Friendly reminder, folks… RIM’s latest candybar device and lower cost QWERTY 3G handset are now available for purchase from your friendly AT&T store. If you need a refresh on the products, here we go:

BlackBerry Pearl 9100

• SureType keyboard
• 3G
• Wi-Fi
• GPS
• 3.2 megapixel camera
• 1150mAh battery
• $149 with 2 year agreement

BlackBerry Curve 9300

• QWERTY keyboard
• 3G
• Wi-Fi b,g,n
• GPS
• 2 megapixel camera
• $99 with 2 year agreement

If you’re in the market for a BlackBerry handset from AT&T which one are you going to go for? Or do you think you’ll hold out for the BlackBerry Bold 9780?

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Today, AT&T announced that they will begin selling the BlackBerry Curve 3G and BlackBerry Pearl 3G in time for the holiday buying season. The Curve 3G (9300) will be available on an unspecified date — before December 25 — and will retail for $99.99 with a new 2-year contract (no mail in rebate required). The Pearl 3G (9100) will be available starting October 17 in stores and online and will retail for $149.99 on-contract (again, no rebate required). The devices will add to AT&T’s BlackBerry lineup which also includes the Bold 9700 and Torch 9800.

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We’ve just been sent in some visual confirmation of what we already knew: Wind Mobile will be adding the BlackBerry Pearl 3G to its pre-paid handset lineup. What we didn’t know, and our source was kind enough to tip us off on, is that the handset will be officially announced today. No details on price were provided, but we’re confident the handset will retail for right around $300. There you have it.

UPDATE: The device is now up on Wind Mobile’s website for $300.

In 2006, RIM launched the BlackBerry Pearl 8100. It’s critical reception was mixed, but there’s no denying it helped propel the BlackBerry brand to super stardom. Since then, smartphones have become even more mainstream and many serious competitors have emerged. Yes despite all of the competition and its own success, RIM has remained relatively true to its conservative tradition. Even today, a time when more than half of its customers are consumers, RIM is still sticking with a Java-based OS that has remained relatively unchanged since the Pearl first hit the scene. This year, RIM announced to little fanfare. Can a consumer product from a company that is business-centric at its roots survive in the age of Android and iPhone? Hit the jump to find out as we review the BlackBerry Pearl 3G from Rogers.

The Rogers Pearl 3G ships with OS 5.0.0.629 and has about 130MB of free memory out of the box. Without getting into the ins and outs of the software (sorry, but we’ve been there and done that about 50 times), let us just say that this particular OS build is solid overall. As for the phone itself, like all RIM devices, the call quality wonderful and reception was excellent whether over 3G, EDGE or Wi-Fi. We have to admit that we didn’t observe any notable speed improvements while using Wi-Fi (in fact we found 3G to be faster for web browsing, which is either a testament to Rogers’ network or a shoddy Wi-Fi chip), but the fact it’s on board is a plus, especially with 802.11n. A 624MHz Intel XCore CPU helps the Pearl 3G go through the motions with ease. Not once did we see a spinning clock.

For a phone that many deride as being meant for little girls and sissies (shouts to Justin Bieber fans), the Pearl 3G is a solid device that can withstand drops and tumbles that would make other phones wide-eyed with terror. That’s not to say it doesn’t have its build issues. Even for a low-end smartphone, the fit and finish is nowhere near as good as it should be. Dust easily gets trapped between the display and the housing, and light seeps out around the display, trackpad and keypad.

Speaking of the display, yes it’s small at 2.4″, but it’s also very sharp owing to its resolution of 360×400. The only issue we have with the display actually has nothing to do with the display, but the light sensor which controls it. Its performance was erratic and for the lack of a better description, seemed to believe it was opposite day. When we wanted it to be bright it went dark and vise versa. It might be a small thing to complain about given that you can turn off the light sensor, but that would needlessly drain the battery. And regrettably, the battery on the Pearl 3G wasn’t exactly what we were hoping it would be. Coming from the BlackBerry 9700 and its incredible battery life, the Pearl 3G is a let down. With relatively light usage we struggled to make it through the day.

The SureType keypad is a bit of a contentious issue in these parts. Apart from feeling rather slippery thanks to aggressive ridges and a very smooth and glossy surface, we still aren’t sure what to make of the concept after all of these years. While we understand that there’s no way RIM could comfortably cram an entire full-QWERTY keypad into the 50mm wide frame of the Pearl 3G, a part of us thinks that there has to be a better way — but we don’t exactly feel like going off on a tanget over this. With that said, we shudder to think of the struggles of a first-time SureType user who didn’t take the time to populate the custom dictionary. If you don’t do that, you’re in for one hell of a frustrating time.

The camera on the Pearl 3G does an admirable job when compared to other 3.2 megapixel sensors. It performed well in low-light environments, was able to achieve focus without much of a delay and booted up quickly enough that we find no reason to fault it. Here’s a sample taken in a dark room in which a computer monitor was the single source of light.

The external speaker on the Pearl 3G is situated directly below the keypad and faces towards the ground. To put it politely, the external speaker is simply awful. You’d think that a phone with dedicated media keys would have decent acoustic qualities, but the speaker on the Pearl 3G isn’t even average. A few years back we accidentally drowned a Sony Ericsson W810i while it was ringing (long story, don’t ask) and would have gladly swapped out its drenched speaker for that found on the Pearl 3G. We liken it to a police radio.

The Pearl 3G isn’t for everyone. No one’s trying to say that it is. Power users would be best served by staying away from it and so would those who are looking for a feature-rich smartphone. Ultimately when considering who the phone is designed for — the casual user who wants a dependable phone with more perks than a featurephone and what is still the best platform for PIM — the Pearl 3G is a pretty solid choice.

In an internal communique to employees this evening, Rogers announced that it has launched the BlackBerry Pearl 3G. Now en route and expected to arrive at dealerships across the country over the next few days, Rogers has priced the Pearl 3G at $49.99 on a 3-year contract with voice and data or $449.99 outright. Anyone planning on picking one up this weekend?

UPDATE: According to another Rogers connect, the device is now showing up in Rogers’ system with a promotional price of $29.99 on contract. Hit the jump for a screenshot.

Thanks, anonymous!

Although T-Mobile has remained mum on the issue of whether or not it will carry the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, it’s good to sell the phone so far as Uncle Sam is concerned. Both the SureType and T9 siblings have passed, as the AWS 3G variants just received FCC certification. Of course with rumors recently circulating saying that T-Mobile had passed on the Pearl 3G in favor of a cheaper, 3G-capable Curve floating around, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not we’ll ever see these hit the shops.

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It looks like the Canadian BlackBerry faithful won’t have to wait too much longer to get their hands on the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, as one of our Virgin Mobile connects just sent us in a bunch of pictures of a newly arrived dummy model. We have been told to expected the actual devices to arrive in stores very, very shortly, and that the 3-year price will be $49.99, with the option for a 30-day contract at $349.99. One more pic after the jump.

Thanks, T!

Following this mornings official announcement of the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, Canadian carriers Telus and Rogers have proclaimed, via press releases, that they will be carrying the Pearl 3G in the coming months. The Telus announcement reads:

Starting in May, this smartphone will be available from TELUS in pink and in black for as little as $29.99 on a three-year plan. For more information about the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G smartphone, please visit www.blackberry.com/pearl3

The Rogers announcement was a bit more non-committal as far as dates go:

Pricing and availability will be announced in the coming weeks. For additional information about Rogers’ lineup of BlackBerry smartphones, please visit www.rogers.com. For more information about the BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9100, please visit www.blackberry.com/pearl3G

Any folks north of the border planning to pick up one of these hot little — and we do mean little — numbers?

UPDATE: The PR team from Bell Canada just sent us a little note and would like to be included in the Canadian BlackBerry fun: “Bell Mobility will carry the device is May and it will operate on our HSPA network.”

Read – Telus

Read – Rogers

RIM just opened up the showroom doors to allowing for a quick meet and greet with the new BlackBerry 9650 and BlackBerry 9100. We brought our trusty SLR and have put together a quick image gallery of the new hardware for your inspection. The link is below…go head, click on over…you know you want to. Oh, and do let us know what you think.

Click on over to our BlackBerry 9100 and 9650 gallery!

So check it out… RIM’s huge BlackBerry hullabaloo, Wireless Enterprise Symposium, or “WES”, officially kicks off tomorrow in sunny Orlando, but that didn’t stop the Waterloo folks from busting out two — count ‘em, two — hot new smartphones prior to all of the festivities. Wanna know what they are? Hit the jump to find out.

BlackBerry loving, code division multiple access junkies rejoice, as today, RIM announced the latest addition to its CDMA BlackBerry portfolio: the BlackBerry Bold 9650. We would love to say we didn’t know the 9650 was coming…but we’d be lying. Here is the skinny on the new addition to the Bold family: CDMA EV-DO world phone with support for HSPA and UTMS (2100 MHz) networks, Wi-Fi b/g, optical trackpad, GPS, 3.2 megapixel camera with flash, 4.4” x 2.4” x .56” and 4.8 oz., 512 MB of flash memory, microSDHC card support up to 32 GB, 1400 mAhr battery, and BlackBerry OS 5 — the press release did not list a processor clock speed. The new handset will be available in the U.S. in May. Not exactly the most  earth-shattering announcement, but hey… it’s something.

Then there’s the Pearl 3G. If the Bold 9650 was a phone we could see coming from miles away, the Pearl 3G could be seen from the exosphere. Just a touch smaller than the original Pearl 8100 at 108mm x 50mm x 13.5mm, the 3G is said to offer, “uncompromising performance and top–of-the-line features,” which include: 360×400 display, 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera, Wi-Fi b/g/n (a RIM first), GPS with BlackBerry Maps, 256MB of flash memory, microSDHC support up to 32GB, 1150 mAhr battery, and BlackBerry OS 5.0 — all of which is kept purring by a 624MHz processor. The Pearl 3G will be available with a SureType keypad (model 9100) as well as with a traditional T9 keypad (model 9105). Why is RIM just now making a smartphone with a T9 keypad? According to RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, “more than three-quarters of the people in the global mobile phone market are still buying handsets with a traditional alphanumeric keypad, we think the new BlackBerry Pearl 3G addresses a substantial market opportunity. It allows consumers to upgrade their traditional mobile phone to a full-featured, easy-to-use and fashionable 3G BlackBerry smartphone [...] while maintaining a handset design and layout that is familiar and comfortable.” The Pearl 3G will be available for a multitude of carriers starting in May.

We’ve got the official press releases linked up for you below.

Read – Bold 9650

Read – Pearl 3G

It looks like the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 will be more expensive than anticipated when it launches with Bell and Rogers, as a leaked screenshot from a Canadian big box retailer has the phone listed at $79.99 with a 3-year voice and data contract. It was initially believed the it was believed that the 9100 would be priced at $49.99 on contract owing to its $449.99 off-contract price. The Pearl 9100 has yet to be announced by RIM or any of its carrier partners, but Rogers Wireless dealerships have already started receiving display units. TELUS will be picking up the 9100, although at this point its pricing remains a mystery.

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It certainly can not be long now, folks. HowardForums staple and Rogers dealer “Treatz” has taken delivery of dummy models of the BlackBerry Bold 9700 in white and Pearl 9100 in red. No word yet on when Rogers (or any other carrier, for that matter) plan on launching the pair, but with WES kicking off in just 5 days — yes, the BGR crew will once again be in attendance — we’re dead confident that we’ll be able to nail down a release date. But for now we’re keen on knowing what you guys think of the two. The general consensus here at BGR is that white 9700 is hot as hell. The red 9100? Not so much. Hit the jump for one more pic.

UPDATE: One of our Rogers connects sent us in two additional shots of the BlackBerry 9100. You know where to find ‘em…

Thanks, Treatz!

We’re not exactly sure just what’s up with RIM and the next-gen BlackBerry Pearl, but damn it, now we are dying to get to the bottom of this. We thought we knew all there was about the Pearl 9100 after we first saw it, but then came along the rumor of a version that will have a full-fledged QWERTY keypad in lieu of SureType. Today we’re hearing that there will also be a Pearl 9105 with — get this —  a T9 keypad. This information, not confirmed in any way, comes from a recently released OS build for the 9100 which also labeled for and contains files for a model 9105. Although it’s a bit fuzzy how the whole notion of this model having a T9 keypad came about (remember those old RIM patents?), the people behind BBnews.pl seem to be utterly convinced this rumor is entirely true and we’ll all get a glimpse of the T9-packing Pearl 9105 in May or June when it launches in Europe.

Thoughts?

Thanks, Dani!

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It looks like Fido’s corporate security team isn’t having its best month because someone aptly nicknamed “FidoMarketing” has leaked the details of its Q2 handset and price plans. There’s not a heck of a lot of exciting things here, although the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 is listed and is apparently coming very soon:

• BlackBerry Pearl 9100 – May 4th
• LG GW300 – April 13th
• Nokia 3710 – May 18th
• Nokia X3 – May 18th
• Novatel Wireless MC988DF – May (singled out for being 28.8Mbps, a sign of things to come to Fido/Rogers no doubt)
• Sony Ericsson Aspen – June

In terms of plans, Fido is still struggling to find its identity. It has really cheap handsets, yet the plans that go along with them are pretty mediocre for Canadian standards. FidoUNO, Fido’s UMA service, will be decommissioned as of June 1st, but a new CarryOver Minutes plan (not available to City Fido or corporate customers) will be introduced which allows one to accumulate rollover minutes over 6 moths. Data plans will also get a bit of a change with news plans with the introduction of Wireless Internet Options. Basically what it all boils down to according to the documents is this:

• $15 – Unlimited Email and IM
• $15 – 100MB/100MB BIS
• $25 – 500MB/500MB BIS
• $30 – 1GB/1GB BIS
• $40 – 2GB/2GB BIS
• $40 – 3GB
• $50 – 5GB
• $50 – 15GB [sic]
• $80 – 8GB
• $150 – 15GB

Be honest, people. What are you thinking?

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Hold on to your hats, BlackBerry fans, because this one’s a bit crazy. Truesupplier, a well respected online retailer of OEM and third party phone parts and accessories has published images of what it claims is a full-QWERTY keyboard for the upcoming Pearl 9100. Featuring what is best described as a shrunken down version of the Bold 9700′s keypad complete with guitar-like frets separating each row of keys, we have virtually no doubts that this keypad is indeed genuine. Having said that, we believe it’s for another device. Why? Take a look at the send, end, menu and back keys. See how they’re stacked on top of one another and extend well beyond the top of where the trackpad will sit? ? There’s no way that would ever fit into the Pearl as we know it unless everyone on the 9100 team at RIM collectively lost their minds and decided to shrink the screen. We’re just throwing this out there as nothing but a guess, but perhaps this belongs to a next-gen Pearl Flip? Regardless, we’re really intrigued by the idea of using a full-QWERTY keypad in such a tight space. But level with us, readers. Is this a viable solution, or should RIM just keep going with the SureType keypad no matter what its detractors say?

UPDATE: Kevin at CrackBerry has heard that the BlackBerry Pearl 9100 will be offered in two versions: a SureType and QWERTY device.

[Via CIO]

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