Blackberry Pearl

[evilmonkeyMSP]

So we are coming up on our end of contract w/ our current carrier (Cingular/At&t) and we are thinking of making a switch to some nice smartphones (we currently both have Razrs).

We were wandering around the mall yesterday and found a phone that we've both agreed that we like the styling on and the service (T-mobile) sounds like a good deal.

Anyone have any experience good or bad w/ the Blackberry Pearl 8100 that you could share?

How is it for browsing and what are some common issues?

 

[DeadGeneration]

subscribing, only thing I can say from seeing people with these phones is that they are typically 2x or 3x more of PITA then they are useful. Not this specific phone but any phone in general that has added features not typically used for calling people.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

did you figure in the ratio of the people who have these phones but are too stupid to know how to use them when coming up w/ your thoughts on it?

subscribing, only thing I can say from seeing people with these phones is that they are typically 2x or 3x more of PITA then they are useful. Not this specific phone but any phone in general that has added features not typically used for calling people.

 

[Blake]

From what I understand the blackberry pearl is a POS. Get you an I-Phone and be happy for the rest of your days.

 

[sanblaster]

I had t-mobile evilmonkey and hated it but only because I had THEE original razr. I have verizon now because of the coverage. In terms, of answering your question, idk...

 

[Matthew1785]

sprint has some really nice smartphones, I'm using the pocket pc 6700 from sprint very rarely gives me any problems and service is excellent, however I believe they have a updated model

 

[SuperStretch18]

Make sure that you know how T-mobil's service is in your area, before you make any leaps. Don't look at their coverage maps, because they always show coverage everywhere! Talk to people with them in your area and where you will be using the phone to be sure that you won't be kicking yourself! It doesn't matter how good the phone is, if you can't use it when you need to...

 

[jred321]

for what reasons are you looking for a smartphone instead of a regular phone? getting a blackberry you'll probably be paying for stuff you'll never use unless you're a business user. the best places for reviews are cnet, phonescoop, and amazon user reviews. also if you want to sift through the comments of a bunch of whiney phone nerds who take a cellphone way too seriously there's howardforums. the biggest complaint i would have is that it's not a true qwerty keyboard

maybe something better would be like a smartphone "light" like the blackjack or the moto Q. or there's always the dreaded iphone


i'm waiting for the N95 to come out on at&t. nokias on at&t get great reception and the N95 is probably the best phone created to date. its only downside is no qwerty

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

lol I <3 Mazdaforums....7 replies and not one has to do w/ my request lol

 

[Foolish]

lol I <3 Mazdaforums....7 replies and not one has to do w/ my request lol

Edit: How's this for off topic, monkey-boy?

I saw the subject and clicked on the thread 'cause I thought "Blackberry Pearl" was a new paint color from Mazda, like "Black Cherry Mica" and I wanted to see if there were pictures.

Seeing that I was incorrect, I'll be leaving the thread now.

 

[jred321]

i had resources to investigate all i can say is it looks pretty and blackberries are generally good phones but the pearl is their first venture into non-business only phones so i'd be cautious

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

LOL nice Eric, nice...

Edit: How's this for off topic, monkey-boy?

I saw the subject and clicked on the thread 'cause I thought "Blackberry Pearl" was a new paint color from Mazda, like "Black Cherry Mica" and I wanted to see if there were pictures.

Seeing that I was incorrect, I'll be leaving the thread now.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

lol thanks

i had resources to investigate all i can say is it looks pretty and blackberries are generally good phones but the pearl is their first venture into non-business only phones so i'd be cautious

 

[mspHtown]

From what I understand the blackberry pearl is a POS. Get you an I-Phone and be happy for the rest of your days.

how is the pearl a pos?! my friend and my sister both have a pearl. it is a nice phone. i have the blackberry curve. the phones do what they were designed to do. if you are expecting a laptop, then you will be disappointed.


on the I-phone, you cant put other programs on it from what i have heard. plus you will spend 500+ dollars for it.

RIM is a good, reputable company. the pearl is not a pos. (apple is also a reputable company)

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

gracias

we're not expecting a laptop in our pockets but something that works great as a cell phone but is also good for emailing and web browsing.

 

[jred321]

on the I-phone, you cant put other programs on it from what i have heard. plus you will spend 500+ dollars for it.

you're about 6 months behind. the iphone is $400 now. there used to be a way to put 3rd party apps on it but with apple's latest firmware a week or so ago it was blocked. hackers have worked a way around this (why do they bother to keep trying to stop this? it only takes a week to find a workaround) but it's not clean yet. give it another week and 3rd party apps will be back.

 

[SuperStretch18]

lol I <3 Mazdaforums....

Yeah, me too. Constructive comments not welcome... (yupnope)

 

[CHICO2003]

Jred had the best advice by far. Cnet is my 1st stop for research. They do a nice job describing the features enabling you to make a sensible decision.

As far as your question goes... it all comes down to what you're looking for. Blackberry's are great business tools. Their email integration is topnotch and feature a pretty simple user interface.

Downside?

For starters, it's keyboard is a cross between a qwerty and a traditional. Definitely takes some getting used to. Having had/used one before... I actually feel they are potentially better than qwertys for some... but definitely not all.

I'd say the most important factor (for me) is the fact that it's not a windows mobile device. for some, that's a good thing. for me, it's a deal breaker. windows mobile devices are basically portable computers. there's so much you can do... and it's rather easy to do them.

As far as the ipod goes... it's definitely a slick device but, for me, I could never get used to typing on a touch screen. I'm often calling (even typing) to people while driving... going by the feel of the phone. that's impossible with the iphone. In addition, no 3G... wickedly expensive... no stereo buetooth... inability to TRULY customize it... no replaceable battery... the list goes on. I'm hoping gen2 will address all/most of these issues.

For me... your absolute BEST option is the new AT&T Tilt. With all due respect to the incredibley overpriced/hyped N95, THIS is the best (smart)phone ever. (how can a smartphone not have a qwerty keyboard??? THAT is such a dealbreaker.... if it wasn't for that, the N95 would rock!) but yeah... the Tilt, though bulky, has EVERYTHING you could possibly want. With a service contract, the pricing is... reasonable. but expect it to go down with time. it's brand new.

good luck

 

[CHICO2003]

you're about 6 months behind. the iphone is $400 now. there used to be a way to put 3rd party apps on it but with apple's latest firmware a week or so ago it was blocked. hackers have worked a way around this (why do they bother to keep trying to stop this? it only takes a week to find a workaround) but it's not clean yet. give it another week and 3rd party apps will be back.

See... I could never live like this. Always wondering when the other shoe is gonna drop. With my current phone (unlocked SDA) I can install virtually anything I want without having to fear HTC (the mfg) is about to pull the plug... even if it's only temporarily.

 

[jred321]

gracias

we're not expecting a laptop in our pockets but something that works great as a cell phone but is also good for emailing and web browsing.

pearl would be ok, from at&t the blackjack or the new tilt (a bit overpowered but has gps which is sweet), the sidekick i think might be ok but i've never played with one, and the dash on tmobile looks decent. gizmodo should also have reviews on all of them which are always a fun read