It seems that there is a very, very secret prototype in Apple HQ of an iPhone with a slide-out keyboard. It won’t be aimed at the average Joe but instead be focused on the BlackBerry set. The Register says:

And he has taken this beyond just chatting: actual prototypes – not just mockups – have been sent to senior executives at some operators. I’m not allowed to even hint which operators… but I can report that the keyboard has “issues” which are not yet resolved.

I say don’t hold your breath.