Click to View

As expected, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry Pearl is now available online from T-Mobile USA. The price is $200 after $150 in discounts and with a 2-year service contract.

Pearl is RIM's first BlackBerry with a built-in camera for picture and video as well as music-playing capabilities. It is built in the mold of RIM's 7100 series, which means it is more smartphone-like than models like the 8700 series, for example.

As result, the device nixes the traditional BlackBerry QWERTY thumb-keyboard for a keypad/keyboard combo that merges numbers and text onto each button, while RIM's SureType technology helps users accurately input text. When they press a key, the new handset - as with the 7100 series – is supposed to know which of the two supported letters they meant to use.

Although Pearl's form factor resembles the 7100 models, at a compact 4.2 x 2.0 x 0.57 inches (107 x 50 x 14. millimeters) and mere 3.1 ounces (89 grams), it is, perhaps, the sleekest-looking BlackBerry yet. Undoubtedly part of RIM's plan to expand outside of its corporate and mobile professional niche with the device.

Pearl's 1.3 megapixel camera comes with built-in flash and 5x digital zoom. MMS enables you to send video and pictures as multimedia messages to others. And you can display images and video (MPEG-4 and H.263) on the new BlackBerry's 240 x 260 pixel color screen, which isn't touch, just like all other RIM handhelds.

To navigate the smartphone you use a trackball - the Pearl in the handset- which, along with the display and keypad/keyboard, adjusts lighting to provide an optimized view in outdoor, indoor and dark environments.

In terms of audio, Pearl will playback MP3 and AAC music files. There's a stereo headset jack. And Bluetooth 2.0 support means you'll be able to wirelessly connect to wireless headsets and stereo headphones as well.

Speaker independent voice recognition for voice activated dialing is available through integrated technology from a company called Voice Signal.

A microSD slot is there to expand upon Pearl's 64 MB of memory.

The quad-band GSM/GPRS smartphone is also EDGE-enabled, a 2.5 G cellular technology supported by T-Mobile and most other GSM carriers. That means you'll be able to send those multimedia messages, browse the Web, access e-mail and other content services at average speeds of 135 kilobits per second.

As with all BlackBerrys, Pearl supports RIM's push e-mail and data access solutions. It also bundles the AOL, Yahoo!, MSN and ICQ instant messaging clients.

Pearl should become available in Canada through Rogers Wireless in October, in addition to landing with some operators in Europe at that time. Asia-Pacific and Latin America availability should happen later this year. Cingular is said to be on tap for the smartphone as well, under the name BlackBerry 8100c.