Clicks is a relatively young American startup that chose to focus on a niche that has almost disappeared from the smartphone world – physical keyboards. In recent years, the company gained recognition thanks to external keyboards that connect to iPhone and Android devices, attempting to revive the typing experience of past BlackBerry and Sidekick devices. Since its first appearance at CES, Clicks has built itself a loyal audience of users who miss real buttons and are looking for an alternative to today’s smooth, crowded touchscreens.
This year, the company returns to CES with a particularly ambitious move – not just an accessory, but its first smartphone of its own. The new device, Clicks Communicator, is presented as a phone designed for “communication, not consumption.” According to the company, the idea is to create a secondary device, one that will mainly be used for messages and calls, while the primary phone remains responsible for photography, scrolling and social networks. In practice, it is hard to ignore the fact that this is a device that offers much more than that.
The Communicator features a physical keyboard with tactile feedback, a 4-inch OLED screen, a 3.5 mm headphone jack and an expansion slot for microSD cards with a capacity of up to 2TB. The operating system is based on Android 16 and includes support for hardware-level encryption. On the hardware side as well, this is quite a modern phone: A 50-megapixel main camera, a 24-megapixel selfie camera, NFC for payments, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and a 4,000mAh battery, with the option for wired charging via USB-C as well as wireless charging.
The design intentionally evokes devices from the past, but with a contemporary twist. A fingerprint sensor is integrated into the space bar, alongside a Signal LED – a smart indicator light that can be configured to alert about messages from specific people or apps. Although Clicks emphasizes that this is a secondary phone, quite a few users may see it instead as a primary device, especially in light of the minimalist phone trend and the attempt to move away from notification overload and social networks. On the other hand, the idea of two phones, two lines and two numbers still feels unproven and not necessarily practical for most users. The device is available for pre-order at a price of 399 dollars, which is expected to rise to 499 dollars starting February 27.
Alongside the smartphone, Clicks is also presenting the Power Keyboard – an external physical keyboard with a full QWERTY layout, navigation keys and a number row. It connects to the phone via MagSafe or Qi2, includes an internal 2,150mAh battery, and allows the device to be rotated into landscape or portrait mode, in a look that very much resembles the legendary Sidekick. The connection is made via Bluetooth, making the keyboard compatible also with tablets, smart TVs and even virtual reality glasses. Orders opened on January 2, the launch is expected in the spring, and the price will be 110 dollars – or 80 dollars for early buyers.