BlackBerry Pearl 8100c Phone, Slate Grey (AT&T)

by BlackBerry

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 2 x 0.6 inches ; 3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000KFUK9Q
• Item model number: 8100c
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,792 in Cell Phones & Accessories (See Top 100 in Cell Phones & Accessories)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This major update to the popular 7105 brings the BlackBerry experience to a whole new level. The BlackBerry 8100c Pearl is not only thinner and lighter, it also sports a memory card slot, a music player, and voice dialing. Other features, such as Bluetooth 2.0, EDGE high-speed data, and the popular SureType keypad make this a complete mobile office solution. And of course, legendary BlackBerry push email is fully supported on the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl.

Small, powerful, and great for getting shots on the go. Learn more about the 8100c Pearl (requires Flash)

Design
Like the BlackBerry 7105, the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl is a departure from the form factor of previous BlackBerry devices. This BlackBerry handset is far more phone-like, and RIM's engineers have managed to fit a QWERTY keyboard onto the handset's slim frame. Each button on the keyboard shares two letters and the unit automatically determines which letter is the intended one based on what it predicts you are trying to spell. This unique predictive text technology, known as SureType, makes the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl's handset's diminutive size possible. SureType also learns the words you use most often, further enhancing your typing speed.

The BlackBerry 8100c Pearl sports a large 240 x 260 screen that supports over 65,000 colors--plenty of real estate to view your e-mails, Web browser content, messaging sessions, and attachments. The venerable BlackBerry trackwheel has been replaced on this model with an innovative four-way trackball placed below the screen. On the rear of the handheld, you'll find a 1.3-megapixel camera and a self portrait mirror. The handheld's microSD memory card slot is located inside the device, behind the battery. There's also a standard 2.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset, as well as a mini-USB port for data connectivity.

Calling Features
All the calling capabilities folks have come to expect in a wireless phone are present in the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl. The handset's speakerphone makes it easy to use the device hands-free, or if you prefer, you can use a wireless headset via the BlackBerry 8100c handheld's built-in Bluetooth capability. A vibrating alert, speed dial, and a contacts list/address book (limited only by the unit's 64 MB of internal memory) are also included. Any of the phone's 32 included polyphonic ringtones can be used to create caller-specific ringers, so you can know who's calling without having to look at the handset. The unit comes with built-in ringtones, and more ringtones are available from Cingular's MEdia Net mobile Web service.

See the 8100c Pearl in detail.

A new feature, speaker independent voice dialing, allows you to call contacts with the sound of your voice. No prior voice training is required; you can just say a contact's name to call them.

Messaging, Internet, and Tools
While the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl is a different kind of BlackBerry device, it still delivers the legendary BlackBerry e-mail experience. With BlackBerry service plans from Cingular, you can receive e-mails instantaneously from up to 10 e-mail accounts (personal and enterprise). With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).

If your company has a BlackBerry Enterprise Server installed, you can take advantage of the power of wireless calendar synchronization. Your calendar events are exchanged wirelessly and automatically so that your desktop calendar and BlackBerry handheld calendar are synchronized. All your Outlook meeting requests, changes, and updates are instantaneously synchronized instantaneously with your desktop. Make meeting requests, invite new attendees, and more, all on your BlackBerry 8100c Pearl. Users without BlackBerry Enterprise Server support can manually sync with their desktop calendars and contacts via Bluetooth or USB using the included BlackBerry Desktop Software.

Use the BlackBerry 8100c handset's Web browser to access the Internet from the palm of your hand. Browse Web sites, get up-to-date stock quotes, read the latest news, check weather reports, and more--all at fast speeds, thanks to support for Cingular's EDGE high speed data network. Instant messaging and wireless messaging are also built into the BlackBerry 8100c Pearl. MMS messages can be received and forwarded (Cingular messaging charges apply).

The BlackBerry 8100c Pearl ships with a number of tools, including a calculator, a calendar, an alarm, and a to-do list.

Imaging and Entertainment
The BlackBerry 8100c Pearl really kicks the fun up a notch with the inclusion of a 1.3-megapixel camera that features an LED flash and white balance controls. How about some music? The handheld's music player supports playback of your tunes in MP3, AAC, AAC+, and eAAC+ formats. The handheld is also compatible with Java application and game downloads (available via the MEdia Net service).

Vital Statistics
The BlackBerry 8100c Pearl weighs 3.16 ounces and measures 4.2 by 2.00 by 0.57 inches. Its lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of digital talk time and up to 360 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies. The phone comes with a one-year limited warranty.

Product Description

You'll be amazed at the small, sleek form factor of the BlackBerry Pearl. It's like no other BlackBerry. But it's more than just a new look. This BlackBerry delivers everything its predecessors delivered and a whole lot more. The BlackBerry Pearl offers new features never before seen in a BlackBerry like, a 1.3 mega pixel camera, voice recognition, and an MP3 player to name a few. Try it for a few hours and you are hooked!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet!, January 12, 2007

By 

Ashwini Aragam (Worcester, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BlackBerry Pearl 8100c Phone, Slate Grey (AT&T) (Electronics)

I have waited long enough. Being a techie and carrying a $20 (free) phone for over 3 years just didn't seem right. So my change of job prompted me to look for a phone which also has web/email capabilities. I considered strongly the Samsung Blackjack and the Blackberries. The blackjack's look, while cool from a distance, had keys that looked like left-over chicken-pox blisters. The much raved about Blackberry email push technology finally won me over. I had to decide between the pearl and the bigger versions. I read the 8700g and other blackberries are a bit too big for the pocket. So I chose the Pearl. Here's my take:

What I love:
============
- Form factor: It is beautiful, it is cute and catchy! It turns heads. Enough said.
- Size: Size is one of the strongest points considering all it does. It neatly slips into a shirt pocket or sits well on the belt.
- Keys: Could be a bit small but I could use it pretty easily though my fingers are bordering on 'butterfingers'.
- Trackball: Awesome! Just don't press it too hard while using it. Just 'roll-it'!. It is great while you have to move around the screen from control to control
- Voice-dialing: Has worked for me very well the 10 or so times I have tried in my van on the road and off. You have to first choose the voice dialing option from the list of icons on the main menu. I read you can assign a menu item to a key; this would eliminate some of the fumbling while driving.
- Screen: Not too big and not too small! This will be a key factor in you choosing between a bigger blackberry and this one. I found the size good enough for me. The fonts display the content sharply enough to read easily. It is bright while viewing; goes off after a few seconds of inactivity to save power.
- Videos: I found the video that comes along very good! The graphics very sharp and quite well paced. Need to try more of this later. But I don't watch videos on my cell phone and hence it isn't that much of a selling-point for me.
- Camera: Now, who needs a sophisticated camera on a cell phone? These are frills if you use the device as a phone and an email device. But, it took great pictures. I could easily email the photo to my wife with a few click (I had her email in my contacts already).
- Applications: Google maps is cool - much cooler on the samll screen with turn by turn directions easy to read. The default cingular media-net browser is so-so. Download the Opera-mini. Love browsing on the phone.
- Audio: Call quality has been outstanding so far. The music files, though, when played left more to be desired. Not your iPod substitution this device.
- Outlook sync: Worked like a charm. Now, I love to have all my contact information in this small hand-held.
- The push-to-talk feature hasn't worked for me so far. Maybe it is a area-specific availability issue; need to follow up.
- By far the best feature, is the RIM email push feature. I easily hooked up all my personal email accounts and feel thrilled when the berry flashes a red light whenever I have an email. This eliminates the need and a lot of time for me to login to my email accounts on the computer. Replying to an email may not be so easy given the size; but viewing - works great.
- Battery: Has been great so far. With my constant use of the device for email and trying the web, the battery lasted me more than 2 days w/o re-charging.
- Miscellaneous: I haven't had the berry hang-up as I read of other windows based phones. It did freeze a couple of times, but given that I have the phone for over a week, it isn't much of a bother. This freezing was mostly while on the web, so it could have been connectivity also.


What better?
============
- Size: If you usage is email heavy and you need to reply quite often, I suggest you get the bigger berries.
- Audio: If you rely on your cell phone to listen to music as well, I find the audio quality a bit lacking.

Overall, I am very happy with the phone. If you are on the line, I suggest you go for it!

122 of 131 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Porting fees, January 23, 2007

By 

REP (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: BlackBerry Pearl 8100c Phone, Slate Grey (AT&T) (Electronics)

A previous user stated that there is a $250 "porting" fee, and in effect, there is. If you order from AMZN, you DO save the phone cost BUT since it comes to you "hot" (that is with a pre-assigned Cingular number), when you go to port and change that number, Cingular will charge AMZN, who in turn, will bill you for $250. "New" to AMZN has what seems to be a very narrow definition, they mean (apparently) "new" to cell phones (unlikely).

3 stars for AMZN not being as forthright as one might hope

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly designed smartphone!, December 26, 2006

By 

Prasad Chalasani "New Parent" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: BlackBerry Pearl 8100c Phone, Slate Grey (AT&T) (Electronics)

Overall best smartphone I've seen on the market. The others are either too bulky (e.g. Treo) or too wide (other Blackberries, BlackJack, or Motorola Q), or lack the solid Blackberry email service. This one is sure to be a hit. The Pearl's brilliant sure-type keyboard-entry system (with QWERTY layout but 2 letters per key) and "pearl" trackball allows the phone to be small and still enable very fast text entry.

Incidentally Mac owners should look into PocketMac to sync with their Mac's iCal/AddressBook, etc. Gmail can be read using the Gmail mobile app that can be downloaded straight to the Blackberry. Caution: if you already have Cingular, and want to keep your existing Cingular number, you CANNOT get the super-low Amazon discounted price -- you only get the Amazon discounted price if you start a brand new 2-year contract (with new number) with Cingular. So I got my phone at a Cingular store, because I was eligible for a phone upgrade. [...].

Plus points:
1. super-sharp screen, great colors, great resolution.
2. very context-sensitive menus, well thought-out.
3. Sure-type is very easy to learn and surprisingly accurate, and lets you type very fast.
4. Nice-size keys, beat the hell out of Treo's keys.
5. Treos are ugly bricks, this phone is super-stylish and highly pocketable, even in jeans.
6. Rock-solid Blackberry push email service can't be beat.
7. Pearl trackball is amazingly well designed and useful.
8. Cingular/Blackberry unlimited data backage is very good and pretty fast.

Minus points:
1. No wifi , but that's ok because the data service is pretty fast.
2. No video camera, but again I don't really miss that.
3. No touch screen; I don't really miss it because the trackball and context-sensitive menus are so well designed.