The BlackBerry Pearl is a smartphone released by Research in Motion (or RIM). It is a next generation smartphone that was originally launched in 2006. It was the first BlackBerry phone to feature a camera and a media player, and was launched on T-Mobile before any other cellular phone service. This phone was the first to really aim at personal/casual phone users rather than just businesses and corporations.

The Blackberry Pearl 8220 was the first flip-phone Blackberry, and is similar to the original Pearl in almost every way except for being in the flip phone format. This phone also featured a trackball that was clear/translucent, compared to the white ball in the previous Blackberry phones. It also had a full Wi-Fi/GPS capability in a flipphone format.http://www.intomobile.com/2007/11/20/blackberry-pearl-8120-with-wifi-and-gps-spotted-on-fcc/

The Blackberry Pearl allows many different pieces of software to be installed on it. Aside from its main operating system, there are a number of third-party and official pieces of software that can be installed on it. This includes apps that allow you to read Microsoft Word, Excel or Powerpoint files. It can also include games, dictionaries, text editors, image editing software, finance software, health calculators and educational software.ref.http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/accessories/presenter/</ref>

Some Blackberry Pearl software is available on the web for free, and others does carry a cost. Illegitimate software has been passed off as the real thing on the Internet and consumers are advised to check the source thoroughly to ensure that a particular application that is not available for free elsewhere on the web. Additionally, software product reviews will disclose pertinent information which can be used to make purchasing decisions.

Here are some of the sample specifications for the base model of the Blackberry Pearl:

1. Size: 2 in x 0.6 in x 4.2 in
2. Weighs: 3.2 oz
3. Talk Time: Up to 3 1/2 hours
4. Standby Time: Up to 15 days
5. 1.33 megapixel camera with flash, self portrait ability, and 5x zoom
6. Media player
7. Bluetooth 2.0
8. Wi-Fi
9. Address book, calendar, calculator
10. HTML web browser, push email
11. Voice dialing, SMS, MMS, speakerphone