There has been much debate over which of the new smartphone devices being released this year is the best deal in terms of their price and features.  One of the more awaited is the Blackberry Pearl 9100. At times referred to as the Blackberry Striker or even the Blackberry Stratus, numerous rumors of the Pearl 9100 have been circling around for some time. Some of the more established features include a candybar look, a QWERTY keyboard pad and a 360×400 display monitor, suitable for holding and use with one hand. Fans of the Blackberry smartphones have been patiently waiting for the upgraded models since the 8100 series. Although the Pearl 9100 is due for release in just a few more weeks, there are mixed emotions.

The main concern for most that have been looking forward to the Blackberry Pearl is its price. Several companies such as Telus, Bell and Rogers have given a price of $449.99. This is for a smartphone purchased without a contract. Another option is purchasing the Blackberry Pearl for a three-year contract price of $79.99.

Besides the QWERTY keypad, makers of the Blackberry Pearl 9100 boast of its updated features such as a 256 MB of memory for applications as well as a 3.2 megapixel camera with an LED flash. Consumers have a choice of colors between black and pink although fans are hoping that there will be more choices.

With dummy versions currently being released, the Pearl 9100 is set to be available sometime in May. Telus has stated it will unveil the product on May 6^th. Some loyal fans are keeping their fingers crossed that it may be sooner rather than later. With the current prices released by various companies and the competition with other brands of smartphones, only time will tell if the public will receive the Blackberry 9100 as well as the previous models had in the past.