The BlackBerry Pearl White: smooth as Barry White

RIM BlackBerry Pearl White

(Credit: T-Mobile)

Forgive the horrible pun in the headline (five days in Vegas will do that to you), but corniness aside, the important news is that T-Mobile and Research in Motion have just released a white version of the BlackBerry Pearl and it's now available for purchase online and in retail stores.

The new pearl-white color is part of T-Mobile's and RIM's strategy to appeal to general consumers and the younger crowd, providing them with a full-featured smart phone in a sleek and stylish package. The BlackBerry Pearl White's feature set is identical to the original Pearl's.

It offers push e-mail, Bluetooth, a 1.3-megapixel camera, music and video playback, and expandable media. It also supports T-Mobile's myFaves service, which gives you unlimited calling to five contacts, regardless of carrier. The BlackBerry Pearl White is priced at a fair $149 with a two-year contract, and Internet and e-mail plans start at $19.99 per month for unlimited e-mail and Web browsing.

[make_or_break]

Still is a SureType device, though.

Can't get over that bit of hell (former 7100t user). HOWEVER, if RIM ever makes a Pearl-like feature-ladened device in a 8700g chassis...THEN we be talkin'.

[bknowledge]

Where's the Wi-Fi

When is RIM going to include wi-fi in their phones. Blackberry is aimed at business users and now a younger market but when traveling overseas it's easier to use wi-fi and that's the only real reason anyone picks a windows mobile phone over RIM ( most on staff at my company anyway ).

[CRCinOklnd]

Isn't T-Mobile coming out with the "Crimson"?

When I was at the T-Mobile store, a rep told me that around May/June, RIM was coming out with the "Crimson", a BB with Wi-Fi. Please correct me if I heard wrong.

Chris

[portablemuse]

SURETYPE is FASTER THAN ALL n the pearl is sweet!

its funny all the people that talk trash using suretype and have never owned a phone or tried to get used to suretype. its true, theres about a one week learning curve but once you go this way with typing you'll never go back. i have a friend with a q, a sidekick, and a treo and side by side, i can blow them out of the water with the speed of suretype. its so easy you can one hand it while switching songs on your ipod with the other(something you can't do with any other smartphone in the market. live in nyc like i do and try calling that unimportant) plus blackberry reliability. hands down. don't like this white one though... black is where its at. smallest querty keyboard and cheap tmobile phone plans. sweetness.

[make_or_break]

Talk about talkin' trash

It sounds like you're speaking to me.

I had a year and a half worth's of SureType on my 7100t. Get on a roll typing, then the bloody pattern recognition routine would guess the wrong letter pattern and give the wrong word, or just report to the editor pure gibberish. When sold to me, was told by the T-Mobile rep that the phone was supposed to LEARN from these stupid errors; d/n if that's true, but mine certainly never did. Spent MORE time backspacing and correcting than on a full thumbboard.

[muppditt]

Is Suretype that hard to learn, peeps?

I have the Pearl and had absolutely no problem with Suretype. I had it down in about 15 minutes...not sure why folks seem to find it so difficult? What are the alternatives? I can't imagine typing any faster than I do now with my Pearl's Suretype!

[Fil0403]

If this would come from Apple...

... it would cost at least $499.

[cckim81]

Is the white available through Cingular??

If not, how can I get a white one? I have Cingular and not really interested in changing providers. I looked at eBay, but I'm not sure if that is really a viable source. Thoughts, anyone? Thanks