BlackBerry Pearl 3G - Review

“The alphanumeric keypad is the BlackBerry Pearl 3G’s main selling point. The phone’s also small and light, but is otherwise a standard BlackBerry”

BlackBerry OS 5

Pearl 3G: the ultra-portable BlackBerry?

The BlackBerry Pearl 3G is unlike most Blackberry smartphones because it has an “alphanumeric” keypad (keys with numbers and letters), instead of the standard Qwerty keypad offered by models including the BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Torch.

Despite the keypad’s small size, the Pearl 3G’s keys are easy to type out emails and text messages with because each key responded well to my thumbs.

However, anyone who’s owned a BlackBerry before may find the Pearl 3G slower to type with while using BlackBerry Messenger - the smartphone range’s instant messaging app.

Logging into my work and personal web-based email accounts was simple on the Pearl 3G, I should add, but then I’d expect no less of a BlackBerry.

Because the smartphone doesn’t have a touchscreen you must navigate through the device’s typical BlackBerry functions (which I’ll come to) using its responsive “optical” key.

For example, the button proved useful for scrolling through my five favourite apps, including Facebook and Twitter, pinned onto the phone’s homescreen.

Google Maps

The metal cover's a nice touch

Most modern BlackBerrys have large displays, so the Pearl 3G’s 2.2in screen occasionally seemed a little on the small side - especially when looking at websites or pictures.

Aside from the screen issues, surfing the internet on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G was largely trouble-free because the smartphone supports both zippy 3G and a wi-fi connections.

Two pre-installed navigation apps - Google Maps and a BlackBerry version - were both unreliable though, with each often taking ages to find my location and load maps of the surrounding area. Google Maps works much better on other smartphones, such as the HTC Wildfire.

When it came to photographs the Pearl 3G wasn’t a bad cameraphone. The camera had just enough mega-pixels (3.2Mp) to snap a sharp image, while the on-board digital zoom and powerful flash meant I often didn’t need to hover very close to my subject just to get a bright photograph.

Several basic imaging effects, including black and white, were available for jazzing up pictures further. The geo-tagging tool is also useful if you plan on sharing your pictures over Facebook.

Apps come courtesy of BlackBerry App World - as they do on other BlackBerry smartphones. The online store incorporates all the mainstream apps, including Facebook, and some useful ones, like the app for navigating London Underground.

Small, light, portable

The flash boosted image quality

However, BlackBerry App World still isn’t a patch in the iPhone App Store or Google Android Market in terms of the variety, scope and quantity of its available apps.

Pearl 3G’s media player isn’t much to shout about. But it does the job and quick access keys across the phone’s top for playing, pausing and skipping through songs were useful.

Call quality was extremely good on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, while the smartphone’s battery life was admirable - lasting for several days without a recharge.

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