Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/07/blackberry_8100_pearl/
Here we are, spouting off about Samsung (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/06/samsung_i600_smartphone/) having a potential BlackBerry killer in the SGH-i600 and all along RIM has a smartphone in the works. Who'd have thought it?
The BlackBerry Pearl 8100 is a candybar that measures 107 x 50 x 14mm (HxWxD)and weighs a mere 89g. The 240 x 260 screen dimensions aren't given, but it looks to be a tad over two inches on the diagonal.
This BlackBerry doesn't have a thumbwheel, instead it uses a trackball navigation device from which the 8100 gets its Pearl name. The QWERTY keypad uses RIM's SureType technology. It's a Quad-band GSM/GPRS phone with EDGE. The Pearl also has 64MB flash memory and a MicroSD slot, a first on a BlackBerry device.
Other features include Bluetooth 2.0 and a 1.3 megapixel camera - again a first for a BlackBerry - with flash and 5x digital zoom. The Pearl has a media player and supports MP3 and ACC music files as well as MPEG4 and H.263 movie formats. Americans get BlackBerry maps, but we Europeans miss out.
RIM has set up a dedicated website for the BlackBerry Pearl (http://www.blackberrypearl.com), which is available in the US from 12 September, and in Europe from October.
O2 will be the first network to offer the 8100 in the UK. ®
Next-gen BlackBerry specs leak? (9 October 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/09/rim_blackberry_8800_leak/
Vodafone UK takes a shine to RIM's Pearl (6 October 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/06/vodafone_to_offer_rim_pearl/
HTC preps candybar phone with slide-out QWERTY keyboard (14 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/14/htc_shows_libra/
Samsung touts CDMA, GSM, JCDMA 'world phone' (13 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/13/samsung_v920_world_phone/
T-Mobile pushes into email (8 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/08/t-mobile_pearl_and_e61/
Samsung SGH-i600 Smartphone (6 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/06/samsung_i600_smartphone/
T-Mobile UK introduces latest phone-like BlackBerry (24 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/24/t-mobile_uk_offers_bb_7130g/
BlackBerry hacking peril exposed (10 August 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/10/blackjack_hack_attack/
Unlaunched RIM Blackberry pushed onto web (7 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/07/blackberry_8100_pics_posted/
O2 brings BlackBerry 7130 to Blighty (1 June 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/01/o2_unveils_blackberry_7130g/