Clicks debuts its own take on the BlackBerry smartphone, plus a $79 snap-on mobile keyboard | TechCrunch

Clicks Technology, a company known for making physical keyboards for smartphones, is launching two new devices ahead of 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 your second device.

Yes, it looks a lot like a BlackBerry. (Quick, someone tell Kim Kardashian, famous BlackBerry hoarder.)

The $499 smartphone is described as being “purpose-built” for people who carry two phones — one for work and one for personal use. That is, the company believes its market will be people who do a lot of actual work on their devices — meaning messaging, emailing, working with documents, or other things where using a physical keyboard could be an advantage.

While it offers a screen for viewing and responding to messages, the Communicator doesn’t provide access to addictive social media apps or games. Instead, the company partnered with the maker of an Android launcher, 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, a light-up button on the side of the device that can be customized with different colors and light patterns to indicate when you’ve received messages from certain people, groups, or apps. For instance, you could make messages from VIPs glow purple while chats from WhatsApp are green.

You can press on this button, known as the Prompt Key, to dictate messages when you’re in a text field, or otherwise take a quick voice note, if not. The company is teasing the possibility of integrating AI applications with this button — like note takers, voice recordings, or AI agents — but nothing like that is yet available.

Like Clicks’ other products, the Communicator features a tactile keyboard with ergonomic keys designed for faster typing. The keyboard is touch-sensitive too, allowing users to scroll through messages, lists, and webpages without needing to use the touchscreen.

The device also includes other old-school features, like a 3.5mm headphone jack, physical SIM card tray (in addition to an eSIM), expandable microSD storage (up to 2TB), and a tactile switch for turning on or off airplane mode. This switch can also be configured to work with the Signal light or keyboard touch input, the company says.

The back cover can be popped off so you can change the device’s style by swapping to a different color. The phone itself comes in Smoke, Clover (dark green), and Onyx.

The device will be offered at $399 for early bird customers who place a $199 deposit before February 27. Customers who pay the full early bird price of $399 upfront will receive two additional back covers. The phone is expected to ship sometime later this year.

The phone’s full tech specs include:

• Android 16 with 5 years of security updates
• 131.5 mm tall; weighing 170 grams
• Global 5G, 4G LTE, and 3G/2G support, unlocked
• 4,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery
• 256GB onboard storage plus 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 noted in an announcement that the company has shipped more than 100,000 of its earlier keyboards to customers in over 100 countries.

“That response validated something we strongly believed: there’s growing demand for purpose-built products that help people communicate with confidence and take action. Clicks Communicator is a natural evolution of that idea,” he stated.

The company’s other new product is a slide-out keyboard that can be attached to smartphones, tablets, or even used with smart TVs, to save you from the tedious on-screen typing with your remote control.

The keyboard is powered by a built-in 2,150 mAh battery and attaches 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 accommodate different phone sizes, and it can be attached when the phone is held in either portrait or landscape mode.

When used with tablets, TVs, or other smart devices, like AR/VR headsets, the keyboard is used independently from the device it’s paired with.

Similar to other Clicks keyboards, the Power Keyboard offers tactile 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-bird customers and will later retail for $109. Pre-orders start on Jan. 2; the device should ship in the spring, the company says.