A Smart Phone for Dummies

By Wilson Rothman

Although many lawyers and bankers refer to their Research in Motion (RIM) BlackBerrys as "CrackBerrys," the addiction hasn't spread to ordinary consumers. But the new BlackBerry Pearl is the company's first serious attempt to hook the masses with features that high-paid professionals and businesspeople disdain--a built-in camera and an integrated MP3 player. T-Mobile, known for its low rates, is the Pearl's initial carrier. The Pearl costs $200 after rebates; unlimited e-mail and Web-browsing service will cost $20 a month, provided it's coupled with any standard voice plan. A 600-min. plan will cost $60 a month.

By comparison, Verizon Wireless sells its Motorola Q smart phone for the same price but charges $80 a month for unlimited data and just 450 min. of talk. It's likely that Cingular will soon be selling Pearls and that Verizon Wireless and Sprint will one day offer a similar BlackBerry--but you may never again find a monthly rate this good.

Most important, the Pearl is a model of consumer-friendly design. RIM says it's one of the smallest smart phones, and it's thinner than most dumb phones too. Our tests revealed surprisingly long battery life and surprisingly easy e-mail setup as well. We installed AIM, Gmail and Yahoo! and could view all incoming mail simultaneously or by account.

As on corporate BlackBerrys, e-mails appear on the device as soon as they are received. Our only problem was that Microsoft's Hotmail was not compatible, although its MSN Messenger, like AIM and Yahoo!, could be accessed through the Pearl's instant-messaging program. The keyboard, which overlays QWERTY onto a standard-looking number pad, was remarkably good at anticipating what word or phrase we meant to type before we were done. With Bluetooth wireless connectivity, voice dialing and a new application that lets you zoom and swoop all over a U.S. road map, the complete package is so seductive, we might soon find ourselves joining CrackBerrys Anonymous.

For more, check out Wilson's weekly column at time.com/gadget