Pearl 9100 3G Is The Porsche Of BlackBerries

Research In Motion announced two new versions of the Pearl today, the 9100 and 9105. These devices bring 3G to the GSM side of the Pearl family for the first time, as well as a much-needed update to the display and processor. Here are my initial thoughts.If small and fast if your thing, the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 3G could be the smartphone for you. During its presentation at Wireless Enterprise Symposium, Research In Motion likened the Pearl 9100 3G to a Porsche 911. It's a fairly accurate comparison.

The Pearl 9100 3G is small and light. It very much resembles previous version of the Pearl, but the build quality and materials are top-notch. It feels great to hold, and everything about it exudes performance. How does it measure up?
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BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100 The new display is a fantastic 360 x 400 pixel, with rich colors and enough lumens to act as a flashlight in the dark. The upgraded display looks especially good with BlackBerry OS 5.0. The new BlackBerry also includes UMTS/HSDPA 3G. Previous versions of the Pearl have been stuck with EDGE data for far too long. It is also the first BlackBerry to offer 802.11n high-speed Wi-Fi. The new 3G radios and 802.11n radios inside the Pearl give its web and email performance a serious kick in the pants.

Speaking of performance, the Pearl 3G has a 624MHz processor under the hood. It is blazing fast. Everything about the Pearl 3G was speedy, quick, and instantaneous. The user interface didn't stutter, pause, or hang. It truly delivers Porsche-like usability.

Other facets of the device will continue to divide users. For those who've grown used to the 20-key SureType keypad of previous Pearls, the Pearl 3G makes only a modest improvement. The keys have perhaps too much shaping and contour to them, but they do what they're supposed. What's really interesting is that RIM has decided to introduce its first 14-key, aka "regular", keypad, as you'd find on any normal flip phone. According to RIM, 75% of all phone users still make use of devices with normal keypads, and this Pearl 9105 is RIM's response.

Rounding out the rest of the specs, it has a 3.2 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, media player, microSD card support, and the killer email experience for which RIM is known.

If you're looking for a small and fast smartphone, the Pearl 9100 3G delivers.