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The next offering to the pearl family by Research in Motion(RIM) is the Blackberry 8120. This is a direct descendent of the Blackberry Pearl launched last year and this new Pearl is a cute looking device.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8130 provided all sorts of upgrades, but not WiFi. That’s where the BlackBerry Pearl 8120 steps in, replacing the 3G radio with one that grabs 802.11b/g WiFi signals. Hence it opens up the possibility of VoIP and VoIP-like services. It also boasts of a higher-resolution camera, and enhancements to the handset’s browser and user interface. The remaining features remain from the original Pearl including the trackball navigator, SureType keyboard, integrated GPS, stereo Bluetooth, microSD memory expansion, updated mail software, and the 3.5mm headset jack, and it works fine.

The 8120 is also available in titanium, blue and gold. You can also install the Facebook application, and post online, besides emailing or MMSing your friends. It is very competent for a mobile phone at Rs 24,990. Pearl 2 does show that RIM is trying hard to break out of its ‘businesses only’ image, both design-wise and features-wise.

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