RIM intros BlackBerry Curve 8310 with true GPS

Research in Motion today quietly unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 8310, a minor but significant upgrade to the original Curve released earlier this year. The new version of the phone adds a live GPS receiver absent in the normal 8300 edition and lets users plot driving routes by downloading map data from a central server, RIM says. Mapping also integrates with a user's contact list and provides an easy shortcut to finding coworkers and friends.

The 2-megapixel camera, multi-format audio and video jukebox software, and microSD storage up to 4GB are all carried over from the pioneering Curve. The first provider to carry the phone will be Vodafone Germany, which bundles the titanium-colored phone with Vodafone Navigator to use the GPS functions as well as a 1GB microSD card preloaded with the top 100 songs stored as MP3s. It sells for 100 Euros ($137) when tied to the Business and Home Combo 240 plan. Releases are possible in North America courtesy of a world-friendly GSM radio but have not been announced.