Pink RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)Just in time for Valentine's Day, Verizon Wireless has released a pink version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, making for a nice little mate to the silver model. We first caught wind of this blush-colored smartphone at CES 2008 when RIM, perhaps without Verizon's knowledge, showed it off at their booth, but all is rosy now. You can grab the pink Pearl starting today for $149.99 with a two-year contract and after discounts and rebates. We suspect Sprint's red BlackBerry Pearl won't be too far behind.
Alltel's LG Sccop
(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET Networks)Alltel added three cell phones to its growing lineup today. In addition to picking up its a red version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the nation's fifth-largest carrier also added its take on the LG Rumor (the LG Scoop that we saw at CES) and the new Samsung Muse.
Alltel's Pearl is identical to not only its existing 8130 but also to the Pearls from Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Inside you'll find the full set of BlackBerry features plus a 2-megeapixel camera. Likewise, the Scoop is largely similar to Sprint's Rumor. Features on the messaging-centric phone include a 1.3-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a speakerphone, but Alltel added support for its Axcess Voice2TXT service as well. And in another change from the Rumor, the Scoop comes in citrus orange, slate gray, and turquoise blue.
The Samsung Muse is a slim flip phone in midnight blue. It offers a 2-megaoixel camera, GPS capabilities, stereo Bluetooth, a music player, and it is compatible with Alltel's new Celltop music-streaming application.
Alltel BlackBerry Pearl 8130
(Credit: Alltel)Alltel said today it will release its own version of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 in time for the holiday shopping season. The carrier didn't say exactly when the smartphone would go on sale, but you can register for more information on Alltel's Web site. The price will be $149 with a two-year contract.
Alltel's Pearl will offer the full slate of smartphones features including a Web browser, e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging, integrated GPS and mapping, a 2-megapixel camera, a media player, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5-millimeter headset jack, speaker independent voice dialing, 64MB of internal memory and a MicroSD card slot. Alltel chose an amethyst color for its Pearl, but like the other 8130s, it features the navigation trackball and the familiar compact design with the SureType keyboard. Sprint and Verizon Wireless are also landing the Pearl. We'll have a review of the Verizon version next week, and we'll rate the Sprint and Alltel models as soon as we can get them. In the meantime, see our review of the T-Mobile Pearl for original assessment of the Pearl family.
Motorola Q9c
(Credit: Sprint)Hold the gravy! Check it out--it looks like you can add the Sprint store to your list of places to shop on Black Friday, as the carrier announced today that the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, Motorola Q9c, and Motorola i335 will all be available starting November 23, though you'll only be able to purchase the Moto Q9c online for the time-being.
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 will run $199.99 with a two-year contract and has built-in GPS and EV-DO with support for the Sprint Power Vision services, including Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV, and Sprint Navigation--a pretty robust offering for a BlackBerry. Remember, this is also the first device from RIM to offer video-recording capabilities with its 2-megapixel camera. Additional goodies include Bluetooth 2.0 (yes on A2DP and dial-up networking), a microSD expansion slot, and support for up to 10 e-mail accounts with push technology.
Meanwhile, the Motorola Q9c offers a refresh to Sprint's aging Motorola Q by bringing Windows Mobile 6 Standard Edition, a revamped design with a better keyboard, and GPS. Like the Motorola Q9h for AT&T, this model features Documents to Go for creating, viewing, and editing Office documents and features popular instant-messaging clients as well as various push e-mail solutions, including Microsoft Direct Push and Good Mobile Messaging. The Moto Q9c is $149.99 with a two-year service agreement and after rebates.
Motorola i335 for Nextel
(Credit: Sprint)Finally, for Nextel customers, we have the Motorola i335. Though it's not a smartphone, the i335 works with the Nextel Direct Connect service to give you instant access to other Nextel users. The slim but rugged candy-bar-style handset meets military standards for standing up to dust, shock, and exposure to vibration. It also offers Bluetooth 1.2, integrated GPS, a speakerphone, VibraCall alert, and text and multimedia messaging. The i335 will cost $50 with a two-year contract and after rebates.
RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130
(Credit: Verizon Wireless)For those Verizon Wireless customers who have been waiting for the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the time is here. The pretty little Pearl is available now for purchase online and will be in stores nationwide on November 8 for $149.99 with a two-year contract. Unlike the original, GSM Pearls, the Pearl 8130 features video-recording capabilities, 3G (EV-DO) support, and built-in GPS, which you can use with Verizon's location-based service, VZ Navigator. It also has Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP support for stereo Bluetooth headsets, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and support for up to 10 e-mail accounts. Sounds like a sweet package to me.
RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 in amethyst
(Credit: RIM)Everyone say it with me now, "It's about friggin' time." Today, Research in Motion officially introduced the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 to the world, the CDMA version of the original, GSM RIM BlackBerry Pearl, which debuted over a year ago. Though there are no specific carrier announcements (or pricing details) at this time, Sprint has already confirmed that the BlackBerry 8130 is on its Q4 hit list, and just this morning, Engadget Mobile had a report that Verizon Wireless is also on tap to get this sleek, sexy smart phone, so everyone should be happy.
RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 in silver
(Credit: RIM)The Pearl 8130 includes some new features not found on the first Pearl. First, it has built-in GPS and comes preloaded with BlackBerry Maps so you can use the phone as a navigation device. You'll also enjoy faster Web browsing thanks to EV-DO support and there's Bluetooth 2.0 for use with hands-free kits, wireless headsets, and Bluetooth stereo headphones. Multimedia gets a boost with a 2-megapixel camera (compared to 1.3 megapixels), the ability to create and edit playlists right on the handset, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Huzzah! Other highlights include a new Page View option to quickly zoom in on part of a Web page, a built-in spell checker, and background noise cancellation technology for better call quality. The company says the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8130 will be available starting in November--just in time for the holidays--and will come in two colors: amethyst and silver. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to pester our friends at Verizon and Sprint to see if we can squeeze some more details out of them.
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