Someone Finally Built a Smartphone for People Who Miss Physical Keyboards

Rapid innovations are being made in the smartphone sector, seemingly every month, and most of them are good. But there seems to be one feature that they took away from us without even asking: tactile typing.

With the first iPhone introducing touchscreen keyboards in 2007, others followed suit and never looked back. Meanwhile, many of us look back fondly on our old BlackBerry or Nokia Slide models for their physical QWERTY keyboards. Luckily, there are some tech brands that feel the same way.

FROM CASES TO COMMUNICATORS

For those following Clicks Technology since its founding, you’re aware that the company built its reputation on snap-on keyboard cases for iPhones. It was co-founded by tech YouTuber Michael Fisher (MrMobile) and product leader Jeff Gadway — two people who never quite let go of the BlackBerry dream. After shipping over 100,000 keyboard cases to enthusiasts in more than 100 countries, they’ve taken the logical next step: building their own device.

The Clicks Communicator isn’t trying to resurrect the BlackBerry so much as reimagine what a purpose-built messaging device looks like in 2026. It’s designed to be your distraction-free secondary phone that you’ll reach for when you want to stay connected without falling into a doomscroll trap.

THE TYPING EXPERIENCE

At the heart of the Communicator sits that signature QWERTY keyboard, but larger and more refined than what you’d find on their iPhone cases. The keys draw from classic BlackBerry “ErgoSurf” design principles — carefully sculpted for thumb-typing with tactile feedback designed to be both satisfying and functional. The entire keyboard surface is touch-sensitive too, turning it into a trackpad for scrolling through messages and web pages without needing to lift your fingers to the screen.

Above the keyboard sits a compact 4.03-inch AMOLED display running at 1080 x 1200 resolution. It’s deliberately small, sized for messaging rather than binge-watching or gaming. The fingerprint sensor built into the spacebar adds a nice touch, letting you unlock straight into the message hub.

SMART SIGNALS

One of the more useful additions here is the Signal LED on the side of the device. You can customize it to light up in different colors for specific contacts or apps — purple for your spouse, green for WhatsApp groups, etc. You can press that same button to dictate messages when you’re texting or record a quick voice note.

The device runs Android 16 with a custom launcher developed by the Niagara team, organizing apps in a vertical list instead of the usual grid. It’s messaging-forward by design, though you can still load up your full app suite if that’s your preference.

BUILT TO LAST

Supporting global 5G support, the Communicator packs a 4,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, a 50MP rear camera with optical image stabilization, a 24MP front camera, and 256GB of onboard storage expandable via microSD up to 2TB.

Then there are the features that disappeared from mainstream phones over the past decade, such as a 3.5mm headphone jack, a physical SIM card tray alongside eSIM support, and swappable back covers, available in Smoke, Clover, and Onyx colorways over the brushed aluminum frame. There’s also a physical airplane mode switch on the side, configurable to work with the Signal LED or keyboard shortcuts.

Clicks commits to two years of Android updates and five years of security patches, powered by a MediaTek 4-nanometer SoC platform.

SPEC SHEET

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

The Clicks Communicator is available for reservation now through February 27, with two options: a $199 deposit (applied to the final $499 retail price) or a full early-bird payment of $399 that locks in a $100 discount. Full price customers also receive two additional back covers. The device ships later this year, with early reservation holders getting priority fulfillment.

Recap

Clicks Communicator Smartphone

Clicks Technology just launched their own standalone phone called the Communicator — a compact Android device with a full QWERTY keyboard that’s designed to be your second phone for staying connected without the distractions. At $399 for early birds (regular $499), it packs modern specs like 5G, a 50MP camera, and all those features mainstream phones dropped, like a headphone jack and expandable storage.

Learn More: Clicks