More Pics Of BlackBerry's KickStart

If you were just glancing through, it may seem that the only cell phone news today was Nokia buying Symbian. But BlackBerry lovers may be interested in seeing some new photos of Research In Motion's flip phone.The isn't the first time the clamshell KickStart has been spotted, but BerryShack has some exclusive pics of the device that give you a good comparison to other BlackBerrys.

I know, I know, a BlackBerry flip phone seems like sacrilege, but if the constant commercials are any indicator, RIM is looking for a broader demographic than just the uber-professional. A well-made flip phone could be just the ticket. I mean, look at how many people still happily rock a Motorola RAZR or RAZR2.

The exact specs of the KickStart haven't been nailed down yet, but it looks like it will have an internal and external LCD display, run on the 4.6 OS, and have a 2-megapixel camera. On the downside, it looks like it will forgo 3G capabilities, but it will have integrated Wi-Fi. Additionally, it "features" the SureType keyboard. I've heard from plenty of Pearl users who swear it's better than a QWERTY once you're used to it, but I still don't buy it.

The folks at CrackBerry got to play around with the KickStart, and they said it stacks up pretty well against previous BlackBerrys in terms of messaging. The flip design has always been a better solution than a key guard, as well. So, would you consider trading in your QWERTY device for a RIM flip phone? Or do you think this move toward the mainstream sacrifices what makes a BlackBerry great?