Canadian-based mobile company Research In Motion (RIM) has officially launched its latest handheld, the BlackBerry 8100 "Pearl". With a 1.3MP camera, music and video playback, and microSD expansion, RIM hopes the new 8100 will help them gain valuable market share with consumers. The new quad-band GSM phone will be available beginning September 12 from T-Mobile USA and during October from Rogers Canada.

Backhanded compliments are the order of the day for the 8100. While still a BlackBerry at heart -- RIM OS under the hood with a powerful push email system -- the consumer-oriented upgrades may make it a less desirable business handheld.

The most anticipated new feature for the 8100 is its integrated 1.3MP camera with flash. While snapshots are on-par with other camera phones (barring the new 2.0MP models, naturally) the 8100 lacks the ability to record video, or to shoot in burst or macro modes. Compression and white balance are adjustable, but the 8100's camera still suffers mild artifacting in indoor shots.

In addition to the camera, the other major consumer-targeted feature of the 8100 is the integrated media player. The media player is able to play music files in MP3, MIDI, AMR, WAV, and AAC formats -- though not files protected with Apple's FairPlay. Video is limited to H.263 and MPEG4 files, including DivX. Though a welcome addition, the media player has received universally negative reviews for its poor interface, clunky file-transfer, and lack of basic features such as shuffle or repeat.

To help emphasize the new 8100's media features, RIM has included a microSD expansion slot for storage. However, in a rather strange design reflection of Nokia's first-generation "N-Gage" device, the microSD slot has been placed under the battery. While RIM may not expect the card to be changed often, it appears as a removable hard drive when connected. In order for the 8100 to be taken seriously as a media player, an external slot is a necessity.

The 8100 mimics the slimmer form factor of the 7100 series. Wrapped in a shiny black and silver exterior, it uses RIM's SureType technology to squeeze two letters onto each key. While consumers used to sending SMS messages on the cramped 12-key phone pads may find it a modest but welcome increase in width, fans of the 72x0 series and its full 33-key keypad may instead opt for the more traditional BlackBerry 8700r.

Another new feature that may become a point of debate among BlackBerry devotees is the removal of the iconic scroll wheel. While previous models all used a wheel mounted on the right hand side of the device, the 8100 ditches this in favor of a trackball-like navigator directly below the screen. Though hardcore devotees may cry over the loss of their beloved wheel, it does allow for moving left and right without the use of a "hold shift and scroll" combination.

More pictures of the BlackBerry 8100 are available at RIM's media page, or at the Pearl's microsite, BlackBerryPearl.com. Reviews of the BlackBerry 8100 Pearl are available at BusinessWeek, CNET and PCMagazine