Review: BlackBerry Pearl Skins

By Melissa Oxendale
June 27, 2007

Having a new BlackBerry Pearl on hand means it's time to try out some new accessories. I recently got some protective skins for the BlackBerry from RIM. And, being indecisive, I went with a three pack; this way, if my mood changes, so does my color of my Pearl.

To start off with, these skins ($9.99) do not cover the keys nor the screen. If you want the display covered, a screen protector will be needed. Although I was using a case that covered the Pearl before - with plastic for protection - I found I can type much better with the bare keys under my fingers.

As for the skins, protection really aren't their forte; they don't really protect the tender parts: screen, buttons, keys, or camera. They basically takes a black or silver Pearl and gives it a different hue.

The one big bonus, the skins don't slide around like the smooth Pearl is prone to do. On a slight down side, this means the skin sometimes picks up bits of dust and other particles lying around. So far, I've found a swift wipe and it comes clean.

Another side effect to the non-slide skins, they can be a little tougher to get in and out of one's pocket, especially tight ones as we ladies often have. This can be nice, no worries about the Pearl falling out, but can be a pain when trying to get the Pearl out fast to answer a call.

All of the buttons and needed plugs are left uncovered by the skin, as is the camera, offering easy access. If you truelly want them protected, you'll need a case in addition to the skin.

The back of each skin has BlackBerry written across it, otherwise there are no markings or writing on any of them. I noticed the skins were snug around the top and bottom, but just a little lose on the sides. This ensures the skins can come on and off fairly easily. However, sometimes I found my fingers catching on the sides when using the phone.

Overall, I really liked the skins, especially because they enabled me to personalize my BlackBerry to fit me.