I have the Samsung SCH-i760 for Verizon. It's ok. Some really annoying bugs/design problems, so I'm selling it and considering the 8130.

What do you guys think of the 8130?

I originally purchased the 8100 Pearl & 8310 Curve on AT&T and I returned the 8100 for the the 8820. The main reason is the 8100 keyboard is too small for my hands and the non full qwerty keyboard just wasn't working and wasn't going to work out for me. So I kept the 8310 (still pretty small GSM & GPS) as my corp device and the 8820 (WiFi, GSM, GPS) as my personal daily driver.

I have a few coworkers using the 8130 on Verizon and they love it they came from regular phones and they find the keyboard to work for them (its all about personal preferences). So small, thin pretty good features I'd say its worth a run.

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My PDA & SmartPhone History: Palm Vx; M505;TungstenT; NX60; iPaq 1910; I700; Treo 600; hx4700; MPx220; hw6515, Treo 700w, XV6700,, Treo 700p, Moto Q Black, Moto Q9h, BlackBerry 8310 & BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm 9530.

I just picked up the 8130 after spending a couple of weeks with an i730, and then a Q. I have come to realize that I do not want a PDA phone, and although I really liked the Q, the battery life was crap. (and by crap I mean the battery wouldn't get me through the day, and yes there are extended batteries, but then the phone becomes much larger)

So far the 8130 is the best phone i've ever owned. it is really nice to see the creativity a company comes up with when they aren't tied to verizons stupid menu system and phone cripple (the gps is crippled with the built in blackberry maps, but works good with google maps)


I really like the small size, but at the same time it is somewhat difficult to type one handed. this is because the area for the keyboard is in the lower 1/3rd of the phone. But in the same token, the 'sure type' thing is very smart and works really well. I have had a few instances when it tried to CAPITALIZE a letter in a username when I didn't want it to, but so far it has quickly learned some of the common domain names and usernames I type in on websites.

I really liked the size of the Q, and wished that the 8830 had a camera. That is the only thing that pointed me to the 8130 and not the 8830 (at verizon)


Here are a few plusses and minuses of the phone.

• Plusses
• Non Verizon Menus
• the only thing crippled by verizon is the GPS (but, the gps works on google maps) (you can do all OBEX profiles)
• Battery life is really good for a smart phone that does email non stop
• high level of menus and options available without having to go into hidden "##" menus
• the 'sure type' works very well, and is very smart (as long as I hit the right letter keys)
• call quality sounds very good, best phone I've ever talked on (not sure about the other end of the call though)
• fairly decent camera, with really bright flash.... however indoor pictures will most certainly always need the flash
• very small phone, large screen
  
• Minuses
• I would rather have a normal qwerty keyboard
• almost too small, difficult to hold on to and type with one hand
• must have BB internet service with VZW, other smart phones can function without data plan

Hopefully 2008 will bring a CDMA version of the 83xx Curve family offering a small phone with a full qwerty keyboard and GPS.

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My PDA & SmartPhone History: Palm Vx; M505;TungstenT; NX60; iPaq 1910; I700; Treo 600; hx4700; MPx220; hw6515, Treo 700w, XV6700,, Treo 700p, Moto Q Black, Moto Q9h, BlackBerry 8310 & BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm 9530.

Pearl is nice, but it will jam on you now and then. Overall it is really nice, and if I wasn't so married to WM6 and the software, I would use it in a heartbeat.

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Jeremiah 29:11

I just can't get used to the double-function keys on the Pearl. I am sure if I tried long enough, I would get used to knowing when it was going to figure out a work correctly and when I was using one that isn't in its dictionary and I have to go to manual mode, and I would also learn to quickly use manual selection of which letter I am actually typing, but I hate needing to adapt to the device. It should adapt to me, so full Qwerty on the i760 is it for me.

Alan

if they had a curve for verizon i'd be all over it (I'd even be all over the 8830, it just doesn't have a camera).


Overall, I have been very impressed with the double letter keys. There are a few signs that the BB people thought things through very well...


for example if I hit the "TY" key and a T comes up, if I backspace that T away, and hit the TY key again, this time a Y will come up.

I am also very impressed at how it learned usernames and web urls I frequently type in.

They are really 2 different animals.

For me, WM was always a love/hate relationship, and I was looking for something more easy and ready.
It's a totally one-handed phone, and I think I can be just as fast as with a full qwerty in 2 weeks or so. Let's see.

I just think it's worth a try, unless you like the bulk, which i got tired of (Samsung i-730).
This one doesn't scream "geek".

I posted more here:
http://pdaphonehome.com/forums/blackberry-pearl-81xx/94767-verizon-8130-outlook-sync.html#post706354

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have you read the latest posts on www.NextInWireless.com ?

I have both right now. Not sure if I will keep the Pearl also - really like the small size but I can't imagine giving up a Windows Mobile OS for any BB.

OK, imagine this:
Your WM phone drops into the toilet.

At first, you are freaked out, then you start to think about it:
no more constant soft resets
no more active sync glitches
no more requirement to almost always use 2 hands to do anything
no more depending on a company that is asleep at the wheel to update their software
no more brick in your pocket (or on your belt, you geek!)
no more girlfriends who's eyes glaze over when you loan them your phone to make a call (lol)
no more being a slave to your phone rather then the opposite

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have you read the latest posts on www.NextInWireless.com ?

Hi, I'm considering the 8130 (or maybe the 8830) Can someone clarify the GPS functionality, if any, that you get without paying Verizon $10 a month?
Thanks!

I had an i760 from a week or so after it came out. I could not live with a two handed phone. the i730 worked well for me. i just paid full retail to get rid of the i760. so far the pearl 8130 has been great. its small, battery will go all day with heavy use, sounds better, picks up signals in areas were my 760 would not, good size collection of free and pay 3rd party apps, did i say how small it is. it does have some down sides. the keys were hard to get use to and the browser is a little goofy. I am new to BB so it took a few days to get it all figured out. (there is 2 pieces of software to install to make your BB work with your computer. it took me a day to realize this) over all i am a happy camper.


As far as the GPS, $10 a month with VZW or bluetooth gps reciever

Bought the wife a Pearl for Vday.

Nice phone, there's no questions about it.

But I don't think it holds a candle to my i760 sir.

:mikey:

I will say as a former WM user on hiatus that the BB world has a different set of user needs and focus than say WM, POS or even Symbian. BB is all about email and is now getting into the content side. The problem is, its not easy to get RIM to move their butts on this. The Pearl does a good job and the upcoming OS 4.5 (formerly OS 4.3.1) will make significant jumps.

deadpixel did you get a Red or Pink one?

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My PDA & SmartPhone History: Palm Vx; M505;TungstenT; NX60; iPaq 1910; I700; Treo 600; hx4700; MPx220; hw6515, Treo 700w, XV6700,, Treo 700p, Moto Q Black, Moto Q9h, BlackBerry 8310 & BlackBerry 8820, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Storm 9530.