BlackBerry Pearl 8120

Blackberry Pearl 8120

Not quite a Pearl, but certainly not a dud.

~ So just what is the Blackberry Pearl? ~

Today's phones are pretty much like mini computers, allowing you to call, text, take photographs, videos, listen to music, and record notes.... Just about everything you can think of. I will include the rigid specifications of this phone at the very end of this review since not everyone wants to read ...
...keypad on your phone. The Blackberry Pearl has a keypad that is almost identical to the keyboard you find on your computer, although some letters do double up on a key to save space. But not only can you text, today you can send pictures, and even some videos. This is known as SMS and MMS. The Pearl allows for both and uses WAP technology to achieve it. Although SMS is the most common way for people to communicate on their mobile phones, MMS is rapidly ... more

Blackberry Pearl 8120

Not quite a Pearl, but certainly not a dud.

~ So just what is the Blackberry Pearl? ~

Today's phones are pretty much like mini computers, allowing you to call, text, take photographs, videos, listen to music, and record notes.... Just about everything you can think of. I will include the rigid specifications of this phone at the very end of this review since not everyone wants to read them all, but just wants to know - how does this phone perform?
Apologies in advance, I've tried to keep this as short as possible - but somehow I just couldn't say all I've wanted to without going over my usual limits by some margin. If you're not interested in a long review, then I've just highlighted some points towards the very bottom which I hope can help.

~ So what can we do? ~

This phone has a lot of features. I'll try and look at them all.

I'll start with text messages. In the olden days, when I was a mere...... woman in my 30's...... you could type out a message using the keypad on your phone. The Blackberry Pearl has a keypad that is almost identical to the keyboard you find on your computer, although some letters do double up on a key to save space. But not only can you text, today you can send pictures, and even some videos. This is known as SMS and MMS. The Pearl allows for both and uses WAP technology to achieve it. Although SMS is the most common way for people to communicate on their mobile phones, MMS is rapidly catching up.

Email. Not just one either, but multiple email accounts (up to 10) for each handset.
You can also synchronize the accounts with some desktop programs (most notably Outlook Express), which also means you don't have to type in all kinds of stuff, like your email address book you have stored on your computer, but simply ask the phone to find the accounts and add them.
You can now also open up various attachments that might be sent via email, something you couldn't do so long ago. There are some applications available that will also allow you to edit attachments if needed (although I've never used them so I can't comment as to how they work, or how good they are - sorry).

Instant Messaging. So you're not content to just have email or text messages and you want to communicate with someone in 'real' time? No problem since the Pearl also offers you the chance to use instant messaging applications. These include Yahoo, Google and Windows Live (formally known as MSN). We have the Yahoo application on our phone, but we've never used it, so I won't be doing any further reviewing on this.

Social Networking. In recent years, places like Facebook, have become a big part of Internet usage. With the Pearl, you can add MySpace, Facebook and Flickr applications to the phone. We've added Facebook and find it's a great application.

Built in Camera. Well, I remember our first digital camera, having got one not long after they first came out. It classified as a VGA type, and then we moved on to a camera that was 1.3 MP's (Megapixels). We felt like we had won the lottery with that new camera - and now just 8 years later, we have the Pearl offering you a 2 MP camera, with digital zoom and even a flash!
The camera will also record video for you, including sound. Will wonders never cease?

We can also use the phone as an MP3 player, and in some cases, you can also watch video clips.
It also allows you to use it as a GPS system, with the Blackberry map system application available. Again I've yet to use it so can't comment on how good it is, other than to say the premise sounds promising.

You can use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on the phone. Again great if you're on the move and want to be able to do things without having to connect up fiddly wires, and it gives you a great hands free option when driving.
Wi-Fi means the phone can also give you mobile streaming. In other words you can watch news, television or even a site like YouTube on the go.

Finally, you have a clear screen in which to view those clips, expandable memory using small media cards (known as microSD cards), which allows you to add all this content to your phone and a small, lightweight phone.

~ So how does it all stack up? ~

Well to begin with, I'm going to have to review the phone provider (Orange) as well at times. I'm doing this because there were occasions whereby Orange and Blackberry got involved with the setting up of the phone, and to not note the Orange involvement would simply only give half the picture. I will though try and keep it to a minimum.

To begin with, the phone is neatly packed up in a box, and ours came with a mains charger, USB charger (you hook it up to the computer). This also acts as the way to synchronize the phone with your own computer applications (See Outlook Express earlier as an example).
The mains adapter is built in such a way that allows the pins on the plug to be interchanged, allowing for the use of it in various other countries. It seems to be coming a more and more favoured way to produce chargers like this.

We also had a nice leather protective case. While it doesn't fully cover the phone (its top opening) it does offer the main phone screen and keypad some protection. Another nice touch since a lot of mobile phones today only offer covers as additional extras.
Our phone also came with a 1GB MicroSD card installed. While the phone has its own memory of 64kb, 1GB is a nice addition.

Our phone is Indigo in colour with chrome edging, and it does have a nice deep purple/blue hue to it with the chrome giving a nice contrast. It is comfortable to hold (even for me with arthritic hands) and has a nice feel about its overall weight. Light enough, but with enough weight to stop it feeling flimsy in your hand.

Underneath the screen you have a trackball, which so far has held up well to the use we've given it. The trackball is used for navigation within the applications on the phone, and you can adjust the pressure required in the settings option.

To the left of the trackball, furthest away, you have the green icon key, which is commonly used as the call key. Sandwiched between the call key and trackball is a key to access the main menu on the phone.
To the right of the trackball, furthest away, you have the red icon key, which is commonly the end call key on phones today. Between this and the trackball is a curved arrow key, which is known as the back button key. Allowing you (unsurprisingly enough) to go back on yourself, much like you would use the back button (if you know what this is of course) on your computers Internet browser.

Below this, you have the main keypad that allows you to access the numbers and letters needed for using the phone.

Screen resolution is excellent, even for quite a small screen (in today's market anyway) and we've already watched some video clips and have been very impressed with the overall quality. You also get good quality showing when using the Internet or similar applications.

The camera is on the back top of the casing, and is incredibly easy to use. One feature a lot of phone cameras have been let down on before in the past is lighting in poor light conditions, and while this is never going to compete with a regular digital camera, we've been impressed with the pictures we've taken so far, even those in very poor light - as long as you aren't too far away from the subject of the picture. The zoom, again while not to the standard of a normal camera is another step up from many on the market and worked fairly well, without losing too much picture quality, although it doesn't really work when using the flash.

Music playback can be via a standard 3.5mm jack plug socket and while we haven't done much this way, again we've got no complaints about the sound quality being heard. It is a little fiddly to get the application going, and isn't the most smooth of operations on the whole phone, but considering its just one small facet of its entire use then its just about okay but others might find it more annoying.

Battery life has been okay. Its what I consider to be about mid-range for something of this type. It's far better than some phones, even when used heavily - but not quite up there with the best. But still, its okay and just about does enough to make it work well, without getting frustrated at having to recharge to often.

The Keypad uses something called Suretype (as well as predictive text), and because its set up with a keyboard setting in mind, it does take a little getting used to the letter layout compared to the older style mobile phone I've been used to.
The Suretype also took some getting used to - and while I found it frustrating initially and it caused some problems with my arthritis, once I got used to it I can type out reasonably well (on my good days).

You can also set up some voice commands for some of the more basic features on the phone. This is great for me because of the arthritis and when my hands are playing up - I don't have to worry about trying to fiddle with the keys. It also took a little getting used to, but was worth persevering with.

Using the main menu is easy and for the most part intuitive, which is just as well, because this leads on to my main complaint we have against this phone.

~ Instructions for use ~

Now I'm pretty comfortable with most electronic goodies, like mobile phones, computers etc. I might not be an engineer with a degree, but I'm pretty clued up and do understand a lot of things easily.
However, the information booklets and leaflets that came with this phone are a huge letdown. Not only Orange's, but also unfortunately Blackberry's. I believe the Pearl is also available on O2, so I don't know how their information sheets might compare - but it does still leave Blackberry's booklets being far short of the mark. And for a company of this type I find it surprising. This means the set up became a nightmare.

I've used WAP services on a mobile phone before, and also used Wi-Fi services on other hand held devices, and yet it took us 2 days, 4 phone calls to Orange, numerous looks at Blackberry's site, and finally a private forum (message board) to get the information we needed to get our phone activated so we could begin using the internet. It all sounded so simply on the information Orange and Blackberry provide. Just follow these steps and bingo - you have can get applications like Facebook.

No you can't!

What you get is frustrated, confusing and often conflicting advice from customer help - just one example with an Orange leaflet we had in the box - to get online just follow these steps. Dial 450, then press options 2, 4 and finally 4 - and your done. And it all goes beautifully until you get the second option 4..... whereby you get a lovely message saying "Sorry, this options is not available."
But your leaflet is telling us it is available.

So you phone customer service, and they say, "oh but we need to register you phone".

Brilliant, why couldn't someone mention this in the blurb because there is nothing (and I mean nothing) about having to go through this, or better still (because we're using a pay as you go service) can someone not have told me when I called up yesterday to sort out the call plan, since it was impossible using the instructions given (you seeing a theme here).
Its new to us I say, so what do I need to do, because following these instructions doesn't work?
"What do you want the phone primarily for?" They asked.
Internet and texting mostly I replied. And I can't get the internet, please help.
"Oh go you need to go on Dolphin call package," I get told breezily.
Do I need to do anything else I ask?
"Oh no, but it can take up to 48 hours for this package to become fully active, which means you might be charged for some use on the phone in the meantime."

So nothing happens - We check with Blackberry's site and they say - contact your service provider if you have any problems connecting online. Which leads me back to this latest phone call to customer service. They ask for some details (which I'd already given to go on the Dolphin call package, but don't let that stop them from a good thing)......
I am then told I will be up and running in the next hour with a full WAP service and I'll be getting messages about this, plus how to use the service and get links to services such as the facebook application.

But hey presto - We're still getting nowhere....fast!

So one more check on the Internet, before once again giving Orange a ring.
Only this time I get taken through a series of steps that completely duplicate what I had done earlier.
In all fairness this customer service advisor does seem to have more knowledge about the situation, and cannot understand why we haven't been getting the messages through and our phone hasn't been registered.

So we sit and wait, and while we are waiting to see if the messages will arrive (Orange due to phone back in an hour to find out if we have), my partner is looking online to see if there is anything we can find that might help. Perhaps we have a dud phone?

An hour later Orange phone back - we're still without a message, and my partner is still trying desperately to find anything online about it all.

And then its spotted - on a private forum. Just a simple few lines:
This model is known to have a problem when waiting to receive the Host routing message. If you're not receiving this message, just open the back, pop out the battery, slot it straight back in again - and it usually works.

So, I flip the battery out, slot it back in.....and the second the phone kicks back in to life - bingo. The message appears!

So, if this is a known problem, why don't Orange and Blackberry mention this? I don't know, but I've contacted both and said they should. Will this make any difference? I doubt it, but at least I've tried.

~ Final thoughts ~

So, this is a great, in fact in some respects a brilliant phone.
But getting it set up is a nightmare, and I admit had we known it was going to be so difficult before we bought it - We might well have looked elsewhere. But I'm pleased we stuck with it and I would simply say if you look to buy this phone.

1) Ignore most of the information booklets it comes with. They are pap! Look online for independent sites, which will give you pretty much all you need to know.
2) You need to get a Host routing number before you can begin to use the internet system properly, so ask your service provider to walk you through this and then, if a message doesn't appear within the hour, flip the battery out, then put it back and see if that helps. If that still doesn't work, give it about a day, flip the battery a second time - and then do it all over again!
3) This really is a fully functional phone and does a lot, and it has a lot going for it. However, Blackberry are set up heavily towards business customers, so the website isn't really great for the personal user.
4) Information Booklets and Leaflets fail to show some basic information you expect to find, like how to change ringtones. Poor - particularly surprising from Blackberry.
5) It does seem to take longer than the older phones we've had to 'boot' up if the battery runs out, or you take it out for some reason. You do need a little patience. I don't know how other phones of this type compare, but thought it worth mentioning.
6) But despite the problems, this is a great phone and one we are more than happy with and it was actually worth going through all the problems we did to get it working properly, because once it did it really does do the job.

Features Available (taken from the Blackberry site).

Wireless email
Organiser
Browser
Phone
Camera
Video Recording
Multi-media player
Corporate data access
SMS
MMS
GPS

Size and Weight
Length 107mm 107mm 107mm
Width 50mm 50mm 50mm
Depth 14mm 14mm 14mm
Weight Approximately 89g 91g

Data Input/Navigation
Trackball
Keyboard - SureType® QWERTY keyboard with SureType software
Keyboard backlighting
Voice Input/Output
3.5mm stereo headset capable
Integrated earpiece/ microphone
Built-in speakerphone
Bluetooth® technology Bluetooth v2.0; headset, hands-free and serial port profiles supported

Display
Font size (user selectable)
Colour display
Backlighting
Light sensing screen

Notification
Polyphonic/MIDI ringtones
MP3 ringtones
Vibrate mode
LED indicator

Approximate Battery Life
Standby time 360 hours or 15 days
Talk time 240 minutes or 4 hours

Memory
Expandable memory - support for microSD card
Flash memory 64 MB
Modem
RIM® wireless modem

Email Integrations
Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Microsoft® Exchange
Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for IBM® Lotus® Domino®
Works with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for Novell® GroupWise®
Integrates with an existing enterprise email account

Accessories Included
Travel charger
USB cable
Device Security
Password protection and keyboard lock
Support for AES or Triple DES encryption when integrated with BlackBerry Enterprise Server
Optional support for S/MIME

Wireless Network
Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g
Europe/Asia Pacific: 1800MHz GSM/GPRS networks
Europe/Asia Pacific: 900MHz GSM/GPRS networks
EDGE networks

Costs vary, as do the call packages. We paid £156-99 at Argos (including £10 for airtime), and on contracts you often only pay monthly.
4 out of 5 stars from me. Despite the problems we've had getting it set up - once we did it was worth it, and we do really like the phone.

This is my review also on DooYoo. 

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