Blackberry - Pearl 8130 Cell Phone Review

The Blackberry Pearl 8130 is a fantastic, intuitive smartphone.

There are many free applications available, including apps tailored for use with social networking sites, games, and easy access to important digital documents.

The BB browser is very easy to use, and most plans offered with the Blackberry give you the freedom to make use of this phone without breaking the bank.

Easy to hold, slender, and a custom dictionary make texting easier than the average cell phone. It has a MicroSD slot to expand memory. The QWERTY keyboard takes a couple days to get used to, but with the custom dictionary, you can add words that the phone doesn't already have, making autocomplete more aware of what you're trying to text.

Battery life can be shortened by the message alert light. You need to be aware when it is blinking, or it can drain your battery really fast. It does have a long talk time. Earpiece volume is excellent and easy to hear, and speakerphone works fabulously. It has bluetooth capabilities that I haven't tested as of yet. It gets above average reception, not as good as a flip phone does. Keyboard lock can be set and is easy to take off in case you have to stick it in your pocket and don't want it to make accidental phone calls.

It has a good voice dialer that picks up sounds well and is more likely to dial the correct number. The address book has expanded capability for extra information (multiple phone numbers, home address, email, etc) that an average cell phone doesn't offer. Linking it to an email account makes it even more convenient if you have a lot of important work that you have to stay on top of at all times. It will even connect to webmail accounts, making it a hugely useful tool.

If you are capable of pulling clips from your own MP3 collection, you can tailor your own ringtones for your phone. The blackberry doesn't require a special format for ringtones, making it affordable for customization. Many sites and content developers offer free themes, ringtones and games across the internet to make personalization fit any budget. There are still good things available for free if you're willing to take the time to search those things out.

The camera has a bright flash, and takes exceptionally good pictures for the resolution offered. The video camera is pretty good for a phone as well.

Overall, the Blackberry Pearl is an excellent phone, and most carriers now offer it free with a two year contract agreement. It comes with a data transfer cable, holster, charger, earbuds, and desktop management software to manage applications and media through your computer, making it even easier to use and customize. There are many accessories available in stores and online for purchase to make it uniquely yours. Cases to protect, skins to jazz it up, and other fantastic items to make it a really useful and entertaining piece of technology.

I would recommend this phone for anyone who loves spending time playing with gadgets.