New Physical Keyboard Case Brings iPhones Back to BlackBerry's Glory Days

04/01/2024

The Clicks Technology keyboard is a wrap-around case that adds a physical keyboard to the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15 experience. Clicks Technology

When the first iPhone launched in 2007, it heralded a new age for all-screen smartphones with digital keyboards. But some folks continue to miss the full physical keyboards that made handsets from BlackBerry and others reign supreme. For those tactile texters, a new accessory is launching ahead of CES 2024 that brings those glory days back — and prominent phone industry YouTubers contributed to the design.

New company Clicks Technology is debuting its eponymous Clicks keyboard as its first product for $139, which will be compatible with iPhones to start. Available with either Lightning (for iPhone 14) or USB-C (for iPhone 15) connectors, the keyboard is actually integrated into a wraparound case. Just slide your iPhone into the device and start typing. The keys are backlit for night typing, and it runs off the phone’s battery, so no charging required.

“We use keyboards on our desktops, laptops and tablets every day — so it’s kind of odd that we abandoned physical buttons on the smartphone,” Michael Fisher, known as Mr. Mobile on YouTube and co-founder of Clicks Technology, said in a press release. Fisher’s channel includes contemporary reviews and throwback profiles of phones from yesteryear, when screens where smaller and designs were weirder in the days where manufacturers gave phones bold and bizarre looks to entice buyers.

The Clicks keyboard brings some of this energy back in its bright banana yellow color, which wouldn’t look out of place on a Nintendo N64 controller. It’s also available in a more svelte gray hue for this early Founders Edition round of the product; other colors may be available in the future.

Having a physical keyboard below the phone elongates the whole package, so you might not be able to fit it in your pocket, and it’s hard to tell if the extra length will make it a bit tougher to hold while typing. But there are definite advantages to a dedicated keyboard, most notably faster and more accurate typing than on a digital keypad, as well as a command button to allow for shortcuts to the home screen or search bar. A less obvious benefit: Without a digital keyboard popping up, you keep your full screen when typing.

“We labored over every decision from exactly how the buttons should feel to the keyboard layout, ensuring it would be intuitive for iPhone users,” said Kevin Michaluk, known as CrackBerry Kevin on YouTube and co-founder at Clicks Technology. He joined Fisher and a team with mobile experience from companies like Apple, BlackBerry and Google to design the keyboard.

The Clicks keyboard is available to order now and will begin shipping on Feb. 1 for the iPhone 14 models, with the iPhone 15 shipping at some point in Spring. The keyboard runs on a partner app that will soon be downloadable from the Apple App Store and will “bring new functionality to the keyboard over time,” according to a press release.

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

The iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are defined by their refinements. This pair of phones is one of the most compelling camera upgrades from Apple in years.The 15 Pro has a tried and true 3x telephoto camera like previous models. But the 15 Pro Max has a new 5x telephoto camera that’s made with multiple prisms and some clever engineering.This was taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x zoom camera.

One nifty addition to both phones is the ability to change the focus after you take a portrait photo. Check out this ’90s grunge band photo of me and my pal Beacham. I can change the focus from me to him after I take the picture. This is going to be a killer feature for parents.

This was taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s 5x zoom camera which also has a 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilization system that helps with shaky hands.

I took this with the 5x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

A night mode snap from the iPhone 15 Pro at 2x.

The main camera’s sensor on both phones is larger helping it capture brighter photos in low light with less image noise, like this one of a Boring Clam.