A Whole New Kind of Blackberry Smartphone, the Pearl Flip 8220
September 10, 2008
Blackberry smartphones that RIM originally designed for email use were not exactly fashion items. They were not meant to be. Since those days of email-only focus, Blackberry has become so successful that the company is ready to attract new customer groups for its popular smartphones. The Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 may not be the smallest flip phone around, because it comes with a qwerty keypad, but it is stylish. The quad-band GSM phone has Wi-Fi, EDGE mobile data, 2 megapixel camera, and MP3 player.
It is very rare to come across a flip phone (or clamshell, as some people like to call them) that has a keypad where you can readily type both letters and numbers. The qwerty keypad on the Blackberry Pearl Flip also means that the device isn't the smallest flip phone in the market. Nonetheless, the fresh look of the phone makes it an attractive choice for people who never would hold the bulky traditional Blackberry in the hand.
It is also somewhat surprising that the Pearl Flip has plenty of features, but mobile data connectivity is 2G only. It is a GSM phone with EDGE data communication capability – there's no high-speed 3G on the phone. On the other hand, it comes with Wi-Fi which means free or low-cost high-speed Internet access from places that share their hotspots. The Pearl Flip can receive live video feed from the Internet from pages that stream it in 3GPP RTSP format.
Blackberry 8220 Pearl Flip Key Features and Specifications:
- Quad-band GSM world phone.
- EDGE mobile data network connectivity.
- UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) telephone service. If your mobile phone network provides UMA, you can use both the GSM and Wi-Fi access for phone calls. Calls are automatically connected via one or the other network. More details about the UMA technology in this article.
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g WLAN for high speed Internet access and VoIP calls.
- RIM has designed its own SureType qwerty keyboard for the Pearl Flip.
- Blackberry email (up to 10 accounts), text messaging and instant messaging.
- Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents can be viewed on the device using the DataViz Documents to Go software suite.
- HTML browser software for viewing Web pages.
- Voice features include conference calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, and voicemail attachment playback.
- Internal display has 240 x 320 resolution. Both the external and internal displays can sense amount of light and adjust brightness accordingly. The external display can show preview of incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without having to open the handset.
- 2 megapixel camera with flash. Video capture.
- BlackBerry Media Sync application included. It allows you to sync your iTunes music library on a PC with the Pearl Flip. The smartphone can't play copy-protected AAC tracks purchased from iTunes Store, but can play MP3 songs.
- MP3 tracks can be used as ringtones.
- MicroSD memory card slot which is compatible with SDHC memory cards as well.
- USB 2.0 interface for PC connectivity. Blackberry Desktop Manager for managing media on a PC and for syncing with the smartphone.
- Bluetooth 2.0 wireless connectivity.
- Dimensions 3.9 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches. Weight 3.6 ounces.
- Battery life up to 4 hours (talk time), up to 14 days of standby time.
Ringtones for the Pearl Flip
Blackberry has a dedicated ringtone download service at mobile.blackberry.com that you can access directly from the phone's web browser application.
If you already have a music library on your PC, you can use the Mobicious service to create your own ringtones. Here's a brief guide to the Mobicious ringtone creator. It is easy to extract music from CDs, save tracks on the PC, and use favorite songs as source material for creating personal ringtones.
Downloadable Applications
Additional Java applications can be downloaded to the Pearl Flip from mobile.blackberry.com. Go to the page with your Blackberry to download applications directly to the phone.
Internet services compatible with the device:
A wide range of useful and fun services for the Pearl Flip can be found in this directory of Internet sites designed for mobile devices.
Competitive products:
Some alternative products to the Blackberry Pearl Flip are the HTC Touch Dual, Motorola Moto Q9, Nokia E66, and the Sony Ericsson P1.
Rate the product:
johnny 11.09.2008 06:57 www.mobiew.net
Well it looks nice but is huge..
James 26.09.2008 19:27
Very nice. My 8310 buttons are small, easily and accidentally pressed; I always liked my Razr, but wanted more features, so Blackberry + flip is good. But I'll wait until it includes GPS.
storm 30.10.2008 05:55 www.fommy.com/blackberry-storm-9530.htm
Blackberry Storm is the world’s first touchscreen Blackberry. It packs a 3.2 megapixel camera, visual voicemail, built in GPS and it’s VZ navigation capable. Th BB Storm has a high resolution of 480 x 360 pixels, the highest produced by RIM. There are 6 videos out for storm, showing various functions and features, have a look and if you want to buy a unlocked version go to this link. More specs down below.
michael 16.03.2009 11:45
the blackberry 8100 is a piece of rubbish... To access its memory and add music etc to it you have to download blackberry desktop... a 218 meg download. I mean.. my old samsung gave you the appropriate software with the phone and it installled from 3 megs... What are these apes thinking