Clicks Technology unveiled its first product Thursday — Clicks Creator Keyboard. It’s a case that fits around an iPhone, providing a full keyboard with physical buttons that may remind people of BlackBerry’s heyday.
“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,” said Michael Fisher, Clicks Technology co-founder and a popular YouTube tech reviewer known as MrMobile.
“Clicks brings the tactility and precision of a physical keyboard to iPhone, so people don’t have to wait until they get back to their desks to create or communicate with the satisfying feedback only real buttons can provide,” he added.
Clicks Creator Keyboard
A new company, Clicks Technology, put out press materials Thursday for the new Clicks Creator Keyboard ahead of its demos at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Separately, Fisher posted a YouTube video, below, showing it off and talking about its development. Different versions of the accessory work with iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here’s how the company said the accessory extends iPhone’s capabilities:
Clicks frees up screen real-estate previously consumed by a virtual keyboard, giving iPhone users more space for apps and content. Featuring a full keyboard with real buttons, Clicks offers users a tactile typing experience that enables new possibilities for creating on the go with speed and precision. Clicks also gives iPhone users more control of their phone with keyboard shortcuts and new dedicated keys that unlock the full power of iOS.
But will people now used to handsets without physical keyboards go for this? If this old article about physical keyboard attachment prototypes for iPhone is any indication, maybe.
These people really miss buttons
Clicks is the first product from Clicks Technology, founded by Fisher and Kevin Michaluk (aka CrackBerry Kevin) along with a team of mobile-tech specialists from companies including Apple, BlackBerry and Google.
“Clicks will appeal as much to longtime iPhone users as it will to past keyboard phone users,” said Kevin Michaluk, Co-founder at Clicks Technology. “We assembled a dream team of tech industry veterans to bring together the best of physical keyboards with the best of iPhone. We labored over every decision from exactly how the buttons should feel to the keyboard layout, ensuring it would be intuitive for iPhone users.”
Here’s how the group describes Clicks’ features and benefits:
Content first experiences. Today’s virtual keyboards occupy almost half the screen and obscure content. By moving the keyboard off the display when typing, Clicks nearly doubles the screen available for iPhone users to immerse themselves in apps and content.
Precision typing for on-the-go creation. Many iPhone users wait to get back to their desks to tackle tasks on a full keyboard. With real keys, typing feels natural allowing for mobile creation like writing long notes, editing documents or taking action on ideas.
Tackling tasks with keyboard shortcuts. iPhone users gain access to powerful iOS keyboard shortcuts for the first time. Some examples include:
- Press CMD + H to quickly navigate to your home screen.
- Use CMD + Space to launch Search.
- Scroll through web pages with space bar.
- Clicks supports keyboard shortcuts across many iOS and third-party apps.
Backlight for typing at night. A keyboard backlight makes it easy to type comfortably and confidently in low light conditions.
Goes on and comes off easy. The one-piece design is the first of its kind for an iPhone keyboard, fitting snugly, and offering a seamless extension of iPhone.
Nothing to charge. Clicks connects directly to iPhone through Lightning (iPhone 14 Pro) or USB-C (iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro Max), and allows users to charge their phone as normal. With this direct connection to iPhone, the keyboard has no battery to charge or Bluetooth connection.
Watch Fisher’s video:
Availability and upcoming app with updates
Clicks Founders Edition for iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro (both $139) and iPhone 15 Pro Max ($159) went on sale Thursday in colors called BumbleBee (aka yellow) and London Sky (gray). Shipping starts February 1 for the iPhone 14 Pro version and in mid-March for the iPhone 15 Pro version. The iPhone 15 Pro Max version can be reserved with a $30 deposit, with shipping in “early spring,” the company said.
And the Clicks app for iPhone should appear soon in the App Store. It will enable functionality updates over time.
Founders Edition owners will have access to VIP support and early access to future colors, Clicks added.
Price: $139
Where to buy: Clicks.tech
Source: Clicks Technology
