The Bold is still stealing the overwhelming majority of RIM's spotlight at the moment for a handful of pretty good reasons: one, it's actually been announced; two, it's 3G; and three, it falls in line with the traditional (and loved) BlackBerry form factor. Lurking in the shadows, though, is the KickStart, RIM's very first flip phone, and a device that could end up making a huge splash if it actually manages to launch at the sub-$50 price point that's been making the rounds on the rumor circuit. CrackBerry got a way-early peek at the 8220 version of the device, which follows RIM's typical naming convention by packing WiFi while an 8210 will hold up the GPS side of things (seriously, RIM, how hard can it be to do both?), and overall it seems that the R&D team did its homework from the quick impressions. The SureType keyboard is huge and apparently quite easy to use without making the phone excessively large, though the trackball rests deeper in the shell making it a bit trickier to operate -- you win some, you lose some. The QVGA display is said to be just shy of Bold quality (which is a compliment, considering the killer screen on the Bold), and it's always hard to argue with a 3.5mm headphone jack. Come on, T-Mobile, let's make this happen.

Boy Genius has landed a BlackBerry Bold -- RIM's big, splashy push into the brave new world of HSDPA -- in production hardware trim, and it looks like the rougher users out there might need a quick lesson in fragile handling if they want to get in on the action when it launches around the world in the next few weeks. The screen is said to be absolutely beautiful (as it should be at 480 x 320), and there's a much improved browser to take advantage of that extra real estate; unfortunately, the whole package apparently scratches up with ridiculous ease, so it's anybody's guess just how long you'll be able to actually see the screen before it's awash in damage. Just remember: keys in one pocket, BlackBerry in the other. Interested parties would do themselves a favor by clicking through to the full review -- the cat knows his BlackBerrys, and he's really gone to town this time around.

If you're a BlackBerry fan feeling the need for relief from the throngs of iPhone lovers, the cats at CrackBerry may have uncovered a solution to your problem. The RIM aficionados have gotten their hands on the first ever live pictures of the phone-maker's touchscreen device -- the Thunder -- and it's looking pretty darn sweet. Feast your eyes on the above photo (featuring the much-discussed "tactile" keyboard), and hit the read link for another look.

Research In Motion's forthcoming BlackBerry Bold just got a little bit closer to reality. The device -- which is said to be making its appearance on shelves around August -- has shown up in the FCC's files, getting the sensuous, loving treatment only the Federal Communications Commission can provide. Want to get deep inside the Bold's situation? Hit the read link and begin your magical journey into SAR validation reports.

Just when we were finished telling you that the BlackBerry Thunder's haptic touch screen keyboard was the greatest thing evar, it turns out that things may be a bit of a mess over in RIM development land. According to one of Boy Genius' sources, the BlackBerry Thunder is lagging far behind on development time and is "in no way shape of form market-ready." And that awesome keyboard? Not so awesome. Reports are that it's annoying to type on and the screen ripples when the touchscreen is pressed. Meanwhile, UI response times are pretty bad, buttons don't click right, and RIM's new touch-and-drag method of selecting items isn't up to snuff. In short, says BGR's source, "Most of the people who have handled it thinks it's a joke." We haven't seen the thing ourselves lately, but if this report is true, it looks like you'll be waiting a while before you get your hands on a Thunder.

According to the folks over at CrackBerry (who, let's be honest, might be a little biased when it comes to a certain brand of cellphone), Research In Motion's upcoming touchscreen phone -- the infamous Thunder -- will feature a virtual keyboard so realistic you'll swear you're sitting in front of 1986 IBM Model M. CrackBerry says "reliable sources" have told them that the device's screen will utilize a number of advanced technologies to create such an effect, including localized haptic feedback, which allows the screen to be literally pushed in while rewarding you with a vibration and click sound, and the option of a full QWERTY or SureType layout (depending on the phone's orientation). We can't speculate too much until we handle the device ourselves, but we're expecting this thing to blow our minds out through the front of our heads. That's not asking too much, is it RIM?

If the old saying that you can't believe everything you read holds true, then it must be doubly so for images you see on the internet. Such is possibly the case in the latest batch of leaked pictures doing the rounds on the old information superhighway. Lately (i.e. today) shots of RIM's new touchscreen phone -- the Thunder -- have surfaced showing off what's supposed to be a new version of the BlackBerry OS (4.7) running its media player. Now we're not saying these pics aren't really real, but what we are saying is that these shots look an awful lot like renders to us, and since no one can verify them beyond an "anonymous source," we're just going to recommend a healthy dose of you-know-what, okay?

[Via MobileSyrup]

We could tell by looking that RIM wouldn't think of charging too many hundies for its still unannounced BlackBerry KickStart, but $49.99? CrackBerry has it that said flip phone will be selling at T-Mobile for a penny under $50 on a two-year contract, which certainly seems smart given the competition. 'Course, we've nothing to substantiate this with just yet, but take one more look at that chubby side and tell us this thing deserves a triple digit price tag. That's right, you can't.

If you were concerned that you didn't look crazy enough screaming into your phone at business associates, family members, and the guy who does your landscaping, Google has added a feature to Maps for RIM devices which should confirm that yes: you're a total maniac. Available right now for a handful of BlackBerry phones (8110, 8120, US version of the 8130) you can grab Google Maps with voice search, which enables you to find what you're looking for by pressing the left-side button and speaking the name of a business (or location, we assume). Sure it sounds convenient, but think twice before searching for hookers or cocaine out loud -- stock brokers, you have been warned.

[Via Gear Diary]

Seriously, RIM, at this point you might as well just announce the Kickstart flip phone and let us officially request something more than EDGE data, because this thing isn't exactly under wraps any more. The latest set of photos by our pal Mr. Blurrycam don't really reveal anything we didn't know apart from confirming that the Kickstart is still something of an ungainly beast -- especially when set down next to the Bold. Oh, and there's the first picture we've seen of the front 160 x 128 LCD display and 2 megapixel camera. Yeah, it looks like just every other flip phone with an external display and a camera -- but if you're a Berryman (or Berrylady), there's a couple more shots at the read link to keep you warm until this thing finally hits.

As we understand it, RIM's so-called Javelin is a new BlackBerry completely devoid of 3G that's currently on track for a mid-2009 (yes, 2009) launch. That sucks, yes, but at least it'll look mighty purty if these shots of an engineering dummy in the wild are any indication. The whole phone is an interesting study in modern, high-end 2.5G design, actually, on account of the rumored WiFi, GPS, expansive display, and generous (by RIM standards, anyway) 3.2 megapixel camera. Don't get us wrong, the Bold would still find its way into our pockets long before this one would -- but hey, diversity in the product line is a good thing. As long as it doesn't involve a Burberry-clad 8800.

RIM hasn't even had the opportunity to announce the Kickstart 9100 -- much less release it -- but it looks like we might already have some intel leaking out on the first BlackBerry flip's successor. In RIM parlance, a "10" tacked on to a model number is often a sign that a GPS receiver lurks within; sure enough, metadata obtained by Boy Genius Report lists GPS support in the 9110 "Seawolf." There's also mention of an "Aurora," indicated to be a member of the 8100 (Pearl) series, though its device ID curiously matches that of the Thunder / Storm so it's possible that the two projects were merged at some point. Are we crazy for missing the days of yore when RIM's model names were nothing more than four solid, reliable, old-fashioned digits?

See that image above? Yeah, that's a sexy new side angle of RIM's BlackBerry Bold, and it's coming to us courtesy of AT&T. Just as Sprint did with its fashionable Instinct, AT&T is launching a promotional site for the forthcoming BlackBerry in order to drum up interest and get you (re)informed. Straight from the carrier's mouth, we've got GPRS / EDGE / UMTS / HSDPA support, integrated WiFi / GPS, 480 x 320 resolution display, a side-loaded memory slot, 1GB of built-in storage, a 624MHz CPU, 128MB of Flash memory, Bluetooth 2.0 with handsfree support and up to 5-hours of GSM talk time (13 days in standby). You'll notice that the operator makes no mention of an exact release date, but we're crossing our fingers and sticking to that leaked July timeframe until we hear otherwise.

[Thanks, Daryl]