The new BlackBerry Pearl 3G looks and feels like a much smaller, cheaper version of a more expensive phone. It is, essentially, a smaller and cheaper BlackBerry Bold 9700 that comes in two models: The 9100, with a pseudo-QWERTY keyboard that has two letters per key; and the 9105, which doesn't have a QWERTY keyboard.
The problem: It's not that much cheaper.
The full cost of the phone at Rogers (unsubsidized by the carrier) is only $25 less than the BlackBerry Bold 9700 at Wind Mobile, which is $450.
The operating system is the same as the Bold, in that it's very sleek for a phone of this extremely small size. The keyboard is great for typing, even if its not a BlackBerry QWERTY. Internet browsing, like on all BlackBerrys, is a little tiresome. But all the other functions - from contacts to the schedule - and both the camera and the video recorder on this device are excellent.
This phone would be perfect for someone who wants to stay in touch, for whom e-mail is becoming more important, but doesn't require the full blown BlackBerry bulging from your pocket - or, even worse, from your hip.
Essentially, if you like texting or using the great BlackBerry Messenger service more than e-mailing crucial business jargon that you don't want rearranged by your phone's text predict, the new Pearl may be for you. Of course, with a price that's close to many other touch-screen smart phones, maybe it's not.