BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for T-Mobile video review

BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for T-Mobile video review

I spent a week with the newest Pearl, the 8120 for T-Mobile. It's got WiFi, HotSpot@Home, and a 2MP camera. The 8120 also features video recording and a standard headphone jack so the device can be used as a media player.

Unlocked #5: Motorola Z9, BlackBerry 8120, Nokia N82 and SE K850i

The post-CTIA onslaught has begun! Check out some of the new handsets in the PhoneDog office, including the MOTO Z9 slider phone, BlackBerry Pearl 8210, Nokia N82, and SE K850i and w890i. Also, we preview two new iPhone cases.

BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium in-depth review - At a Glance

What’s Good: Integrated WiFi for Web, Email, and HotSpot@Home UMA Calling; Trackball is easy to use; Integrated IM Clients; Second-to-None Push Email; 2MP Camera with Flash; 3.5 mm Headphone Jack; Compact Size What’s Not Good: OS Menus and Fonts Remind me of 1989; SureType QWERTY board will be too small for some; Video capture quality is mediocre Bottom Line: T-Mobile’s new Pearl takes a good thing and makes it better by way of integrated Wi-Fi networking for data access and T-Mob’s...

BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium in-depth review - Introduction

About a year and a half ago I reviewed the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8100 for T-Mobile.  I didn’t really like it all that much, mainly because the keyboard was a bit small for my hands and thumbs, I found the OS ugly and the handset itself felt a bit cheap to me.  Now T-Mobile’s gone and sent me their new Pearl, the 8120, and I took to testing and reviewing it with an open mind.  Seems both the phone and the reviewer have grown up just a little bit in those 18 months or...

BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium in-depth review - Design & Features

Perhaps the best thing about Pearl is how it packs all of the functionality of its big brother, the BlackBerry Curve, into a device that’s the size and shape of a standard candybar phone.  Small and slim enough to tuck into a pocket, Pearl doesn’t feel like a smartphone when you hold it or carry it around.  It looks like a regular ol’ cellphone, not some uber-geeky device (or traditional BlackBerry) - at least until you glimpse at all those buttons on the front panel. Pearl’s...

BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium in-depth review - Usability & Performance

I tested the Pearl 8120 on T-Mobile’s GSM network in the San Francisco Bay Area, and also used the device for UMA calling on the WiFi networks at my house, in my office, and in a few hotspot locations.  Pearl’s performance on voice calls was generally excellent, with only minimal complaints of background hiss from the people I talked to.  The UMA functionality boosted call quality - particularly in locations like my house where T-Mobile reception is less than full strength - and...

BlackBerry RIM Pearl-8120 Titanium in-depth review - Conclusion

RIM did a lot to bring the smartphone to a mass market with the introduction of the BlackBerry Pearl a few years ago.  Combining their legendary Email support with trackball navigation, a media player and camera, and a compact form factor made the Pearl an instant success and spawned its big brother, the Curve, for those who needed a bigger keyboard along with all those consumer-friendly goodies. This latest wave of Pearls improves upon the originals in small but meaningful ways, and...

Unboxing and hands-on: RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 for T-Mobile

Though the BlackBerry Pearl itself isn't anything new, the T-Mobile 8120 I just unpackaged is worthy of a "New!  Just Lauched!" notice, as it brings a few features to the fold that are unavailable on any other Pearl.  Most notably, the TMob version rocks WiFi for data access and UMA calling, aka "HotSpot@Home."  T-Mobile's got a few HotSpot WiFi phones in its lineup right about now, and the Pearl works as well or better than any of 'em if my quick initial test is anything to go...