BlackBerry Pearl 8220 Kicks KickStart To The Curb

August 11, 2008 in AT&T, BlackBerry, T-Mobile, Uncategorized

BlackBerry’s first ever calmshell device caused many sour faces among BB Faithful. But the aptly named “KickStart” wasn’t meant for the core BlackBerry customer - it is geared towards the mass consumer as a way to introduce them to the BlackBerry brand - a quite brilliant extension to teens and soccer moms around the world.

Perhaps the name KickStart made great logical sense but it has been killed off completely and the clamshell phone will now be known as the BlackBerry Pearl 8220. And when you think about it… it makes perfect sense. How many little kids want to be reminded that they are still using training wheels while the big kids ride regular bikes? While mobile enthusiasts might think the name fits, it could be considered almost demeaning to the potential purchaser.

Here is a (supposed) internal document from Canadian carrier Rogers which refers to the device as the BlackBerry Pearl:

Hey You! Yeah, you… the idiot not smart enough to use a regular BlackBerry. Since you’re so dumb, we’ve created a moron proof phone just for you. Walk around with it proudly and when someone asks you what phone that is just tell them: The BlackBerry FisherPrice

We don’t agree with the above. In fact, we think the BlackBerry Pearl is going to be a kick butt device. Afterall, there are PLENTY of people who prefer clamshells and like simplicity… yet still want the capabilities of a BlackBerry. This device is going to get a lot more mileage than a lot of people think - and rightfully so. Research In Motion simply doesn’t want to draw attention to the fact that its more of a BlackBerry for beginners. At least thats our take and if it’s on point it’s probably a smart move.

That being said, chances are that many of the BlackBerry Pearl owners WILL be first time BlackBerry users. So, we’ve set up the BlackBerry Pearl Forum for folks to talk about the phone… everything from pre-sale purchase questions to how to get the most out of it once its in your hands! To visit… Click Here

Here is a pretty in depth video overview of the phone (when it was still called the KickStart):

Rumor has it that AT&T will get the BlackBerry Pearl 8210 while the T-Mobile version will be the BlackBerry Pearl 8220. We’ll keep you posted as details emerge.

By the way, we still have a couple ounces of skepticism in our body seeing as how the BlackBerry Pearl already exist and looks NOTHING like the previously named KickStart. You probably already picked up on this oddity, but we felt obligated to point it out.

[Via BlackBerry Cool, IntoMobile]

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