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AT&T is now offering the follow up to the BlackBerry Pearl 8100, called ... the BlackBerry Pearl 8120. The new model appears to be a solid enhancement over the original, which successfully brought RIM into the consumer market

The original Pearl model was RIM's first smartphone with a camera, memory expansion, and expanded multimedia capabilities. It, like all Pearls since, nixed the traditional BlackBerry QWERTY thumb-keyboard for a keypad/keyboard combo that merges numbers and text onto each button.

SureType technology helps users accurately input text. When they press a key, the new handset - as with the older 7100 series – is supposed to know which of the two supported letters they meant to use.

While the Pearl 8120 includes Wi-Fi, for high-speed access to hot spots and WLANs, you can't use it on AT&T's 3G network. It tops out at the carrier's much slower 2.5G EDGE cellular-wireless data network.

So while you can talk on the phone and access data (sending and receiving e-mail or accessing the Web, for instance simultaneously over Wi-Fi, the lack of 3G means you can't do the same when using AT&T's cell phone network for both activities.

With the new model, RIM bumps the camera up to 2 megapixels, however. And it still sports a microSD/SDHC for memory expansion. Watch video on the Pearl 8120's 240 x 260 pixel display. You can listen to music in stereo by plugging a wired headset into the new Pearl's 3.5mm stereo jack or through wireless headset because it supports the Bluetooth 2.0 standard.

RIM's kept the Pearl small and light with the new 8120. It measures a compact 4.2 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches and weighs only 3.2 ounces.

The new BlackBerry Pearl 8120 is available for business customers now for $199.99, with a two-year contract and when you sign up for an unlimited data plan plus $39.99 voice plan. It supports AT&T's Mobile Music subscription and Push to Talk walkie-talkie services.