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Verizon Pearl vs. BlackBerry Curve
by Vincent Healy
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Overview
With the recent emergence of smartphones as the device of choice for many everyday consumers, manufacturers have been updating and expanding their product line. Research in Motion, which produces the BlackBerry smartphones, has released several devices since the introduction of the iPhone that are tailored to the individual needs and wants of the average consumer, as opposed to its previous products that catered exclusively to businesspeople. Two such devices are the BlackBerry Pearl and the BlackBerry Curve.
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Size and Form Factor
The BlackBerry Curve 8330 is 4.21 inches long, 2.36 inches wide and .61 inches deep, or roughly the size of an iPod Classic. The Curve follows the traditional BlackBerry form factor with a large screen, full keyboard and trackball navigation. The BlackBerry Pearl comes in two different iterations. The Pearl Flip 8230 is 3.98 inches long, 1.97 inches wide and .69 inches deep when closed and the Pearl 8130 is 4.2 inches long, 1.97 inches wide and .55 inches deep.
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Keyboard
The BlackBerry Curve 8330 offers users a full QWERTY keyboard for typing e-mails, website addresses and text messages. The Pearl 8130 and Pearl Flip 8230 use BlackBerry's SureType QWERTY-style keyboard in which several letters are assigned to each key. SureType technology learns the user's typing patterns and is able to determine which letter is intended with each press of the key.
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Battery Life
Cellular phone battery life is typically measured in two ways--talk time, which drains the battery more quickly than any other activity, and standby time, which barely uses any battery power at all. The Curve 8330 is rated for 4.3 hours of talk time and 11 days of standby time. The Pearl Flip 8230 is rated for 3.7 hours of talk time and 9 days of standby, as is the Pearl 8130.
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Display
Each of the three devices offers a back light and light sensor built into the screen. The Curve 8330's screen measures 2.5 inches diagonally with a resolution of 320-by-240 pixels, which is slightly larger than the 2.15 diagonal screen and 260-by-240 pixel resolution of the Pearl 8130. The Pearl Flip 8230's screen is slightly larger than that of the Pearl at 2.4 inches with a resolution of 240-by-320 pixels, but not quite as big as the Curve.
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Price in 2009
As of September 2009, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 is no longer available through Verizon Wireless. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 retails for about $120 with a two-year contract agreement or purchased at a discount of $100 if done so through Verizon's website. Likewise, the BlackBerry Curve can be purchased for about $150 with a two-year contract and is also eligible for the $100 online rebate.
