BlackBerry Pearl 8220

The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 is a stylish and compact flip smartphone that hails from the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200 series that is small enough to be tucked into your pocket. The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 is preloaded with BlackBerry Maps and includes functions such as mobile streaming and video recording. Among some of its available features include a 2.0 mega pixel camera, integrated media player, video recording capability, preloaded BlackBerry Maps, wireless email, organizer, browser, phone, Corporate Data Access, and SMS/ MMS.
In terms of data input and navigation, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 has a TrackBall, and integrates both a SureType QWERTY keyboard as well as a numeric keypad. It also has keyboard backlighting. Voice input and output is through an integrated earpiece/ microphone, built-in speakerphone, as well as a 3.5 mm stereo headset jack. Besides that, it also incorporates Bluetooth v2.0 technology that can connect to Bluetooth enabled headsets, hands-free and serial port profiles. As for its 2.0 mega pixel camera, it supports JPEG encoding, has flash and digital zoom capabilities.

Specifications
In general, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 measures 101 mm x 50 mm x 17.5 mm (H x W x D) in dimension and weighs approximately 102 g. It also has an integrated media player that supports videos in formats including MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile H.263, and WMV, as well as audio formats including MP3, MIDI, AMR-NB, AAC/ AAC+/ eAAC+ and WMA. TheBlackBerry Pearl 8220 runs on a 900 mAhr removable/ rechargeable cryptographic lithium cell that provides up to 336 hours of standby time or 4 hours of talk time. In terms of ringtones and notifications, it support polyphonic/ MIDI ringtones, MP3 ringtones, vibration mode, and even has an LED indicator. For security purposes, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 has password protection and keyboard lock. It also has support for AES or Triple DES encryption when integrated with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. Not only that, it is FIPS 140-2 compliant and also has optional support for S/ MIME. Besides that, the BlackBerry Pearl 8220 also supports wireless networks including BlackBerry Traffic: 800/ 1900 MHz CDMA 2000 1X networks, CDMA 2000 1 X EV-DO support, Quad-band (850/ 900/ 1800/ 1900 MHz GSM) as well as GPRS and EDGE networks.

Reviews

“It’s been quite a year for Research In Motion. In 2008, the company debuted its premiere touch-screen BlackBerry, the RIM BlackBerry Storm as well as its first clamshell model, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220. While it didn’t draw quite the oohs and ahhs of the Storm or the BlackBerry Bold, there are still plenty of people who really like the flip phone design. In fact, according to RIM, about 70 percent of the cell phone-owning population in the United States has clamshell phones, which is why it wanted to provide this option to customers. Admittedly, the overall design of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip isn’t the flashiest, but it is functional. Plus, there’s plenty to like inside the device: an updated operating system and interface, document editing, Wi-Fi, strong e-mail support, and a 2-megapixel camera. It’s not for the power business users, but if you’re looking for your first smartphone or just want to keep tabs on your e-mail and have a penchant for flips phones, the Pearl Flip is a good option. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 will be sold through T-Mobile for a very reasonable $149.99 with a two-year contract and comes in two colours. The black model will be available on October 13, while the red model will be available around October 20. ” (CNET, 2008)

“The Pearl Flip would be a great introduction to the world of smartphones for occasional users. It offers an experience that can’t be replicated by a regular phone, and is competitive with most other smartphones. Although the full BlackBerry experience is somewhat lost on the smaller device, it definitely outperforms the original Pearl by virtue of having Wi-Fi and the updated OS. To check mail, access the Web, listen to music, and shoot occasional pictures and videos, this phone is a winner. However, power-users may want to skip out, or pick this up only for the weekends. Overall, the Pearl Flip not only offers excellent value given its rich features and compact flip form, but it comes backed with a reputable name and is competitively priced. The inclusion of GPS would have make this device hard to pass up, but generally speaking it isn’t lacking in software. For those pining for a smaller, powerful smartphone for everyday use, the Pearl Flip should be on your short list!” (BrightHand, 2008)

“With the BlackBerry KickStart it seems RIM has managed to achieve a form factor that is both Small yet BIG. It’s actually a little bit weird to experience at first. Sitting on the desk next to a pile of other smartphones (a few BlackBerrys, a Treo 680 and even an iPhone 3G) with its flip closed, the KickStart “seems” small. With the exception of the Treo 680, the KickStart is definitely the thickest of the bunch, but the width and height of the device is obviously much smaller and the black face with chrome-colored edging makes it look tight. Despite the extra thickness added to the device from having a flip, the KickStart should be small enough to fit into most people’s pockets inconspicuously. Busting out the measuring tape, with the flip closed the KickStart comes in at ~ 4″ long, just under 2″ wide and about 11/16ths of an inch thick.” (Device Reviewed, 2008)