BB Pearl 8130 at Alltel

Alltel today became the latest US carrier to pick up the BlackBerry Pearl 8130, the first version of the slim smartphone for CDMA networks. While coming in black similar to the Sprint version, Alltel's model and takes advantage of the phone's central GPS feature for any number of navigation services rather than the carrier's; users can plot driving routes with phone designer Research in Motion's own BlackBerry Maps or pay for a subscription service such as TeleNav, the provider emphasizes.

The Alltel version will also have the full media feature set, with a 2-megapixel camera, an externally accessible microSDHC slot for storing 8GB or more of music and videos, and an improved music-specific experience with better media player software and a native 3.5mm headphone jack.

The carrier is unspecific about the release date for the 8130 on its 3G network, saying only that the phone will be available "for the holidays." Pricing, however, is fixed at $150 when the updated Pearl is bought alongside a two-year contract.

By Electronista Staff