartphones. You may not have imagined Blackberry to have jumped on to the bandwagon but, there it is…right in front of you.  The Blackberry Pearl 3G is a slimmer version of the BlackBerry Bold 9700. While there are subtle differences in both the models, the resemblance is quite evident. In fact, even its performance matches the Bold 9700 – the same processor and the same features, such as 3G, Wi-Fi & GPS. However, it’s not to say that the Blackberry Pearl 3G doesn’t have a distinct personality of its own.

To begin with, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G has to be one of the fastest phones in the market, not to mention the richest in features. It has a super responsive trackpad and good social-networking apps. More are available from the BlackBerry App World, if you so desire. Other features that we like include high-resolution screen, integrated email inbox, and dedicated music keys.

We were also pleasantly surprised by the images captured by the 3.2-megapixel camera that is twinned with an LED photo light. Unless you begin comparing the picture quality with that of a compact camera, you are going to be quite happy with the pictures you capture.

However, there are a few things that could turn out to be a deal breaker, beginning with the alphanumeric keypad. It is a surprising change, to say the least, for Blackberry users of several years. And, if you are into e-mailing, one of the biggest strengths of any Blackberry model, a QWERTY keyboard does come in handy. After having got them used to the full QWERTY keyboard, it does come as a bit of a shock that Blackberry Pearl 3G is missing one.

BlackBerry Pearl 3G is meant for an audience that has been using an alpha-numeric mobile device for a while and looking to graduate to their first Blackberry. Or someone who doesn’t mind the change at all! If you are used to a QWERTY keypad and you anticipate heavy duty use, you would be better off with a model like the Bold 9700.

The battery life on the Blackberry Pearl 3G is also shorter as compared to the other devices. Since it comes with an 1150mAHr battery instead of the traditional 1500, you’ll probably get a day’s use out of it – not more than that.

In the end, we acknowledge that BlackBerry is not in the habit of flooding the market with half a dozen new models every month. It believes in quality over quantity and each time delivers handsets that are functional, efficient, and packed with features. That is reason enough to love BlackBerry devices.

The BlackBerry Pearl 3G reinforces the fact that the brand name is gaining mainstream appeal. And though we wish for a QWERTY keyboard, we have to admit that the Blackberry Pearl 3G is a clear winner.

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