Pictures Of The Clamshell BlackBerry 9670 Emerge

by Robb Dunewood on April 21, 2010 · 18 comments

BGR has leaked what we believe to be the first images of the BlackBerry 9670, a CDMA clamshell with a full QWERTY keyboard. The 9670 is the first BlackBerry to sport a 5 megapixel camera and it runs BlackBerry OS 6.

Check out the full gallery of BlackBerry 9670 images over on BGR…

BlackBerry

BlackBerry 9670, BlackBerry Clamshell, OS 6.0

Mel Cantz

Seriously? This is what RIM has to compete against the iPhone4…

They may be worse off than I thought…

http://www.rimarkable.com Robb Dunewood

I wonder where RIM keeps finding focus groups that convince them to build devices with little to no chance of being a big seller. If they insist on trying to make a clamshell work, at least give me something with touch screen that folds along the side like an LG enV Touch or something.

frozen

and i thought the slider was ugly….this thing is horrifying
bluehorseshoe

I’ve instructed my broker to begin shorting RIM. This design is an EPIC failure! It’s sad and comical and the same time.

http://simplemobilereview.com Rod Simmons

OMG that was the funniest comment I have seen in a while. I could not agree more. It is like watching a company crumble in front of your eyes

P.Dub

RIM needs to bring back Blackberry Connect immediately. Be honest… Most people stick with the BB because of BIS, BES, and BlackBerry Messenger. They clearly aren’t innovating when it comes to hardware anymore. Sell BlackBerry devices to the people that still want them. Sell your push email service to everyone who wants it.

http://www.rimarkable.com Robb Dunewood

Funny… I was just thinking the same thing. I don’t think that RIM will do it though because it would eat into device sales.

I love the BlackBerry but I would move to the Droid Incredible in a heartbeat if it had BlackBerry Connect on it. I think a lot of BlackBerry users would defect if they could connect to BES, BIS, get PIN messages and use BBM on another platform….

ja2bk

If they keep this up, there won’t be any device sales to cut into though. I think we would see people flock to other devices the moment they started up Blackberry Connect again. Right now the question to ask is are people staying with BB device simply because of these features? (most likely). So, once the features are available elsewhere, what is to keep folks with the device made by RIM?
Eric

In a New York minute! I am thinking of getting the Droid Incredible anyway. Growing more than a little weary of uninspired RIM devices.

I love RIM for what Blackberry does best: BIS/BES (push email/calendar) BB Messenger. I don’t want to give those up, but most consumers want to do more. Corporate doesn’t care. They don’t want their employees playing games with the business devices. Consumers want more. So much so that they will buy an iPhone on crappy AT&T service.

Jibby

When I first saw this I was like are you effing kidding me…

You need to change the name of your site from RIMarkable – the unofficial blackberry weblog to RIMinisce – remember when the Blackberry didn’t suck?

http://www.rimarkable.com Robb Dunewood

I laughed out loud when I read this… I know how feel.

http://twitter.com/njvinnie Vinnie

RIM really seems to be falling behind, because they keep repackaging the same basic smartphone with different names over and over.

I have to ask: Who are they trying to target with a flip phone like this? People who already have BlackBerries could care less about having a flip phone, people who currently continue to buy flip phones probably don’t want a smartphone at all. I *had* flip phones for a decade before I switched to my 8110 Pearl a few years ago, and I’ve never wanted once sagain ince I discovered the wonders of a smartphone in my pocket with a Bluetooth headset. They would be better off with that slider phone I saw leaked awhile ago if they are trying to attract new customers, than with this. How big is that keyboard going to be? I can barely type on my Bold 9700 without a ton of errors, and I have small hands for a guy my size. This concept is as flawed as the Pearl with the T9 keyboard a few posts back.

I’m not at all happy with RIM. I’ve been waiting for the new Pearl forever, and the tiny QWERTY on the Bold 9700 I finally had to break down and buy due to the 8110 not being able to handle the new BBM and constantly freezing. Meanwhile, I’m getting more and more fond of the touch-screen keyboard on my iPod Touch (as well as all the stuff it does with apps)…and the “lost” iPhone 4 looks pretty damn cool. If Steve Jobs wasn’t so anti Flash I’d probably have an iPhone already…as useful as BBM is, all smartphones can text message.

RIM needs to step it up and INNOVATE again. What real innovations have we seen beyond the original Storm concept, and the optical trackpad? The basic design of the QWERTY BlackBerry hasn’t changed at all since the Curve. The Pearl, as popular as it became, wasn’t even innovation: it was a recycle of the 7100 with the curve trackball!

If innovation too much to ask, how about they put out the new Pearl before they lose all those customers, and support the current top of the line devices such as the Storm 2 and Bold with more frequent OS updates?
Jono

At my firm, I think almost ever female attorney would love this device. not sure where all the hate is coming from.
Keith

Or are we perhaps one giant sounding board (or just sounding bored)? RIM leaks these pictures, and depending on how much we puke, they target their release appropriately or not at all.
http://www.simplemobilereview.com Chris

You guys remember when I said that Rim and Microsoft should join forces? I am now having second thoughts. RIM needs to do some soul searching!

Tell RIM to call Dell.
http://bit.ly/bQF4da
Lol

I think it needs a little work. But this is what me and everyone is clamoring for! I really want a smartphone that is a flip phone. I love the big screen. There is a reason they have 40% plus market share in North America. They know what we want. Most of the detractors here are not the masses that RIM is targeting with this device. That’s where the Storm2 or a Bold come in. The masses will eat this puppy up. You guys are techno elites, and that’s fine… Just remember RIM appeals to the rest of America not just the small 25% iPhone niche.

bluehorseshoe

@ Lol…

LOLOL…uh, no. I AM one of the “masses” that RIM is targeting, toting a Storm2 and Bold2 9700 and I can say this device is a joke. I also can’t wait to drop the Storm2, the crappy service the 9700 is stuck with (TMO, AT&T), and will get the 9650 “only” because I value the email component and VZW’s service…for now. After further testing another Android device, I may begin recommending a select few Android devices to my clients rather then the BB’s I’ve been so accustomed to in the past.

PS – that 40% market share will drop unless OS 6.0 is beyond expectations and better hardware designs are announced. What’s being displayed above is not a target for any market…and I mean any.

Silver Fang

Ugly it may be, but I bet it doesn’t suffer from pocket dialing or the screen getting scratched, cracked, etc. The fact is, I would love a flip smartphone. I never understood why people stopped using flip phones anyway.

It is an ugly customer, but I would buy it if it came available on a no-contract carrier.