RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (Red)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd. Part number: 8220FLIPREDTMB
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- While its flashier siblings may overshadow it, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 should satiate the appetite of flip phone fanatics by bringing in a clamshell design.
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CNET editors' review
RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (Red) price range: $5.98
- Reviewed by: Bonnie Cha
- Reviewed on: 10/13/2008
- Released on: 10/13/2008
The good: The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 features a brilliant internal display and updated interface. The smartphone continues to offer strong e-mail support and adds Documents to Go. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 2-megapixel camera are also onboard.
The bad: The Pearl Flip 8220 doesn't offer 3G support or GPS. The SureType keyboard also takes some acclimation.
The bottom line: While its flashier siblings may overshadow it, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 should satiate the appetite of flip phone fanatics by bringing in a clamshell design.
It's been quite a year for Research In Motion. In 2008, the company debuted its premiere touch-screen BlackBerry, the RIM BlackBerry Storm as well as its first clamshell model, the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220. While it didn't draw quite the oohs and ahhs of the Storm or the BlackBerry Bold, there are still plenty of people of who really like the flip phone design. In fact, according to RIM, about 70 percent of the cell phone-owning population in the United States has clamshell phones, which is why it wanted to provide this option to customers.
Admittedly, the overall design of the BlackBerry Pearl Flip isn't the flashiest, but it is functional. Plus, there's plenty to like inside the device: an updated operating system and interface, document editing, Wi-Fi, strong e-mail support, and a 2-megapixel camera. It's not for the power business users, but if you're looking for your first smartphone or just want to keep tabs on your e-mail and have a penchant for flips phones, the Pearl Flip is a good option. The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 will be sold through T-Mobile for a very reasonable $149.99 with a two-year contract and comes in two colors. The black model will be available on October 13, while the red model will be available around October 20.
Design
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220's design is obviously the main headline here. It's RIM's first stab at the clamshell design, and while it doesn't leave a lasting impression, there are some elements that show careful thought went into it.
In its closed state, the smartphone measures 3.9 inches high by 1.9 inches wide by 0.7 inch deep and weighs 3.6 ounces. It's not the most compact flip phone we've seen, but you should be able to slip it into a pants pocket with no problem. The Pearl Flip fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. The phone is quite tall in its open state, but when on a call, it feels a bit weird since the drop hinge (see below) causes the bottom half of the phone to hit your cheek. On the positive side, the handset has a solid construction and is available in black or red.
On front, you get a 1.6-inch diagonal external nontouch display with a 65,536-color output and 128x160-pixel resolution. In addition to showing the standard information (battery life, network strength, time and date), it displays notifications for new messages, missed calls, caller ID, voice mails, and the like. You can even read previews of new e-mail from the external screen. In addition, when using the media player, you can also see track information but you can't perform any functions, other than adjusting the volume. The screen goes completely dark after the preset time-out duration, but you can quickly activate it by pressing any of the external controls. Above the display, you'll also find the camera lens and flash.
The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220's flip mechanism is smooth, and the phone opens and closes with a satisfying snap. The hinge feels nice and sturdy, and in fact, RIM actually used something called a drop hinge to provide the best ergonomic experience. If you open the phone and look at it from a side profile, you can see that the front flap sits behind the back cover, instead of directly above. While not the most aesthetically pleasing, it allows for plenty of room for you to use the navigation array and you don't have to worry about your thumb hitting the bottom edge of the front cover when trying to press a button.
The Pearl Flip borrows its keyboard and navigation controls from the BlackBerry Pearl. Below the display, you get Talk and End keys, a BlackBerry menu shortcut, a back button, and trackball navigator. The latter, however, is set fairly deep beneath the phone's surface, so while it's fine for scrolling, it was a bit difficult to press down when selecting an item.
For better or worse, you get a SureType keyboarad. For the uninitiated, it's a modified keyboard that has two letters assigned to one button. As you start to enter the letters of a word, the SureType software will present you with a list of possible letter combinations or words, based on context. People seem to either love or hate the SureType keyboard, but regardless, if you're new to it, there may be a slight learning curve or period of acclimation. The good news is that the buttons are large and spacious, so there aren't a lot of accidental presses.
The internal display measures a spacious 2.25 inches diagonally and shows off 65,536 colors at a 240x320-pixel resolution. Text and images look incredibly vibrant, and the new BlackBerry interface really pops with its updated and snazzy icons. You can, of course, customize the home screen with different background images and themes, as well as adjust the font size and type and backlight time.
On the left spine, there's a mute button, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a micro USB port, and a customizable convenience key. Meanwhile, on the right side, you have a volume rocker, a microSD expansion slot, and another user-programmable shortcut key.
T-Mobile packages the RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 with an AC adapter, a USB cable, a wired headset, a software CD, and reference material. For more add-ons, please check our cell phone accessories, ringtones, and help page.
Features
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 runs BlackBerry OS 4.6, providing new functionality and a fresh appearance to the device. On the surface level, the user interface features an updated look with flashier, modern icons. It may be superficial but it does a lot to add to the device. The Pearl Flip 8220 continues to offer the outstanding e-mail support that BlackBerry is known for in the smartphone world. It can sync with your company's BlackBerry Enterprise server, with support for Microsoft Exchange, IBM Lotus Domino, or Novell GroupWise, to deliver corporate e-mail in real time.
With BlackBerry Internet Service, you can also access up to 10 personal/business POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail accounts. We had no problem setting up our review unit to access and retrieve our Yahoo e-mail as it merely required entering our login ID and password. For faster communication, the Pearl Flip also comes preloaded with six instant-messaging clients: BlackBerry Messenger, AOL, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo, and Windows Live. The smartphone also has a spell-check feature that will look for errors in e-mails and memos, but not text messages.
In addition to an attachment viewer that opens popular file formats, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect, PDF, JPEG, GIF, and more, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 also comes preloaded with DataViz Documents To Go, so you can now edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files as well. Other PIM applications on the smartphone include a Calendar, a task list, a memo pad, a voice recorder, a calculator, and more.
Voice features on the Pearl Flip include quad-band world roaming, a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, conference calling, speed dial, and text and multimedia messaging. The address book is limited only by the available memory (the SIM card holds an additional 250 contacts) with room in each entry for multiple phone numbers, e-mail addresses, work and home addresses, job title, and more. For caller ID purposes, you can assign a photo to a contact as well a group category--business or personal--or one of 32 polyphonic ringtones.
The Pearl Flip supports T-Mobile's MyFaves service, giving you unlimited calls to five contacts, regardless of carrier. Individual plans for MyFaves start at $29.99 a month. You also get Bluetooth 2.0 with support for mono and stereo Bluetooth wireless headsets, hands-free kits, and dial-up networking.
As with the company's other Pearl models, RIM can't seem to offer both Wi-Fi and GPS, rather one or the other. In the case of the Flip, you get Wi-Fi (802.11b/g with UMA support), which we'll take for a couple of reasons. First, it's compatible with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service, which lets you make and receive calls via wireless networks. The benefit of this is that calls made via Wi-Fi will not be deducted from your cellular plan, meaning you get unlimited calls as long as you're within range of the hot spot. However, you do need a HotSpot@Home plan, which costs $9.99 per month on top of an existing T-Mobile plan. There is also a family plan that costs $19.99 a month and includes up to five cell phones.
Second, the smartphone isn't 3G-capable and Wi-Fi provides a better alternative to surfing the Web on EDGE. Now, in the past, the BlackBerry browser has always been a bit clunky and archaic compared with its competitors, but it has come a long way. The Pearl Flip 8220 features a full HTML Web browser and supports streaming video, including YouTube clips. You can choose from various views, such as Page View or Column View, and there's an onscreen cursor that you can move in any direction and place on any part of the page where you can click a link.
There are plenty of other entertainment options on the Pearl Flip. The built-in media player can play various music and video formats, including MP3, WMA, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, and MIDI music files, and MPEG4, WMV, and H.263 video clips. There's a search function, playlist creation, shuffle and repeat, and you get a full-screen mode for video playback. The included software CD also contains a copy of Roxio Easy Media Creator, so you can create MP3s from CDs and add audio tags. There's a BlackBerry Media Sync application so you can synchronize your iTunes library with your BlackBerry. There's 128MB of flash memory onboard, but we'd load multimedia files on a microSD/SDHC card to conserve storage. The expansion slot can accept up to 16GB cards.
The Pearl Flip comes with a 2-megapixel camera with flash, 5x zoom, and video recording. For still images, you have your choice of three picture sizes and three picture qualities. Once done, you can send your media via e-mail or multimedia message, set them as your background image, or upload it to Facebook. In addition to the flash, there are white balance settings and you can add a couple of color effects. In video mode, you only get three color effects and two video formats (normal and MMS).
Picture quality was OK. The pictures were sharp with clearly defined objects and good contrast, but the colors looked a bit flat and gray. Video quality wasn't the greatest. While we could make out the objects in the frame, the picture was very pixelated.
Performance
We tested the quad-band (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GPRS/EDGE) RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 using T-Mobile service and call quality was good. We enjoyed clear audio with minimal background noise or voice distortion and plenty of volume. We also had no problem using an airline's voice-automated response system. On the other end, friends reported good sound quality and even said they couldn't tell we were using a cell phone. Speakerphone quality was OK, but there was some slight hissing in the background. We were able to pair the Pearl Flip with the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset and the Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones.
General performance felt snappy. The smartphone was responsive in day-to-day use with minimal performance delays. We didn't experience any system crashes during our review period. Web browsing was admittedly a bit pokey using T-Mobile's EDGE network. The Pearl Flip definitely isn't the smartphone for heavy Web browsing, but it's suitable for casual browsing. The Pearl Flip also had no problem finding and connecting to our Wi-Fi network. Music playback sounded fairly decent through the phone's speaker; we would have liked a touch more bass, but songs didn't sound as tinny as some of the other smartphones we've tested. We watched several videos, including a couple from YouTube, and while images and sound were always synchronized, the picture was pretty pixelated.
The RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 has a 900mAh lithium ion battery and has a rated talk time of 4 hours and up to 14 days of standby time. The Pearl Flip blasted the rated talk time out of the water in our battery drain tests with a total of 7 hours on a single charge.
User reviews
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Beautiful flip phone with Blackberry goodness.
by wheelbarreler on January 9, 2009
Pros: Excellent graphic interface. Beautifully designed (except for that Pearl keyboard). Great support and message board at RIM Blackberry website.
Cons: Haven't run into any problems that weren't quickly fixed.
Summary: I already have the Blackberry brick (I forget the model number...the one with the scroll bar) and I love the features and its durability. Matched with T-Mobile bandwidth and ...
Summary: I already have the Blackberry brick (I forget the model number...the one with the scroll bar) and I love the features and its durability. Matched with T-Mobile bandwidth and service, it continues to be a hassle free phone that was reliable and fun to use. So, when my countdown of days went into the single digits on crappy Sprint-service Motorola phone on my other number (a miserable 730 days), I considered the T-Mobile-Blackberry permutation, again.
correction: Wi-fi, and not Bluetooth, is preset to "on" out of the box.
I could have settled for a phone with less features. I didn't need email and web on this phone, but the Pearl flip looked great and the local Best Buy had it for a great price for a plan that didn't require a data plan (rarer and rarer these days). I probably would have gone with a full QWERTY keyboard with a wider screen if I needed to access email on the new phone. For calls and contacts, this phone fit the bill nicely.
Others can comment on its web and email applications. I didn't add these features to my $39.99 plan. For me, all the basics were there: good call quality; great battery life (after some troubleshooting); all sorts of memory for contacts; excellent graphic interface (the way icons are "lit" when selected against a deep black background still looks so cool after a week).
A few words about the design and materials used. Some have already pointed out that the cover is a fingerprint magnet. I think it's because the cover is a thick glass (at least, it looks and feels that way). The fingerprints are unavoidable and it is the price you pay for having a sleek shiny black surface under glass (or something very close to glass). Real metal, not silver paint on plastic, frames the edges. The materials used in this phone makes the LG's look like disposable Bic lighters. The phone flips open to a decent-size display (for a flip phone) and a keypad that is pleasant to the touch (not so much the eye). The Pearl keyboard was a little cumbersome entering my first few contacts' names, but you get used to the layout of letters on the keys.
Again, the combination of T-Mobile and RIM is marvelous. Actual marveling on my part. Again, after a dismal period of bondage to Sprint and Motorola. T-Mobile will help you set up the phone, but RIM has a Blackberry website that has a great message board for those common initial questions. The kind folks at T-Mobile even grandfathered me into a sweet older plan that's on my current T-Mobile phone. T-Mobile also carries some very nice accessories for the phone (like a leather case that fits like a glove).
Here's something I discovered at the Blackberry website for those of you who won't go in on the data plan (grr...the recession). The Pearl Flip phones are pre-configured to have Bluetooth and data service turned on right out of the box. Bluetooth will, of course, take its share of battery life. But if you have the data service on and you don't have a data plan on the phone, the phone will be constantly hunting for a connection. This, as I found out, will heavily sap the battery. Turning both of those off keeps the battery life long and prosperous.
I'm only into my second week and if something major comes up, I'll post an update. Right now, I feel like a kid with a fresh pair of Jordans on the first day of school.
Note to software developers: The screen dimensions and the deep black screen are perfect for old-school arcade games. Please, start with Tempest. Then Galaga, Centipede and Tron, in that order.
Updated on Jan 9, 2009
Updated on Jan 18, 2009I've had the phone now for a couple weeks. Apparently, turning off the wi-fi and the data service didn't solve the battery drain issue. An earlier reviewer had the same problem, too. The T-Mobile technical solutions phone operator guided me through a complete reboot. That seems to have done the trick for now.
I also mentioned the T-Mobile phone cases in the main review. I purchased the case for the specific model a couple weeks ago and, although it fits the phone snugly, there's a perplexing design/material decision that affects the look of the case. Almost all of T-Mobile's new cases have loops of string threaded through two small holes at the bottom of the case. The thread will loosen and, evenually, unravel into an unsightly tangle. I thought something like that would happen, but not nearly so soon. It's odd that they would make a decision about the cosmetic look of a product that makes the product less attractive after a couple weeks. An uncharacteristic goof.
Updated on Feb 4, 2009The fixes the T-Mobile tech guy recommended (rebooting) seems to have handled the battery drain. Another nice attribute of the phone: my voice on the phone when I hear it on replay on voicemail messages I leave sounds closer to my voice than on any phone I've used before. The handset call volume could be a bit louder, but speaker phone is very clear. On a related matter, I mentioned I ported from Sprint. Boy, the nightmare with them doesn't stop. They sent me a non-prorated bill for my last month. They bill in advance so I should actually have had a complete month free. If the Public Utlities Commission doesn't pick up on this, some class action lawyer should. This is the sort of corporate bone-headedness that costs the consumer and won't get corrected unless it hits the corporate bosses in their pocketbooks. Really, I don't know any company that fails so miserably at what they do. Thank goodness for competition and choice. Thank goodness for T-Mobile. Sorry for venting.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The Flip is a good phone and a fresh idea for RIM.
by DrHyde25 on January 8, 2009
Pros: Blackberry in a nice flip form, 3.5mm headset jack, Wifi calling and web browsing, external screen allows for viewing various information, both displays are beautiful, included media conversion software works excellently.
Cons: Battery life is a bit uneven, Wifi hiccups every now and then, OS is a bit slow and buggy at times, smudge magnet, headset volume a tad low.
Summary: First of all, my initial experience with this phone was very bad. I've owned quite a few cell phones and after so many decent to good ones, I finally ...
Summary: First of all, my initial experience with this phone was very bad. I've owned quite a few cell phones and after so many decent to good ones, I finally hit a defective model. I almost gave up hope on this one, but the replacement has only had one freeze-up. So, for now, I'll say that this phone is going to go the distance.
The phone itself is very eye-catching. I frequently get asked about it. Although the phone does look a bit big, it's really light and it fits nicely in your pocket. However, the glassy finish smudges easily, so you'll find yourself cleaning it off a lot. Externally, the phone has 5 buttons (Mute, volume keys, and two customizable soft keys), an external MicroSD card slot, a 3.5mm headset jack, and micro USB hook-up that doubles for data transfer and the power adapter. The 3.5mm jack is a huge plus, allowing any headphones to be attached. That right there was practically a selling point for me. However, to sweeten it up even more, the volume keys allow you to view previews of e-mails, text messages, and caller ID. These little touches make it a nice phone. The external screen isn't customizable outside of changing the clock type, but it does display picture ID very nicely thanks to its large size.
Flipping open the phone, aside the overall extraordinary length of the phone when opened, you'll find that the keys are much larger than the old Pearls. This helps out a lot when you have big hands like myself. The new SureType software is much more accurate than the older versions and usually corrects itself after one or two tries of making a mistake, which is rare in itself.
The phone is running OS 4.6 and I must say that while it looks very nice, the processor for this phone is about half of the Bold or Storm, so there a bit of sluggishness here and there. Not terrible, but you might need to wait a second or two when accessing something, mainly applications and large picture and video files seem to ones that cause this.
The phone is a Hotspot at Home phone, but you can make Wifi calls even without the special T-Mobile router. Because the phone lacks 3G, you'll find that any browsing of the web must be done with wifi as gprs and EDGE just don't really cut it. However, you need to go to the wifi setup menu when in wifi range and use Wifi Hotspot Login to browse the web or T-Mobile will prevent you browsing while trying to sell you their web2go service. While the phone is supposed to switch seamlessly between wifi and regular service, I did notice that the phone struggled occasionally to switch over to either. Not a major issue, but you might lose a call sometimes.
I did find battery life uneven. Sometimes I could go all day and go to 85% while other days it would take it closer to 50% with only light use. However, I did chat with a friend for 2 1/2 hours on wifi starting at 80% and ending at around 40%, so I think it's safe to say that 4 hours talk time is probably about correct. I found that leaving the media player running in the background caused a faster drain of the battery so one should be aware of that.
The headset volume is a bit on the low side even at max with treble boost. However, I found that the volume was louder over a wifi signal than standard cell tower. Why this is, I don't know, but you'll find that calls will be better over UMA.
For a final breakdown, I think the media player is much improved over the original Pearl, though it doesn't have custom EQ settings, with a decent set of headphones, this phone works great for light to medium music listening. The included Roxio software makes transferring, converting and optimizing videos excellent. Of course, this is a Blackberry and it comes with all of the standard organizing features including Word/Sheet/Slideshow To Go, push e-mail, messaging clients, and what-not. Camera quality was fair for 2.0 MP. I thought the colors were a bit washed out. The flash does work pretty well. Videos are limitied to a pretty small resolution however.
All in all, I think this is a good phone for someone wanting to step up to a smartphone who doesn't want to lose the aesthetic style of a flip or doesn't want to be overwhelmed by the more business-centric models.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very Nice Phone
by blue1922 on November 3, 2008
Pros: I am pleased with the internet features and the overall look of the phone. I've always been a flip phone fanatic and it's the most sophisticated flip phone I've ever owned.
Cons: There seems to be several menus (and menus within menus) for everything and it can be quite overwhelming when you're used to having a simple cellphone.
Summary: Overall, I think this phone is very comfortable to use but it definitely takes a little while to get used to. This is my first Blackberry and I'm pleased ...
Summary: Overall, I think this phone is very comfortable to use but it definitely takes a little while to get used to. This is my first Blackberry and I'm pleased with the product. I had a little trouble with my external notifications and had to pop out the battery to get the display working appropriately again. I also had some issues trying to find the Auto Answer function, but I used the Blackberry Community Forums and it was very helpful in addressing that problem (the guide book was a bit unclear as to how to locate this particular function). Those are the only problems to date. I wouldn't recommend this phone for those that don't like technology and would simply like a phone that makes and receives calls.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Two defective phones in a row plus poor reception
by TestPrep on September 15, 2009
Pros: Features. Sound quality.
Cons: Defective phones. Poor reception.
Summary: Two dead phones in the first 2 weeks. The first wouldn't even fully power up. On partial first charge, the battery overheated while not in use or connected to ...
Summary: Two dead phones in the first 2 weeks. The first wouldn't even fully power up. On partial first charge, the battery overheated while not in use or connected to a charger and the phone died. The replacement seemed to work OK but stopped taking a charge and died after 2 weeks. Even when it worked reception was not great - other TMobile phones got reception in the same locations where it would not.
Obviously there is a quality control problem here. -
Wasn't impressed
by daman66 on August 11, 2009
Pros: Received the same cell coverage as usual. took good pictures. some games to play. was able to put some music on the device.
Cons: had the phone for 8 days. WiFi only worked at home. couldn't register anywhere else. roller ball quit working during this time. menus are not quick and easy to use. Not as compatiable with computer as advertised. Battery lasted day and half.
Summary: Unless you have time to waste to learn all the complicated stuff involved, then get another phone. Half the stuff didn't work. I had the phone for 8 days ...
Summary: Unless you have time to waste to learn all the complicated stuff involved, then get another phone. Half the stuff didn't work. I had the phone for 8 days and stuff already started breaking or didn't work at all. Don't waste your time with this unless you like the feeling of disappointment. I tested this phone between Georgia and Alaska and gave it back due to lack of being user friendly. I have an I-touch that can do more that is much easier to use.
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worst blackberry ever owned
by mikepen1222 on August 8, 2009
Pros: nothing at all
Cons: everything, nothing works properly with this phone
Summary: by far the worst smart phone ive owned, have had it about 2 months and have called numerous times about non stop problems with the wi-fi, the phone shutting off ...
Summary: by far the worst smart phone ive owned, have had it about 2 months and have called numerous times about non stop problems with the wi-fi, the phone shutting off randomly, or locking up while trying to send emails and messages, will do everything in my power to get rid of this terrible divice.
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For a Normal Phone, Good. For a Blackberry, Terrible.
by directorlj on April 19, 2009
Pros: Excellent reception, sound quality and radio strength
Cons: Processor in this device is so slow as to render it unusable for anyone but a casual email and message user. T-Mo's claims this a "known issue" with the phone and therefore, nothing they could do about it!! Frustrating waste of money. Beware!
Summary: This phone is nearly impossible to use for anything other than phone calls and light emailing and messaging. The new browser renders images unreadably small. Magnification adds too many steps ...
Summary: This phone is nearly impossible to use for anything other than phone calls and light emailing and messaging. The new browser renders images unreadably small. Magnification adds too many steps and the slow processor can't handle it. This phone is a disaster.
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What a fun phone!
by Zealot4Jesus on March 21, 2009
Pros: Sleek look, text messaging is fun and so easy to use even without a standard qwerty keyboard, many great features, great phone to stay organized, speakerphone loud & clear
Light weight
Decent battery lifeCons: Phone keeps shutting off for no reason. VERY annoying. Doesn't allow me to program it to where it will continue to beep until I check my vm msgs/text msgs. I'm sure others don't care much for this feature but it's always helped me :-)
Summary: I am loving this phone! Like blue1922, I too am a flip phone fanatic. I really wanted one. I missed my razr flip phone so much but it was junk ...
Summary: I am loving this phone! Like blue1922, I too am a flip phone fanatic. I really wanted one. I missed my razr flip phone so much but it was junk and I had to get rid of it. I didn't want to look back but with this phone, I didn't have to! I got a flip phone that I wanted and so much more! With this phone, you get all the features of the typical blackberry phone but in a more attractive package. The predictive text is something I've never seen! It's very precise and in no time I can send pretty long text msgs. I don't have the data plan so I couldn't comment on how that's like on this phone. All the other features work great. The one thing I am not liking is the fact that this phone often shuts off for no reason at all. I have to take the battery out and put it back in. Also, the phone takes a while to start up. That's pretty annoying as well. I may have a lemon or something. I plan to have it replaced with a new blackberry flip. Very satisfied with my Blackberry!
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Big disappointment
by c203nxi on March 19, 2009
Pros: It answers telephone calls and has a good software package.
Cons: A real battery user! While talking on it, the battery dies well inside two hours! When dialing, the keys are very small and rarely `beep' to let you know you typed in another number.
Summary: A real battery user! While talking on it, the battery dies well inside two hours! When dialing, the keys are very small and rarely `beep' to let you know it ...
Summary: A real battery user! While talking on it, the battery dies well inside two hours! When dialing, the keys are very small and rarely `beep' to let you know it has the additional number. This resulted in many miss dials even when you take care in dialing. By far the worst product RIMM has ever manufactured. Don't buy it! I returned mine after a week of total frustration. The directions are also poorly written so if you are not really familiar with the software, get ready to do a lot of reading! The keys on both edges are a different color than the middle keys causing added confusion. The keys on both edges are a different color than the middle keys causing added confusion. Don't buy it! The angle of the ear piece is awkward to say the least! Don't buy it! The angle of the ear piece is awkward to say the least!
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Great Phone Better Than Regular Pearl
by Danny Cartel on February 16, 2009
Pros: Love the new OS, YEA for Spell Check.. Great Games,... Docs To Go... Screen Quality is very good.. records and Plays Video.. Of Course Great Email and Chat and IM.. Facebook and Myspace apps.. Preview Emails, SMS, Blackberry messages.. HOT PHONE..
Cons: Needs GPS and 3G
Summary: I was happy with my Blackberry Pearl 8100, but it fell and I called TMobile and I was going to get the Curve but the rep convinced me to get ...
Summary: I was happy with my Blackberry Pearl 8100, but it fell and I called TMobile and I was going to get the Curve but the rep convinced me to get the new Blackberrt Flip Pearl. I was hesitant, it actually took me 3 days to call back Tmobile and finally purchase the phone. I did alot of research on the phone just because of how can you have a FLIP BLACKBERRY.. So after doing my research their was very little CONS on the Blackberry Flip Pearl. So I called Tmobile back and got the phone, great deal $49.99 and they included the express shipping. I get the phone in 2 days and I open the box and I see the phone and I'm like wow this phone looks HOT.. I flip open the phone and turn it on the Flip Pearl and again another WOW the OS is awesome.. You will not be disappointed with the Blackberry Flip Pearl.. This is a GREAT PHONE>..
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
- Part number: 8220FLIPREDTMB
- Description: Stylish and compact, the BlackBerry Pearl? Flip 8200 series smartphones puts you in control of how and when you communicate while you're on the go. Whether you're browsing the web or connecting with family and friends, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8200 series smartphones combine fun and functionality in a whole way.
General
- Product Type BlackBerry
- Service Provider Not specified
- Width 2 in
- Depth 0.7 in
- Height 4 in
- Weight 3.6 oz
- Body Color Red
Cellular
- Technology GSM
- Band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband)
- Phone Design Folder type phone
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Phone Navigation Buttons Trackball
- Voice Dialing Yes
- Voice Recorder Yes
- Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.0
Communicator Features
- Operating System BlackBerry Handheld Software
Messaging & Data Services
- Mobile Email Yes
- Supported Email Protocols POP3, IMAP4
- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Yes
- EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates For Global Evolution) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
Digital Camera
- Camera highlights With a resolution of 2 megapixels, this model will give you higher quality pictures than other phones.
- Sensor Resolution 2 megapixels
- Still Image Formats JPEG
- Camera Light Source Flash
- Features Video recording
GPS System
- GPS Navigation None
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology TFT
- Display Resolution 240 x 320 pixels
- Color Depth 16-bit (65000 colors)
Display (2nd)
- Type LCD display
- Display Resolution 128 x 160 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
- Supported Digital Audio Standards AAC, AMR, MP3, WAV, WMA, MIDI, AAC +
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Headset jack, 1 x USB
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Capacity 900 mAh
- Talk Time 240 min
- Standby Time 336 h
Product series
-
RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (Black)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), 240 min, 3.6 oz
-
RIM BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (Red)
Manufacturer: Research In Motion Ltd.
Specs: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Quadband), 240 min, 3.6 oz
Manufacturer info
- Research In Motion Ltd.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Research In Motion Ltd. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.rim.net
- Address:
295 Phillip Street
Waterloo, Ontario
Canada N2L 3W8, Waterloo, ON - Phone: 519/888-7465
- Email: webinfo@rim.net
- Fax: 519-888-7884
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