T-Mobile launches BlackBerry Pearl 8220, available today for $149.99

The BlackBerry Pearl 8220 runs neck-and-neck with the Storm for the title of "most leaked RIM device of 2008," but for what it's worth, T-Mobile is just now getting around to announcing a date and price for the most fliptastic phone in Waterloo's ever-expanding lineup. That's good news -- but perhaps the best news is that the launch date just happens to be today (for one of the two available colors, anyhow). The black version of the 8220 will be appearing online and in T-Mobile stores today, while the dark red will be following on a week later on Monday, October 20. Both will run $149.99 on a two-year contract.

Be sure to check out our hands-on impressions -- and a dazzling gallery of visuals to go along with them -- over on Engadget Mobile!

[Colonel Panic @ Oct 13th 2008 12:06AM]

Despite what BGR said about the screens, I know a few people who would love a smartphone in a clamshell formfactor.

[Shoumik @ Oct 13th 2008 12:08AM]

tats pretty fly..rim

[wako @ Oct 13th 2008 12:09AM]

that phones looks like it should be free... Ill continue to wait for the javelin or bold for tmobile :)

[adam @ Oct 13th 2008 12:12AM]

for real. i liked it better back when rumors said it would cost 50$.

[DJDevine @ Oct 13th 2008 9:19AM]

how is the Bold coming to T-Mobile, and the Javelin, or any blackberry for that matter, is a poor choice if your on T-Mobile

[Jake Lyon @ Oct 13th 2008 12:17AM]

For some reason I really like this phone...then again I haven't held it in my hand. It looks like a monster next to the BlackBerry Pearl.
But that may not be a bad thing. We shall see.

[Thomas @ Oct 13th 2008 12:19AM]

WAIT !! WHAT IS THAT... AT THE BOTTOM

does that say Microsoft??

[MastrCake @ Oct 13th 2008 12:25AM]

I really love the idea of a flip-phone BlackBerry Pearl. I just like the idea of the G1 even more.

Terrible timing for T-Mobile. The G1 is just around the corner.

[chefgon_ign @ Oct 13th 2008 6:23AM]

There is virtually no overlap in target market here. The G1 is purely a consumer device, currently aimed at the developer community. Blackberries are primarily aimed at business people who are going to tie in to their company's Blackberry exchange server.

Also, the sliding QWERTY and the flip SureType are at total opposite ends of the phone keyboard spectrum. I just don't see these devices competing for sales because it is so unlikely that they will both appeal to the same person.

[Connor @ Oct 13th 2008 12:29AM]

It's good looking, a Black Berry, and damn affordable! But it is on T-Mo, will the G-1 take away cheap-ish smartphone sales like this one?

[Bender Bending Rodriguez @ Oct 13th 2008 12:40AM]

Serious post....

What does this $149 device have over the 1GB HTC G1 for $179, 8GB iPhone, or 2GB Samsung Instinct for $179... all with 2 year contracts?

[Dapman02 @ Oct 13th 2008 12:46AM]

Availability.

[dimsum05 @ Oct 13th 2008 12:58AM]

PIM is more robust.
BIS/BES.
UMA.

[Ethan @ Oct 13th 2008 12:59AM]

Or the Curve for $149, or the Pearl for $99 (I think)

[7on @ Oct 13th 2008 11:10AM]

Some places you can get a Pearl for $0 with a new contract. You just have to know where to look..

[Gary @ Oct 14th 2008 12:38PM]

no Apple Logo
no AT&T Logo
Copy-paste

The list is endless... but this is a good start.

[El Taco @ Oct 13th 2008 6:10PM]

It fits in your pocket better than any of those. Some people actually want to be able to carry around more than just their phone in their pocket. That's actually part of the reason I decided to go with the LG Dare rather than iphone. The iPhone is a great phone, but it's just too big for me.

[Stan @ Oct 13th 2008 1:11AM]

That rendered image looks hot.

I don't get the hate that some people have for RIM's first flip phone. I like flip phones, and that humongous suretype keypad must be just awesome.

[Super S @ Oct 13th 2008 4:45AM]

I have no problem with RIM making a flip-phone. They could have just made it look better, for example, having the top part not go behind the the keypad when flipped open, looks silly. I like the ginormous keypad, but the unit on the whole huge for a flip. I thought the point of flip phones were to make them smaller.

[Connor @ Oct 13th 2008 1:17AM]

People have grown accustom to flip phones being cheap, free, dumb phones.
It looks fine to me, but with $150 to drop, this wouldn't be my first choice...
Because, you know, the hot cakes these days are touch screens!! Let's create a touch screen on a touch screen...then add a slider.

[neoufo51 @ Oct 13th 2008 3:08AM]

Despite the 3.5mm headphone jack and Wifi, these are things that are more suited for a phone with a keyboard and/or touchscreen. RIM's first flip is admirable, but consumers won't pay $149 when for $30 -$50 more, they can have a fuller featured phone with way more navigability.

I've skipped the iPhone, skipped the G1, and definitely skipping this.

T-Mobile, give me an Android phone that isn't made by HTC with a 3.5mm headphone jack at a competitive price point and I'll buy.

[pretol @ Oct 13th 2008 3:56AM]

OMG! It's got two things that make me fall in love with it INSTANTLY!

a mini headphone jack and a mini USB jack!!! That's an instant approval from me!

[Dan @ Oct 14th 2008 12:06AM]

That isn't exactly new in BlackBerry phones, you know.

[pretol @ Oct 14th 2008 1:58PM]

Blackberry has been making the ugliest phones in phone history, and now they are making something I want. That's the difference.

[drumdbeat @ Oct 13th 2008 5:45AM]

Got our Bolds today....
Getting the Storms as soon as we can....

Not gettng this. Good idea, buut i don't think it looks as good as it could, even when folded this thing looks massive. Surely it could be smaller? There is a lot of space above and below the screen, and also below the keypad...

But it is a Blackberry, so it still wins.

[Gorjan @ Oct 13th 2008 9:32AM]

Is that a coloured Seinfeld on that display?

[Alex @ Oct 13th 2008 11:00AM]

Or you can get the amazing T-Mobile G1 for $30 more. No brainer...

[haX0r @ Oct 13th 2008 12:09PM]

agreed.

[pretol @ Oct 14th 2008 1:56PM]

You're doing apples to oranges. One is a flip other is a slider. One is blackberry, other is android. One has much better corporate support, other one pretty much doesn't.

G1 is obviously a no-brainer for you. But it's not an overall better choice (I come from the field where everyone around me would pick the Blackberry).

[David @ Oct 27th 2008 3:22AM]

I have done a _LOT_ of research and have realized that this phone has everything the G1 does

Pros that make this better than G1:
-3.5 mm head jack
-Tethered modem capability (using this as a wireless modem for your laptop, etc.)
-Cheaper
-Video capture
-Exchange
-This phone is easier to deal with when you just have one hand to use

Cons that make this worse than G1:
-No touch screen
-Less youtube access
-No streetview GPS system
-No android platform(This can be debatable)

[El Taco @ Oct 13th 2008 6:07PM]

methinks RIM is learning from apple and "leaking" products

[mbailey @ Dec 10th 2008 12:51AM]

8220 Does not have Tethered Modem capability - there isn't any Standard Modem which shows up in device manager.