Gizmodo: 8220

BlackBerry 8210 and 8820 Flip Phones Leaked by Web Retailer

Kit Eaton — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:15:00 EDT

A tiny mistake by online retailer Expansys has revealed two new quad-band BlackBerry clamshell phones. Some info on the 8220 has surfaced before, but the 8210 seems new. The phones are apparently very similar, with both having a 2.6-inch internal 240x 320 pixel screen, a small 160 x 128 external screen, and clamshell format. Both have SureType keyboards and a trackball, 2-megapixel cam and microSD expansion. But while the 8210 has in-built GPS, the 8220 sports Wi-Fi connectivity. There was no release date or price available on the leaked page before it was whipped down by Expansys. [Reghardware]

T-Mobile's 2008 BlackBerry Roadmap Leaked - Javelin and 8220

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:20:52 EDT

T-Mobile might not have the widest selection of phones, but they do have a certain love for BlackBerry that you can't deny. BlackBerryNews has the leaked roadmap of the BlackBerries T-Mobile is carrying for the rest of the year, which includes new colors for the Pearl, the 8220 and the Javelin. BBNews notes that all these phones will have at least OS 4.5, with the Javelin going all the way up to 4.6.1. No BlackBerry Bold though, unfortunately, as that's an AT&T-only deal for the near future. As a side note, the 8220 might also be called the BlackBerry Pearl 8220, seeing as they love the Pearl branding. [BlackBerry News]

First BlackBerry Kickstart 8220 Impressions (Verdict: Solid Hardware)

Mark Wilson — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 14:55:00 EDT

The kids over at CrackBerry got their hands on the new Blackberry Kickstart 8220—the first flip phone BlackBerry. And while they have yet to publish a complete review, CrackBerry definitely likes the hardware, claiming that RIM has not cheapened the build quality for its casual audience. But how does it match up to the BlackBerry Pearl? Pretty well, they claim.

...the KickStart has a lot going for it - bigger display, bigger/easier to type on keyboard and most important to some, OS version 4.6. I find the side by side keyboard shots to be almost comical - the KickStart's keyboard makes the Pearl's look like Mini Me in comparison... the KickStart is a more masculine SureType option in the BlackBerry family.

I dunno though, the KickStart is thicker, too, and that SureType keyboard is still inexplicably slanted.

It'll be interesting to see what the critics say when testing is final. [CrackBerry]