Dated or dapper? RIM prep the BlackBerry Style 9670 clamshell phone

Think clamshell flip-phones had died the death? Think again: RIM have got a brand new one waiting in the wings in the shape of the BlackBerry Style 9670.

Product manager Randy Carson seemed to have spoken to my Mum during the research stage. She loves a good clamshell, and according to Carson, she’s not alone:

“Our market research has shown that there are a lot of people that prefer a flip form factor. They feel most comfortable opening the device to answer a call, and closing to hang up. They also like being able to close the device and know they can put it in their pocket or purse and not have to worry about accidental dialling. Being able to discretely check the external display screen to see incoming messages is also a great feature afforded by the form factor”.

So apart from a hinge, what can you expect from the Style 9670? Firstly, there are two displays, one internal and one on it’s closed outer cover. Both a QWERTY keyboard and trackpad are included too.

The BlackBerry 6 OS runs the show, meaning you’ll get the Webkit browser, as well as universal search options and aggregated social feeds. GPS and Wi-fi connections are inside, whilst a 5MP camera sits on the front too, capable of video recording.

No news on when this one is due yet, but with RIM outing it themselves on their official blog a lunch can’t be that far away.