RIM BlackBerry 8130 Pearl (Verizon)

Verizon and Sprint users have long wished for a version of RIM's stellar BlackBerry Pearl. Now they've finally got it—and it was definitely worth the wait. The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 offers built-in GPS and broadband 3G data speeds over EV-DO, neither of which is available on the AT&T and T-Mobile 8100 models. The 8130 also comes with lots of other new features, such as an upgraded 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSDHC-compatible card slot, and a video capture mode. In addition, the 8130 retains all the traits that made the original 8100 series a success, including its svelte and attractive design, SureType keyboard, backlit trackball, and solid voice quality. For this review, I tested both the Sprint and Verizon versions. There are a few differences, which I'll outline below, but both handsets are top-notch buys.

In many ways, the Pearl 8130 resembles the 8100. The lightweight handset feels exceptionally well balanced in the hand, weighing just 3.4 ounces and measuring 4.2 by 2.0 by 0.6 inches (HWD). The Verizon model comes in silver with smoked chrome sides, while the Sprint version sticks with the standard-issue black-and-smoked-chrome palette. Both devices include an ambient light sensor that dims the 2.2-inch, 240-by-260-pixel screen indoors and brightens it considerably when outside.

RIM's patented SureType keyboard makes an encore appearance on the 8130. I've never been a huge fan, preferring full QWERTY keyboards, but plenty of sworn Pearl users love it. For me, SureType wasn't particularly good at figuring out what I wanted to say, so I ended up using MultiTap mode. If you're coming from a handset with a numeric keypad, you'll likely be pleased with the Pearl's ability to make typing full sentences easier while keeping a slim profile. If you have a full QWERTY keyboard on your current handset, however, the Pearl's keyboard might feel like a downgrade, and you should probably go for the 8830 instead.

The Pearl is a solid voice phone on the GSM side, and I'm happy to report that it also sounds good over CDMA networks. When pressed, I'd give the slight edge in voice quality to the Verizon version. But both phones exhibited strong reception, solid external noise rejection, and punchy earpiece volume. Callers on the other end thought I sounded natural and slightly less muffled than on an otherwise good-sounding Motorola Q. An overhead train made it difficult for the other party to hear me but said I was still intelligible even though the train was deafeningly loud on my end. The Pearl's speakerphone is also strong and clear, given the handset's small size.

My Verizon review unit had a hyperactive Voice Dialing button on the left-hand side; seemingly, every time I lifted the handset, it blurted out "Say a Command." My Sprint tester didn't share this problem, so I'll chalk it up to a quirk in the review unit. On the plus side, the 8130's microSDHC card slot is easily accessible right above the Voice Dialing button; it supports cards up to 8GB, which matches the iPhone's current storage capacity. Combined with the Pearl's music, video support, and 3.5mm headphone jack, it makes this BlackBerry one heck of a svelte media center.

The music player reads MP3, WMA, and AAC files and displays album art. Music sounded fine over wired earbuds but delivered less bass than I would like. The 8130 also sounded good when paired with a set of wireless Bluetooth Etymotic Ety8 earphones, though there were some audio dropouts even when I held the handset in my hand. Video files played perfectly smoothly, though the Pearl's small, vertically oriented screen isn't the best layout for enjoying movies.

Sprint's 8130 is Sprint TV– and Music–enabled, but Verizon's version doesn't work with V Cast Video or V Cast Music for reasons that elude me. On the other hand, the Verizon model's GPS chip works with the optional VZ Navigator service—something the higher-end 8830 still can't do. And Sprint's version connects to the excellent TeleNav-powered Sprint Navigator, just like the Sprint BlackBerry 8830. Both GPS services deliver spoken turn-by-turn directions.

For e-mail, the Pearl 8130 connects to Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Domino, and Novell GroupWise on the Enterprise side. Meanwhile, you can pool up to ten personal mail accounts and configure them all to deliver push e-mail. There's also a built-in calendar, address book, and memo pad. Just like its predecessor, this Pearl can read Microsoft Office documents but still can't edit them. And apart from the archaic BlackBerry Messenger, there's no included IM client.

The 8130's built-in Web browser is a big improvement over past models. It now has a "mouse" cursor, a zoom mode, and improved fonts, making it much easier than before to navigate mobile Web pages. Both models work as EV-DO modems for your laptop, and I saw impressive average speeds of 700 to 1,000 kilobits per second during testing. The Pearl felt very responsive when running most applications, though my Java benchmarking suite wouldn't run, so I couldn't get CPU test numbers.

Research in Motion's 2-megapixel camera sensor, first seen on the Curve, finds its way into the new Pearl 8130. It's quite good here, too, taking sharp, detailed photos, even in low-light situations. Compared with a standalone camera, the images were a little flat on color and soft on contrast, but they're surprisingly good. The LED flash helped brighten things a bit, but it also gave an orange tint to some photos. The Pearl records 240-by-176 videos—a new development for RIM—although recorded files showed too much motion blur. The trim handset delivered excellent battery life for an EV-DO device, lasting 5 hours 24 minutes on a talk-time rundown test.

On both Sprint and Verizon, frequent messengers should take a look at the larger BlackBerry 8830, which provides a full QWERTY keyboard even as it lacks some of the 8130's other multimedia upgrades. If you're okay with skipping the full complement of letter keys, though, the Pearl is a compelling choice. Of the two 8130s, Sprint's version wins out due to its streaming TV and mobile music store options. But even Verizon's 8130 lures with its beautiful silver color and top-notch voice quality. Things could soon change if Verizon and Sprint introduce CDMA versions of the BlackBerry Curve that live up to our expectations. Either way, this Pearl is a real jewel.

Compare the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 with several other mobile phones side by side.

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