Review: The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (AT&T)

The BlackBerry line of smart phones from Ontario, Canada-based Research In Motion (RIM) has long been a favorite of business users. With the original Pearl, they managed to shrink many of their classic features into a cell-phone sized device. The Test Center recently evaluated the next-generation Pearl 8120 for the AT&T network and was pleased with the improvements RIM made.

Measuring 4.2 inches by 1.97 inches by 0.55 inches, and weighing in at 3.2 ounces, the 8120 is a hair thinner and heavier than the original 8100. It feels extremely comfortable in the hand and is a classy Sapphire Blue that can pass for black if you don't look too closely.

The screen is a vivid 65K color 240 by 260 LCD, with a light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness. Testers found sound quality to be clear and loud, although the microphone did pick up a little background noise. Although we were a bit discouraged to find that the 8120 still operates on the slow EDGE network, it was a pleasant surprise to discover 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi functionality.

The Wi-Fi is very simple to configure and connected easily to every network we attempted. Other features include AT&T's PTT (Push-To-Talk), a speakerphone, voice activated dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, and Bluetooth 2.0. One feature that was added to Verizon's 8130 version of the phone was noticeably missing though; the 8120 has no GPS functionality. The 2MP camera takes relatively nice, clear pictures and has a variety of customizable settings. The included flash and 5x zoom, as well as the capability to record video are also nice additions.

As a media player, the 8120 supports a variety of audio and video formats. Users can purchase songs through the AT&T Music store and streaming XM Radio is also available on a subscription basis. Although the speaker is a bit weak, the headset jack has been updated to 3.5mm so standard headphones can be used, as well as Bluetooth headsets.

The 8120 has 64MB of flash memory on board (approximately 17MB free), but is expandable up to 8GB via a microSD card slot (thankfully moved from the battery compartment to the side of the phone).

Menu selections are made via the now-common BlackBerry trackball which is very easy to maneuver once you get used to the sensitivity. Another welcome change is that the trackball now controls the curser on the Internet browser. The Pearl's keyboard, which hasn't changed at all, is still a standard QWERTY layout over a mini cell-phone keyboard with two letters per key. This configuration may be very confusing for newcomers and there is a noticeable learning curve, but eventually it's possible to get the hang of it. With BlackBerry's SureType predictive text technology, the phone quickly learned our most commonly used words and typing soon became second-nature.

BlackBerry's infamous email support is not lacking on the 8120. With support for up to 10 personal accounts, plus the ability to connect with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES), almost any email account is within reach. Using the included BlackBerry Desktop software, the 8120 can also sync with Outlook.

RIM rates the talk-time from the 900mAh Lithium Ion battery at four hours, but in lab testing the phone easily topped more than five hours continuous use. Stand-by time is rated at fifteen days.

The RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is list-priced at $349.99 ($249.99 with a 2-year contract).

The bottom line: RIM continues to be an industry leader in enterprise integration with smart phone and handheld devices, and the Pearl 8120 advances beyond its earlier generation with Wi-Fi connectivity and an elegant design. For these reasons, the Test Center can recommend the Pearl 8120 for VARs who seek to add value to a customer's mobility solution.