CDMA BlackBerry Pearl 8130 includes video recording, plus two megapixel camera, GPS

Well, I must admit I’m surprised.  I didn’t think the just-announced Research in Motion (RIM) CDMA BlackBerry Pearl 8130 (see left) included video recording capability.  Since I went to the RIM Industry Analyst Summit — where RIM displayed some new/unannounced products, as I wrote in another weblog — I knew a new Pearl included an upgraded camera (compared with the 1.3 megapixel 8100) and GPS.

But I didn’t think video recording was incorporated.  In fact, I thought video recording wasn’t on RIM’s short-term roadmap.  Ever since RIM introduced its first camera-enabled handset, the 8100, I’ve been bugging RIM about why it didn’t include video recording.

When the 8300 was introduced, I kept asking RIM about video recording.  And I continued asking when the 8320 was introduced.

Learning more about BlackBerry recording

So now that RIM has debuted video recording I had to learn about it first in a press release.  I am embarrassed to have had to find it out that way.  I’m also embarrassed because at the RIM summit I don’t think I asked RIM specifically about whether video recording would be available on the new Pearls.  Shame on me.

I will, however, see if I can get more information about the decision behind offering recording capability.  I assume that since the 81xx series is the most consumer-oriented BlackBerry version, if RIM were going to offer video recording, a Pearl would be a logical first choice.

But because I’m a QWERTY keyboard guy, I’m more of a fan of the 83xx series.  I wonder if the 8320 I have could be upgraded via software to incorporate video recording.

Comments

[Alan A. Reiter]

Hi David,

I don't know if the 8130 (CDMA + GPS) or the 8120 (GSM + WiFi) use the same camera components as the 83xx series. I might be able to find out later this week.

I have just begun to take photos and videos with the 8120 and will establish a moblog for those photos in the next week or two.

I do know that RIM periodically improves the camera software. The 8320 photos are much better than the photos from the 8300 when it first came out.

Overall, the 8320 takes very nice photos. At least I think so.

Other camera phones can take good photos, too, especially if they are at least two megapixels. Even some 1.3 megapixel camera phones can take good photos.

Of course, photo quality is dependent on much more than just the number of pixels but on the quality of the sensor, quality of the software, etc.

[david]

does the 8130 use the same 2MP camera as the 8320? Your 8320 photos are surprising. I'm new to BB and don't know how much they vary their components from phone to phone.