Telus' BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 gets a plan and pricing, rumor-style
By Sean Cooper 
posted February 28th 2009 8:05PM
posted February 28th 2009 8:05PM
Our friend (and oft correct) RileyFreeman over at HowardForums tipped us off that Telus' BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8230 is pimping and pruning its pricing prior to launch. Word has it that this flippy debutante will be priced at $100 on a 3-year contract, and $500 completely off-contract. Other info mentions that Telus has prepped a special plan just for this pink or black set, running at $32.50 it'll include 200 minutes, evenings and weekends after 6 P.M, 3 months free local calling, and unlimited mail and instant messaging. Of course, with Bell's launch of the same set at $29 on a three-year today -- and competition with its own BlackBerry Curve 8830 at the same price point -- we suspect Telus may want to rethink a tad -- if indeed, this proves true -- before they open the floodgates wide.
[Thanks, RileyFreeman and agent_whitevan]
[Thanks, RileyFreeman and agent_whitevan]
I never really understood this phone... It's kinda like Storm, in that it's an odd one out in the line up of Blackberries. While it has the features of a normal Blackberry, it's missing the screen real estate and the Qwerty keyboard that are the most identifiable features of Blackberries, really. It's GSM sibling only has EDGE, so I'm not sure if this phone will have EVDO Rev-A on Telus. But why would you need fast data on a phone like that anyway? It's not like you're going to render desktop-version of web pages anyway.. I wouldn't want to do that on a screen that small anyway.
I just feel like that phone is an over-powered feature phone, and isn't well suited for neither the consumer nor the business user market. Consumers either like dirt cheap, simple LG/Samsung featurephones or media powerhouse phones like the iPhone. Business users prefer a phone with good qwerty keyboard (traditional Blackberry), or a phone that syncs with Exchange (WinMo). I don't think this phone fits anywhere, and I'm not sure what niche market they're trying to aim at with this phone.. Plus, why is it so expensive? $500 off contract? I could invest $100 or so more and buy a real Blackberry or HTC Touch Pro.. With a rate plan at $32, they're probably branding it as a featurephone, but it costs as much as a full featured smartphone..
Anyway, that's my rant. I welcome more selection of phones to Telus, but I think they have better phones in their line up already.
i think for balckberries this is to get people that dont want a huge smartphone to lug around. so they can take this. use it for their little messengers and email. once people get addicted they inventually upgrade to a high powered phone.
i bet u anyone that has the regular pearl wants more
some people also LIKE the suretype keypads.
some people LIKE flip phones
some people LIKE blackberries.
I am all of the above. I am a consumer, and this phone will sell almost as well as the traditional pearl did.
ai4281, the screen is just as large as the first generation Curve 8300 series, it's just in portrait instead of landscape. Also, it is a real BlackBerry - it has more memory than the any other Pearl or first generation Curve and it has an updated operating system, and by the way, they only had edge as well. SureType is more efficient than a full qwerty keyboard, because it's faster; forget that stuff when people say, "It just doesn't spell what I type" mess. If you speak proper English, then it will. The reason it is more expensive is because you are Canadian and all of you get cheated when it comes to wireless service. ai4281, maybe if you researched things a bit, you could actually learn more and besides, I bet you have never held the phone in your hand - it is small when closed, but just as large as any other BlackBerry when opened up. I hate when people talk badly about things they never had, same as dissing a place you have never been. Ugh.
I imagine you mean the Blackberry Curve 8330 up in the article, right? ;-)
no this is the version for non-GSM markets
Telus will have it for 49.99 on a three year. and 449.99 on mtm.