Our sources are whispering to us that apparently the BlackBerry 9670 “clamshell” style device (which really was not on our radar) is, in fact, apparently said to be a Verizon exclusive that the company asked RIM to build just for them. From what we hear big red supplied the specs, which were to be a clamshell form factor, 5 megapixel camera and an updated user interface. (The updated UI is where BlackBerry OS 6 comes in.)

According to our sources, Verizon would have an exclusive for the 9670 in the U.S., while Vodafone would have a similar exclusive version of the clamshell form factor phone for Europe. The 9670 is supposed to be a hip device that is targeted at those who are younger and want something that is much different than a traditional BlackBerry.

We are also hearing that RIM had to meet a specific price point, which we believe means that the 9670 will be affordable right from the start. It might all be just talk at this point, but we suspect that there could be a lot of truth to it, since so many people seem to be telling us that this is the case.