News of a new Palm mobile has been doing the rounds, with CrunchGear apparently having the exclusive lowdown on what’s what.

The site has it from a trusted source the latest Palm Smartphone will be of a slider phone design, with a full QWERTY keyboard in a portrait formatted touchscreen. To our knowledge the case is the very first type in a new venture for them and only the second display of that ilk, in their current line up.

This is supposedly what Palm is bringing along to CES in Las Vegas this week, with the announcement to be unveiled to the muggles this Thursday.

According to the site’s insider source, this will also feature a new OS with the accompanying standard office type functionality we’ve all come to expect from Palm and their Smartphones.

Also being touted around is that the phone’s maker is now known. It’s been rumoured by other sources too that the handset will be made by the same builders of the Palm Pro, namely one HTC.

There have been troubled times of late for the former 3Com spinoff company, perhaps a break away from the formats of yesteryear could be a good move for them. As we’d hate for a company of this history and worth to fall along the roadside, just like Psion have.

Let’s hope we hear more on this model and that it’s not some pie in the sky concept, as it does sound rather intriguing.

For one, it isn’t modelled after one of their full frontal QWERTY keyboard phones, which do come off sometimes feeling distinctly like a budget version of a BlackBerry of long ago.

And for another, it’s a new format for them in a slider phone. This could add more weight behind them within a new avenue on a route that they haven’t previously ventured down before. It could open up more or just another market for them along the way.

With RIM said to be producing their first ever slider model Smartphone later this year, perhaps Palm could get their first and grab the attention of those who don’t want to wait around or even go for a BlackBerry.

Lest not forget, that if the mock-up image is anything to go by and the information on hand is accurate, it’s both a full touchscreen display and has a physical keyboard. All of which means it sits on the fence between three types of phones, touch screen, one with a full QWERTY keyboard and also a slider handset.

This could very well hit more demographics that anyone cares to wish for; let’s just hope it has WIFI and all will be great with us.

Note: The image above is just a fictitious possibility, from Palmdoc_Flood on Flickr - seen here.