Customer Reviews

BlackBerry Pearl 8100 Phone, White (T-Mobile)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was a little apprehensive in the beginning to get this white version of BB Pearl. I was pleasantly surprised with its looks once I rec'd the shipment. It is a TRUE pearl color and not white or off-white as advertised.

I am new to BB and I wanted a phone that can basically sync with my Outlook. I am used to Windows mobile phones and could not find something I liked when the time came to get a new one.

Using this phone is pretty intuitive. I did not touch the user guide until now. Was able to sync with my Outlook Calendar and Contacts with ease. Call clarity is good and T-Mobile's reception at my work location is surprisingly far better than Cingular. I was not expecting this.

Connection to the internet and the usage of Yahoo Messenger is a breeze. Net speeds are good. Fav-five feature is useful and I can get away with just 300 minutes of talk-time.

It took me about a half-hour to get used to the typing (Suretype instead of multitap). But you need to have confidence in the phone that it figures out the word as you type, though the word looks awfully different from what you want while you are typing - it got it right by the end of the word 99% of the time. Moreover it learns new words as you use it.
I still need to figure out how to get Num-Lock on/off quickly to make it easier to type in just numbers in some cases instead of hitting the Shift key all the time.

The track ball's sensitivity is adjustable but I did not see a need for that. It takes a little bit to get used to but it is easy. I am a little concerned, given its sensitive roll and touch, if it is going to last the 2-year contract period. I am usually not a rough user of my gadgets, so it should be OK.

Finally - Google Maps are awesome!
I know they are not as good as Verizon's VZNavigator on my KRZR, but hey they are free.

Being locked into Verizon for another year before I'm eligible for an upgrade, I was very tempted to buy a Blackberry Pearl from T-mobile. I went to the T-mobile store and just couldn't justify spending another $200 when I already have a phone. And then I went to Amazon.com...

At $50 I couldn't afford to pass up such a sweet deal, so I ordered this phone. While waiting for the shipment to arrive, many questions ran through my mind: will I like the predicative text? will T-mobile service be comparable to Verizon? (the so called most reliable network in the US); will the internet be significantly slower than 3G? etc.

I can tell you all confidently that I LOVE predicative text - even more than a full QWERTY keyboard. The service has been superb - comparable if not better than Verizon (I've kept both phones side by side). My T-mobile phone has even gotten better reception than Verizon in some places and I have yet to drop one call in two weeks. Also, I cannot tell the difference between Edge and 3G - it's a wash for me.

Before this pearl, I never had a Blackberry. They were just too big to fit into my pocket (I wear fitted pants), and I wasn't about to clip one onto my belt. This phone is the perfect combination of style and functionality.

I can't even begin to tell you how much time this phone saves me throughout the day. Instead of having to compulsively check email for personal and eBay related things, I instantly know when I get an email because my blackberry light flashes red. Furthermore, I can respond to that email and delete it all while at a concert/ dinner/ the park/ etc.

2 thumbs up, I don't know how I ever got a long without this phone.

This is my first venture into the world of Blackberry. So far, I'm impressed. I love being able to pick up my emails from anywhere T-Mobile's wireless network reaches. My contacts transferred from my old phone easily. In fact everything I needed to move over transferred easily. Phone clarity is good. People can hear me and I can hear other people. No static either.
I ordered the white blackberry. I am impressed with the pearlized finish. Although, I really would like to have the red one. Unfortunately, T-Mobile doesn't offer the red one. Can't afford to buy an unlocked one from Ebay either. It definitely draws attention when I pull this device out of my purse. People can't get over how small this Blackberry is. It fits in the palm of my hand. The screen is large and bright.
T-Mobile service has been very good. No problems, except I got this phone the day that Blackberry service crashed. T-Mobile was very nice and helpful when I called. They told me to wait until morning and I should be up and running, and I was. Hopefully crashes are a thing of the past now.
All in all, I am pleased with my Blackberry and with T-Mobile.

December 2007:
I see that T-Mobile is offering new colors; ruby red, sapphire blue and light gold. I still love my Blackberry, it's an awesome smartphone! I still make people jealous when I pull out my Pearl. Babs

I received my phone for *free* through a deal on Amazon (with the T-mobile plan) and I love it! It is a great size, has all the functions of a useful phone, pda and an ok web browser. The navigation is pretty easy and the keyboard is just big enough. I still haven't figured out how to use everything, but I learn something new every week, which is kind of neat. It is fun and useful to have your email accessible on the main screen. If you care about phone rings, be prepared to purchase some online, because the ones included are lame. A normal phone ring sound is not even available. As far as the service goes, T Mobile has been pretty good. I had their service a few years ago and moved to Verizon because of dropped calls and poor reception. They must have improved their service because I haven't had any problems.

I have had this phone for over a month, and i absolutely love it. Amazing features in such a small package. What T-Mobile lacks in service coverage, they make up in costomer service, service plans, and phone prices. Overall I couldn't be happier with my decision to leave Verizon.

I have had the pearl for a week now and I love it. I got it through amazon for free. The white pearl is so cute and it def has people asking about the phone when u whip it out. Comparing it to the t-mobile sidekick there are a few setbacks. You cannot be logged in to more then one IM service and if you register for all of your e-mails to be sent to the pearl there is a delay.Other then that the phone is cool. I just found out that by hooking up the pearl to my lap top i can get internet service using that as my router.There is still a lot for me to learn with this phone but its great.

Before I order this phone through Amazon, I went to a local store to see it first. I recommend this, because you can feel, see and test the phone to see if you like it. I really like the pearl and this is my first Blackberry. There are many new things to learn about the pearl and I am finding new things about the pearl everyday. The sure type takes a while to get use to. I love the size, weight and the vivid colors of the screen. The phone is compact, so if you have big fingers, it would not work out. You will also need to purchase a separate Mirco SD memory card if you want to upload MP3 songs and ring tones or take pictures etc... More updates to come about the phone.
Pearl is 5 stars.
As for T-mobile service. The service is great and the customer service is really good. I was switching from another carrier and I wanted to keep my number. When you sign a new contract, Amazon gives you a preset phone number. What I did is, I called T-mobile and they were able to switch over and I was able to keep my old number. If there was something that a consumer wants, T-mobile will do their best to accommodates.
T-mobile is 5 stars.

I purchased this phone Nov 2007 after reviewing and researching many others. I was replacing a Motorola A630. I have this in the white shade through the T-Mobile network.

It is solid, encased in stainless steel/chrome. I was somewhat skeptical about the predictive messaging and the absence of a full keyboard initially but the sure type keyboard is laid out qwerty style which helps a great deal. After some getting used to the predictive text/sure type is a breeze.

The camera functions well for my needs. I didn't expect it to put out digi-cam quality photos which is why I own one separately to use. The images are clear and with good color. I use them for my background wallpaper and they work well.

This is a quad band world phone which was highly important to me as I travel out of the country. It worked well, both voice/text, but the service out of the country is pricey. There was one or so times where I couldn't call out due to busy circuits but it wasn't for a long period of time, just an hour or so.

This phone has many great features that I don't even use which is why I gave it 5 stars. Bluetooth, music player, Web browsing (Gprs & Edge) Blackberry data services (cost extra) instant messaging, email and lots more. The important aspects of this phone for me are the speaker function, which works very well. It is loud and clear. Text messaging is the other, works great, I have an unlimited package plan, and of course voice. It works well, I have never experienced any poor quality calls, nor dropped calls. It comes with a sensored case that control the backlighting. When you put the phone away in the case the light automatically goes off, when you take it out, it comes on. The case is also interactive with how you receive your calls. If it's in the case it will vibrate to alert you, when out of the case, it will ring as you have it set up to do, a really neat feature. I briefly lost my case and missed it dearly due to those interactive features. This phone exceeds my expectations, and while I was never a Blackberry fan, I can honestly say, I will likely be one for a long time to come. I have recommended it to quite a few people, for business and casual use.

Pros~Packed & stacked with great features as mentioned above + more, syncs up with my computer nicely to transfer data/files, can charge via my laptop without digging out the wall charger, battery life is good for my usage, it's grown & sexy :) It attracts alot of attention, the memory is expandable, so far my memory is holding up well and I haven't even put the memory card in that I purchased for it.

Cons~The keys are a little small, if you have large fingers this may be an issue for you. I have a clear plastic case that I put it in to protect the body of the phone, but it doesn't fit into the interactive case that comes with the phone, I wish it were just a lil bit bigger, overall....A very satisfied user.

My first Blackberry and I am hooked. It is easy to use, stylish, and saves time..no longer do I have do delete mail from my computer, I can do it from the road. When some business is done I am alerted right away, The fun thing is that I learn new applications all the time. Get this phone and join the party!

I love this phone. The only problem that I have had with it is that some times the trackball gets stuck. Other than that it's the best phone that I have ever had. I would really suggest that if you need a beginner smart phone or need a new one that this is the route to go. Although some had concerns about the suretype keyboard, it's really easy to get used to. I added a typing game so that I could learn how to maneuver better around the keys and it helped a lot.