AT&T, BlackBerry Let You Track Yourself Down

AT&T's newest mobile handset to come to market is part voice communicator, part traffic cop with its built-in GPS capabilities and the carrier's location-based services to get subscribers to their destinations.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 smartphone uses global positioning system information and AT&T's Navigator service for voice directions, 3-D maps, and traffic alerts, the carrier said Wednesday. The handset weighs barely 3 ounces, features a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging and dialing, and comes in red or titanium.

The smartphone's display screen supports more than 65,000 colors and automatically adjusts brightness based on ambient light. The Pearl 8110 is also the first BlackBerry that lets users download for free AT&T's YellowPages.com application directly from an icon on the smartphone. The app lets customers find and map local businesses, save favorite listings, and get directions to or from any location, AT&T said.

"The BlackBerry Pearl 8110's stylish design and consumer features blend well with the productivity features for managing your day while away from home or the office," said Michael Woodward, a VP with AT&T's wireless unit, in a statement.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 also has a media player and a 2-megapixel camera that does video recording, a stereo headset jack, and an external microSD/SDHC memory slot. The phone is also Bluetooth 2.0-enabled for headsets, car kits, and other accessories.

The new handset runs on AT&T's nationwide EDGE network; the carrier also promises data roaming in more than 145 countries and voice calling in more than 200 countries with the new BlackBerry.

The BlackBerry Pearl 8110 is available now for $150 with a two-year contract, unlimited data plan, and $40 voice plan. E-mail access, Web browsing, and location-based services have additional monthly charges.