BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Smartphone

The BlackBerry Pearl 2 has finally arrived, but are the improvements worth the bother? Research In Motion (RIM) gave Pocket-lint the new 8120 ahead of the launch to have a play and find out.

Like the previous Pearl, the 8120 looks more like a mobile than a traditional BlackBerry in order to appeal to that crucial consumer audience, but RIM promises it's still a BlackBerry at heart.

The shape and size might not have changed much (it's slightly bigger), but the new 91 gram Pearl offers plenty.

First off, yes you guessed it by that "20" in the model number, the new version features fully fledged Wi-Fi. Connection to available networks is easy and brings this smartphone into the 21st century. We had no problems in our testing hooking up to our office or home network, although we did notice a drain on battery power when Wi-Fi was used.

Why would you need a Wi-Fi option in a consumer device? Well we found it really handy for downloading applications for the 8120 like Google maps, something that is around 40MB in size and would cost you a small fortune in data charges. It also means that surfing is considerably faster and something that is an option rather than the poor GPRS surfing you'll experience over the phone.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 comes with Wi-Fi technology which allows the user to enjoy a wireless connection on their Smartphone which is dependent on the network provider's available services. The user can enjoy a high speed internet connection using a wireless connection & the handset comes with a HTML Internet browser complete with a built in RIM® wireless modem. The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 comes with built in Bluetooth™ technology & with a USB port which allows the user to connect to other compatible devices quickly & easily to transfer files & data. The user can experience high speed data transfers & transfer rates with the built in EDGE technology & GPRS. The Smartphone comes with 64 Mbytes of built in memory which is flash type memory. The user can extend their Smartphone's memory capabilities further by adding a memory card as the Pearl 8120 comes with MicroSD™ memory card support. The user can view documents in popular document formats including Microsoft™ documents (PowerPoint, Word & Excel). This business Smartphone supports BlackBerry Maps™. The rechargeable battery can provide up to 360 hours of battery standby time or approximately 4 hours of battery talk time from a full charge.

The user can experience a wireless email service on their BlackBerry Pearl 8120 which works like the users home or office computers email service with send, receive, forward, save & attachment features. The user can enjoy an online chat with other compatible instant messaging contacts which allows the user to enjoy a text chat with others that are online at the same time as the user. This Smartphone comes with easy to use & quick to access messaging features which allows the user to stay in contact with others at all times. The Smartphone comes with a text message service known as SMS messaging & a picture messaging service known as MMS. The user can user the QWERTY keyboard when inputting text which provides the user with a quicker method of text entry on their Smartphone. A vibration alert can be selected when the user does not want to be disturbed by a ringing phone which will allow the user to know when a message or call comes in but a subtle vibration of the handset. The user can take a call using the speaker call feature which allows the user to hear their contact over the handsets loud speakers which means the user does not have to hold the Smartphone to their ear during a call but can place in on their desk whilst talking. A security password protection allows the user to lock their BlackBerry Pearl 8120 to avoid other access the user's stored data.

A built in media player allows the user to play music & video on their new Smartphone. The user can hear the sound via a set f headphones for a private listening experience or via the built in speakers for a shared listening experience. A built in camera allows the user to capture either still pictures or record video footage using the 2 megapixel digital camera feature. The camera comes with useful camera setting & option which will ensure the user captures the perfect picture. A zoom function allows the user to zoom up closer to their target & a flash option allows the user to capture pictures in darker surroundings. The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 comes with easy to locate camera keys which allow the user to capture & record quickly when needed. The Smartphone comes with a small discrete mirror which allows the user to take a self portrait picture. The Pearl 8120 is a business user's best companion as it comes with user friendly business & communication focused feature as well as some fun features to keep the user entertained on their travels.

BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Specifications & Features

Screen
65k Colour Screen (240 x 260 Pixels)

Imaging
2 Megapixel Camera
Flash
Zoom
Self Portrait Mirror
Dedicated Camera Keys
Video Clip
Video Player
Video Recorder
Picture Wallpaper
Screensaver

Messaging
SMS (Text Messaging)
MMS (Multimedia Messaging)
Wireless Email with Attachments
Instant Messaging
Predictive Text Input

Sound
Media Player
MP3 Ringtones
Polyphonic & MIDI Ringtones
Microphone
Built in Speakers
Vibrating Alert
Speakerphone
Voice Dialing

Entertainment
Embedded Games
Downloadable Games

Organizer
Phone Book
Calendar
Alarm Clock
Memo Pad
Task List
Organizer
Trackball
QWERTY Keyboard
SureType® Keyboard Software
Document Viewer (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, PDF)
BlackBerry Maps™
Security Password Protection

Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth™
USB
GPRS
EDGE

Network
Quad Band Technology (GSM 850, GSM 900, GSM 1800 & GSM 1900)

Internet
HTML
RIM® Wireless Modem

Memory & Talk Time
64 Mbytes Flash Memory plus MicroSD™ Memory Card
4 Hours Talk Time
360 Hours Standby

Weight & Size
91 g
107 x 50 x 14 mm

For a start, you now get Wi-Fi as well as GPRS and GPRS/Edge connectivity. Out and about in mid-Kent, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 quickly found two or three Wi-Fi networks that we could log on to if we chose, helped by the fact that 02 has hitched itself to The Cloud.

02 minimizes the standard BlackBerry screen clutter by reducing the BlackBerry Pearl 8120's main screen to a selection of five main applications – Messages, the secondary email inbox set up for this trial, a dual SMS and MMS alert, Calendar and Address Book. Below this is the standard BlackBerry icon which you click on to access the more familiar BlackBerry screen.

As before, it’s a breeze to get online and to send and retrieve email. Prompts appear when needed – and only then. Most helpfully, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120's wireless radio icon now pops up to Manage All Connections. You’re asked whether you want to turn on the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Mobile Network or turn on the lot in one go.

For times when you need to get a handle on where you are, the Pearl has Maps built in. While no match for the detailed and more localized Vodafone Maps of the latest BlackBerry Curve, it's nonetheless a useful inclusion for anyone traveling long-distance and needing to get a fix on where they are.

This BlackBerry Pearl 8120 does multimedia far better too: the 2Mp camera (with 5x zoom selectable via the central roller ball navigator and automatic flash) produced some surprisingly good snaps, even in low light. The memory is now expandable too, via microSD card. Slot one in and you'll be able to capture video to it (you still only get 64MB flash memory onboard).