blackberry pearl ? or alternative ?

widdyst

widdyst

widdyst

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Hi All
Help please :). The wife is currently 14 months through a 24 month contract.
Her current phone (N97 Mini) Is now dead.
We are prepared to buy a replacment even though she is still under contract and just pop the contract sim into it.

Her requirements for a phone are quite simple :-
1, Keypad. (doesnt like typing on touch screen)
2, Half decent camera with flash
3, Good email / social networking capability
4, 3G
5, and obviously sim free or on vodafone network

Is the Blackberry Pearl the right phone for her
 
Define "dead"? Should still be under warranty, check here: http://www.nokia.co.uk/support/repair/repair/warranty

it's an awful phone anyway (imo of course), you should probably sell it and give her something nicer :) Restricting to a keypad gives you a small handset pool so a BB is probably the right direction. The pearl is OK, its something i'd get her to try instore first (I really really hate the keyboard personally, lots love it). Don't get the 8520 as it's 2G whatever you do. When I use BB's I want them for function over anything else so for that reason I always pick bolds I must admit.

edit: If she gets a BB remember you need to get blackberry internet service (commonly called BIS) from Voda - this is a bolt on and a different service rather than just general internet usage.
 
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Sorry by dead i mean frustratingly freezing locking up all the time etc
Have updated firmware and so on to no avail.
And yes your right it has been a dire handset. We will definitely be selling it not binning.

since having the n97 she has never liked the qwerty keypad now wether
She would prefer it on the blackberrys i dont know, but she has said she would prefer
To go back to normal phone type keypad ?

Will a blackberry not function properly online/facebook etc without BIS then ?
 
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widdyst said:
since having the n97 she has never liked the qwerty keypad now wether
She would prefer it on the blackberrys i dont know, but she has said she would prefer
To go back to normal phone type keypad ?

Will a blackberry not function properly online/facebook etc without BIS then ?
Click to expand...

TBH typing on a touchscreen takes about 3hrs to get used to, if you accept it and not reject it you'll be fine. Both the iphone / android keyboards are easy to learn on, there is "12 block" keyboards for android but it's like going back in time for me.

Phone won't work online without BIS - it's required. Talk to voda about how cheap this is to put on your account, if she had data before they might switch the data package for the BIS package (this is what happens at Orange for example) at no cost.
 
Most networks give BIS as part of their tariffs ie im with a vodafone and im paying £30 a month which gives me 600mins, unlimited texts and BIS access...

Tbh the pearl is ok but the keyboard isnt that great, i found it difficult but like myshra said go and try one out in the store...the BB's id recommend are the 9300 3G curve...better handset and better keyboard or the 9780 but that will set u back a bit...mind you i got my 9780 free with my vodafone contract, i was due an upgrade and managed to haggle them to give me the phone for free at £30 a month.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.
I must stress that a touch screen is not what she wants, I understand how easy it is to get used to it I have one myself :) But you know women they wont be told :).
So I will need to speak to vodafone about the BIS, thats no problem.
I take on board the comment of the curve 9300 being a "better Handset" But as far as i can see spec wise it loses out to the Pearl on the camera and doesnt appear to have any advantage other than qwerty keyboard ?
So taking the requirments into account It looks like the Pearl will suit her best then ?
 
Myshra said:
Both cameras are appalling, don't buy it for that :)
Click to expand...

Indeed..the 9300 doesnt have a flash and im pretty sure the pearl doesnt have one either...my 9780 has a 5mp camera with flash but honestly its not that great...you dont buy BB's for their cameras to be perfectly honest.

But having a QWERTY keyboard over the one that the pearl has is definitely an advantage.
 
:) Guys I know I know BUT its the wife's phone. If it was for me trust me I would go qwerty and couldnt care if it had no camera :).
The Pearl does have a flash though.
Basically what I am asking I suppose is If you take the 9300 out of the equation is the pearl better than offerings from other manafacturers (bearing in mind the wife's requirments in the op)

That HTC Desire Z does look nice But remeber we are working to a budget really as this is to replace a dead contract phone (whilst still in contract) if that makes sense
 
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widdyst said:
:) Guys I know I know BUT its the wife's phone. If it was for me trust me I would go qwerty and couldnt care if it had no camera :).
The Pearl does have a flash though.
Basically what I am asking I suppose is If you take the 9300 out of the equation is the pearl better than offerings from other manafacturers (bearing in mind the wife's requirments in the op)

That HTC Desire Z does look nice But remeber we are working to a budget really as this is to replace a dead contract phone (whilst still in contract) if that makes sense
Click to expand...

Well most of the phones on the market are Android and most of them are all touch screen phones so no really your best option with regards to what your wife wants would be a BB as it has a keyboard...the pearl is the best other than the curve series and bold series of BB's.
 
re: price of the phone - you will sell the phone in 10 months so assuming you can recover 1/3 price of the handset you buy today minimum + price of N97 mini once refurbed and sell soonish (at a wild guess - £100?) it doesn't look too bad :)

Your wife would need to be blind to think the camera on either is good. If you want other options then there is the Sony Er X10 mini-pro but it's tiny and typing on it unless you're a kid / have tiny fingers, can get annoying. It's the only other phone I'd look at aside from BBs.

Go try them in shops, please. For the love of all that is nice and stuff.
 
My mum had the same issue and only wanted the same phone over and over which was a nokia metal one that ran symbian.

Got her a pearl as she refused touchscreen no matter what and she loves it. Great battery life the keyboards perfect she says. its lite and has lots of features like email and facebook etc etc

I had a play with it for a few days its a really nice phone thats cheap off contract. Grab one she will like it if she loves buttons. And it can be updated to os6 from blackberry.
 
I've had the BB Pearl 3G 9105 since last August when when it was released. I am running a leaked OS6 rom on mine and it really improves the phone. If your wife is into social networking, the social app is excellent for linking up twitter, facebook and RSS feeds into one app.
The Pearl 3G is a very under-rated phone.
 
DAvE18 said:
My mum had the same issue and only wanted the same phone over and over which was a nokia metal one that ran symbian.

Got her a pearl as she refused touchscreen no matter what and she loves it. Great battery life the keyboards perfect she says. its lite and has lots of features like email and facebook etc etc

I had a play with it for a few days its a really nice phone thats cheap off contract. Grab one she will like it if she loves buttons. And it can be updated to os6 from blackberry.
Click to expand...

Super Tigers said:
I've had the BB Pearl 3G 9105 since last August when when it was released. I am running a leaked OS6 rom on mine and it really improves the phone. If your wife is into social networking, the social app is excellent for linking up twitter, facebook and RSS feeds into one app.
The Pearl 3G is a very under-rated phone.
Click to expand...

Thanks for those comments Guys It looks like your opinions have nailed it for us We will get the pearl ordered :)
 
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