BlackBerry: Although I'm gone, my keyboard will last until the end of the world.
This year's Xiaomi 17 Pro series comes with a very special phone case that can transform the rear display into a game console. Although it may not be very practical, it at least offers plenty of fun:
However, Xiaomi isn't the only manufacturer thinking about "adding functions to phone cases".
For example, Clicks Technology, an American tech startup across the ocean, started thinking about how to turn phone cases into "physical peripherals" for phones as early as 2022 -
Their main achievement is this product that will make old BlackBerry fans shed tears: the Clicks Keyboard phone case.
Image | PCMag
So far, the Clicks Keyboard has been launched in various models compatible with iPhones from 14 to 17, as well as the Pixel 9 and moto razr 50 series.
But if you think Clicks is just a phone case manufacturer, you're wrong. They weren't satisfied with just adding a keyboard to an ordinary phone. Instead, they chose a more difficult path: to create a user - friendly full - keyboard phone in 2026.
At this year's CES in Las Vegas, they will showcase two new products other than phone cases: the Power Keyboard and the Communicator.
Among them, the product form of the Power Keyboard is obvious from its name. It is a bluetooth external keyboard combined with a magnetic power bank function. It is not restricted by the phone case model and can be compatible with any phone (and phone case) that supports MagSafe or Qi2.2:
Image | Clicks official website
To be compatible with phones of different screen sizes, the Power Keyboard doesn't simply use a clip like some cheap peripherals. Instead, it has a sliding - cover mechanism, reminiscent of the old Palm Pre and BlackBerry Priv:
Image | YouTube @MrMobile
Moreover, since the Power Keyboard doesn't require a wired connection, you can even attach your phone horizontally to it like this. Not only does it have the heritage of Palm and BlackBerry, but it also replicates the experience of the LG Wing:
Image | YouTube @MrMobile
In terms of the power bank, the Power Keyboard has a built - in 2150mAh battery and is charged via the standard 5W Qi protocol.
In other words, it's not very practical to use it to fully charge your phone. It's mainly used to maintain the battery level during use, as its essence is still a bluetooth keyboard.
At the same time, you can't expect it to be very light - the Power Keyboard weighs 180g, equivalent to two Xiaomi Jinshajiang magnetic power banks.
Image | YouTube @MrMobile
Moreover, the Power Keyboard isn't only compatible with phones. It can also be used with smart TVs, tablets, triple - fold phones, and even the Vision Pro, as long as the device supports bluetooth.
The Power Keyboard supports the bluetooth 5.4 protocol and can be paired with three devices simultaneously, which can meet the number of devices most people carry when going out - imagine typing on the Vision Pro with this thing. It would feel great.
Currently, the Power Keyboard only comes in one color, Onyx, and has a QWERTY layout. The pre - order price is $79 (approximately RMB 550), and the official price will be $109 (approximately RMB 760). It is tentatively scheduled to be shipped this spring.
Image | Clicks official website
After talking about the keyboard + back - clip battery, here comes the real highlight, a new product that is both avant - garde and retro in today's mobile phone market: the Clicks Communicator.
Besides having a name that clearly pays tribute to the fleet communicator in "Star Trek", the Communicator is a standard small - sized phone, and it's a new "full - keyboard phone" in 2026.
Like the Power Keyboard, the Communicator also has a full - keyboard with a QWERTY layout. And since it has a built - in keyboard, the key size and layout are more spacious than previous Clicks products, so the typing feel is expected to be greatly improved.
Image | YouTube @Clicks
However, at first glance at the Communicator, we can tell that it's not a suitable primary phone. After all, it's quite challenging to consume content on a 4.03 - inch, 1080×1200 - resolution small AMOLED screen:
A ratio similar to the BlackBerry Passport | YouTube @Clicks
In fact, Jeff Gadway, the co - founder and CMO of Clicks Technology and a former BlackBerry product manager, described the usage scenario of the Communicator like this:
Nowadays, many people carry two phones, either for work or to better separate public and private affairs. For many people, this is not only a habit but also a lifestyle choice. In this era of information overload, we believe that your secondary device should focus on communication and help you efficiently solve the tasks at hand.
In other words: although the Communicator also has a bit of the "digital detox" attribute, it doesn't achieve this by increasing the difficulty of use.
Instead, it's more like a "specialized device" that allows you to focus on communication and handling things, preventing you from being distracted by other entertainment information -
In this way, you can use the Communicator to focus on replying to your leader and quickly finish the tasks at hand, and then enjoy entertainment on the large screen of an iPhone or a foldable phone.
Image | YouTube @Clicks
What's even better is that since one of the co - founders of Clicks Technology is Micheal Fisher, a YouTube reviewer with millions of followers (channel name MrMobile), he has brought many elements that digital fans will immediately recognize as classic to the Communicator -
For example, there is a "Flash Note" button on the right side of the Communicator's body. Users can set it to functions such as recording, voice input, or transcription. There is an LED notification light around this button, which can emit light to indicate different types of notifications:
Image | YouTube @Clicks
As the spiritual successor of the BlackBerry physical keyboard, the Communicator's full - keyboard also supports touch input, can be used as a virtual touchpad to scroll the screen, and also uses the space bar as a fingerprint sensor. It's arguably the most faithful tribute to BlackBerry in recent years.
It's not surprising to have such a result - after all, there are quite a few former BlackBerry employees in the Clicks team.
For example, Joseph Hofer, the designer of the Communicator, once led the design of classic BlackBerry products such as the Q10, Z10, and Passport:
Joseph Hofer | Clicks official website
There is even a classic "mute switch" on the left side of the Communicator's body, which combines the tradition that Apple has abandoned:
Image | YouTube @Clicks
In terms of specifications, the Communicator is also a masterpiece of "making phones according to netizens' suggestions":
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Total weight of 170g, with a replaceable back cover
- 256GB hard drive, supporting up to 2TB SD card expansion
- Single physical SIM + eSIM, supporting mainstream 5G bands worldwide
- 4000mAh carbon - silicon anode battery
- Wired charging + Qi2 wireless charging
Image | YouTube @Clicks
In terms of software, the Communicator doesn't disappoint. It can even be said to be full of geek spirit: it comes with native Android 16 out of the box, offers five years of system updates, and also supports the latest Android Strongbox security storage mechanism.
What's more interesting is that Clicks didn't bother to "reinvent the wheel" and create a highly customized Android interface. Instead, it directly cooperated with the Niagara Launcher as the default desktop app, as if we've gone back to the open era of CyanogenMod:
Image | Clicks official website
However, as an experimental product from a small manufacturer, the Communicator also has some unavoidable specification shortcomings.
For example, on the product details page, Clicks only claims that it uses a "MediaTek 5G processor with a 4nm process". Based on other specifications (supporting 4K video recording, a 50 - megapixel OIS camera, Android 16, etc.), the Communicator may use a Dimensity 7200, 7300, or a similar - configured chip -
What level is this SoC? It's slightly more powerful than the Snapdragon 855+. Recently, phones using processors with similar specifications mainly include the vivo Y500, Redmi Note 14 Pro, iQOO Z10x, etc. The average price of these phones is around RMB 900 - 1300.
