RIM to release FlipBerry?

Rumors of a low cost BlackBerry clamshell phone have been doing the rounds for a while now and appear to have reached critical mass. According to reports the new BlackBerry KickStart, will sell on US wireless provider T-Mobile for US$49.99 after subsidy with September the expected release date. RIM’s entry into the lower end of the market could well be in anticipation of the effect the imminent release of the iPhone will have on their traditionally higher-end market.

Pictures of the phone show a SureType keyboard, camera, a TrackBall for navigation, internal 240×320 LCD, as well as an external 160×128 one – both 16 bit. The external LCD will display the caller as well as basic music information when the phone’s music player is being used with the flip closed. In keeping with the budget price the KickStart will be lacking 3G and the LCD displays are , but the Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE phone does have Wi-Fi, a 2MP camera and is running the same 4.6 OS as the 9000. It is believed a GPS-equipped version of the KickStart, dubbed the Seawolf, will also be available.

Via Boy Genius Report