BLACKBERRY PEARL FLIP 8220

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

It might seem slightly perverse for RIM to produce a clamshell Blackberry when almost every other phone maker's attitude seems to be 'been there, done that' while they focus on sliders and candybars. But there is method in the madness.

RIM's intention with the Pearl range has been to broaden the appeal of the Blackberry beyond its corporate beginnings and to make it just as much about all the other things that people buy phones for - style, fun, camera, music player, web access, and email, still the Blackberry's USP.

Adding a clamshell variation into a market that's not exactly awash with them at the moment could well prove a window of opportunity for the brand, especially when it's as stylish and technically sophisticated as this one.

Look-wise, the 8220 has a more sober appearence than its brightly coloured predecessors in the Pearl range -which are "aimed at girls and hairdressers", as one WAG had it. It looks serious with its glossy black front, but not necessarily in a boring business way. Put it this way, James Bond wouldn't blow his cool by ostentatiously displaying one of these in his next movie.

The outer screen measures 27 X 34 mm with a 128 X 160 resolution- the main, interior one is 240 X 320 - and is barely noticeable with the phone in repose. When you receive a call, however, it flicks into life, revealing an analogue clock with date as well as caller, battery, message and signal info. You can also activate it by pressing one of the two programmable 'convenience keys' on each side.

Elsewhere on the 8220's sides are a mini USB charging port, 3.5mm socket for headphones, a Micro SD memory card slot - it will take upto 16GB though no card comes supplied as standard - volume keys and a call mute key.

Back to the front, and above the outer screen there's a 2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a red status light. There's a slight curve to the body near the top, which may help when flipping it open with one hand. But there's a small surprise when you do the screen comes to rest behind the body of the phone. This feels a bit odd both in the hand and next to your face when you're holding it to your ear. It's no big deal - it's just a bit odd.

There's nothing odd about the keypad, though, which is all business sleekness and efficieny. The keys are large and well spaced, making the entry of text messages and email as a pleasurable as it can be without a full QWERTY keyboard.