Time to flip out: Clamshell BlackBerry 'Kickstart' rumored for T-Mobile

Is this the BlackBerry Kickstart?

(Credit: Boy Genius Report)

Hey now! There's an interesting story coming out the Boy Genius Report (BGR) that's creating a lot of buzz among the cell phone community. According to BGR, Research in Motion will release a BlackBerry, codenamed "Kickstart," with a flip design and has some hands-on photos of the smartphone as well as another shot of the device with T-Mobile branding.

It's said that the Kickstart will have a monochromatic external display with a "color glow" border around it, while the inside will feature a 320x240 resolution, color display, standard BlackBerry shortcuts and trackball navigator, and a "next-gen" SureType keyboard. The device will also launch in multiple colors and have a soft-touch finish on the back. BGR also provided a few specs, including integrated Wi-Fi (802.11b/g), quad-band world roaming (GSM 850/900/1800/1900; GRPS/EDGE), a 2-megapixel camera, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Now, while the pictures certainly look legit, this is still all speculation at this time. For the record, CNET News.com's Maggie Reardon talked to a RIM representative this morning and got the official "no comment" comment from the company (no surprise there). Rest assured, though, we're keeping a close eye on the Kickstart. In the meantime, any thoughts on it? Yay or nay?

[john55440]

I like clamshell phones; compact and durable.

[moebugge]

i like the flip but thumbs down on the curve keyboard, gotta have 3g at that rate. otherwise forget about it.