Germany gets BlackBerry Curve 8310 with GPS

Vodafone launch sees GPS on a Curve

1 August 2007 11:33 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Vodafone and RIM have launched the new BlackBerry Curve 8310 smartphone in Germany.

The new device boasts built-in GPS navigation and "advanced multimedia functionality".

The 8310 appears to be the 8300 Curve model (pictured) but with the added GPS functionality.

The higher specced Wi-Fi-enabled 8820 (available from Orange in the UK) from BlackBerry offers GPS, but no camera, so this additional functionality will be welcome to bridge the gap between models, although no 3G or Wi-Fi as this end of the range might continue to disappoint.

The GPS features work with the pre-installed Vodafone Navigator software. This software can displays the user's precise location on a local map and also integrates directly with their address book.

Anyone thinking of trying to get one of these shipped over from Germany - be aware that this model boasts the German lay out QWERTZ keyboard which is different to QWERTY.

The BlackBerry Curve 8310 is available now from Vodafone in Germany for 99.90 euros in combination with a Vodafone Business plan.

Spec for the new BlackBerry Curve 8310:

Memory: 64MB internal flash memory; Expandable memory slot for microSD cards
Display: 320 x 240 pixels, supports more than 65,000 colors
Supported networks: Quadband GSM (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz)
Data transmission: GPRS, EDGE
Interfaces: Bluetooth 2.0, mini-USB
GPS: Integrated GPS module
Multimedia: 2 megapixel camera with flash and 5X digital zoom; Media Player supports audio formats (MP3, MIDI, AMR-NB, AAC/AAC+/eAAC+, WMA) and video formats (MPEG4 Part 2 Simple Profile, H.263 and WMV)
Push-based email: Supported by BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server
Additional features: Full QWERTZ keyboard, trackball operation, Vodafone Navigator, integrated speakerphone, language selection