BlackBerry Pearl from at

Well, I finally did it…sold my iPhone. I am just amazed at how eBay works…I put the phone up for bidding, and in three days, I was shipping it to a lucky guy in California.

Since the phone was also my iPod, I was in need of a replacement. The Lord blessed me with enough off the sale of the iPhone to buy an iPod Touch (with money left over!). It’s really cool! (right) The “iTouch” is really an iPhone – without the phone! It has all the touch screen stuff and wi-fi that I loved about the iPhone.

So, why did I get rid of the iPhone? Because I had bought it and signed up for a package with AT&T when it first came out on June 29th. I have been with Verizon Wireless (and it’s lineage of companies) since 1992 and quickly realized just how much better (IMHO) that the CDMA service of Verizon sounds than the GSM services of AT&T. Therefore, I sold the iPhone and shut off my AT&T service and now am back on my Verizon phone line (which I kept open, just in case).

Now, my phone on Verizon is the Blackberry Pearl 8130 (left)…it is totally awesome. I feel better about this phone than any phone I’ve ever had. I love the form factor – it’s small, but powerful. It didn’t take me but about an hour to get used to the “Truetype” system for emails/texts.

Of course the Blackberry platform is far and away better than anything I’ve seen for handling emails. Since I do much more emails and texts than phone calls, this is very important to me.

So, I have my “Pearl” and my “iTouch”, and am a happy camper!!

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Tags: iPhone, iPod Touch, Blackberry Pearl 8130, Verizon Wireless

Alltel Wireless has announced the availability of the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 from Research in Motion.

“The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 will be a great addition to our smartphone lineup, allowing our customers to stay connected, productive and entertained while on the go,” Brian Ullem, director of device strategy for Alltel Wireless, said in a statement. “This new BlackBerry Pearl 8130 blends multimedia functionality with the BlackBerry e-mail platform to create a smartphone that exceeds expectations.”

Alltel Wireless will be offering the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 for $150 after a $100 mail-in-rebate at Alltel retail stores nationwide and online at www.shopalltel.com. This price is only available with a 2-year service agreement.

Verizon Wireless and Research In Motion (RIM) announced the Nov. 3 online availability of the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 at www.verizonwireless.com. The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 will be in Verizon Wireless Communications stores on Nov. 8. For the customer who wants to balance work and play, the world’s first CDMA-enabled BlackBerry Pearl gives Verizon Wireless customers wireless broadband connectivity to the office while enabling them to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues.The new smartphone builds upon the highly acclaimed and iconic BlackBerry Pearl design with new features and functionality to provide customers with powerful communications, rich multimedia and support for high-speed EV-DO networks in a style that goes from day to evening in one slim and small package.

Available to Verizon Wireless customers in an exclusive silver color and backed by the power of the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 offers powerful communications with premium phone features, e-mail and messaging and more. With its built-in navigation capability, the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 can take customers wherever they want to go with mapping, audible turn-by-turn navigation and access to information on more than 14 million points of interest. In addition, the BlackBerry Pearl offers the following capabilities and features:

* Wireless broadband (EV-DO) connectivity for high-speed data transfers, perfect for fast Web browsing and downloading large attachments

* A sleek, compact design in an exclusive silver color finish; measures 4.2″ x 2.0″ x .55″ and weighs only 3.4 oz

* Open and view e-mail attachments with support for the most popular formats

* Premium phone features including Voice Activated Dialing, speakerphone and noise and echo cancellation technology for clearer calls

* 2.0 megapixel camera, with flash and 5x zoom, able to record video

* Video and picture messaging capable Built-in navigation to support the location-based application, VZ NavigatorSM, developed by Networks in Motion, with map data provided by Navteq

* Advanced media player and enhanced desktop media manager software allowing a customer to easily manage music and pictures between their PC and the BlackBerry Pearl 8130

* 3.5 mm stereo headphone included in the box

* Externally accessible microSD/SDHC memory card slot for additional storage (up to 8 GB) * An enhanced user interface with new font-rendering technology that makes text easier to read and Web pages visually richer

* Enhanced Web browser delivering a fast, rich browser experience and support for streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com (3GPP RTSP streaming protocol over EV-DO)

* SureType keyboard technology that makes typing and dialing fast and easy and includes a new word completion capability, easier editing of misspelled words, and built-in spell checker * Bluetooth 2.0 in support of hands-free headsets, stereo headsets (Bluetooth stereo audio profile A2DP/AVRCP), car kits and other Bluetooth accessories * A removable and rechargeable battery, rated for up to 220 minutes of talk time and up to 216 hours of standby time

The  will be available online and in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores, including those in Circuit City, for $249.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement. With the launch of the BlackBerry Pearl, Verizon Wireless is also introducing new Nationwide E-mail and Web for BlackBerry customers providing them with unlimited data for an additional $29.99 per month on top of a voice plan. Customers who choose a data only plan pay $34.99 per month. Both plans provide access up to 10 POP3 and IMAP e-mail accounts via BlackBerry Internet Service.

“With its unique blend of functionality and design, the BlackBerry Pearl smartphone has been turning heads and winning praise from business users and consumers alike,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.  “The new BlackBerry Pearl 8130 builds on all the great features and aesthetic design that people love about the BlackBerry Pearl and offers an exceptional new choice for CDMA customers that are looking to upgrade their mobile phone.”

The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 includes all of the features that have made BlackBerry® smartphones popular among mobile users, including unrivaled email and messaging (SMS, IM, MMS*), web browsing, organizer and more. The new smartphone also expands on its communications and multimedia features and presents the entire offering with a striking new software interface.