BlackBerry Pearl
The business of music
Although they had to fight tooth-and-nail in court to maintain their patent rights for it, the BlackBerry has made the folks at Research in Motion (RIM) very rich. The device, in general, acts as the perfect median between cell phone chic and PDA prioritizing power. The latest iteration of the BlackBerry is the Pearl, a smaller, sleeker version of the original device. The design is much more fluid, but what of its music playback potential?
Ok, what makes this phone so special?
The difference between the Pearl and all the other phones listed here is its primary focus. The Pearl is not exclusively meant for music playback, photos or perhaps even phone calls. Instead, RIM’s latest device (and the BlackBerry in general) exists to fill a variety of business needs, including e-mail, text messaging and calendar organization. Songs, pictures and phone calls all fall in somewhere after that.
That’s where the Pearl’s unique interface comes in. Although not directly music-related (little about this phone, if we can call it that, is), the “QWERTY” keyboard allows the user better access to the menu’s various features. It also makes for easier planning and text messaging, although some people complain that there’s nothing simple about the Pearl’s two-letter-per-button design.
When it comes to music, the Pearl supports many audio formats, including AAC, MP3, MIDI and WAV. That covers most of the lossy compression types (including those downloadable from Apple iTunes). In addition, playlists can be created, giving you the ability to shuffle through songs or repeat. Creative features in the music area include a function that allows the user to set a song as a ringtone, and the handy pausing of music if an incoming call is answered (but for those cases where “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is playing and the ex-girlfriend calls, there’s no reason to pause the portable moshing).
- Tech Highlights
- Networks: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 (Quad-Band)
- Bluetooth v2.0
- Messaging: IM, SMS, MMS
- GPRS
What about the design?
If the original BlackBerry asked you to the school dance…you’d have turned and ran. The original RIM device, although very useful, is hardly the most attractive phone on the market. That’s the reason behind the company’s release of the Pearl, and although it’s far from perfect, this gizmo is much cuter than its predecessor. Some serious shrinking has given the Pearl a “petite” appearance, thus you’d definitely take it to the dance.
The trackball is a bit awkward, but a nice addition. Its spherical appearance is behind the naming of the device, and although it takes some getting used to, the Pearl ball is pretty handy.
Cons?
Since it tries to integrate so many more features than the average cell phone, the BlackBerry Pearl is, alas, open to an equal helping of criticism. The keypad, which has been shrunk down to keep the device so small, now assigns two letters to each button. That can be more awkward than a grade seven boys’ basketball team, but once the user becomes accustomed to the system (as with anything), typing gets much easier.
When it comes to music quality, it’s apparent that this isn’t the primary use for the Pearl. Tunes cranked on the phone’s speakers don’t sound quite right, although using the headphones offers a great improvement.
Most other flaws with the media design are relatively small points, including an only average camera (1.3 megapixels) and the need to access a menu screen when switching music tracks.
Concluding thoughts
The Pearl is a Canadian tech company’s business-like attempt to seduce the trendy accountant with German-like efficiency. Surprisingly, however, it works for the most part. Although the Fantastic Voyage shrinking process has complicated some of the features most familiar to the original BlackBerry, the Pearl is an effective competitor to the line of other established phones from the likes of Nokia and Motorola, with enough music features to keep professionals entertained nine to five.