Chicago (IL) - Research in Motion's new Blackberry Pearl went on sale yesterday and we were lucky enough to pick up one of the much praised devices at a local T-Mobile store. Read our first impressions during the first hours with the new jewel, which aims to push RIM into the consumer market.

Click to start the Blackberry 8100 Pearl video ...

Yes, I admit, technology journalists have a certain advantage to get early access to new hardware and software and are often the first ones, outside the manufacturer, to play with gadgets. The Blackberry 8100 is an attarctive gadget and if it wasn't a phone, we probably would have already had a look at the device, given the attention it got during its official announcement.

But we typically write very little about cellphones. In this case, I'll make an exception. It just happened that my personal Treo 600 phone simply died last week and I needed a replacement for a smartphone I loved (the keyboard and address book) and hated (its reliability). Since the newer Treos are either not available anymore (T-Mobile) or ridiculously priced (Cingular), I decided it was time to depart from my habit to use outdated phones and get something that is more appropriate for a tech journalist.

The decision what to get wasn't that difficult. One could hardly have missed all the praises published about RIM's new Blackberry last week. So I took my chances and bought a Blackberry 8100 Pearl at a local T-Mobile store for $250.

The first impression

Holding the Pearl in your hands for the first time is an impressive experience, at least if you are coming from a Treo 600. Encased in piano black and shiny silver plastic, the phone looks as expensive: Slightly larger than a first-generation Ipod nano, sleek design, a thin and light (3.1 ounces) form factor and a very solid, high-quality feel.

Turn it on and you'll be greeted by a color screen with clean user interface. The resolution of the display is crisp enough to allow the use of a unique serif font without impacting the readability of content. The keyboard layout is similar to the preceding 7130-series Blackberries and is easy to understand.

If you have wondered why the 8100 is named "Pearl" and whether it's just another far-fetched brand just like "Blackberry", then you are wrong. There's an actual pearl-like trackball integrated into the keyboard. It serves as the main navigation device and - thanks to a bright white LED located right behind it - lights up the simple, translucent ball. The result is a unique, pearl-like look that nicely complements the stylish appearance of the device.

There's an actual "pearl": The 8100's trackball is illuminated by a white LED

Spec sheet

The 8100 is a dramatically different than previous Blackberry devices. The phone packs a complex feature set that includes SMS and MMS support, a 1.3 megapixel camera, audio and video playback, Bluetooth connectivity, integration of RIM's map service (which requires a connection to a GPS-enabled device) and a slot for a micro SD flash card. Typical Blackberry features such as corporate data access and wireless email and instant messaging are present and appear to be rather add-ons than key characteristics of the device.

The Pearl is equipped with 64 MB of memory, promises a 15-day standby battery time and a 3.5-hour talk time and has the previously mentioned 65K color, 240x260 pixel display. Included with the phone are a USB cable and a simple wire-based headset, which doesn't quite fit to the Pearl's overall high-end look and feel.