*EDIT* Some of my initial problems with the phone have spontaneously resolved themselves since this review was initially written...see below.This is a great phone, but there seems to be a really high incidence of lemons with this model, judging from my experience and from the reviews I've seen, so be aware of this when you buy it. To cite one (apparently common) example, my battery will not last more than six hours at a time without needing to be recharged. This hasn't occured with my husband's BB Pearl, however. [EDIT: A few weeks after I began using the phone, this issue was resolved, possibly due to an automatic firmware update of some kind. I have not had the problem since and now the battery lasts several days without a recharge, even though I frequently use the internet and play games on it!]The Blackberry Pearl has a clean, attractive interface and is easy to learn to use, though if you have trouble with technology or get scared when there are lots of options in a menu, this probably isn't the right phone for you.Things that particularly distinguish this model from other phones:* The trackball (How did I ever do without this feature? It's great!)* The size (slim, light, and not awkwardly shaped)* The keyboard (easy-to-use, SO much nicer than trying to text on a regular phone keypad)* The predictive-text capability (I've never had a phone where this feature actually worked, on the BB Pearl, it's quick, intuitive, and accurate)Positives:* Makes text-messaging incredibly easy* Great sound and reception (I'm north of Seattle, and though we'd constantly drop calls with Verizon, we haven't yet lost one with T-Mobile)* Extremely crisp, clear, bright display* Password feature, which I prefer to the "push two buttons to unlock my phone" standard.* Built-in support for common instant messaging programs* Light flashes different color for different types of messages (green for text message, pink for IM, etc.) and when my battery is low* Good volume range and easy, accessible volume adjustmentNegatives:* Awful battery life on some phones [Seems to have been resolved as of December 2006.]* Flimsy setup for SIM card and memory card* Can supposedly handle movie files, but tends to freeze up at anything over a couple of megs* Menu interface can be clumsy if you have a lot of games or applications, since there's no submenu feature I can find* Even with a converter, I haven't been able to get sound in both ears for the music player...haven't had a music phone before, so I don't know how common this is.* Mediocre cameraI wouldn't recommend the phone to people who just want baseline cell phone functionality (there are probably better models for that), who want a full-fledged media phone, or who need full-featured PDA-type functionality. It's sort of a middle point that works well for those of us who want a little of everything.