RIM patent for BlackBerry Slide touchscreen device

RIM has stuck to their guns when it comes to all-around design of their BlackBerry devices. Until now, the BlackBerry has shied away from integrating touch technology, but a new patent reveals that RIM is willing to mix it up. The patent reveals a BlackBerry with a slide-out QWERTY keypad, which allows for a larger display.

The typical trackball navigation is still intact, but the interface is definitely a huge change for the traditional RIM device. The interface is designed to rotate when in text mode into a landscape orientation. Some look at the design as a direct competitor to the iPhone, predicting such features as GPS and Wi-Fi and possible 3G support for HSPA networks.