BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 (silver, Verizon Wireless)

CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars

Very good

Average User Rating

4.0 stars

11 reviews

Starting at: $35.70

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CNET Editors' Review

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CNET Editors' Rating

3.5 stars Very good

Design: 7.0
Features: 7.0
Performance: 7.0

Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
Released on: 07/19/2009
Reviewed on: 07/16/2009

The good: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 offers 3G, GPS, good call quality, and BlackBerry's strong e-mail capabilities. The clamshell smartphone also has a 2-megapixel camera and supports BlackBerry App World.

The bad: The smartphone lacks Wi-Fi, and the SureType keyboard takes some acclimation and isn't ideal for heavy e-mail users.

The bottom line: While not the flashiest or the most feature-rich device, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip for Verizon Wireless is a decent and affordable choice for first-time smartphone buyers.

Review:

Editors' note: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 for Verizon Wireless is similar to T-Mobile's RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220. For this review, we will be concentrating on the performance and different features of the Verizon version. For a full description of the smartphone's design, please see our review of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 for T-Mobile.

While the RIM BlackBerry Tour is currently the shining star in Verizon's lineup of BlackBerrys, one size does not fit all. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 offers an alternative to the carrier's customers with its clamshell design. The smartphone isn't quite as feature-rich as the Tour, lacking world-roaming capabilities and having a lesser camera, but it still delivers the BlackBerry e-mail experience and plenty of other goodies--just in a smaller, cheaper package. Like the Tour, the Pearl Flip won't suit everyone but it's a great device for those buying their first smartphone or BlackBerry. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 is available now from Verizon Wireless for $79.99 with a two-year contract.

We tested the dual-band (CDMA 800/1900) in San Francisco using Verizon Wireless service and call quality was mostly good. We enjoyed clear sound and plenty of volume with very little to no background interruption. On the other side, our friends were mostly complimentary, though there were some occasional complaints about some distortion that made our voice sound robotic. Caller were quite impressed with speakerphone quality, however, and said it was even better than regular voice calls. We were also quite happy, as the speakerphone delivered good performance.

We paired the smartphone with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones. Using the phone's 3.5mm headphone jack, we also plugged in our Bose On-Ear Headphones for a pleasurable music-listening experience. Unfortunately, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip does not support Verizon's V Cast music or video services.

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Bonnie Cha

Bonnie Cha is chief correspondent for Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.

Follow @bonnieCNET

User Reviews

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Average User Rating

4.0 stars out of 11 user reviews

Rating Breakdown

5 star: 6
4 star: 4
3 star: 1
2 star: 0
1 star: 0

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Most Helpful User Review

4.5 stars 3 of 3 users found this review helpful

"BB power in a nice small package - overall great phone" Jul 30, 2009, 5:35 pm By techie1234

Pros flip, nice music player, standard headset jack, SureType

Cons smallish screen, GPS locked to VZNav, slow, SureType

Summary I have had this phone for about a month and here are my observations. I really like FLIP phones so this fit right into my style. There is no way to accidentally dial anyone while in your pocket - ever (I know the candy bar phones have keyboard locks but ... Expand full review

Summary: I have had this phone for about a month and here are my observations. I really like FLIP phones so this fit right into my style. There is no way to accidentally dial anyone while in your pocket - ever (I know the candy bar phones have keyboard locks but they do not always work correctly or they can by chance get unlocked if you press just the right combination of keys while in your pocket). The flip also protects the main screen too. GPS worked well, but was locked to VZNav (could not use Google maps with GPS - only cell tower triangulation) - Why does Verizon do this!? Can anyone say annoying!. The phone is a true BlackBerry with all the great things about BB phones - email, web, apps, etc. The built in music player is great. I like the standard headphone jack. Since it runs on EVDO-rev 0 its a bit slower internet connection than rev A phones (but the Bolt browser runs great on this phone). The inside screen is a bit small (although its the same size as the Tour screen on its side - 2.4"). One thing about all BB phones is that they don't come with repeat audible alerts for missed calls or messages (only the LED). I know there is a simple app that can solve this problem for a few bucks, but can anyone say annoying - my 4 year old LG phone did this right out of the box. The battery life was fine for my usage. Verizon coverage is great as we all have come to expect. The SureType keyboard is both a plus and negative. It takes some getting use to (and some will never be comfortable with it), but it allows the keyboard to be narrow and makes one handed operation easier than a full QWERTY. Overall, I like this phone enough to keep, I'm hoping the next verison of this phone is a dual flip with e-ink keys like the Alias 2. Add a bigger interior screen and you've got a real winner.

Updated on Aug 9, 2009

UPDATE: "fmarzz" asks me to compare VZW to TM coverage. It really depends on where exactly you use your phone. I can tell you that MOST places I go VZW gives better coverage than any other carrier (I travel a lot with the boy scouts to some remote places and dad's who have service from carriers other than VZW get MUCH LESS coverage than I do). But if your VZW phone does not work in your house or office that would be most annoying. So as I said it really depends on your exact location - sometimes a difference of a block or two might make a difference. I've had VZW for several years now and I've been impressed. - Oh and by the way I bought a Bluetooth GPS (Qstarz brand ~$50) and now I can use Google maps with exact GPS location (no longer limited to cell tower trianglulation).