If you’re Canadian and love the thrill of the hunt Boxing Day provides, hate waiting in long lineups on a frosty winter’s eve, are looking for a new smartphone, and aren’t too sure what to make of this WIND Mobile business, then Rogers kinda/sorta has a deal for you. From now until January 18th, the following smartphones are avaiable from $0 to $0.99: BlackBerry Bold 9000 (white), BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, HTC Magic, LG Eve and Sony Ericsson Xperia X1. Of course, with such a price there is always a catch and in this particular instance it’s a decision not to be made lightly — a 3-year contract

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While the launch of the BlackBerry Storm2 on Verizon is widely expected to take place on October 28th and the Bold 9700 is so close we can almost taste it, owners of current generation BlackBerry smartphones  — the Pearl Flip 8220/8230, Curve 8330/8350i/8900, Bold 9000, Storm 9500/9530 and Tour 9630 — should be pleased to note that RIM is all set for the launch OS 5.0. Specific dates aren’t easily pinned down as it more or less depends on the device one has and the carrier one is with, but thanks to our connects we know, for example, that Verizon will be dropping for the OS 5.0 for the Storm 9530 tomorrow evening with a fall back date set for Monday. Those that don’t have Desktop Manager set up on either their PC or Mac might want to get everything ready ahead of time as it looks for the most part that OTA software updates will not be made available. Oh well. OS 5.0 is oh so worth the hassle.

We know the BlackBerry 8900 has been slated as an AT&T device forever. Heck, Giz’s unit was AT&T branded, and then there’s also the mysterious vanishing act it pulled at CES. We also outed the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8210 (oh no, RIM isn’t even close to being done with the confusing models/different features) and that looks to be the unit AT&T is going to be launching first (we believe the 8220 will come to AT&T as well later). What everyone has been wondering, however, is when will these devices will actually see the light of day on AT&T. We just got some information that corroborates with what we’ve heard, but it isn’t from one of our normal tipsters. If you’re still interested, we have been told the BlackBerry 8900 is scheduled for a February release (we also heard the SKU is now appearing in AT&T’s systems), and that the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8210 is coming in March. Verizon isn’t going to be the only one, it seems. We haven’t got word on pricing yet, but we’d imagine you’ll see the Curve 8900 for around $199 and the Flip for around $99. Possibly lower if AT&T really wants to churn and burn.

P.S. The date also seems right because it does lineup with AT&T phasing out those EDGE devices. These could very well be the last of the Mohicans. Yeah, we totally said that.

If you’ve been aching for a new BlackBerry Pearl Flip phone but you didn’t want to plop down a few hundred dollars for it, this may be your week. We don’t have all the details on this, but it’s clear from the advertising that Best Buy is offering the Pearl 8220 for free – obviously with a new contract, but we’re not sure if there are any mail-in rebates involved (it’s not shown in the photo, just price after a sign up). This photo was snapped by one of our ninjas in the San Francisco Bay Area so it might be a regional promotion, too. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to check your local Best Buy to see if they’re offering the same promotion. Being out of contract as a “free agent” is certainly nice during this time of year when everything is being offered dirt cheap, or free as it is in this case, when you sign the dotted line for a new 2-year.

Thanks, Roger A!

If you live in Canada and you’re thinking of asking for a BlackBerry during Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanza/the coming of Zombie Jesus/whatever, you might wanna think twice. Word has reached us by way of our infamous ninjas, and there are some goodies about to be available in Canada. First we should talk about Rogers. Long has it been known that they’re going to be carrying the BlackBerry Curve 8900, but now we can say for sure that they’re going to be launching it in January 2009 with a $149.99 price tag on a 3-year voice and data deal. Also coming to Rogers is something so terrible that we almost lost the will to live at BGR — a pink BlackBerry Bold. Yeah, that’s right, pink. While were not exactly sure if the whole device or just parts of it will be pink, you can rest assured that it will be heinous extremely popular.

As for Fido, a lot of people doubted that Fido would be offering BlackBerry devices and services since their low-cost re-branding. However, word is that the second week of December is when Fido is planning to launch the BlackBerry 8120 Pearl in both Oyster Pink (some call it Sandstone, a la AT&T) and Grey. In Q1, we’ve got word that Fido will be launching the BlackBerry 8220 Pearl with a projected price of $50 on a 2-year contract.

Oh yeah! There’s also some talk that Rogers/Fido are going to be releasing some new data plans this Friday. We’ll look into this for y’all. Hit the jump for your first look at the BlackBerry Bold in pink!

Thanks SaxMan!

Oh whatever, we tried.

Fido, which recently underwent rebranding that saw it reposition itself as a bonafide low-cost carrier, is pushing its parent company Rogers Wireless for permission to sell BlackBerry smartphones in time for the holidays. Fido had killed its BlackBerry Connect services earlier this year as it simply didn’t have any BlackBerry devices in its lineup. As such, Fido found itself paying royalties for an product that it essentially didn’t even offer.  Now with the skyrocketing popularity of data-dependent smartphones and thousands of customers who have a BlackBerry feeling left out, Fido sees that it’s failure to offer BlackBerry devices and services is an opportunity cost it would rather not have. Specifically, Fido is looking at selling the WiFi-enabled and UNO-capable (think T-Mobile’s UMA and Rogers’ TalkSpot) 8120 Pearl leading up to the holidays and then adding the 8220 Pearl Flip to its catalog after the holidays. In addition to this, Fido would offer support for all other BlackBerry handsets and devices that feature BlackBerry Connect. Sounds good, yes?

Thanks, SaxMan!

Canadian SureType fans won’t have to wait much longer to get their hands on the BlackBerry 8220 Pearl Flip. Word came down today from the very top of Rogers that the device is going to start shipping to all retail channels on Wednesday, October 29th. Customers who sign up for a 3-year death sentence contract in combination with a voice and data combo of $35 and up will be able to walk away with the Pearl Flip for $49.99, which isn’t a bad price at all in Canada. In terms of release date, unfortunately there isn’t one set in stone. There is however, a lot of speculation that Rogers will do something out of character and release the phone on Friday, a day that happens to be Halloween. If that doesn’t happen it’s pretty safe to assume that by Tuesday, November 4th the Pearl Flip will be officially available in it’s native land.

Not bashing them… just wondering, really. Didn’t they announce the MySpace application release would coincide with the release of the T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220? Anyone care?

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Looks like the rumor of a dirt cheap Rogers BlackBerry 8220 Pearl Flip from a few months ago was true after all. Despite no official announcement of pricing or release, Canada’s Future Shop has listed the device as for sale “in-store only” for $49 on a 3-year contract. While stores across Canada are reporting that no 8220s are in stock, it is expected that the official go head from Rogers will come soon, possibly as early as Tuesday. At the same time, the recently rumored pink Pearl Flip was also confirmed making the device available in both pink and black. The only question left is whether or not some people at Future Shop are going to lose their job for the continuous stream of pre-announcement sales and leaks they’ve been having over the past year.

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The BlackBerry 8220 Pearl Flip – it’s truly a smartphone that you’re going to love or hate without any middle ground. But hate it or love it it’s finally now available on good ole’ T-Mobile USA. Available today in Black for $149.99 on a 2-year contract, the Pearl Flip is going to take the cell phone market for 13-year old girls by storm. And if black isn’t your thing, (no, we’re not playing the race card) you’ll be able to buy the red version come October 20th. You already know the specs by now, but to freshen your memory, the Pearl Flip’s got a 2 megapixel shooter, Wi-Fi with Hotspot@Home support, a SureType keyboard, and that oh-so-old-yet-2008 flip design.

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Alright, these aren’t the first live in-hand shots of the BlackBerry 8220, but it is the first unboxing. And it’s a damn good looking box! There’s actually very little that comes in the T-Mobile box, just the device, battery, charger, headphones, and a USB cable. We thought it would have been loaded with goodies like a really nice headset, wack cool carrying case, lanyard, decals, and other nonsensical things, but that’s what the accessory market is for, we guess. As far as the device goes, we’re pretty disappointed. Not so much because it’s absolutely terrible, just because the Pearl Flip feels like a prototype and not a final build. Even though this is a retail unit. The displays are a complete letdown, and that’s not because we’ve been spoiled by the Bold. It’s because they are really bad. For some reason the outer and inner screens are pixelated beyond anything we’ve seen recently, and they are probably the worst displays we’ve seen on a BlackBerry since… well, a long time. We understand it’s not a high end device, but is there any reason this thing should be looking like it came out of 2001? The feel of the Flip is fine — it’s a little light actually — and when opened, it’s perfectly weighted. The keyboard isn’t that great, but who are we fooling. This is a phone for your niece, baby mama, sister, or Sarah Palin hockey mom. And for that friends, we give it a B+. What are you still doing here? The gallery is where it’s at, son.

Click on over to our T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 unboxing gallery!

Break out the champagne because the BlackBerry 8220 Pearl Flip has officially gone on sale in Italy. The first clamshell device from Waterloo is being sold for relatively competitive price of 269 € ($372 USD). It’s also currently offered in any color you want as long as it’s black. The only question now is what self-respecting Italian would buy such a device? It’s certainly not those hipsters who wear Diesel jeans, D&G shirts, drive tricked-out Fiat Punto’s, and listen to Duran Duran.

Here’s a breakdown of the specs from TIM’s website.

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
• 128MB internal flash memory, 1GB microSD card
• OS 4.6
• 900 mAh battery w/ 240 minute talk-time and 336 hours of stand-by
• 240 x 320 internal display, 128 x 160 external display
• 2.0 megapixel camera with flash, zoom, and viedo recording
• Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP/AVCRP , microUSB
• Integrated modem for tethering
• 100 x 50 x 17.5 mm, 102g

Thanks, Joe!

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Contrary to the rumored ultra-cheap pricing that many were expecting, a reported leak may reveal the upcoming BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 is priced a bit higher. A tmonews forum member claiming to be a T-Mobile employee has posted what he claims to be the price points for T-Mobile’s upcoming 8220 release, and they look like this:

• New Activation 2 Year Contract $149.99 (after $50 MIR)
• New Activation 1 Year Contract $199.99 (after $50 MIR)
• Full Upgrade 2 Year Contract $167.99 (after $50 MIR)
• Full Upgrade 1 Year Contract $217.99 (after $50 MIR)
• Partial Upgrade: TBD
• Retail Price: $349.99

So it’s not $50 but $150 after mail-in rebate is hardly a ridiculous price tag for RIM’s first BlackBerry to have a clam shell form factor. While T-Mobile will be the only carrier to offer the Pearl Flip in the US, we also know that Rogers will be carrying it north of the border. Surprisingly, T-Mobile’s pricing (if accurate) is well above the $49 – $99 CAD that Rogers will be asking with a 3 year contract. Regardless, we know T-Mobile will be making the 8220 available this fall so we should know how accurate this pricing is soon enough.

[Via IntoMobile]

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A sneak peek into Best Buy’s inventory system reveals several hot new phones coming soon to your local Best Buy. Available as of a few days ago is an unlocked version of Sony Ericsson’s diminutive C902 Cybershot phone. It might not be worth the gas to drive there just for this SE phone; but if you are already at Best Buy, this slim 5MP candy bar may be worth a closer look. If you fancy smartphones instead, then here’s where things get good. You can score yourself an unlocked Palm Treo Pro on October 26th. Not a Palm fan or already ordered one from their website? How about the T-Mobile Blackberry Pearl Flip 8220 in Red? That looks to be hitting shops on October 26th. Last but not least is the now sold out, T-Mobile HTC G1 phone. That bad boy will be arriving in store on the 26th of October as well, but won’t be released for sale until November 16th. Tell them BGR sent you and maybe you can score one early. That or bag and run! Hit the jump for screen shots galore.

Thanks ACJ and ESG

The title sort of says it all, but RIM has just gone ahead and announced the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 (Kickstart FTW!). T-Mobile will be the exclusive carrier of the device this year when it is launched in the US and it will come in black or red. We were not given pricing or an exact release date, but we’re assuming those sorts of things will all be made clearer when Mr. Jim rocks the mic at CTIA. Shout out to Freeway, Young Chris, Neef, Rellz, Bleek, Omillio, Beans, Peedi, Sparks, Oschino. Couple more shots along with press release after the jump!

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – Sept. 10, 2008) -

A photo for this release will be available via Marketwire on the picture wire of The Associated Press

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today unveiled the BlackBerry^® Pearl^TM Flip 8220 smartphone, the first BlackBerry^® phone to come in the popular flip form factor.

The new BlackBerry Pearl Flip provides flip phone fans with all the power of a BlackBerry smartphone in a fun and familiar design. One quick flip of the handset opens up a world of possibilities with the industry’s leading mobile messaging solution and a wide range of impressive Internet and multimedia capabilities, all in one powerful yet approachable smartphone. You can send a message to your friends or family, make a call, browse the web, snap a picture, watch a video or listen to your favorite song. It’s all in your control with a simple flip.

The quad-band EDGE based BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone presents a sophisticated look with a sleek design and a chrome-finished frame surrounding its smooth, luminescent face. Packed with an abundance of powerful features, it weighs only 3.6 ounces and measures approximately 3.9″ x 1.9″ x 0.7″. Featuring two high-resolution, light-sensing color displays, the external LCD makes it easy to preview incoming emails, text messages and phone calls without opening the handset, while the large, 240 x 320 internal LCD displays messages, videos and web pages with impressive detail and contrast.

“The popularity of BlackBerry smartphones has grown tremendously around the world and the introduction of this exciting new flip phone will help extend the reach of the BlackBerry platform even further,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO, Research In Motion. “The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is a full-featured smartphone with a unique and friendly design and it is a natural choice for flip phone users who want to start doing more with their phone than just talk.”

FIRST CLASS PHONE

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone is a top of the line mobile phone that flips open and cradles the face naturally and comfortably during phone calls. It delivers exceptional voice quality and includes many premium phone features, including Speaker Independent Voice Recognition (SIVR) for Voice Activated Dialing (VAD), support for mp3 ring tones, smart dialing, conference calling, speed dialing, call forwarding, voicemail attachment playback and enhanced background noise cancellation. It also features a speakerphone and Bluetooth^® 2.0 for use with hands-free headsets, stereo headsets, car kits and other Bluetooth peripherals such as a GPS receiver. The removable/rechargeable 900 mAhr battery provides four hours of talk time and over 14 days of standby time.

MESSAGING POWERHOUSE

Featuring a large SureType^® QWERTY(i) keyboard that makes typing messages and dialing numbers fast and easy, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip, like all BlackBerry smartphones, provides integrated access to the industry leading BlackBerry wireless services. Users are able to easily access up to 10 supported personal and work email accounts, send and receive text and instant messages, and connect on popular social networking sites with friends, family and co-workers. The DataViz^® Documents to Go^® software suite is also preloaded, allowing users to edit Microsoft^® Word, Excel and PowerPoint files directly on the handset. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip is supported on BlackBerry^® Internet Service, BlackBerry^® Unite!, BlackBerry^® Professional Software and BlackBerry^® Enterprise Server, which provides tight integration with corporate email systems and the security and IT policy controls that enterprise customers require to confidently allow smartphones in their organization.

MULTIMEDIA TO GO

With an advanced media player for displaying pictures, listening to music and watching videos, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip is the perfect on-the-go entertainment center. Videos play smoothly on the large internal display, playlists can be managed directly on the handset and there’s an equalizer with 11 preset filters – including “Lounge”, “Jazz” and “Hip Hop” – for customizing audio ranges when using headphones or external speakers. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip works with the new BlackBerry^® Media Sync application that makes it easy to sync iTunes digital music collections with the smartphone(iii) and it also features a conveniently accessible microSD/SDHC memory card slot that supports up to 16GB(ii) for plenty of storage. High Speed USB 2.0 support allows files to be quickly transferred between a desktop computer and the smartphone and the BlackBerry^® Desktop Manager software includes Roxio^® Media Manager for BlackBerry^® to help users easily manage their music and video files. Roxio Photosuite^® 9 LE is also included for creating photo albums and editing pictures.

FULL FEATURED FLIP

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip packs an impressive range of features into its compact design, including phone, email, messaging, organizer, browser and multimedia applications, and it can also support thousands of other mobile lifestyle and business applications. It features a 2 megapixel camera with flash, zoom and video recording(iv) to capture memories while on the move, and includes BlackBerry Maps to deliver maps and step-by-step driving directions quickly and easily. An enhanced HTML browser displays web pages beautifully in either “Column View” or “Page View” and different emulation settings allow users to choose between desktop-style HTML content and the mobile version of web pages. The browser also supports RTSP for watching online streaming video from sites like m.youtube.com. In addition, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone features built-in Wi-Fi^® (802.11 b/g) with support for UMA (unlicensed mobile access), extending wireless email and data coverage and supporting carrier enabled voice calls over home Wi-Fi networks, enterprise wireless deployments and Wi-Fi hotspots.

ACCESSORIES

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip comes with a variety of accessories including a stereo headset, travel charger and USB cable. Additional accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, including holsters and totes, charging pods, premium earphones, Bluetooth headsets and the BlackBerry^® Remote Stereo Gateway are available through retail outlets or online at www.shopblackberry.com.

AVAILABILITY

The BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220 smartphone will be available from wireless carriers around the world beginning this fall. The BlackBerry Pearl Flip will be available in the United States exclusively from T-Mobile beginning this fall. Specific availability and pricing details will be announced at a later date.

For more information please visit www.BlackBerryPearl.com

T-Mobile USA customers can check out more details about this new flip phone and register to be notified when the BlackBerry Pearl Flip is available at www.BlackBerry.com/T-MobileBlackBerryPearlFlip