RIM BlackBerry Pearl 3G 9105 review

As a device aimed perhaps at a younger audience than the traditional BlackBerry, it’s good to see the essentials on board such as a music and video player, with easy to use controls on the top of the device, and a 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera.

Also included is the latest version of BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, which seems to causing something of a buzz right now, especially among students. BlackBerry’s App World is improving all the time, but as yet can’t match the range or quality of what’s available in Apple’s App Store or the Android Market.

The Pearl 3G 9105 is a brave move for RIM, but also an obvious one. It’s a BlackBerry for those who watch Skins and Glee, rather than the frequenters of city wine bars and first class train compartments. It’s a proper grown-up BlackBerry for a whole new audience, but with business appeal too.

If RIM and its carrier partners get the price right – and we expect the 9105 to be free on a £25-per-month contract when it becomes available (hopefully) next month – then RIM is onto a winner.