Haier's tiny "Black Pearl"
Ridiculously small phones are picking up a good head of steam elsewhere, and Haier thinks that the US might finally be ready to experience that same level of frustration the next time your phone falls out of your pocket and into the couch. The upcoming Black Pearl (not to be confused with the larger, SureTyped, trackballed Pearl) lacks GSM 850, but that's not stopping the company from encouraging folks to pick 'er up unlocked here in the States and operate on GSM 1900 alone. For its 2.24-ounce, 3.5 x 1.25 x .75-inch frame, the lil' candybar packs a fair amount of punch with an MP3 player, FM radio, microSD slot, and OLED display on board. Now we only need to hope RIM doesn't decide the world needs an all-black Pearl, and we'll continue to enjoy the clarity in phone model naming conventions we're so accustomed to.
