A new patent filing by RIM for a "hybrid portrait-landscape handheld device with trackball navigation and Qwerty hide-away keyboard" suggests that future Blackberrys may remind us pretty strongly of a SideKick Slide, or perhaps an HTC Tilt without the tilt. We're guessing that the trackball is a version of their pearl controller, though the patent also makes reference to touchscreen technology. Looking at another image in the filing, you might also wonder if an accelerometer is included for iPhone-style screen orientation.

Of course, RIM has fired out lots of other patents in the past which we've yet to see in reality. So if you're a Blackberry fan who'd love a bigger slide-out keyboard, don't get too excited by this — we suspect you won't be seeing a real product anytime soon. [Reghardware]

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