T-Mobile's BlackBerry Pearl 8120 with UMA

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120

The BlackBerry Pearl has gone a long way towards positioning the formerly business-centric handsets closer to consumers. Though the handset requires a monthly subscription to the BlackBerry back end support, the more phone-like form factor and new multimedia capabilities appeal to consumers. The latest update, the BlackBerry Pearl 8120, upgrades the camera to 2 megapixels, and also adds WiFi with support for T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home UMA service.

Physical Aspects

Sporting the typical candybar form factor, the Pearl uses a trackball in place of the more standard joystick, and the 20-key keyboard has a few extra columns. The review unit was offered in a very attractive, yet subtle steel grey gloss finish, with chrome accents on the sides and around the trackball. Weighing in at 91g (3.2oz), the BlackBerry Pearl is very compact, measuring only 107mm x 50mm x 15mm (4.2" x 2.0" x 0.6").

At first glance, the Pearl's keyboard looks like any normal handset, as the middle columns, which offer the standard number layout, are colored with the top half in white, and the bottom matching the steel grey. The keys in the extra columns on either side are steel grey on both top and bottom halves. I found the buttons to be a bit odd, partly due to there being no separation between the keys. Regardless, I was able to easily type, without any issues of accidentally pressing the wrong key. There is also an incredibly satisfying 'click' when you press a key, which aids quick typing. I'll cover the SureType predictive text system later, in the messaging portion of this review.

The keypad is separated from the display by a small strip of bezel, as well as the dedicated end and send keys, trackball, menu and back key. The trackball - dubbed the 'pearl', after which the device is named - is very easy to control and use, and lights up in different colors for notification. It's very responsive, and pressing in to 'click' is easy to do without inadvertently moving off your target. I hope to see more trackball usage on other handsets in the future.

The back panel of the Pearl, which is removable to access the battery, includes a self-portrait mirror for the camera, as well as open holes for the camera and flash. I found it disconcerting that there was not any protective covering for the camera lens, though it did not seem to effect photos too much. The volume control and lanyard loop are both on the right side of the device, alongside one of two user-changeable quick-access keys. By default, this key activates the camera, but you can change this to any number of different phone functions. The left side of the handset is where you'll find the standard 3.5mm audio port, miniUSB data/charging port, microSD card slot (with protective door) and the second quick-access key. By default, this key activates voice dialing. The top of the handset features only one button, used to control ringtone muting and placing the handset in standby mode.