My dream of having a Blackberry is a little closer
It's been a while since I was this excited about a gadget. I missed the BlackBerry wave by a few months in 2007. 19 years later, the Clicks Power Keyboard and Communicator are finally fixing my tech timeline.
There is a specific kind of tech heartbreak that only millennials truly understand. It’s the year 2007. The BlackBerry is the ultimate symbol of "having made it." I spent years watching people thumb-type with lightning speed on those tactile buttons, dreaming of the day I’d finally get one.
But then, the iPhone happened.
I jumped into the future like everyone else, trading tactile clicks for a glass slab. I don’t regret it, but that "BlackBerry itch" never truly went away. BlackBerry tried the BlackBerry Curve and Torch (we don't talk about that) and even their later Android attempts, but the timing was always off.
Fast forward to today, and the team over at Clicks just announced two products that feel like they were designed specifically for my 15-year-old self.
The Power Keyboard: MagSafe Battery Meets the Sliding Keyboard
The biggest issue with the original Clicks case was the sheer size. It turned an iPhone Pro Max into a "comically long" wand. I loved the idea, but I couldn't live with the bulk.
The new Clicks Power Keyboard fixes the "always-on" problem I had with their existing Clicks Case for iPhone.
- The Design: It looks like a standard MagSafe power bank when it's closed.
- The Magic: You slide your phone up to reveal the physical keyboard. You can type in portrait or landscape, which is a game-changer for someone like me who bounces between an iPhone and a Pixel Fold.
- Universal Utility: It’s not just for the phone. It pairs via Bluetooth with my Apple TV (goodbye, terrible on-screen searching) and even my iPad.
I pre-ordered this immediately for $79. For the price of a standard battery pack, I’m getting a universal tactile input device.
The Communicator: A Phone Made by the Phone Guy
Then there’s the Clicks Communicator. If you’ve ever followed Michael Fisher (Mr. Mobile), you know he’s the high priest of the physical keyboard. This phone is his DNA in hardware form.
It’s an Android device that isn't trying to be your "everything" screen—it's trying to be your communication screen. It has the specs the "big guys" forgot about:
- Expandable storage.
- Dual-SIM functionality.
- A headphone jack. (Yes, really).
It’s intended as a companion phone—a dedicated tool for Slack, emails, and deep work. While I’m currently holding off because my Pixel Fold handles a lot of my heavy lifting, the Communicator is the first time since 2007 that a device has truly captured that BlackBerry "tool, not a toy" energy.
Nostalgic Tech with Modern Specs
Clicks is doing what BlackBerry tried and failed to do years ago: they are making the physical keyboard a choice again, not a compromise. Whether it’s the slide-out keyboard for my primary phone or a dedicated communicator for work, I’m excited to finally have those buttons back under my thumbs.
It only took nineteen years, but the dream is finally (eventually) shipping.
What about you? Are you a "glass-only" typist, or do you still miss the feeling of actual buttons? Let me know in the on Threads or reply to this email—I’ve left some links to the Clicks announcement videos below!
You can find me on Threads, Mastadon, Bluesky and Twitter.
