BlackBerry Pearl 8120 Phone, Titanium (T-Mobile)

Other products by BlackBerry

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 2 x 0.6 inches ; 3.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B0017SJOF6
• Item model number: 8120
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,427 in Cell Phones & Service (See Bestsellers in Cell Phones & Service)

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  #12 in	Cell Phones & Service > Cell Phones with Service > Web-Enabled
  #15 in	Cell Phones & Service > Cell Phones with Service > Wi-Fi
  #54 in	Cell Phones & Service > Cell Phones with Service > E-mail

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
The latest edition of the BlackBerry Pearl, the 8120 brings support for T-Mobile's Hotspot @Home service, which enables you to make calls from the GSM cellular network and then seamlessly transfer them to your Wi-Fi network. The Pearl 8120 continues to offer all the communication features that you've come to expect from Blackberry smartphones, including email served up by the BlackBerry Internet Service and a full menu of messaging options (SMS, MMS, and IM). Other features include a 2.0-megapixel camera with video capture, Bluetooth for both communication headsets and stereo music streaming, MicroSD expansion, digital audio player, speakerphone, and voice-activated commands and dialing.

More than just an email companion, the Pearl 8120 also offers a media player, 2.0-megapixel camera, and Wi-Fi connectivity--compatible with T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home.

T-Mobile Service
With T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service, you'll effortlessly transition between Wi-Fi calling and T-Mobile's wireless network while you talk. You can get unlimited nationwide calls over Wi-Fi--at home via your wireless router or at any U.S. T-Mobile HotSpot. You can also use the HotSpot @Home service via most open, or unsecured, wireless routers, as well as any secured wireless router for which you have access to the password from the owner. This phone is compatible with the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi standard as well as the following wireless security protocols: WEP, WPA, and WPA2. Whenever you're not using a Wi-Fi network, this phone works just like a regular mobile phone, using your Whenever Minutes under your T-Mobile voice plan.

Additionally, this mobile phone operates on GSM 850/900/1800/1900 networks and can handle high-speed data connectivity via T-Mobile's EDGE network (which stands for "Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution"). This high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology is fast enough to support a wide range of advanced data services (with average data speeds between 75-135Kbps), including full picture and video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the go.

This phone also includes compatibility with T-Mobile's myFaves service, which allows you to call up to five of your most common contacts--on any network, even landlines--without using any of your minutes. Learn more about myFaves from T-Mobile.

Download cool new games, HiFi Ringers (real songs by today's hottest artists), MegaTones (instrumental versions of songs), and wallpapers quickly, as well as stay connected via the Web, instant messaging, and email.

Quickly and accurately type messages thanks to the SureType enhanced predictive text typing technology.

Phone Features
Weighing just 3.21 ounces and just 0.55 inches thin, the Pearl 8120 manages to fit a QWERTY keyboard onto the handset's slim frame. Each button on the keyboard shares two letters and the unit automatically determines which letter is the intended one based on what it predicts you are trying to spell. This unique predictive text technology, known as SureType, makes the Pearl 8300's diminutive size possible. SureType also learns the words you use most often, further enhancing your typing speed.

It sports a large 240 x 260 screen that supports over 65,000 colors--plenty of real estate to view your e-mails, Web browser content, messaging sessions, and attachments. The venerable BlackBerry trackwheel has been replaced on this model with an innovative four-way trackball placed below the screen. On the rear of the handheld, you'll find a 2.0-megapixel camera and a self portrait mirror. The handheld's MicroSD memory card slot is located inside the device, behind the battery. There's also a standard 3.5mm headset jack that can be used with the included headset, as well as a mini-USB port for data connectivity.

The Pearl 8120 features an updated visual interface and integrates a new font rendering technology that displays characters with enhanced legibility at even the smallest point sizes. The BlackBerry Browser is further improved with a new "Page View" option that displays a full web page on the screen along with a magnifying glass that allows the user to quickly and accurately point and zoom in on a specific area of the web page. It also provides quicker access to Bookmarks and History.

With BlackBerry push technology, you don't need to retrieve your e-mail. BlackBerry devices are designed to remain on and continuously connected to the wireless network, allowing you to be discreetly notified as new e-mail arrives. Support is also built-in for viewing e-mail attachments (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect, and PDF formats).

This phone provides Bluetooth version 2.0 wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, audio/video remote control, and sending of vCard calendar and contact info. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. With Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), you just say the word and the 8120 can initiate a call with anyone in your contact list. Plus, you can use VAD along with the built-in speakerphone or with a Bluetooth headset for hands-free dialing.

The integrated media player allows you to create and edit playlists right on the handset. The Pearl 8120 also features a 2-megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom and enhanced flash. The new camera also supports video capture in two resolutions: 240x180 or 176x144 for sharing via MMS.

Other features include:

• Instant Messaging: Connect with your IM contacts using popular applications like Yahoo! Messenger and Google Talk
• Productivity Tools: View and update your calendar, schedule appointments, checks your task list and more while you're on the go. Also includes a calculator, alarm clock and memo pad.
• Notification: Polyphonic, MIDI, MP3 ringtones plus vibrate mode
• 64 MB internal memory, expandable via MicroSD memory cards (up to 4 GB)
• Downloadable BlackBerry Maps application provides directions and maps while on the road.
• Bluetooth profiles: A2DP (stereo music streaming), AVRC (remote control), HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), OPP (object push for business cards, calendar items, and pictures)

Vital Statistics
The Blackberry Pearl 8120 weighs 3.21 ounces and measures 4.21 x 1.97 x 0.55 inches. Its 990 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 4 hours of talk time, and up to 360 hours of digital standby time. It operates on the 850/900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as Wi-Fi 802.11b/g networks using the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great phone, no regrets!, June 23, 2008

By	A. Dharap (WI, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Before you begin reading, I would like you to know that I have listed PROS and CONS below so in case you dont like long reviews just read the PROS and CONS and they'll pretty much summarize everything I've written in here.

I got this phone about a month ago and I can tell you that its one of the best phone's I've ever owned. Much sleeker and compact yet just as capable as the curve. Wifi is a BIG advantage because I only pay 10 bucks per month for the unlimited email plan and thats it. No need to pay data fees. Wifi inernet browsing is free and I also IM via wifi. If you go for hotspot@home then all your wifi based calls are free as well, no matter what wifi network you're on!

The calendar/organizer is great and as one reviewer mentioned, it does not update time zones. But thats for a good reason - updating time zones will totally affect your business appointments (they would never get updated even if the time zone would've at all) and so the phone is made such that you have to update it manually and while doing so you'll be sure to change your business appointments for the day accordingly.

The camera is pretty impressive and I recently created a fabulous album containing assorted images from this phone. Some of them are impeccable! The zoom function is good but reduces resolution considerably...but after all its just 2MP so its meant to be only a back-up...say in case of an accident. The video camera is pretty good as well and I've recorded clear, crisp videos with it. I'm happy.

Since this is a PHONE lets talk about calls! Call quality is superb - both reception and transmission. You can talk in the middle of a crowded party and you will still be able to hear very well and your voice will be transmitted to the person on the other end w/o any disturbance due to the powerful noise-canceling mic. I have experienced this myself.

The few CONS of this phone are:

1. Its internal memory is only 64MB, which may be a problem for users who tend to upload too many third-party applications on their phones. I have about 7 third-party applications yet I have 17MB left which is quite impressive so for average or slightly heavy users (like me)memory shouldnt be a problem at all. For photos and videos the OS 4.3 of this phone can support upto 8GBs of external memory (microSD card). I use 4GB and its fantastic...I've managed to fill only 500 MB even after uploading several MP3s and a few videos and photos.

2. The browser is archaic and does not support JAVA apps. However, RIM will come out with newer OS versions which one can install on their phones for free and which will address these issues. Till then you can use free browsers like Opera mini which rocks!

3. Screen is smaller than the curve's (not a problem at all for me) which some people may not like.

The many PROS are:

1. Amazingly light and compact
3. Wifi
4. Heavily customizable
5. SureType keyboard (makes typing very easy but may need getting used to initially)
6. High resolution display
5. External memory expandable upto 8GB
7. Video capture
8. Voice dialing
9. Push email
10. Very nice organizer
11. Two speakers instead of one as seen in previous models
12. New, powerful mic with background noise cancellation

I can go on and on about this phone. I just want to reiterate that this is a very user friendly, highly capable, extremely customizable phone and you will have no regrets! RIM has been making BlackBerries for ages now and they know what they're doing! Over the years they've addressed various issues from previous models and the 8120 being one of their latest offerings, many issues have been rectified in this phone.

Go for it and enjoy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Smartphone , May 23, 2008

By	Amit Kaul (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After having used the 8120 for about a week on T-Mobile, I am generally pleased with my purchase.
The 8120 looks exactly like its CDMA cousin, the 8130 (Verizon/Sprint) as well the other GSM model, 8110 (on AT&T with GPS instead of wi-fi). In fact, other than the new micro-SD card on the side, I can't tell it apart from the older Blackberry Pearl (8100). Unfortunately, the 8120 is currently only available in a somewhat dull gray color on T-Mobile. I would have preferred some of the more exciting colors of the older Pearl.
I have charged the battery every other day, which appears reasonable given that I have used it for extensively for voice and data (excluding wi-fi). I haven't used wi-fi yet (either for internet or mobile calling) but I imagine it will drain the battery at a quicker rate.
As another reviewer points out, the battery door is flimsy and a bit loose. Other than that, the 8120 appears solidly built and rugged.
T-Mobile's data network is not exactly fast, but it serves my purpose. I don't intend to watch streaming videos or download music on my phone. For some reason the browser doesn't display pages with Java Scripts, but that may be an issue with my settings. Setting up email accounts is a breeze and can be set up either using the phone or the T-Mobile website.
All in all, there is nothing to really dislike about this phone, at least for the first time smartphone buyer. Personally, I was looking for a phone to check my email, browse the internet, take decent pictures and one that would fit in my shirt pocket. The Blackberry 8120 delivers on all these fronts. T-Mobile's affordable data plan only adds to its appeal.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nice update, May 13, 2008

By	Richard Hsiung (Vestavia Hills, AL United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're looking to get your first smartphone or upgrade your existing Pearl, you're going to like the 8120.

This phone includes the Hotspot@Home service, which works on any existing Wi-Fi connection. You don't have to pay an extra service fee or buy another router. It just works. I've even used it on the university wireless network. It's great for those times when I'm stuck in the lab with no cell reception. I just activate the Wifi if I want to make a call.

I have had a few calls drop, but I'm not sure if it's the phone or my wireless connection. Battery life is also a little short, but it's not a dealbreaker.

The 8120 is a great update to the original Pearl.