First ever BlackBerry clamshell phone unmasked, dubbed the 'Kickstart'
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Apr 30th 2008 10:47PM
posted Apr 30th 2008 10:47PM
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A clam-shell Blackberry? Seriously???
SIGN ME UP!!!
Dubbed the ugly.
I think it looks fine. It's not for me, but it's fine.
I don't understand the appeal of clamshell phones. In their folded position, they're useless, so you're constantly folding and unfolding, and then the hinge breaks.
Also, is it just me, or does that thing look huge? It looks like it's probably as big as the Pearl, except you don't have to unfold the Pearl to use it.
Put the mask back on.
Clamshell phone screens don't get scratched in your pocket
To Mike Cerm:
I guarantee that LCD screen breakage occurs FAR more often than hinge breakage - I've never had any issues with either but none of my friends have ever had a hinge break on their clamshells - but many have had screens break. However, it's usually the OUTER screen, not the INNER screen - which is naturally protected due to the design.
So I counter your comment by saying "Why would anyone by a candy bar style phone, leaving the most delicate and expensive part of the phone completely exposed? Furthermore, what about accidental keypresses forcing you to enter in codes to unlock phones and whatnot? It's easier for me to flip my clamshell open than to enter in an unlock code.
Clamshells fit very nicely in the pocket. My first gen razr, other than being a POS was a very nice fit in the pocket. Now I have an iPhone and it's pretty good in the pocket but not as compact as a razr. The tradeoff gives me the big screen and eliminates carrying my nano. No phone is perfect for everyone but this form factor is quite nice and I do like it. If I wasn't hooked on the iPhone I would definitely consider this phone.
clamshell phone means fashion here in Japan, and they are all very nice, but none of them look like this one.
Blackberry need to fire their designers. A calculator mobile phone and now this?? I guessed Blackberry are aiming at old folks market.
ew.
different strokes for different folks.
This might be RIM's answer to flip phones, but honestly I like Blackberry for its simplicity design and no moving parts (besides the pearl ball), having this clam shell design kind of defeating the simplicity of it.
And by different folks you mean people with really huge hands and pockets who think it's still 2002.
I thought as time went on, innovation and creativity were supposed to push the envelope.......not re-open one from 2000.
What an abomination!
a clamshell Blackberry?! Never thought I'd see the day
this must be for Sprint!
omg, i think is prolly the one with evdo plus direct connect!!!! whoa!!!!!
oh wow it's a clamshell version of the X100 series. I hope it doesn't mess up like the pearl
What messes up with the Pearl? Mine works great.
if the trackball lights up in colors.... id consider it
that's tacky.
I rather have a nice sized spoiler on it.
fugly
I really, really don't like it. It seems wrong on a very core level.
that's what she said... wait
If only palm made a Treo like this, maybe they wouldn't be in so much trouble. I might just consider getting a blackberry, if an iphone never comes to Sprint.
You do realize the iPhone is never coming to a CDMA network, right?
I know that the current iphone will never come to CDMA. I wasn't told anything about the 3g iphone or future generations....I can always dream
Well from what I heard Apple went to Verizon first before Cingular, but they got rejected.
Hmm...tempting.
AHHHHH...Who am I kidding. I will still get the iPhone 2.0
Great idea, but the bottom part looks terrible.
The same here... I've always liked clamshell over all other designs (including touchscreen)
This is overall nice, but the keyboard is really screwed up.. It looks like a chinese knock-off thing
Agreed. However, if they'd been a LITTLE more conscious of themselves, and put their BRANDING below the keypad instead of atop the screen, they could have balanced the top and bottom better visually. Little things.
But, Still. Unless Apple or Nokia releases a device of this form factor, this is a STRONG want. My E61 is nice, but it's the size of an old-school Palm PDA.
I think I may go for something like this, although, it looks a bit large for a clamshell.
Clamshells are going the way of the dinosaur.
According to your wishes, be it so.
It looks like this person snuck the Kickstart into the bathroom!
Clamberry
They have a cream for that now.
This thing looks like a RAZR.
But then again, everything on the damn market looks like a RAZR.
Carry on, carry on..
.
no way......looks huge! plus buttons look annoy to text on
I was just thinking the same thing if you look at how the person is holding it, either he as a really freakishly small hands or that thing is like the size of an iPhone with a full size flip to it.
RAZR me not.
That thing is hideous. Do not want!
haha gizmodo got pwned by this.
that design makes me want one. despite never needing one.
So it's like an iPhone for businessmen?
I think this one may be a flop. I think a lengthwise clamshell would have been more attractive with a true qwerty keyboard, better yet, a Xperia/Helio style slider w. qwerty. This thing is just ugly. There is no way I'd go with this over a Curve.
This is not the first clamshell with blackberry(although the first clamshell from rim)
Samsung SGH-T719
http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/phone.php?p=908
And there's a reason why it was discontinued --- like the BB clamshell, it's mofugly.
how thin is it???
Is it just me or does that photo look like a GTA style 3D rendering?
I was going to say that also. I mean something is off about the pics. Looks like renderings to me.
Nice. I like my Pearl and need email abilities for work but I really, really hate the giant size of the Pearl.
Didn't I boot up my old Amiga computer with a Kickstart disk?
whack
NEWS FLASH: PHOTOSHOP FAKE !!!!
Your face is a photoshop fake.
Yeah but does it play crysis... does photoshop i mean... I am so sorry... you can low rank me now...
Hello Palm ? Hello ? Anyone home ? Pick up, pick up. Just calling to see if you intend to release any kind of new designs this year, you know, like all of your competitors seem to be able to manage to do quite regularly. Just asking, is all.
amen.
this is disgusting
Its pretty...
Too bad I'm more interested in phones that look/resemble the iPhone.
I'm completely done with flip phones....so way too late IMO.
If you though you couldn't see an uglier phone than a candybar blackberry... you were wrong!! This tops everything ungly ever.!!
The candybar Blackberries(Pearl) look pretty nice.
Agreed Abuzar, the Pearl looks good to me.
This clamshell is mediocre.
That is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen.
Are they serious? this is hideous! What's next, a blackberry beeper? is there a demand for a flip blackberry? from who? where? is this what RIM is busy doing? surprised is an understatement. can we all focus on getting the 9000 out instead of reinventing the wheel?
i'll pass on this until i figure out how to show it off on my big belt holster ...
Despite the fact that it's kind of wide, I think it looks pretty nice. It might be a little on the plain side, but it's certainly not ugly.
Is this another iPhone killer? Just kidding. Looks OK, but somewhat similar to a RAZR which means nothing. Since there's no specs or anything, I guess I'll have to wait to make any negative comments. Hehe.
I am not a fan of clamshell phones, but i think they did a good job retaining the blackberry style on a clamshell phone, seems like something the wife would like
Hmm, I never liked clamshell designs (Pointless & Ugly) and this phone just reminds me why!
I liked my Pearl, it was the right size for a candy bar phone and the SureType worked better than T9, but this is worthless in comparison!
I gave it up mostly for the worthless browser (Guess what I got to replace it!) and I bet browsing on this would be just as awkward!
The only good thing going for this thing is the SureType keypad. Hopefully though, this will help the format gain some momentum because it succeeds the standard 12-button keypads in so many ways. I know RIM is allowing others to use it too, because HTC and Samsung both have a slider with SureType.
This looks a little too similiar to the LG vx8700. Same hinge, same design. Throw in the fake screen shot on the phone, and the strange look of the photo...im calling fake.
That's... astoundingly hideous. Maybe someone from 1996 would think that phone looked cool and advanced, but the chunkiness and dull grey colour scheme make it look absolutely naff.
Ummm...
Ewwww...
blackberry is to business handhelds what AOL is to Internet Providers...
It just dummies users down, and adds administrative headaches for every MIS that has to bother with their enterprise server software or individual configs... totally useless... But I am not surprised... we are all like cows... just following the heard of popular opinion. Original thought void where prohibited by fanboys...
I love clamshells. -Compact in pocket -No accidental dial -Easy anwser/end with open/close -Natural feel against face when talking -Protected screen -2 Displays are fun for me -Fun to fidget with ie open & close ...just for starters.
I also love Blackberries. (This took forever to type on my iPhone.) The big drawback for this phone is I prefer qwerty to that suretype keyboard or whatever they call it.
I'm still getting one.
Ah...yeah not for me. Ill take the 9000 please
I find it sleek, but eerily ugly.
Oh I am so IN for this one!!!
www.HellraiserPuzzleBox.com
Cool! Now I know what I'll get after my Motorola RAZR2 V9
Ouch, maybe this would be a good time for them to consider hiring a designer. Doesn't need to be a good one. Just someone. Please!
It's heeeeyoooj!!! If it's the same size as a normal BB (or near enough) when it's closed and becomes twice as big when it's open it defeats the purpose of having a compact form factor!! Where's my wheelbarrow!
Everybody's doing the clamshell, nobody's doing the front qwerty slider.... (except the wifi-less Dual...)
I'm guessing most of the clamshell haters aren't from the US. Clamshells rule here. For good reason, I'd say. As mentioned, it protects the most valuable part of the phone, it conserves size, and it allows you to avoid having to choose between locking your keypad (far more annoying than opening the clamshell) or making accidental calls (of which I've received several, one of which was notably embarrassing for the accidental caller.)
Never had hinge problems, either.
You'll have to pry clamshells out of my cold, dead hands. I want my phone small, rugged, and usable with one button press.
Shun the non conformist.....
shuuuunnnnnn........
Meh give me an touch screen blackberry.
That top pic looks like a 3D rendering, the hand looks fake and the floor is amazingly in focus.
I smell a flop!
I will never understand the love for blackberry. They consistently roll out some of the most unattractive mobile hardware out there.
What is up the that pic?
Blackberries are great if all you do is work. I can't live like that tho. All the best to RIM and all the people I see on the subway everyday answering emails from 8-9am, 5-6pm and on Friday and Saturday nights when they're out with their friends. And Sundays. And whenever they feel uncomfortable in a social situation, they pull out their blackberry - look at me, I have no friends, but answering an email on my blackberry makes me feel important lol. Ok I'm done now.
That "picture" looks like it was pulled out of video game. But my wife would love this phone, she loves clamshell-type phones.
This is shopped.
Take a very close look at the hinge.
It's completely off.
This looks like someone said "Hey lets make a blackberry flip-phone"
"Ok, what should it look like" "I don't know, just throw the pearl onto a RAZR"
Seriously, people are getting over the current Blackberry design, hence the need for a 9000.
If they made this more of a 9000 flip then an 8100 flip, it might have a chance in today's smartphone market.
Altho I showed to to my father (Who has a RAZR, but want's my curve) and said this would be perfect for him. I'm getting an iPhone an giving him my curve so he will never think about bringing that fugly device around me.
It would have been nice if it hinged the other way. It would allow for a wider keyboard and a wide screen for better video playback.
It looks like the what the Sony Erricson Walkman Clamshell threw up...
Does anyone notice that the date says 2007 for the year?
Its smaller than the "traditional form factor" and as such, it's better.