We check out T-Mobile's update to the original Pearl. Will HotSpot @Home calling make this the best of the newly polished Pearls?
Review summary of the RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile):
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_it00.jpg) The BlackBerry Pearl is ultimately a likable phone, and one we've had no trouble recommending. For such a small smartphone, it has plenty of features, and presents them in a way that is easy to follow for new smartphone users, clearly its target audience. The Pearl 8120 on T-Mobile is a great addition to the Pearl lineup with its UMA calling. We like any option that improves reception and cuts calling costs in one fell swoop. We'd like it even more if the phone had the 3G networking and GPS navigation of its competitor cousins, but for many customers, the HotSpot @Home service will be an even smarter option than those features. Release: April 2008. Price: $200.
Pros: UMA calling is a cheap and convenient. Slightly improved hardware design.
Cons: Interface polished, but not much improved. Lacks impressive media playing and Web browsing options.
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Full RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile) Review:
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Since it first popped up on T-Mobile a year and a half ago, the Pearl hasn't changed all that much (check out our original review here), which isn't to say that there haven't been significant improvements. The basic design of the hardware and the user interface hasn't evolved as much as we'd like. As RIM is wont to do with BlackBerry devices, the Pearl has been released in various flavors with and without Wi-Fi and GPS, but the T-Mobile version has a unique feature that the others lack: UMA support for T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service.
Calling - Very good
We've always been fans of UMA capabilities on phones because it simply makes sense, especially for users who see far better Wi-Fi coverage than cellular. And with T-Mobile's HotSpots available at every Starbucks, it's almost like having a cell tower on every corner in New York City. HotSpot @Home service, T-Mobile's brand name for UMA, didn't drain the battery too much quicker, we still got about 5 hours of mixed calling with the Wi-Fi radio enabled, compared to the 6 hours we got on the original Pearl on T-Mobile's EDGE network. This is still plenty of talking time for a small smartphone.
Messaging - Very good
With the new Pearl 8120 on T-Mobile, RIM has wisely bundled a wealth of instant messaging programs. Beyond the normal BlackBerry messenger, which gives instant access to other BlackBerry users, the 8120 also supports AOL, MSN, Yahoo and our new favorite, Google Talk. The keyboard on the 8120 is also improved from the original BlackBerry Pearl. It feels a bit slick, but much more solid and less wobbly than the original. And, as always, RIM's implementation of the SureType keyboard design is among the best in the industry, with autocomplete software that was truly intuitive.
Multimedia - Good
The biggest improvement on the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 since the original phone is the inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is nice but not saying much. The camera gets an upgrade to a 2-megapixel sensor, but we still weren't impressed with the pics, so the larger resolution didn't get us too excited. Stereo Bluetooth playback worked well, playing music sideloaded onto our 8GB microSDHC card via the easier external memory slot. But the music player itself is still too basic for our tastes. That trackball and svelte figure cry out for a complete multimedia overhaul from RIM.
Value - Very good
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 on T-Mobile is the least expensive of the new Pearl models, though the Verizon Wireless and Sprint. models feature faster EV-DO networking for $50 more. The lower price is nice, but the UMA calling might save some customers quite a bit. Basically, for an additional $10 per month, the Pearl will work on T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service. This service gives you free Wi-Fi calling. Any call that originates in a Wi-Fi spot is free, no matter how far you roam or how long you talk. This means calls at home, at Starbucks, and under your office's Wi-Fi umbrella are all free.
Odds and ends
So you've definitely settled on a Pearl, but want to know which Pearl to buy? We've mentioned the T-Mobile Pearl 8120's UMA feature, which we think is a strong seller, but there are a few notable features it lacks. First of all, it doesn't have GPS navigation, which is available on the Pearl 8130 on Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Those phones also use EV-DO networking, which is much faster than EDGE. This doesn't matter if you're using the Pearl 8120's Wi-Fi networking for Web browsing, but if you want the Pearl to act as a tethered modem, 3G networking is the only way to go.
Price and availability
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is available now from T-Mobile for $200 with a contract agreement and an instant discount of $150. A mail-in rebate of $50 is available, when signing up for a qualifying plan.
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