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Filed under: Handsets , RIM , Rogers Wireless , GSM , EDGE Well, this certainly looks familiar , doesn't it? Yep, this had been rumored to go down for a couple weeks now, which dovetails nicely with the launch of Rogers' Home Calling Zone service, offering up unlimited long-distance Canadian calls via WiFi for $20 CAD a month. The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 comes in sporting the 2 megapixel camera, 3.5mm headphone jack, SureType keyboard, and all the other spoils we've become accustomed to from the phone's other launches for $149.99 CAD (about $148) on a three-year agreement. [Via Boy Genius Report ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , Features , RIM , T-Mobile , GSM , EDGE The next episode of the ubiquitous Pearl is now available in T-Mobile stores across the land, bringing the spec sheet in line with the features Sprint , Verizon , and AT&T customers have been enjoying for a little while now -- a 2 megapixel camera, external microSD slot, and 3.5mm headphone jack, just to name a few. Unlike the 8130 for CDMA networks, the 8120 that T-Mobile and AT&T share adds a 802.11b/g radio, but the T-Mobile version packs yet a couple more tricks up its sleeve -- you know, the ones you'd probably expect of any modern T-Mobile phone with WiFi, namely support for myFaves and HotSpot@Home . That last bit about the WiFi calling is where it gets really interesting. Put simply, the experience we had setting up, using, and making calls with the new Pearl linked up to our router was the best we've had so far with any HotSpot@Home device; it definitely seems like T-Mobile and RIM are learning a thing or two about how to make this a truly seamless and painless process. A "UMA" indicator on the display lets you know that calls are being routed over the service, but if you're not paying attention to it, you might never know it's happening -- it's just that good. Grab it starting today for a shade under $150 on contract, or if you'd prefer to keep your money firmly in your pocket, you can still live vicariously through our gallery here! %Gallery-20499% Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , RIM , ATT , GSM , EDGE Now that BlackBerry Pearl 8120s are trickling into AT&T's retail channel , so are the reviews, and it looks like we have a worthy (if not modest) successor to the original 8100 on our hands. PC Magazine's quick look at RIM's latest "fashion" phone (we use that term very loosely here) reveals that the 8120 continues RIM's tradition of handling business tasks with aplomb while stepping up its personal game in a big way; the external microSD slot had no trouble taking an 8GB microSDHC slot, and let's be honest, there really isn't anything to not like about a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sound quality is apparently quite good -- another RIM trademark -- and the web browser has mercifully improved over what the 8100 brought to the table. Sadly, the WiFi apparently doesn't do much good; browsing with it doesn't yield much of a performance gain over EDGE for some reason (a problem seen on T-Mobile's Curve , too) and the lack of VoIP support is a bummer. Kudos to AT&T for protecting its voice revenues, we guess. Overall rating? 4 / 5, which we figure should be enough of an endorsement to swing a few BlackBerry faithful headlong into the 8120 boat. Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , RIM , ATT , GSM , EDGE Suddenly, our Pearl 8100s are looking just a little long in the tooth. AT&T rather unexpectedly pulled out all the stops today to rush its 8100 replacement to market today ahead of schedule , offering several enhancements that Sprint and Verizon customers have been enjoying on their 8130s for a few months now: an externally accessible microSD slot, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a refreshed 2 megapixel camera, for starters, but more shockingly, WiFi instead of the GPS found on the 8110 and 8130. The 8120 is available to businessfolk starting today and will run you a shiny new pair of Franklins out the door on contract. [Via phoneArena and Crave ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Handsets , RIM , T-Mobile , GSM , EDGE We're sorry in advance if we're ruining anyone's plans to give or receive a T-Mobile branded Pearl 8100 for the holidays, but you know what they say, don't shoot the messenger. Word on the street is that T-Mob will be replacing the 8100 with the WiFi-equipped 8120 on February 18 (it could've been selling them already, but there's apparently a push to clear out the 8100s for the holidays first). The initial model will be gray and will feature a redesigned keyboard and trackball along with an external card slot -- in other words, much of the same joy Verizon, Sprint, and Alltel customers are already enjoying with the 8130 -- with the addition of Hotspot @Home support like its big sib, the Curve . Only question left is, how long until we can get a full rainbow going? Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments