RIM’s Blackberry first clamshell, the Pearl Flip, is just out in the US. And the first reviews are hitting the web now. But we’ve done the hard work for you and found out what everyone’s saying…
Messaging: As you’d expect from a Blackberry, the integrated email, SMS etc. messaging is highly praised. “The number of ways in which you can send a ‘message’ with the Flip is bordering on the ridiculous” says Phonescoop.
Form factor: “On the bulky side” says Phonescoop, but light and well-balanced despite that. But “each half of the phone comes from a wildly different gene pool” says Gizmodo. The cheap, plastic bottom half is the problem.
Features: “QVGA display looks great” says Phonescoop. “Wi-fi for voice calls and faster browsing is useful (and should be on every phone),” says Wired. “The voice quality is just as good or better than calling over GSM.” Plus, as everyone pointed out, there’s no 3G. Most reviewers also pointed out that the Flip’s multimedia applications lagged behind other smartphone rivals.
Performance: “All-around laggy when switching between applications and after button presses” says Wired. And “sound quality is not great” adds Phonescoop.
Specs: Quad-band, 128MB onboard/microSD up to 16GB, QVGA 320×20 2.4″ screen, Bluetooth, 802.11 b/g wi-fi, 2MP camera, no 3G.
Summary: The flip will be popular in the US, where clamshell phones are the norm. But for our candy bar continent? It remains bettered by other Blackberry devices and their rivals.
Out TBC | £TBC | RIM
