Compare Prices : BlackBerry 8120 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: What RIM's aversion to 3G is we'll never figure out. With version 8120, RIM updates its beloved Pearl smartphone with Wi-Fi but still omits a 3G radio and, oddly, GPS, the latter of which can be found on both the 8110 and 8130. The shell is virtually ...

Pros: Camera upgraded to 2-megapixels plus flash and video capability. Software is somewhat better at word detection and correction; even works well with odd, multi-word URLs. Crazy loud speakerphone. Very sensitive mic offered exceptional call quality in ...

Cons: Pearl keyboard still not for everyone. Lack of 3G is absurd. No GPS.

Review summary: RIM was up against it when it launched the revamped BlackBerry Pearl last November, going head-to-head with the much-hyped iPhone. But a few months into the battle, it seems the business brand of choice has achieved a crossover handset with the ...

Pros: Wi-Fi, Handy Push Email, Business functions with consumer appeal

Cons: Outdated interface, Small screen, No 3G

Verdict: A bit old-fashioned in some ways, but more than capable of providing you with all that you'll need from a PDA

Review summary: The Pearl has a sleek blue-and-chrome chassis

Pros: Wi-Fi ; Handy Push email ; Business functions with consumer appeal

Cons: Small Screen ; Outdated interface ; No 3G

Verdict: Old-fashioned it may be, but the proof is in the usability, and for a smartphone the 8120 is a breeze to operate once you've got used to the SureType keyboard, which provides two QWERTY keys per button to keep dimensions down

Review summary: The original slimline Pearl got the famously stuffy BlackBerry accepted by the mainstream. But can its successor, the 8120, keep the dream alive?

Pros: Compact and slim. Wi-Fi. Easy to set up and use push email. 3.5mm headphone jack

Cons: Still no 3G. Cramped keys. Middling camera and video performance

Review summary: The BlackBerry is a phenomenon that doesn't need explaining to readers of this Web site. What started as a mobile e-mail device for businesspeople has slowly but surely been transformed by Research in Motion (RIM), the ...

Verdict: The Pearl 8120 is a definite advance on the original Pearl, and shows that RIM is edging ever closer to consumers with a hankering for mobile e-mail.