AT&T, Inc. and Research in Motion (RIM) manufacturer of the BlackBerry mobile phone device based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, have jointly announced the new BlackBerry Pearl 8120, which now includes built-in Wi-Fi support, a new feature not previously offered in RIM’s Pearl 8100 model. Wi-Fi support helps speed up Web surfing and e-mail access and Wi-Fi hot spots are available worldwide in more than 200 countries. The Pearl 8120 weighs just 3.2 ounces and its dimensions are 4.2 x 2.4 x .5 inches.

Additional new features include memory expandability through the use of a MicroSD slot (a first in mobile phones); an external micro SC memory card slot and support for high-speed USB for data transfers up to 10 Mbit/second; a 2-megapixel camera with video recorder; and an improved and updated visual interface with new font-rendering technology.

All of these capabilities are available now with the 8120 for US $199.99 (with a two-year monthly contract through AT&T plus a voice plan starting at $39.99 per month). AT&T also offers data access plans over its network with an unlimited plan available for an additional $30 per month.