Blackberry Tips Trick Resources

The New Touchscreen Product from BlackBerry Thunder

randi — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:28:36 +0000

These keyboard skins are from a fairly early build of the Thunder’s 4.7 OS (the final release keyboard skins are sure to be sexier), but you can easily tell from the images the user-experience RIM is going after here… they want typing on the Thunder to be EASY. That means a lot of screen real estate dedicated to the keyboard, which makes room for big keys that are easy to locate and tap. RIM is famous for the ‘BlackBerry Prayer’ position users assume when typing messages on their devices and it looks like that won’t change with the introduction of the touchscreen Thunder… you should be able to grip the device with both hands and pound out emails with both thumbs blazing.
The images also provide further confirmation that the Thunder’s operating system will still rely heavily on the BlackBerry menu button for key functions and advanced options vs putting all options on the main screen as the iPhone does. I’d assume hitting the menu key while on the Compose Message screens shown in these images should provide the standard BlackBerry menu options such as Send, Copy/Paste, Save Draft, Check Spelling, Attach file, etc.

Since we were the first ones to break the news about a touchscreen BlackBerry device, it’s only fitting that we follow up and give y’all the real lowdown on it! This is going to excite a lot of people, but anger many. Are you ready? The BlackBerry Thunder, as it is codenamed now, (all you “reporting” on it as the Storm are incorrect) will launch in Q3 of this year. It is a full touchscreen BlackBerry — no slide out keyboard — with only 4 physical keys. Those are the send / end phone keys, the BlackBerry menu key, and the back key. Here is the most interesting part, though: it will launch as a worldwide lifetime exclusive on Verizon and Vodafone! We’ve heard the unit will be a hybrid device with CDMA EV-DO Rev. C (for clarification, Rev C., known as UMB is practically dead. If the device will indeed launch with a 4G solution, our bet is on LTE), and GSM HSPA for traveling internationally. Verizon and Vodafone will have the same unit. Currently, the model number is the BlackBerry 9500, though it’s very early and that’s likely to change. This is HUGE for the Verizon lovers. For once they’ll get an exclusive device, but Verizon will have a sales quota for the device and if they don’t meet those numbers, we’ve heard the exclusivity will then dissolve and it’s over. This will be extremely interesting to see play out.

The Storm 2 is a Good Choice for NO Nonsense People

randi — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 03:20:09 +0000

The Storm 2 has more storage space, quicker response to touching the screen, and technology that helps make typing and selecting accurate. The Storm 2 is fast but could be faster, with Internet speeds not quite reaching the top of the smartphone heap, and a lot of pressing needed for the screen to respond. Its 3.2-megapixel camera could also stand to take sharper images and the camcorder needs more editing options. It comes with entertainment and messaging options, but there’s not much new to set the Storm 2 apart from the long list of smartphone options people currently have.

Design
The Storm 2 has a bar of call send, menu, back and call end keys below the screen. A power button and a mute key are located on the top of the phone and a speaker is located on the bottom of the phone. Volume and camera keys are on the right side of the phone and a voice dialing key and a micro USB/charger port are on the left side. The back of the phone has a durable battery cover and a camera lens and flash.

The Storm 2 has a sleek design and a large screen. It’s not for the touch-screen shy and those that prefer a physical keypad, and it’s not worth a trade-in from a regular Storm if the person just wants a smaller phone, because the design hasn’t changed much.

Features
The handset works in real-time to deliver email messages to multiple email accounts. It has easy cut, paste and type options and the ability to create, edit and read Microsoft Office documents. Applications include a place to store files, voice dialing, password keeper and Excel, PowerPoint and Word To Go. There’s also a Memo Pad and a place to add tasks. The Storm
2 can connect to Verizon’s high-speed 3G network or Wi-Fi.

Screen
The Storm 2 is pretty much all screen. The 3.25-inch display is reflective when turned off. The color range is on the low end — 65K-colors — but the resolution is high at 360 x 480 px. The lack of colors shows in the menu screens, which are often bland and simplistic, a feature common to BlackBerry models. But the resolution comes in handy when watching videos on the phone, which load quickly and come in crisp and clear. While other phones require pushing keys to turn a screen on, the Storm 2 doesn’t have that hassle. A person can turn the screen on by touching the screen. The one downside to this, of course, is the potential for accidental pocket dialing.

Connectivity
The Storm 2 supports Bluetooth 2.0 in headset or hands-free form and supports the following profiles: dial-up networking use the handset as a modem for laptops, advanced audio distribution, remote control of audio and video, remote phone book access and serial port profile. The handset also connects to computers via USB and can sync iTunes and Windows Media files. It has GPS and City ID to help locate where the phone is, plus VZ Navigator to give directions and find new places. Users can create and view Microsoft Office documents.

Battery Life
the RIM BlackBerry Storm 2 comes with a lithium ion battery.

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The New and Improved BlackBerry 7105t

randi — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:30:40 +0000

After consumers complained about the easily scratched screen and poor outdoor conditions, RIM and T Mobile added a few upgrades and improvements and introduced the new and improved BlackBerry 7105t. Much of the functionality and features are identical to the 7100t, as the 7105t is more of an “upgrade” rather than a successor. But slight improvements often times make the biggest differences. Holding to the core values of the BlackBerry product line, the 7105t features all the powerful email functionality and business productivity tools loyal users have come to love, with good looks to boot.

Design
The boxy blue BlackBerry of the past is long gone. With a darker shade, the 7105t’s exterior is virtually identical to the streamlined angular design of the 7100t. Measuring 119 x 58 x 19 mm and weighing 120 g, the 7105t is not much larger than standard cell phones, and considerably less bulky than most PDAs. Packing a full QWERTY keypad into just 20 keys, RIM was able to design the 7105t into a smaller device. One of the major flaws of the 7100t was its screen. Easily scratched, RIM has since fixed the problem on the 7105t, replacing the prior LCD with a scratch-resistant glass with hard coating. Capable of displaying up to 65K-colors at 240 x 260 px, the screen is similar to those found on the 7100-series, except brighter and more visible in direct sunlight, another improvement on the BlackBerry 7105t.

Features
The BlackBerry 7105t has quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) network support, allowing for international roaming between North America, Europe and Asia Pacific; provided the device is network unlocked. The BlackBerry security is unparalleled, making it a reason many business users and corporations prefer RIM devices. Using the proprietary OS, advanced security features allow business users to safeguard sensitive corporate data. The 7105t can be centrally managed and administered by IT departments. And when installed behind firewalls, users can securely access Microsoft Exchange and IBM Lotus Domino ISP email accounts, remote address book look-up, single mailbox integration, attachment viewing, and more.

The BlackBerry 7105t’s 960 Li Ion battery at 4 hours and 8 days (192 hours) of talk and standby times, actual times will be slightly less. Handset manufacturers and carriers often list talk time and standby time ratings with disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times.

Bottom Line
BlackBerry 7105t adds improvements and upgrades that plagued previous users. More of an enhancement rather than an actual successor, the 7105t has the same hardware while keeping the majority of the features.

However, the small upgrades add up to big improvements. Items such the improved scratch-resistant LCD, more efficient and faster loading web browsing, larger Send and End keys and more accurate predictions using SureType, are not trivial. And adding capabilities such as pushed Yahoo! Mail service is completely new. But EDGE high speed connectivity was noticeably missing. With devices entering 3G, it’s a surprise RIM didn’t decide to include it. Perhaps the only signifcant letdown, the 7105t may be the best BlackBerry to date, improving many shortcomings the 7100-series contained. Initially priced at $200 with a service plan, the value is is hard to beat for a robust business device.

Sleek Wireless Device with QWERTY Based Keyboard on The BlackBerry Platform (7100i)

randi — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:28:29 +0000

Releasing the BlackBerry 7100i, RIM adds the new device from its popular 7100 series on Sprint Nextel’s nationwide iDEN network. Virtually similar to the 7100t from T Mobile and 7100g from Cingular, the 7100i combines good looks with popular BlackBerry functionality. Additionally, with full-GPS for turn by turn instructions, push to talk capabilities to communicate off network in walkie talkie fashion, and speakerphone, the 7100i is a powerful business device.

Design
Resembling more of a standard handheld, the angled lines and sleek looks are a definite improvement. Measuring 119 x 59 x 21 mm and weighing 120 g, the BlackBerry 7100i is much easier to carry than the blue boxy BlackBerry of the past. Much of the reason RIM was able to condense the bulk was using a reduced size QWERTY keypad. Located below easy to use Send, End, and Convenience keys, a 20 button keypad provides quick one-touch typing. Using RIM’s SureType predictive technology, consumers can text message as if they were on a full sized keyboard. On the back, a speakerphone grill just above the removable battery door offers convenient handsfree communication. Out of the box, the RIM BlackBerry 7100i comes with a standard 960 mAh Li-Ion battery, handsfree headset, international travel charger, USB data cable, BlackBerry Desktop software, SIM card, and user manual.

Features
Nextel’s iDEN (800 / 900 MHz) network the BlackBerry 7100i offers GPS technology for real time, audible and visual turn by turn driving directions. Supporting GPS enabled navigation with TeleNav in the U.S., through assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology and data service support, customer can quickly get driving directions and update them in real time. Even when the driver misses a turn at high speeds the 7100i immediately shows a new route.

One of the reasons BlackBerry devices are popular in business is the unmatched security features. With the proprietary BlackBerry OS, advanced security features allow business users to safeguard sensitive corporate data. Including password protection and keyboard lock, local information can also be encrypted such as messages, address book entries, calendar entries, memos and tasks.

Storage
Dynamically storing files on 32 MB of flash memory and 4 MB of SRAM, the BlackBerry 7100i should have enough space for the text-intense business user. But the 7100i doesn’t have an expansion card slot, so that’s all it gets.

Bottom Line
7100i is arguably the most business conscious device in the 7100 series. Not only does it support secure email access that consumers have come to expect from RIM, but the 7100i also provides push-to-talk technology and full GPS capabilities. That combination makes it the main contender on a short list of devices for consumers wanting turn by turn navigation, walkie-talkie features, and a secure email.

BlackBerry 7100t Combining Fashion and Function

randi — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:52:52 +0000

Our first look at Research In Motion’s (RIM) would-be Treo killer, the BlackBerry 7100t, generated quite a buzz. Hard-core BlackBerry devotees derided the company’s foray into more phonelike devices, while others didn’t quite understand the QWERTY-esque keyboard. Conversely, some users celebrated the sleek form factor and the bright color screen.

Design
Taking a change from convention, the condensed 7100t measures 119 x 59 x 21 mm and weighs 120 g. Aggressive styling and angular lines give it a more aesthetic appeal; more similar to a phone than a blue box. The front contains a 240 x 260 px screen capable of displaying 65K colors; rather large compared to other devices on the market. Below the display, a QWERTY keypad is flanked by Send and End, and a Convenience Key used to open a list of useful links or open selected lists. With just 20 keys, each key shares two letters; requiring up to two key presses to choose a letter. However, when combined with RIM’s SureType predictive technology, users can text message normally, with one press, as the predictive text guesses what word is being typed.

Features
Released for T-Mobile, the BlackBerry 7100t is quad-band GSM (850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz) making it compatible with most GSM networks in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific; provided the device is network unlocked. Running the BlackBerry OS, advanced security features enable business users to safeguard sensitive corporate data. Featuring password protection and keyboard lock, information located locally, such as messages, address book entries, calendar entries, memos and tasks, can also be encrypted.

Battery Life
Rating the 7100t’s 960 Li-Ion battery at 4 hours of talk time, and 8 days (192 hours) of standby, actual times will be slightly less. When handset manufacturers and cell phone carriers list talk time and standby time ratings, they usually include disclaimers about variable performance and often refer to the times they publish as maximum times.

Enough to Appeal to More Than Just Business Users

randi — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:26:01 +0000

The BlackBerry Pearl has gone a long way towards positioning the formerly business-centric handsets closer to consumers. Though the handset requires a monthly subscription to the BlackBerry back end support, the more phone-like form factor and new multimedia capabilities appeal to consumers. The latest update, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120, upgrades the camera to 2 megapixels, and also adds WiFi with support for T-Mobile’s HotSpot.

This slimmed down the BlackBerry’s traditional bulky shape to a ‘candybar’ design, immediately making using a BlackBerry more appealing for people with jeans rather than just jacket pockets. A few months later RIM improved the formula further, releasing the BlackBerry Pearl 8110 and 8120, which we’re reviewing here. These two handsets were identical except that the former has GPS but no Wi-Fi, and the latter has Wi-Fi but no GPS. Of course if you need hardware GPS on your device then already the 8120 isn’t the handset for you. Bear in mind though that you do get Google Maps preinstalled, which supports the ‘My Location’ feature, which will pinpoint you between 500 and 5,000 metres using network triangulation – and normally it’s at the lower end of that. The design is appealing, with a fetching indigo finish, and silver strips running down the side and surrounding the central scroll wheel mechanism. Down the left hand side you’ll find a full size 3.5mm headphone socket, which makes it possible to use your favourite headphones. You’ll also find a cover for the external SD card slot (enabling you to add and remove memory without having to take the battery out). It also means you can up to 8GB of memory to the 64Mb on board – good for a fair few tunes and videos.

Down the right side you’ll find volume up and beneath, a button that gives you direct access to the camera – we can’t really complain about it only having two megapixels or resolution that doesn’t seem to have done the iPhone any harm but quality is merely average. The camera has a portrait mirror and a Flash anyway, so it’s already outdoing Apple and that before we mention the ability to record 240×180 resolution video.

The display on the 8120 is 320×240 pixels, which does feel a little limited by the standard of many recent smartphones, but it’s not too bad. The display colours are not that vibrant though, and the icons not as sharp as the very best of what you can get these days.

At the top of the main screen, you’ll find a fairly busy section at the top, displaying info such as the time, date, network, signal strength, sound indicator and how many unread emails you have. A number of icons run down the left hand side screen, providing easy access to the browser, email inboxes, and BlackBerry Maps application. Beneath this is the menu button that provides access to the rest of the options and applications. Moving round these icons is easy thanks to the central roller ball.

A potential issue on the 8120 though is the keyboard. Being a BlackBerry, it offers a full Qwerty layout, but RIM has squeezed this into a small form factor by having multiple letters per key. One can use SureType – which is the BlackBerry’s version of T9 text entry, but based on the Qwerty layout. It did take a while to get used to having a Qwerty rather than alphabetised layout and this slowed at first but it is something you’d get use to. We found connecting to the Wi-Fi network straightforward enough and it worked first time. As you’d expect, email was simple to set up, and just by entering our Gmail details it pulled down our emails without having to add any techy details.

Battery life is very good however. With light use checking emails, some browsing and a couple of calls it lasted for four days, before running low. Even with heavier use, you should still only have to plug in every two days.

Overall then, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is a very pleasant to use phone. It can’t compete with serious smartphone for web browsing but it can have a good go at that and general multimedia (all while being a serious email tool). Ultimately, if you’re on a contract there are better options out there, not least the BlackBerry Bold 9000, but if a cheap to run Pay as you go BlackBerry appeals, then the 8120 will serve you well. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl has proven that the company can indeed produce devices that appeal to consumers. The Pearl is the most phone-like BlackBerry device that we’ve seen thus far, with the look and feel of a regular mobile handset. While the user interface could use some improvements in the eye candy department, It offers plenty of benefits, specifically to users for whom the Pearl is their first smartphone.

Nice Impressions of The BlackBerry Bold 9700

randi — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:05:33 +0000

The original BlackBerry Bold made its debut about a year ago. Even though the original model is still a solid device, it’s now time for a flashier, faster model that will make you yearn for an upgrade. The latest RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 is available through T-Mobile and AT&T. As T-Mobile’s first 3G BlackBerry, the Bold 9700 not only offers T-Mobile customers a sleek new handset in time for the holidays, but it also offers versatility in the form of UMA support for Wi-Fi calling. While T-Mobile’s 3G network may not be as vast as some other carrier’s networks, T-Mobile is continuing to expand its 3G service nationwide and expects to offer 3G service to approximately 200 million people across the US by year end. It’s definitely nice to see the carrier add more 3G handsets to its lineup, especially a full-featured phone such as the BlackBerry 9700 that can really take advantage of the new network.

BUILD & DESIGN
The Bold2 may be the best looking BlackBerry yet. The most notable contrast with the first-generation Bold is its overall size. It’s thinner, shorter, and less wide than the Bold. It’s also less wide than the BlackBerry Tour, though not by much. Its distinguishing features include subdued chrome accents around the bezel, a faux-leather backed battery compartment, black matte convenience keys on the sides, and of course, a track pad where users have become accustomed to seeing the iconic but sometimes finicky BlackBerry Ball.

SCREEN
The screen is simply amazing. The iPhone’s screen was great, then the Bold took the same resolution and packed it into a smaller, richer screen. The Bold2 has done the same thing, but more so. Graphics are detailed, and smooth and pictures and web pages render sharply. Of course, the screen itself is smaller than its predecessor, and is on par with a Curve 8900 or Tour so you’ll want to think twice if you’re primarily concerned with browsing. If this is your primary concern you might want to think twice.

TRACKPAD & KEYBOARD
To fit the smaller form factor the keyboard had to be scaled down, though not at the cost of usability. The keys maintain the rubbery, responsive feeling from the Bold, albeit smaller. If you are used to a BlackBerry Curve or even a Tour, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with this keyboard. If you’re coming from a Bold, you’ll notice only a slight difference, and if you’re coming from a Storm you’ll be thankful (for more reasons than just the keyboard) that you made the switch. The trackpad is a delight to use, and has almost no learning curve.

PERFORMANCE
Using the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900) T-Mobile service and call quality was good. On our end, the audio was clear with very little background noise so we had no problem hearing our callers or using an airline’s voice automated response system.

T-Mobile’s 3G coverage was reliable though not blazingly fast. RIM has made some drastic improvements to its browser in the past year, it still lags behind all the other major operating systems. The navigation is clunky and slow, but it seems that the company realizes this weakness and is committed to developing a better browser. The Bold 9700′s next-gen 624MHz processor certainly delivered, as the smartphone felt snappy. We only encountered some minimal delays when using the camera. The BlackBerry Bold 9700 features a 1,500mAh lithium ion battery with a rated talk time of 6 hours and up to 17 days of standby time.

BlackBerry Bold 9000 : Greatest of RIM Device

randi — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 03:39:11 +0000

The new BlackBerry Bold 9000 is the successor to devices like the BlackBerry Curve and the 8800. It is evolutionary, not revolutionary. But RIM’s long years of experience really come through in the Bold, and it is far and away the best BlackBerry I’ve ever used. Part of this is the elegance of the design, but a number of new features contribute as well, like the HVGA screen, HSDPA, and greatly improved software for working with Microsoft Office files.

Design
When you first lay eyes on the RIM BlackBerry Bold, the words “sleek,” “sexy,” and “cool” don’t exactly to come to mind. At 4.5 inches high by 2.6 inches wide by 0.6 inch deep and 4.8 ounces, the Bold is bulky and wide, making for a bit of a tight fit in a pants pocket. It doesn’t exactly take your breath away like the iPhone 3G, but that’s not to say it’s a bad-looking phone. The black chassis and silver trim are attractive enough and the rounded edges give the handset a streamlined design. Plus, if you turn the phone over, you’ll notice that the back has a leatherette texture (no more slick plastic), providing a sophisticated look. If you want to customize your device a bit, RIM will sell replaceable backplates in different colors, including blue, gray, and red, for $29.99 each, which is a little pricey in our opinion.

Now while the overall design isn’t particularly flashy, the true beauty of the Bold lies in the display. The smartphone boasts a 2.75-inch half-VGA, non-touch screen that shows off 65,000 colors at a crisp 480×320-pixel resolution. It’s quite possibly the best-looking screen we’ve seen on a smartphone to date. The iPhone and HTC Touch Diamond come close, but we did a quick comparison between the iPhone and Bold and found that pictures on the Bold looked slightly smoother and crisper. Colors pop on the screen and video playback was truly impressive.

Features
The RIM BlackBerry Bold isn’t just bold in looks but also in the features department as well. To start, it’s the first HSDPA handset for the company, bringing you data speeds of up to network for a broadband-like connection on your mobile device. There are multiple factors that affect 3G speeds, such as where you live and how many people are on the network at one time, but you can expect speeds around 400Kbps to 700Kbps (with the potential to hit up to 2Mbps). The Bold supports the 850/1900/2100 HSDPA/UMTS bands, so you’ll be able to get 3G coverage in other parts of the world, including Europe and Asia.

Just of note, RIM said the reason why it waited so long to bring an HSDPA device to the market is that it wanted to make sure that battery life wouldn’t be sacrificed at the expense of including the 3.5G technology. The company also attributed part of the launch delay to rigorous 3G testing in order to avoid the problems that affected the iPhone 3G. So far we haven’t had any problems with 3G coverage, but we’ll continue to test the phone over the next few weeks.

Performance
The RIM BlackBerry Bold is equipped with a 624MHz Intel PXA270 processor, whereas previous BlackBerrys had 312MHz processors, so technically, you should enjoy smoother and faster performance. During our test period, we found this to be mostly true. There were just a couple of slight delays; for example, the smartphone had to think a bit before starting a slide show. However, for the most part, the response times were fast, whether we were working on a Word document or launching the media player.

Web browsing is probably the one area that could stand for some improvement. While the page load speeds were good, whether on 3G or Wi-Fi, the browser left much to be desired. There’s a lot of switching views and zooming in and out to get to the right section of a page, so it’s not as seamless of an experience.

The multimedia performance on the BlackBerry Bold is amazing. We were blown away (literally) by the amazing sound that came out of the phone’s dual stereo speakers. We haven’t heard such full sound from any smartphone before, offering a nice balance of treble and bass, and there’s plenty of volume. Of course, we’re delighted there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack built in and you also get 11 equalizer settings to enhance the sound. Watching videos on the Bold is incredible, thanks to the half-VGA display. Playback was incredibly smooth with barely any blurriness.

The RIM BlackBerry Bold features a 1,500mAh lithium-ion battery with a rated talk time of 4.3 hours and up to 10.5 days of standby time. The Bold blew the rated talk time out of the water in our battery drain tests, lasting a total of 7 hours on a single charge.

Bottom Line
Unlike Palm, RIM has built up an impressive product portfolio that is made even better by the addition of the Bold. Aside from offering a plethora of features, the Bold’s screen is one of the best we’ve ever seen

BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 : First Phone with a Traditional Alphanumeric Keypad

randi — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:10:42 +0000

Get ready to witness the smallest device among the BlackBerry phones available in the market. Though it is small in size, but the features are quite attractive. The device will be running on the BlackBerry operating system version 5.0 and it will provide access to the BlackBerry messenger and App World. Touchscreens and Qwerty keyboards are the flavour of the moment when it comes to smart phones, and it’s no wonder, They give you big screens to surf on, and make it easy to bash out Twitter and Facebook messages. But RIM is bucking the trend with the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105, its first phone with a traditional alphanumeric keypad.

Qwerty gets squished
Previous BlackBerry Pearl phones had a unique, compact Qwerty keyboard with two letters on each button. This will still be the case in the US, but, in the UK, the Pearl 3G has only an alphanumeric keypad, like you’d find on any typical candybar phone. The keys sit in a wavy configuration, but they’re well spaced out and easy to press. Overall, the Pearl 3G’s keypad is fine.

Simple and stuffy
The BlackBerry user interface is starting to look rather dated. It also takes some getting used to if you’ve never used a BlackBerry before, because it’s packed with thousands of options. But, once you’ve had some practice, it’s easy to navigate around, especially with the very responsive optical trackpad that’s replaced the traditional BlackBerry trackball. The trackpad has a flat surface and responds to your touch like a trackpad on a laptop. Its insane sensitivity makes up for its tiny size. It also makes the phone easier to pop into a pocket, since it doesn’t stick out from the body and get gunged up with dirt and crud.

Size and Weight
Height : 4.25 inches (108 mm), Width : 1.97 inches (50 mm), Depth : 0.52 inches (13.3 mm), Weight : 3.3 ounces (93 grams)

Display
* High resolution 360×400 pixel color display
* Font size (user selectable)
* Backlighting
* Light sensing screen

Wi-Fi
* 802.11 b/g/n enabled
* Learn more about Wi-Fi

Wireless Networks
* Tri-band UMTS networks
* Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks

Battery & Battery Life
* Battery: 1150 mAHr removable/rechargeable cryptographic Lithium cell
* Standby Time: GSM® – up to 18 days/432 hours, UMTS® – up to 13 days/312 hours
* Talk Time: GSM – up to 5 hours, UMTS – up to 5.5 hours
* Music playtime: up to 30 hours

Conclusion
Is there a place on Earth for a BlackBerry with an alphanumeric keyboard? With great connectivity and excellent email capability, the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 can certainly hold its own against other smart phones without touchscreens, like the Nokia E75. But, if you’re really into emailing. The biggest strength of BlackBerry devices.

Complete Features in Tiny Package (BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100)

randi — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:04:59 +0000

The Third version after Pearl Flip 81xx and 82xx, and the original design candy 81xx series. Features that set of all families RIM Pearl, BlackBerry Pearl 9100 include a SureType keyboard and software combination that squeeze a few characters into a single button to reduce the overall size of the device. BlackBerry Pearl 9100 also has an exception that is the keyboard itself looks more and more beautiful slim, and shiny.

Hardware
First off, it has to be said that the BlackBerry Pearl 3G is extremely well built. The various parts are very snugly assembled, and the keypad is much tighter than I remember the old Pearl being. Build quality aside, the 9100 has mad style. We’ll get into that in a bit. First, the hard specs.
The chrome accent is nice and dark, and not so obnoxiously silver as other BlackBerrys. The rubberized siding and seamlessly-integrated convenience keys (much like the 8520 and 8530 Curve) add a tonne of grip and smoothness. The lines are both sharp and curvy, reminding me a lot of the X10 Xperia. The battery door adopts the same single-slate style as the 8500-series BlackBerry, which has always been my favourite since it minimizes the number of moving parts to fiddle with. Not all moving parts are bad, though – there’s a new one under the battery door that allows you to easily pop out the SIM card without having to dig and pry. It’s much better than the hinge that most other BlackBerrys are packing.

Software
The BlackBerry 9100 comes with OS 5.0.0.629. 5.0 launched with the Storm2, incorporating a lot of visual upgrades like bubbly, finger-friendly drop-down menu items, as well as more practical stuff, like e-mail flags and remote file lookups. You can see the whole list of new features in 5.0 over here at RIM’s knowledgebase. In a broad sense, it has a lot of graphical improvements and is generally smooth and enjoyable, but of course, that largely depends on what you’re used to. BlackBerry is still a clear-cut, no-nonsense experience, geared to help you get tasks done quickly, not prettily. If you’re coming from Android, iPhone, or webOS, you’ll probably be pretty unimpressed with the the staid icon layout and seemingly-antiquated menu system, but take some time and learn its nuances and efficiencies.

Multimedia
The top-mounted media keys on the BlackBerry 9100, borrowed from the 8500 Curve series, will definitely be catching the eye of people looking for a phone that can play their music. Currently, microSD cards cap out at 16 GB, so hardcore music fans will probably still want a dedicated music player, but for me and casual listeners, 16 GB is enough. The 3.2 megapixel camera with flash performs reasonably well, as you can see – here’s another picture in daylight conditions. Lenses, sensors, and software are just as important.

Signal and Battery
Call quality is pretty standard on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Of the half-dozen or so calls I made, none dropped, and everything was heard just fine. Battery life felt a little bit better than my Bold 9000, but that’s probably because it’s losing its charge after two years of heavy use. The 9100’s battery managed to get through a day of moderate use just fine, usually with a bit leftover for the next morning if you turned it off overnight. This is the next class of Wi-Fi up from g, and the highest we have now. In theory, n should bump speeds up to 600 Mbit/s, a significant jump from 54 Mbit/s that b and g offered, on top of a boost in range. Unfortunately, in my tests with the 9000 and 9100 side-by-side, I found zero difference whatsoever. In some cases, the Bold even had better range.

What really got to me by the end of my time with the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 is that it really does provide the fullest BlackBerry experience possible with little to no compromises made for the sake of size. The reduced screen size, though a necessary evil, is counterbalanced by the convenience and portability of a slimmer handset. The SureType keyboard takes training, and will not feel like it’s worth it for the first few weeks, but in time you can type just as fast on it as with a standard QWERTY keyboard.