RIM's line of BlackBerry devices have long been popular with the business set, but it never really caught on with general consumers for a number of reasons. For one, the devices require back end support in order to manage push email and over the air data synchronization - which adds a monthly cost above and beyond the user's regular monthly plan cost. Secondly, the BlackBerry devices have always been large in size, and incapable of even the most mundane multimedia type functions. But with RIM's new BlackBerry Pearl (known in some markets as the 8100), the company has given us a BlackBerry that looks like a regular phone and supports typical consumer functionality, even if it still requires that back end support and its associated cost.

Physical Aspects

The Pearl is a very normal looking bar shaped phone if you overlook the two extra columns on the keypad and the trackball where the d-pad or joystick typically would be. The device is clad in a piano black gloss finish that appears to be pretty scratch resistant. The sides of the Pearl are covered in a dark silver/pewter colored metal finish, that is quite attractive and a bit less prone to fingerprints than the black surfaces. It weighs a mere 91g (3.2oz) and measures up at a very compact 107mm x 50mm x 15mm (4.2" x 2.0" x 0.6").
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In spite of the two extra columns of keypad keys, the Pearl's SureType keypad looks normal enough due to its color scheme. The number keys all have silver colored paint on them that makes it easy to see the keypad as a normal numeric keypad. Some people in the press have complained that the keypad feels cheap, owing partly to the fact that the keys are not separated at all by the front cover, and therefore float a bit. But my impression of the keypad is quite positive. I find it very easy to hit the correct keys, and like the very solid tactile feedback that they offer. I'll get into how the SureType predictive text input system works later in the messaging section of the review.

Located between the keypad and the display are the red and green call control keys, a back button, a menu button, and the trackball - the "pearl" that gives the device its name. The buttons are all reasonably normal and nice to use, but the trackball is something we've only seen before on the T-Mobile Sidekick III. The Pearl's backlit trackball has a very nice feel to it, and is easily spun in any direction as needed. It can be pressed in for selecting menu items and the like, and seems to do so without moving off your intended target, as is sometimes the case with d-pads that don't have separate select buttons. Just as I did with the Sidekick III, I really love the trackball on the BlackBerry Pearl, and prefer it to any d-pad or joystick I've used on a phone.

The back panel of the Pearl, that which covers the battery, is a bit too flexible for my liking, making the device feel a bit cheaper than it should. The back cover includes a self-portrait mirror for the camera, as well as protective covers for the camera itself and the flash. The right side of the Pearl is where you will find the volume control, a lanyard loop, and the first of two user configurable quick-access keys, which defaults to being the camera access/shutter button. The left side houses a miniUSB data/charging port, the 2.5mm stereo headset port, and the second quick-access key - which I use for voice dialing. The lone control on the top of the Pearl handles ring muting and putting the phone into standby mode.