When the original iPhone launched in 2007, it marked the rise of on-screen keyboards, but some people still miss the full physical keyboards that were popular on BlackBerry devices and other mobile phones earlier this century. For iPhone users who wish they had real buttons to press, a new iPhone case with a physical keyboard is debuting at CES 2024 — and prominent YouTubers from the phone industry have contributed to the design.
New company Clicks Technology is launching its eponymous Clicks Keyboard as its first product for $139, which will be compatible with the newest iPhones to start. Available with Lightning (for iPhone 14 Pro) or USB-C (for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max) connectors, the keyboard is actually integrated into a wraparound case. Simply slide your iPhone into the device and start typing. The keys are backlit for nighttime typing and run on the phone’s battery, so no charging is necessary.
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“We use keyboards on our desktops, laptops and tablets every day, so it’s a little strange that we’ve ditched physical buttons on smartphones,” said Michael Fisher, known as Mr. Mobile on YouTube and co-founder of Clicks Technology. A press release. Fisher’s channel includes contemporary reviews and profiles of phones from yesteryear, when screens were smaller and designs were weirder in the days when manufacturers gave phones bold and bizarre looks to attract buyers.
The Clicks keyboard brings back some of that energy in its bright banana yellow color, which wouldn’t look out of place on a Nintendo N64 controller. It’s also available in a slimmer gray shade for this first version of the Founders Edition product; other colors may be available in the future.
Having a physical keyboard under the phone makes the whole thing longer, so you might not be able to fit it in your pocket, and it’s hard to say whether the extra length will make it a little harder to hold while typing. But a dedicated keyboard has clear advantages, including faster and more precise typing than on a numeric keypad, as well as a command button for accessing shortcuts to the home screen or search bar. A less obvious advantage: without a numeric keypad appearing, you keep your full screen when you type.
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“We worked on every decision, from the exact feel of the buttons to the layout of the keyboard, to ensure it was intuitive for iPhone users,” said Kevin Michaluk, known as CrackBerry Kevin on YouTube and co-founder of 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 February 1 for iPhone 14 models, with the iPhone 15 shipping in the spring. The keyboard runs on a partner app that will soon be downloadable from the Apple App Store and will “bring new features to the keyboard over time,” according to a press release.
Although smartphones have moved to full screens and users have become more familiar with numeric keyboards, there still remains a contingent of phone fans nostalgic for their physical keyboards. A startup co-founded by Ryan Seacrest fought with BlackBerry in court over an iPhone keyboard in 2014, but even today’s phone owners find numeric keypads lacking – like this Redditor asking there was a case for last year’s iPhone 14 with a physical keyboard. that glided like the T-Mobile Sidekick phone of yesteryear.
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