The latest edition of the BlackBerry Pearl, the 8120 brings support for T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service, which enables you to make calls from the GSM cellular network and then seamlessly transfer them to your Wi-Fi network. The Pearl 8120 continues to offer all the communication features that you've come to expect from Blackberry smartphones, including email served up by the BlackBerry Internet Service and a full menu of messaging options (SMS, MMS, and IM). Other features include a 2.0-megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth for both communication headsets and stereo music streaming, MicroSD expansion, digital audio player, speakerphone, and voice-activated commands and dialing.
More than just an email companion, the Pearl 8120 also offers a media player, 2.0-megapixel camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity--compatible with T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home.
T-Mobile Service With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you'll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi--at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA, and WPA2. Whenever you're not using a Wi-Fi network, this phone works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.
Additionally, this mobile phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.
This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.
Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today's hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.
Quickly and accurately type messages thanks to the SureType enhanced predictive text typing technology.
Phone Features Weighing just 3.21 ounces and just 0.55 inches thin, the Pearl 8120 manages to fit a QWERTY keyboard onto the handset's slim frame. Each button on the keyboard shares two letters and the unit automatically determines which letter is the intended one based on what it predicts you are trying to spell. This unique predictive text technology, known as SureType, makes the Pearl 8300's diminutive size possible. SureType also learns the words you use most often, further enhancing your typing speed.
It sports a large 240 x 260 screen that supports over 65,000 colors--plenty of real estate to view your e-mails, Web browser content, messaging sessions, and attachments. The venerable BlackBerry trackwheel has been replaced on this model with an innovative four-way trackball placed below the screen. On the rear of the handheld, you'll find a 2.0-megapixel camera and a self portrait mirror. The handheld's MicroSD memory card slot is located inside the device, behind the battery. There's also a standard 3.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset, as well as a mini-USB port for data connectivity.
The Pearl 8120 features an updated visual interface and integrates a new font rendering technology that displays characters with enhanced legibility at even the smallest point sizes. The BlackBerry Browser is further improved with a new "Page View" option that displays a full web page on the screen along with a magnifying glass that allows the user to quickly and accurately point and zoom in on a specific area of the web page. It also provides quicker access to Bookmarks and History.
With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).
This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, audio/video remote control, and sending of vCard calendar and contact info. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. With Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), you just say the word and the 8120 can initiate a call with anyone in your contact list. Plus, you can use VAD along with the built-in speakerphone or with a Bluetooth headset for hands-free dialing.
The integrated media player allows you to create and edit playlists right on the handset. The Pearl 8120 also features a 2-megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom and enhanced flash. The new camera also supports video capture in two resolutions: 240x180 or 176x144 for sharing via MMS.
Other features include:
Instant Messaging: Connect with your IM contacts using popular applications like Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk
Productivity Tools: View and update your calendar, schedule appointments, checks your task list and more while you're on the go. Also includes a calculator, alarm clock and memo pad.
Notification: Polyphonic, MIDI, MP3 ringtones plus vibrate mode
64 MB internal memory, expandable via MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB)
Downloadable BlackBerry Maps application provides directions and maps while on the road.
Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)
Vital Statistics The Blackberry Pearl 8120 weighs 3.21 ounces and measures 4.21 x 1.97 x 0.55 inches. Its 990 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 360 hours of digital standby time. It operates on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as Wi-Fi 802.11b/g networks using the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.0 / 5.0
eh not the phone for me:
Ill admit, I was never interested in blackberrys until I saw the blackberry pearl. I've always been more of a sidekick fan (which I still am by the way) but I first decided to go with the blackberry pearl over a sidekick because A) I got it for free off of a website with a new T-mobile contract and b) I loved the way it looked. It really is a nice looking phone. Sleek and shiny and smaller than any of the other blackberrys. But in my opinion, that's one of the only good things about it. After only... more info
Good - but could be better:
I like this bb. It has a LOT of features - truly amazing. It surfs the net quickly, the email service is best in class, and the phone is good. The speaker phone is very good, the camera takes passable photos, the video camera is ok, and the mp3 player is good. The unit is small and light. The net service is (again) very quick - and many main stream websites offer BB icon/shortcut downloads that speed things up even more. The wifi service is also very good, much quicker than I thought it would be and... more info
Don't buy into the hype. This "smartphone" is a dumb buy.:
If you have not yet bought a Pearl, then don't. I've had this almost two years and I can't wait till my contract is up so I can chuck this POS into a recycling box! Why? #1 Poor durability (and I'm easy on phones). I had this phone for a month when the button that holds the batter cover on popped off. It's a piece of plastic with a tiny spring the size of a toenail clipping. Somehow this was my fault and this sort of defect didn't fall under the manufacturer's warranty. AT&T, the Company I... more info
Burned by T-Mobile, dishonest lying company!!!:
This is not a review for the phone which is probably great. This is a rant about T-Mobile. T-Mobile had lied to me when I was going to the Carribean with my Black Berry. The Representative had told me that I would be charged according to the data used and instead signed me up for BB International Roaming, which is $19.99. The service had never worked, I wasn't able to recieve or send email, but this is not what this is about. Four months later I had opened a bill, which I usually don't do since the bill is... more info
