T-Mobile has surpassed the 25 million customer mark.

And it is due in part to the release of the BlackBerry Pearl.

The article says at the end of 2006 T-Mobile had almost 1.6 million BlackBerry and Sidekick subscribers. Both require a special data package to fully use the device.

This is a big increase over the previous quarter, an increase of almost 211,000 users in the fourth quarter of 2006 vs only 172,000 in the third quarter 2006.

As one of my friends recently discovered T-Mobile has made themselves very friend to those of us who like text messaging and data packages. Generally the monthly cost is less, which can entice customers away from the other providers.

Google's translation engine ain't exactly perfect, but it seems to get at the edges of facts in a de internet.com article posted today that implies the BlackBerry 8800 will be unveiled February 12 and released sometime in March.

I just love the way Google translates this stuff. It has a rhythmic, almost high-tech pidgin English ring to it.

But you don't want me to talk about the translation. You want me to write about what the translation says.

OK, then, as linked from BlackBerryForums, it reads as such:

Last September, I predicted that after the BlackBerry Pearl debuted on T-Mobile, that the carrier would drop their prices on legacy models with the same form factor.

If anything, I underestimated how much Tmo would do so.

There's one thing dropping prices on legacy models. Facilitating enough rebates so that purchasers will actually make money purchasing these devices is something else.

This comes to light in a current Amazon-T-Mobile promotion for the BlackBerry 7105t.

Buy one, sign up, and between the rebates you'll get instantly and the ones you'll get after several months of being nice and paying your bills on time, you'll be $74.99 richer.

Well 20 minutes ago it wasn't there.

But now it is:

White Pearl is up on T-Mobile.

You're looking at it up top.

That grab, doesn't give you a close up of the white Pearl page on Tmo's site.

But this will:

Right after midnight ET this morning, RIM and T-Mobile formally announced the white BlackBerry Pearl. Low as $149.99 with rebates. That's $50 less than the "regular" Pearl.

Announcement is so new, not even linkable yet, so I will update with that as well as when official pictures become available later this a.m. Link below.

And I think you will like this pix.

It's now available at T-Mobile retail stores, authorized dealers, online (probably later today) at www.t-mobile.com, or by calling 1-800-T-MOBILE.

In addition to the "regular" Pearl features, there's a bunch of white accessoriesThe new white BlackBerry Pearl also comes with a complement of white accessories -- stereo headset, travel charger and USB cable -- that are included in the box.

Pinstacker N8DBB is reporting massive T-Mobile outages. He says the outages are due to the storm hitting the central US now.

Just for the record, I rarely have had problems with my T-Mobile service and I love them as a provider. Of course I am also located in Florida, so I am very far from the central US and never have to worry about winter storms.

Are you having data outages tonight on T-Mobile?

Surfing Pinstack today I came across a post about problems trying to download updates from T-Mobile.

So I had to check it out for myself. Oddly enough the website seems to have forgotten what BlackBerry I have. Once I took care of that and went to check out the updates I received the same error message.

Apparently this has been going on for a few days now. Some Pinstackers are hoping this is a sign that OS 4.2 for the 8700 will be coming out.

Anyone else having troubles?

A friend just sent me a link to an eBay auction for the T-Mobile White Pearl.

I am not sure how much the White Pearl will be when T-Mobile finally unleashes it. Based on the current bid, there are at least a few people out there who want their White Pearl now.

Click on the Read link below to see the full auction listing. It is scheduled to end on January 9th.

Checking out Pinstack and I came across another post on the White Pearl from T-Mobile.

Gkatmar said he spoke to a T-Mobile rep who advised the White Pearl would make an appearance in a month.

TmobileCSR says it will be out on January 15th. However he thinks the White Pearl is too girlie and not appealing at all.

As a female I have to admit the White Pearl is appealing. I don't think its enough for me to get a Pearl. I like my full qwerty keypad.

Will you be at a local T-Mobile getting a White Pearl? Let us know if you do. Would love to hear what you think about it. I might hit the local T-Mobile and take a peek myself.

Anyone else having problems with data on T-Mobile right now?

I was connecting just fine testing RealDice World and trying out QuickPlayer.

Now I can not get a web page to load or get any applications to connect to data. It took BlackBerry Messenger a very long time to send a message to my husband's BlackBerry. Only SMS seems to be working alright.

I know of one other person not local to me having the same problems, and it is happening to my husband's BlackBerry as well.

Are you having data connection issues?

I've been pouring through our server logs, and then counting down the ten most-read BBHub posts of the year.

And now, as we roll out the old year, it is time for #1.

I came across a post on Pinstack about problems with T-Mobile service over the past week or so.

I personally have had no problems at all, but I was curious if anyone else had.

Different users in different areas have reported calls dropping with the Call Failed message. One user reported signal strength being variable in area where it never has been before.

Are you having any issues? Let us know.

I've been counting down the ten most read BBBHub posts of 2006.

According to our server logs, #9 was "I'ts Official: RIM Introduces The BlackBerry Pearl."

Post went up on September 7,2006. And to think of it, last night in a restaurant I saw a woman dig into her handbag, pull a Pearl out, and take pix of her family and friends at her table.

That's my way of saying that this post foretold four months of Pearl sales hotness.

To read this post, click the Read link below.

I was a little bit surprised by this story.

In the UK T-Mobile has added their Content Block to BlackBerrys. The service defaults to being on and it blocks adult sites, gambling sites, illegal sites, and online child abuse content.

You have to go in a store or online and provide credit card or id to prove you are over 18 to have the block turned off. However even with the block turned off some pages are still blocked.

T-Mobile may mean well, but I am capable of deciding for myself if I want to visit a website. I do not need my phone provider deciding what I should and shouldn't see. And if I am giving a child too young to decide that a BlackBerry I might be worried about myself.

What are your thoughts?

Pinstacker n8dbb - he of more than 4,100 posts-has heard all the talk that the T-Mobile MyFaves program is only available for the T-Mobile BlackBerry Pearl.

But then again, maybe not. He has a Pinstack thread up with five pix of MyFaves being set up, and then running on a T-Mobile BlackBerry 8700g.

Methinks you want to see them.

Methinks you want to click.