Sleek, Stylish, and EXTREMELY Affordable: BlackBerry Pearl 8130 Smartphone (and it comes in pink!!!!!)

Okay, I admit it: I have always wanted a pink cell phone.

Why I had an ugly black Samsung for 2 years is beyond me (and a boring silver model before that); pink always has been (and always will be) my color of choice. Sure, people tease me about it from time to time, but I could care less-I'm a girl, and I love pink. Go ahead and start stereotyping me...I still think my new BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is totally awesome. Yes, I just said "totally awesome".

Why do I love it so much? I'll get to that in a minute.

Before I get to the good stuff, let me take a moment to let you know that I absolutely HATED my BlackBerry at first. It looked cute, and I felt cool carrying it around...but it had a few flaws. Eventually though, it grew on me-and now I understand why it has affectionately been nicknamed the "CrackBerry" by many users.

Enough rambling-let's get to the pros and cons:

*PROS*

- Trendy
Most of your friends/family/coworkers probably own a BlackBerry-and if they don't, they probably whine about how they WISH they did.

- Stylish
It comes in a variety of colors, including pink! YAY!

-Affordable
I bought mine through Verizon Wireless, and it was only $20 after my $100 rebate (with a 2 year plan, of course-there's always a catch)! I know the economy is bad, but most of us can still handle spending $20 for something we want.

-Sleek
This phone fits easily into my front or back pocket. It came with a black leather carrying case, which I used for about a week.

-Volume/Sound Quality/Dropped Calls
I have found that I hear callers loud and clear-in fact, I often have to turn the volume down (I had it cranked to the max on my old Samsung). I haven't had any dropped calls yet, which has been nice.

-Battery Life
I have heard some people complain about the battery, but I haven't had any problems. My tech friend encouraged me not to charge it until it is COMPLETELY dead, and his advice has definitely helped. I charge it once every two days-not bad, considering I use it nonstop.

-Internet/Email
The internet connection is a lot faster than I expected it to be-I have a great time checking Facebook and Myspace (which is blocked at my work...now I can check it anyway whenever the mood strikes! HA! If any of my coworkers read this, I'm just joking). I also love how those two sites were preset as bookmarks in my BlackBerry when I purchased it.

-Camera
I'm amazed by how clear the pictures I take with this phone are!

*CONS*

-Text Messages
It took me about a week to figure out how to send a text message to more than one person at a time (and it's still a pain, because I have to either set up a group, or go back in and individually select each user). If anybody knows any easy way to do this, please let me know! I also hate how all of my messages (sent, received, missed calls, voicemails, and emails) show up in the SAME box. Talk about confusing! I haven't figured out how to fix this yet either.

-Sensitive Buttons
"Say a command. Say a command. Say a command". If I accidentally activate the voice dialing (the button is located on the left side of my phone, and I always accidentally press it when I pick up my phone to check my messages) one more time, I might go crazy! I also constantly hit the camera button (located on the right side of the phone).

-Help/Tech Manual
My thoughts on the book that was included with my BlackBerry? NOT HELPFUL. I figured out how to use my phone through trial and error...and by asking my coworker what to do. The technical manual and training CD I was provided with were a joke. Seriously. Don't even waste your time.

All in all, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is an excellent phone. It's definitely a nice starter phone for folks who are new to the whole CrackBerry scene, and would be a great gift for a teenager or college student. A lot of people that I know in the "corporate world" own this model as well.

Questions about the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 that weren't answered by this review? Please visit www.blackberry.com, or stop by your local electronics store.

Thanks for reading, and have a fabulous day! :)

Missy