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Click technologya company known for manufacturing physical keyboards for smartphones, is launching two new devices before the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. In addition to a new $79 slide-out keyboard for smart devices, the company is also unveiling its first smartphone: the Communicator, a smartphone with a physical keyboard, designed to be carried as a second device.
Yes, it looks a lot like a BlackBerry. (Quickly, someone tell Kim Kardashian, famous BlackBerry collector.)
The $499 smartphone is described as being “specifically designed” for people who carry two phones – one for work and one for personal use. That is, the company believes that its market will be people who do a lot of real work on their devices, i.e. sending messages, sending emails, working with documents or other things where using a physical keyboard could be an advantage.
Although it offers a screen to view and respond to messages, the Communicator does not provide access to addictive social media apps or games. Instead, the company partnered with Android launcher maker Niagara Launcher to provide access to messaging apps and productivity tools like Gmail, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack.
The phone’s standout feature is its signal light, an illuminated button on the side of the device that can be customized with different light colors and patterns to indicate when you’ve received messages from certain people, groups, or apps. For example, you can make VIP messages glow purple while WhatsApp chats glow green.
You can press this button, called the prompt key, to dictate messages when you’re in a text field, or take a quick voice note otherwise. The company talks about the possibility of integrating AI applications with this button – like note-taking, voice recordings or AI agents – but nothing like that is available yet.
Like other Clicks products, the Communicator features a touchscreen keyboard with ergonomically designed keys for faster typing. The keyboard is also touchscreen, allowing users to scroll through messages, lists, and web pages without needing to use the touchscreen.
The device also includes other old-school features, like a 3.5mm headphone jack, a physical SIM card tray (in addition to an eSIM), expandable microSD storage (up to 2TB), and a touch switch to turn airplane mode on or off. This switch can also be configured to work with the light signal or touch input from the keyboard, the company says.
The back cover can be removed so you can change the style of the device to a different color. The phone itself is available in Smoke, Clover (dark green), and Onyx.
The device will be priced at $399 for early bird customers who make a deposit of $199 before February 27. Customers who pay the full price of $399 up front will receive two additional back covers. The phone is expected to ship later this year.
Full technical specifications of the phone include:
- Android 16 with 5 years of security updates
- 131.5mm height; weighing 170 grams
- Worldwide 5G, 4G LTE and 3G/2G support, unlocked
- 4,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery
- 256GB built-in storage and expandable microSD
- 50MP main camera with OIS and 24MP front camera
- NFC with Google Pay, Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6
- USB-C and wireless charging
- Interchangeable back covers in different colors to personalize the device
Clicks CEO Adrian Li said in a statement that the company has shipped more than 100,000 of its older keyboards to customers in more than 100 countries.
“This response validated something we strongly believed: there is a growing demand for purpose-built products that help people communicate confidently and take action. Clicks Communicator is a natural evolution of this idea,” he said.
The company’s other new product is a slide-out keyboard that can be connected to smartphones, tablets, or even used with smart TVs, to save you from tedious on-screen typing with your remote.
The keyboard is powered by a built-in 2,150mAh battery and connects to phones via MagSafe or Qi2 magnetic connections. It can also be used with existing phone cases, the company claims. Multiple slider positions allow the keyboard to adapt to different phone sizes and it can be fixed when the phone is held in portrait or landscape mode.
When used with tablets, TVs, or other smart devices, such as AR/VR headsets, the keyboard is used independently of the device it is paired with.
Similar to other Clicks keyboards, the Power Keyboard offers touch-sensitive buttons and its settings can be customized using the Clicks mobile app for iOS and Android.
The Power Keyboard is priced at $79 for early customers and will later cost $109. Pre-orders begin January 2; the device is expected to ship in the spring, the company says.
