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.

Nokia 7310 Supernova Mobile Phone Review

Nokia 7310 Supernova

The Nokia 7310 Supernova is a slim candybar phone that fits comfortably in a pocket. As with very old Nokia models you can completely remove the cover on the 7310 and swap it with other compatible covers. Unfortunately you're limited to a handful of designs compared to the plethora you used to be able to get when the removable covers craze was at its height -- ultimately making it a more boring product.

To give it a little more spice, the 7310's provided cover packs an extremely reflective screen and keypad, the result of which is that until the screen is activated, it looks like a mirror. Handy for a little emergency lippy, but it also means that in bright light, you might find it difficult to see clearly.

Features of Nokia 7310 Supernova

Adding to the sense that this is a blast from the past, the 7310 is pretty thin on features. What you do get, though, is an easy-to-understand menu system that keeps things simple, while offering added functionality such as being able to display shortcuts on the start page.

There's an MP3 player that supports various formats including MP3 and AAC, and the option to store all your music on an external microSD card (up to 4GB). But be warned, the 7310 only has a 2.5mm headphone jack, so you have to use the headphones in the box or buy ones that fit -- standard 3.5mm headphones won't.

There's also an FM radio, Bluetooth and a 2-megapixel camera that's very basic -- no LED photo light or flash. If you're looking for a decent camera phone, steer clear; but if you just want to take the odd picture in well-lit locations for MMS messages, it'll suffice.

To add some extra functionality to the 7310 you can download and use a variety of third-party Java apps, such as Opera Mini, which makes browsing the Web much more enjoyable. Another app worth downloading is Fring; it lets you connect to a variety of IM clients, including MSN and Yahoo.

Performance

Battery life is quoted at 4 hours talk time and 300 hours on standby. Because there aren't that many features on the phone, we found we didn't use it that heavily and got around two days of moderate use out of it. It's worth pointing out that the loudspeaker worked surprisingly well and pumped out a fair amount of sound.