New Multimedia BlackBerry - The Pearl


RIM has announced its first consumer-targeted device, known as the BlackBerry Pearl. From the outside, it looks very much like the other "compact" BlackBerry devices, aka the 7100 series.

Inside, however, it sports two firsts for a BlackBerry: an MP3 player and an integrated 1.3 megapixel digital camera. It also has a new slot for a microXD memory card, which can be used for storing photos and music. Also very important: this unit supports both GPRS and EDGE data standards, the latter of which provides data rates up to three times faster than GPRS. As far as I know, this is the first BlackBerry in the "compact" form factor to support EDGE.

I haven't seen one of these units up close yet, but it looks like RIM could very well have a runaway hit on its hands. With a street price of $200-$300 (depending on plan and carrier discounts), weighing in at only 3.1 ounces and with a form factor that is as thin as a closed RAZR and as narrow as a normal "candy bar" phone, this unit sounds like a winner to me.

It does not appear to be available quite yet--T-Mobile, for example, it taking pre-orders at this time, but I'm sure we'll be seeing Pearls all over in a very short period of time.

RIM BlackBerry Pearl review by PC Magazine