BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 Worth the Hype? (Hands-on Review)
HYPE CHECK: BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220
What it is: It's the first clamshell-style 'flip' handset that runs the much-beloved BlackBerry operating system (OS) for mobile phones.
Why it's different: Thanks to the aforementioned flip design, this BlackBerry looks more like a phone than a smart phone, which will please those who like to do their work (or e-mailing/texting) discreetly. The Pearl Flip is also the first U.S. BlackBerry to feature the latest version of the BlackBerry OS, which has a slick, more cartoonish interface and an improved Web browser that offers a more realistic rendition of Web pages than on previous BlackBerrys, as well as live video streaming from sites like YouTube. Unlike the original Pearl, the 8220 has a built-in camcorder and an improved 2.0 megapixel camera, which can be used to send video- and picture-messages right from the phone.
What we like: For starters, the Flip's clamshell design eliminates the all-to-easy-to-accidentally-dial-your-boss tendency of every other BlackBerry's open keyboard, without making you deal with cumbersome tasks such as locking the keys. Imported from previous Pearls, the SureType feature – a predictive text system that allows the phone to have a traditional QWERTY lineup on a traditional phone keypad – continues to please us more than the T9 system found on most other phones and is still a cut above the iPhone touch-sensitive keyboard. Built-in Wi-Fi not only makes surfing for Web pages, downloading content, and sending video messages faster, but it also saves us money on our monthly cell phone bill because it enables us to use T-Mobile's UMA-based Internet phone service instead of our cell phone minutes whenever we're in a Wi-Fi hotspot. All that said, the main reason we like a BlackBerry in any form is the excellent e-mail service, which is easy-to-use, reliable, and lets you read and respond to your messages even when you're out of range of a signal (something that isn't doable on, say, an iPhone and plenty of other phones). One nice addition to this iteration of the e-mail service is the secondary screen on the front of the phone that flashes new e-mails (along with their contents) as soon as they arrive (then goes back to a sleek analog clock animation). Oh, and it will work easily with your office e-mail, too.
What we don't like: The Web browser could be faster. We found load times for Web sites to be excruciatingly slow, even when using Wi-Fi (though certainly with the slower EDGE network). Also, as in love as we are with the new BlackBerry interface and browser, we couldn't get some BlackBerry-specific apps, such as Facebook, to download and work with it. We assume these are early glitches associated with our early version of the phone, but we would have loved to have tried them out before writing this review! Also, SureType – which puts two letters on every key -- may not be everyone's bag when typing out text, particularly with the totally flat keys that depart from the BlackBerry's usual recessed keys.
What it costs/where to get it: $149.99 with a two-year T-Mobile contract (includes 256 MB microSD card). Get it at T-Mobile (for more info, go to RIM's Pearl Flip site).
Is it worth the hype? We think so. If you are a heavy e-mailer and text-messager, but can't bear to carry around an ugly, bulky BlackBerry Curve or 8800 Series (and are too cool to user the very-three-years-ago Pearl), then this phone is for you. Despite its use of the slower EDGE (2.5G) network for data, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 probably the best-performing and most full-featured flip phone out there, essentially delivering all the features of a smart phone (e-mail, browsing, media player, document editing, etc) in a traditional clamshell body. Sure, the iPhone does a lot of that, too (minus the document editing), but not everyone loves a touchscreen. Besides, at $149.99 plus a wide variety of affordable plans from T-Mobile, the Pearl Flip delivers serious bang for the buck for anyone needing a mobile upgrade in these troubled economic times.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dam Smith @ Oct 16th 2008 4:55AM
Obviously, Blackberry Pearl flip 8220 worth the hype. RIM always tries to launch nice and function rich models of Blackberry. Blackberry Pearl is is one of those models. Blackberry Pearl has lots of function and good looking too. That is why Blackberry Pearl and Blackberry Pearl accessories both are in great demand in the market. Browse http://www.fommy.co.uk/blackberry-pearl-8220.htm for accessories of BB Pearl 8220.
Ken @ Nov 27th 2008 4:48PM
A very professional review. Based on this review I will most likely be getting this little gadget for myself in the near future!
PJ Smith @ Dec 2nd 2008 11:54AM
I carried one of these around before deciding that I'd rather stick with a Blackberry Curve instead. I thought that the flip's bigger keys would be nicer for my fat fingers, which they were...
So why didn't I keep it? The build quality. If you work in any type of job where you might drop, bump or otherwise smack the phone around, the plastic shell of this phone nearly screams at you: "You KNOW you are going to break me, you just KNOW it..." I didn't want to constantly worry about it.
Great for those who don't do any manual labor, but for those of us who need a smartphone on-the-go and won't be sitting behind a desk, stick with the tried and true "BrickBerry" form factor.