AT&T Intros BlackBerry Pearl 8120

By Geoff Duncan March 14, 2008

AT&T has introdcuced the BlackBerry Pearl 8120, a refresh of the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 series that offers improved features and lets AT&T compete more effectively with Sprint and Verizon for BlackBerry fans. The new phone sports classic BlackBerry features like push email, but also touts an improved 2 megapixel camera, international roaming capabilities (thanks to GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity), and integrated 802.11b/gg Wi-Fi connectivity for speedy Internet access when within range of a Wi-Fi hotspot.

BlackBerry Pearl fans will be pleased to know the 8120 offers a side-loading microSD slot that enables users to swap media cards without removing the phone’s battery—a definite plus for folks who carry an arsenal of media or need to check out other people’s cards. The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 also offers a new video recording capability, media playback (audio, video, and images), Bluetooth 2.0 wireless connectivity, and ability review Microsoft Office documents. AT&T says the 8120 gets up to four and a half hours of talk time on a single battery charge; that same charge will keep the phone in standby mode for over two weeks.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is available to business customers now for about $200 with a two-year service agreement.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

BlackBerry’s latest revival attempt crashes before launch

BlackBerry Key2. Credits: BlackBerry official.

Just weeks after announcing that it would definitely launch a new BlackBerry-branded phone in 2022, OnwardMobility has announced an immediate shutdown. The company will no longer be making a new Blackberry phone, and the future of the storied brand in mobile technology again appears bleak.

The Texas-based company had acquired rights to use the BlackBerry brand for mobile in 2020, with a phone initially planned for launch in 2021. When that didn't pan out, the company also announced that it was still on track, but it would just take a little bit longer. With supply chain issues affecting companies as large as Samsung, it was understandable that a small startup would be unable to make headway.

Mobile

BlackBerry is better off dead

BlackBerry Key2 LE Hands On

I haven't seen anyone use a BlackBerry since my freshman year of high school. In fact, I thought the BlackBerry had already died by the time everyone got their hands on the iPhone and/or an Android smartphone in 2011 and I was shocked to learn that the minuscule PDA-like device was still around last month when the company that shares its name decommissioned calling and messaging services for the classic models and rendered them useless. Its death was confirmed when OnwardMobility lost the rights to the BlackBerry name despite its attempts to resurrect the brand with the BlackBerry 5G, which suffered multiple delays in 2021.

Despite being one of the most popular mobile devices in the 2000s next to the T-Mobile-exclusive Sidekick, BlackBerry didn't survive the smartphone era, even though it triggered the advent of smartphones starting with the iPhone. Given its PDA-esque design, it wasn't suitable enough to be turned into a smartphone — or, at the very least, the culturally accepted definition of a smartphone: All touchscreen, no physical QWERTY keyboard. Because of its failure to adapt to the growing smartphone market dominated solely by touchscreens, not to mention the lack of updates for the newer, surviving models — like the BlackBerry Key2 — the BlackBerry as a device is better off dead for all intents and purposes.

Mobile

The BlackBerry Key2 shows why software updates really matter

BlackBerry Key2 keyboard.

When BlackBerry shut down crucial services for its old operating system at the beginning of the year, I had a sudden nostalgic urge to take out the Android-based BlackBerry Key2 and see how it performs in 2022. After all, there isn’t much like it these days, and perhaps for all those coming from a now-dead BlackBerry Curve or a Q10 may be considering a jump over to one?

What I discovered is that although the phone may not have been affected by the Blackberry services shutdown, it’s hobbled by something far more insidious: A complete lack of Android updates.
Desirable hardware
The first hour or so with it reminded me what an utter delight the BlackBerry Key2 is, as a phone. It’s almost nothing like any other mainstream phone you can buy today due to the physical keyboard under the screen, which remains a marvel to use. However, it really needs a lot of getting used to. I spent time training myself to type at a sensible speed when the Key2 was released, but my finger muscles have forgotten all that, so I stiffly tapped out words at a snail’s pace for a start.