BlackBerry Pearl Flip Review

BlackBerry Pearl Flip Review

It's exceptional, it's a full-fledged BlackBerry that delivers great email, solid multimedia, usable web browsing and all of the other trappings of a smartphone, like apps.

And it definitely has a quirky kind of personality to it. So, if you're looking for a smartphone in a tight form factor-or maybe for your teen-this might be what you're looking for, since the BlackBerry experience remains one of the best.

Design:

Compared to the old Pearl, it differs in two big ways on the navigation front: the trackball is recessed (so it can close) and the keys are almost completely flush (there's a barely noticeable, but palpable curve to them).

The trackball groove actually works, cradling your thumb while you zoom around. The flush keys make it harder to cocksuredly touch type than if they were more pronounced, though the keyboard isn't unusable by any means. That really depends on how you feel about RIM's SureType keyboard generall

Screen and Multimedia

The Pearl Flip's multimedia capabilities are nothing we haven't seen on the other new BlackBerrys. It uses the standard BlackBerry media player and organization (though dressed up in the new skin like on the Bold) that's definitely capable, but fairly generic, and not as enjoyable as using say, a Zune.

Video is definitely watchable on the fairly sharp 320x240 screen-it's good for this kind of phone, but not mind-blowing like the ones on RIM's two flagships. Annoyingly for some reason, though, YouTube videos don't expand to fill the entire screen like a side-loaded one does, they stay in portrait.

The Roxio-powered Media Manager still tests the nerves. And the 2MP camera and video recording are just okay-not abysmal, but not great.

Browser and Other Software

The browser does indeed work way better than pieces of crap RIM called browsers on the last gen of BlackBerrys. It actually renders HTML correctly! (Most of the time.) However, even on pages where the browser gets it right, you get a sad taste of its less-than-manly hardware as it struggles to keep up with you trying to navigate around the page once it's loaded.

Even over Wi-Fi-there's no 3G to speak of-it can be godawful slow, especially on sites with a lot of scripts running around (Slate, for instance). The lag makes zooming in and out awkward more often than not. So, while a huge, huge improvement over the past browsing experience, it's held back by a lack of processing juice.

Emaiil is what you've come to expect on a BlackBerry-excellent-and like the Bold, it's now in full HTML.

It comes loaded with MyFaves like any other T-Mobile phone, and all of the usual BlackBerry software-BrickBreaker, Maps (though no GPS, WTF), Office to Go, Voice Notes, etc.-as well as a healthy dose of IM clients, from AIM to Gtalk.