BlackBerry KickStart gets detailed in pictures

Hey look! The BlackBerry KickStart is just as bulky, ugly, and arguably ill-conceived from the side, too. The gents over at CrackBerry.com have unleashed a huge mountain of pics of this unannounced bit of messaging madness. From a quick boo at the pics -- and no side is ignored, not even the innards are spared -- we can see that it looks like typical BlackBerry fare served up in a new package. Sadly, the pics are a bit unfocused, so the real nitty gritty remains a mystery -- but we're expecting a steady stream of imagery til RIM takes the time to fill us in all official-like. Follow the read link to see a pile more alluring poses against that fabulous mustard backdrop.

[eggothewaffle @ Jun 13th 2008 10:16AM]

What a depressingly hideous device.

[Khris @ Jun 13th 2008 10:22AM]

I couldn't agree more!! WTH was RIM thinking when they came up with this abomination?

Did they accidentally put some former Motorola employee in charge of designing new BB's?

[Ryan Trevisol @ Jun 13th 2008 11:54AM]

When I first saw it, my depth perception was confused, and I thought perhaps its form factor was something along the lines of the LG Vogager, which actually might be pretty cool. My friend had a Voyager (briefly), and the hardware was okay, the form factor was very usable, but the software bit. So at first I thought of that with Blackberry's functionality and admittedly better OS.

Then I remembered it was the Krazrberry.

[duffman @ Jun 13th 2008 10:19AM]

It looks like they took a RAZR screen and stuck it on some unfinished Berry keyboard. Lose.

[Adeas @ Jun 13th 2008 10:23AM]

I'm not an Apple fanboy but Blackberry is really living in the past with most of their new designs. The Bold is the only descent thing they've pushed out the door the past year or two and even then there's not much new there (Though I do like the looks). The thing you have to give Apple is that the seemlessness and fluidity of the system is second to none and they've kept it from getting crippled by custom firmware like many other phones (Think everything on Verizon).

[Khris @ Jun 13th 2008 10:24AM]

I'm waiting to see the BB Thunder. The Bold really doesn't interest me all that much.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jun 13th 2008 10:25AM]

This is a post about a BlackBerry not about Apple; but since we're on the subject of a fluid operating system, have you tried using the BlackBerry. Just as "seamless" and "fluid" as anything from that fruit company.

[Adeas @ Jun 13th 2008 10:29AM]

Yes, I've been a BB user for years at work and the whole thumb wheel thing feels very 2001 to me. There's a lot of great things about BBs, don't get me wrong, but I think RIM needs to aim to more revolutionary than evolutionary. They were the guys reinventing the market when they came around, and got a lock on it. Now their designs and systems are getting stale, time for something else. I'd hate to see them go the way of Palm because they have a lot to offer.

[IT-Accountant @ Jun 13th 2008 11:36AM]

The only complaint I have about my Curve is the slow Edge data... which also plagued its iphone contemporary, so what do you expect?

[Khris @ Jun 14th 2008 9:28PM]

@ Jonathan

You'd have to be a tool not to realize that ANY cell phone which comes out, is automatically going to be compared to the iPhone. It's set a new standard.

As far as the BB being "seamless" and "fluid", please stop smoking the cheap crack before posting here.

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jun 13th 2008 10:22AM]

I love it. Much better than the iPhone.

[Khris @ Jun 13th 2008 10:23AM]

You can't be serious!

[Khris @ Jun 13th 2008 10:23AM]

You can't be serious!

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Jun 13th 2008 10:24AM]

I can too. It's still a free country.

[Jash Sayani @ Jun 13th 2008 10:24AM]

You must surely be kidding !!!

[PDubNYC @ Jun 13th 2008 10:26AM]

man, you're a putz

Anyway, I was never a fan of the Pearl, with it's shared digit alphabet, but I don't think this phone looks so bad otherwise.

[John @ Jun 13th 2008 11:12AM]

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

[rock99rock @ Jun 13th 2008 11:38AM]

Khris was so baffled, he or (o)(o) had to post it twice.

[iTroubleiShoot @ Jun 13th 2008 10:25AM]

Hmmm... Something against mustard?

Ketchup fanboys.

:P

[The 3rd Hot Dog @ Jun 13th 2008 10:35AM]

Awesome! I can't wait until that Motorola StarTAC comes out. I'm tired of using payphones.

[chickenator @ Jun 13th 2008 11:09AM]

me too. tired on using paper cups.

[Nicky-Larson @ Jun 13th 2008 10:42AM]

WTH, What the hell? I mean what the F*** hell? I do better designs than this. Common, this is just a BlackBerry Pearl with a flip screen attached to it. And it looks so bulky. What phones is this suppose to compete with again?

[Rudiger @ Jun 13th 2008 10:45AM]

It looks like two phones: one really good phone (on the left) wedged beneath a regular blackberry phone (on the right).

[Allan @ Jun 13th 2008 10:49AM]

Say what you will... but this can replace my 7130e anyday. Blah.

Now... to just get a way for work to do the swap for me within contract.

[Sean M. @ Jun 13th 2008 10:53AM]

the 'thunder' would be a perfect phone from them if it had a keyboard. I've used an iPhone, an HTC Titan and an HTC Touch. I like the big screen on the iPhone better than the Titan, but the keyboard on the Titan is what makes it useable on the go. I'd wager it'll be what keeps the Bold more popular than the Thunder.

And on a side note...who really thinks the iPhone is 'revolutionary'. It's pretty, yes. It has one hell of an OS, I agree. But a 2MP camera, no MMS, no copy/paste? and they herald this 3G with push email! yay! look at us...we are only a year or so late...love us. we are apple!

I'm just saying.

[gad get @ Jun 13th 2008 3:46PM]

I agree. The iPhone is sweet, but it's not that new or different.

[shmengie @ Jun 13th 2008 11:05AM]

i like it as well. i love my pearl, but kinda miss the whole clam-shell thing. it's weird how so many engadget readers can be so wrong, while just a few of us have a bold eye and superb design sense.

let the flaming begin!

[Andrew T. @ Jun 13th 2008 11:07AM]

Someone WILL buy it (stupid, dumb or whatever you want to label the buyer) and RIM will continue to win. Although changing their design would be more than welcomed, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Many of BlackBerry users could care less about what their BlackBerry looks like, "get me my e-mails and let me to my job, I'm happy". RIM is about what features they can include in their "old and outdated design". The 3G iPhone is basically the exact same as the first iPhone but with new features, now if you think the look of your phone matters, do you.

(Though, I can't wait for the 3G iPhone to be released so I can play around with Exchange and see how functional it is, gotta love them gadgets!)

[David @ Jun 13th 2008 11:49AM]

BB is covering all the bases. Bold, Thunder, and now this. Yeah, it might be a little thick around the waist but it still looks like a very pocketable device. You match this small pocketable form factor with everything a BB device is capable of and you have a WIN. The wide and tall iPhone form factor might not work for everyone.

Still... XPERIA FTW

[Andrew T. @ Jun 13th 2008 12:10PM]

Agreed. Many complain when a manufacturer only caters to one demographic but when they decide to expand to others, they still complain. There is not ONE phone that gets it right. Whether it be RIM, Apple, Nokia, Samsung, HTC, etc., all of them have some sort of shortcomings which makes you look at other models to buy.

I guess you really can't please everyone no matter what you do...

[Mike @ Jun 13th 2008 3:24PM]

Yes they are covering all bases. This one covers the UGLY category flawlessly.

[fastharry @ Jun 13th 2008 1:18PM]

I picked a bad week to stop sniffin' glue.....

[Ryan @ Jun 13th 2008 2:28PM]

Bulky?? this BB seems no more bulky than other flip phones. in my opinion, this phone looks sweet. you want a full keyboard? get a bold. you want a sweet touchscreen, get a thunder. you want a smaller flip phone, get this. its all about what you want. at least BB gives you the option.

[Ryan @ Jun 13th 2008 2:27PM]

Bulky?? this BB seems no more bulky than other flip phones. in my opinion, this phone looks sweet. you want a full keyboard? get a bold. you want a sweet touchscreen, get a thunder. you want a smaller flip phone, get this. its all about what you want. at least BB gives you the option.

[Gadget Chick @ Jun 13th 2008 12:27PM]

wow thats the ugliest phone i have seen in a while. what was blackberry thinking?

[James @ Jun 13th 2008 12:54PM]

I'm sorry I though I was on Engadget... this must be the bizzaro site Engadget-All-Up-On-Apples-Nutz.com. Getting a little too critical of anything not Apple there boyz.

[Mike @ Jun 13th 2008 1:01PM]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...... That is sooo 90's looking.

Perhaps it's April 1 again. Ohh those crazy RIM designers... .

[Chhyeeaa @ Jun 13th 2008 1:08PM]

I don't really understand all the "ugly" comments... sounds like it's a bunch of anti-Blackberry fanboys getting their panties in a bunch.

I mean, sure, it's a pretty conservative design, nothing new out of RIM.

But really, how is this that much different or uglier than the flip-phone designs coming out of Motorola, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, LG, or Samsung? Hint: It's not!

[gad get @ Jun 13th 2008 3:41PM]

What do you expect, though, coming from Engadget's traditionally pro-iPhone, anti-every-other-smartphone crowd?

Now just watch, I'll be low-ranked!

[gad get @ Jun 13th 2008 3:41PM]

Also, people here have something against clamshells.

[konshuss @ Jun 13th 2008 1:17PM]

the open-side view looks really strange. it looked like an ancient candy bar phone sitting on the edge of an iphone tipping it upward... the hinge causes it to wrap all the way around the back? a bit bulky, and for the most part i'm simply burnt out on clamshells, they all feel flimsy and cheap.

[pinn @ Jun 13th 2008 1:47PM]

my BB curve does everything the iphone does, and more. and it has a keyboard, which to me is a necessity.

anyhoo, I don't think this phone is that bad. I don't like suretype, but otherwise it's definitely not ugly.

[DWells55 @ Jun 13th 2008 4:57PM]

Wow, a spatula and a phone all in one device!

[TheStupidOne @ Jun 13th 2008 8:09PM]

Quit frothing at the mouth fools its just a Blackberry Pearl flip phone.