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RIM's got some major updates coming to its smartphones. There's the BlackBerry 9000 series, for instance; the first BlackBerries with touch-screens. And then there's the BlackBerry Kickstart 9100; RIM's first flip phone. Recently, several new pictures of the latter leaked to CrackBerry.com.

Like the BlackBerry Pearl model, the Kickstart sports a keypad/keyboard combo rather than a full QWERTY thumb-keyboard. So Kickstart uses RIM's SureType predictive text software to help text entry along.

RIM recently improved the word completion functionality of the SureType system, which also features spelling checker and a user-customizable dictionary.

As you can see from the top picture, the Kickstart's keyboard rests on the bottom half of the clamshell, along with a trackball navigation system and four additional buttons, while the screen takes up the top portion. A camera is also present.

Like many other flip phones, Kickstart sports a small external display for delivering time, date and caller related information.

No word on pricing or what carriers may offer Kickstart. It is, according the rumor, supposed to ship later this year.

The development of the Kickstart is a smart move on the part of RIM, as clam shell phones are among the most popular types of feature phones on the market. With the BlackBerry Pearl series, RIM kick started its entry into the consumer arena. A flip phone-style BlackBerry should help it gain an even bigger share of that market.

See here for pictures of the BlackBerry Kickstart.