Clicks Communicator: The BlackBerry Revival That Actually Works [2025]

The Keyboard Renaissance Nobody Predicted

There's a moment in tech history when you realize something you thought was dead is actually just dormant. The Clicks Communicator is that moment for physical keyboards on smartphones.

For years, every tech pundit said the same thing: "Physical keyboards are dead. Touchscreens are the future." They weren't entirely wrong. But they also weren't entirely right. What they missed was something more fundamental about how humans work: some people actually want to type. Not swipe, not gesture, not hunt-and-peck on glass. Type.

Clicks Technology, a company built by people who clearly spent too much time missing their BlackBerrys (and not in an ironic way), decided to build exactly that device. The result is the Communicator, a $499 Android phone that looks like someone gave a BlackBerry a modern makeover and then decided to keep the best parts.

I had the chance to spend time with a working prototype at CES 2025, and here's what surprised me: it actually feels right in your hands. Not as a novelty. Not as a gimmick. As an honest-to-god typing machine that happens to also make calls.

Let me walk you through what makes this phone different, why it matters, and whether you should actually care about a physical keyboard in 2025.

The Hardware Story: Design That Respects Your Fingers

The Communicator weighs about 170 grams (6 ounces) and measures out to be roughly the size of a thick candy bar. Before you picture something chunky, understand that Clicks spent months 3D printing different shapes and weights, testing which one felt right in actual hands. The team settled on a contoured back that's intentionally designed to make the phone easy to grip.

Let's talk about something most phone makers ignore: what happens when you set your phone face-down on a table.

With most phones, you're risking the screen. With the Communicator, the designers built the chin of the device with a slight curve that creates a recessed area. Your keyboard sits in that little valley. Set it face-down, and you're protecting the screen while also preventing accidental key presses. It's a small detail that shows someone actually thought about how people use phones in real life.

The screen sits slightly elevated off the phone's body, giving you visual separation between the input method and the display. When you're typing, you know you're typing. When you're looking at your screen, you know what you're looking at. There's no confusion about which surface is which.

The back cover is interchangeable, which means you can change your phone's appearance whenever you want without buying a whole new device. The covers have a small notch at the top and a finger pick at the bottom to help you remove them without damaging anything. It's thoughtful design.

Estimated data suggests that journalists and business professionals are the primary target audience for the Clicks Communicator, each representing 25% of potential interest.

The Keyboard: Where Typing Meets Physics

Here's where things get philosophical in ways I didn't expect.

Clicks is genuinely debating whether the keys should have 110 grams of pressure or 120-130 grams. This isn't marketing nonsense. This is a real technical decision that changes how the device feels in use.

Less pressure (110 grams) makes the keyboard feel softer and easier to use, which is better for people who haven't spent their lives on BlackBerrys. It's more accessible. More forgiving. Better if you occasionally mistype.

More pressure (120-130 grams) gives you more tactile feedback. Your fingers know exactly when they've hit a key. Fast typists prefer this because the feedback lets your hands move at speed without thinking about whether you actually pressed a key or just grazed it. It's the difference between tentative typing and confident typing.

The company's internal team actually fights about this. Co-founder Michael Fisher, co-founder Kevin Michaluk, and CMO Jeff Gadway have strong opinions. Gadway told me, "We're fighting over grams," and he said it with the kind of intensity usually reserved for theological debates.

What I noticed in my hands-on time is that the keys feel genuinely good to press. The prototype might even be slightly softer than the final product will be, and it still felt natural. The tactile feedback is immediate. Your brain gets it instantly: key pressed, message sent.

The keyboard and screen sit at the same vertical height, which means you can move from typing to touching without your hand position changing dramatically. It's small, but it matters. Your muscle memory works the same way whether you're hitting keys or tapping a button.

Display and Visual Design

The Communicator uses a 4.03-inch AMOLED display at 1,080 x 1,200 resolution. This is slightly taller than a standard phone screen, which makes sense given that you have a keyboard taking up space at the bottom.

OLED technology means blacks are actually black (the pixels turn off completely), colors pop, and contrast is incredible. It's the kind of screen that makes reading and scrolling feel premium, even if the resolution isn't the absolute highest on the market.

The 1,200-pixel height is deliberate. It gives you more vertical real estate for content, which is useful when half your physical space is dedicated to typing. When you're reading emails, messages, or articles, that extra height actually matters.

Clicks partnered with Niagara Launcher to create a minimalist home screen experience. Instead of a cluttered grid of apps, you get your favorite applications displayed clearly at the top, with a scrollable list of everything else below. It's designed to reduce distraction and keep you focused on what matters.

The phone has a front-facing hole-punch camera for video calls and selfies, and a rear camera setup that's more interesting than it first appears.

The Camera System: Not an Afterthought

The front camera captures 24-megapixel images through a fixed-focus lens. It's decent for video calls and casual selfies, which is probably fine for most people. You're not buying this phone for portrait photography.

The rear camera is where things get more interesting: 50 megapixels with both optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization for video. This means still photos should be sharp, and videos won't look shaky if your hands move a little while recording.

For a phone that's clearly messaging-focused, having a solid rear camera makes sense. Not everyone is sending emails and messages 100% of the time. You'll want to capture photos occasionally, and when you do, they should come out looking decent.

50 megapixels gives you flexibility too. You can shoot at full resolution for detailed photos, or use the camera's pixel-binning features to create larger individual pixels that work better in low light. It's modern camera tech without being excessive.

Estimated data shows medium pressure (120g) is preferred by fast typists for tactile feedback, while softer pressure (110g) is favored by casual users for ease of use.

Under the Hood: The Processor That Powers It

The Communicator uses a MediaTek 4-nanometer processor with built-in 5G and IoT capabilities. MediaTek has really improved their chip design over the past few years, and this processor is designed for efficiency more than pure speed.

That matters for a messaging phone. You're not playing intensive games or running complex simulations. You're handling email, messages, media consumption, and web browsing. The processor is more than adequate for those tasks while being power-efficient enough to keep battery life reasonable.

The phone comes with 8 gigabytes of RAM, which is plenty for most users. You'll have multiple apps open and switching between them without any lag or slowdown. Even with the Android ecosystem where some apps are less optimized than others, 8GB gives you breathing room.

Storage is 256 gigabytes built-in, with expandable microSD storage up to 2 terabytes. That's genuinely a lot of storage. You could put thousands of photos, music files, and documents on this phone and still have room to spare.

Battery Life and Charging

The Communicator has a 4000mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is decent but not enormous. However, a messaging-focused phone uses less power than a gaming or content-consumption device, so 4000mAh might be sufficient for a full day of regular use.

Wired charging goes up to 18 watts, which is moderate by modern standards. A full charge probably takes 60-90 minutes, which is reasonable. Wireless charging at 15 watts is also included, and it's Qi-compatible with any standard wireless charger.

The battery chemistry is silicon-carbon, which is slightly more advanced than standard lithium-ion. It should handle charge cycles better and maintain capacity over time.

The Signal Light: A Smarter Notification System

One of the more interesting features is the programmable side-button called the Signal Light. It glows with colors or patterns based on rules you set.

This solves an actual problem: notification fatigue. Your phone buzzes constantly with messages from everyone: your boss, your mom, random apps, and actual friends. Most systems treat every notification the same way. The Signal Light treats them differently.

You can configure it so that messages from certain people or groups trigger specific colors or patterns. Messages from your boss might trigger a red glow. Messages from close friends might trigger blue. Random app notifications? They don't trigger the light at all.

This is genuinely smart because it lets you stay aware of important notifications without constantly pulling your phone out of your pocket to check it. You glance at the light, you know who's trying to reach you, and you decide whether it's worth interrupting what you're doing.

For people who are trying to reduce their phone dependency while staying reachable, this is actually useful. You're not constantly scanning your lock screen or checking notifications. You're just looking at a light.

Operating System and Software Experience

The Communicator runs Android 16, which means it gets the latest features and improvements that Google builds into Android. Full compatibility with the Google Play Store means you can install essentially any Android app you want.

The Niagara Launcher integration creates a focused experience that's less overwhelming than the default Android home screen. Instead of endless grid layouts and widgets, you get clean organization that prioritizes what you actually use.

The phone will receive five years of security updates and Android updates through Android 20. That's above average for most Android devices. You're getting long-term support that keeps your device secure and current with OS improvements for half a decade.

Android Strongbox support appeals to security-conscious users. Strongbox is Google's hardware-backed keystore that stores cryptographic keys in a dedicated secure processor, making it extremely difficult for malware or physical attacks to access sensitive credentials.

The rear camera offers more than double the megapixels of the front camera, enhancing photo quality and flexibility.

The Messaging-First Philosophy

Why build a keyboard phone in 2025? Because messaging is how people actually communicate now.

Email, SMS, iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord—half of your day is probably spent crafting messages. Typing on glass is slow and error-prone. Using voice-to-text is faster but creates weird mistakes that require correction anyway. A physical keyboard cuts through all of that.

There's also something about the tactile experience of typing that feels more intentional than swiping. When you're composing a message on a keyboard, you feel like you're actually writing. On a touchscreen, it feels like you're playing a game.

For people who spend hours per day on email and messaging, that difference compounds. After eight hours of typing on glass, your fingers hurt. After eight hours on a physical keyboard, your hands feel fine.

Clicks recognized this fundamental truth and built a phone around it. Not as a primary device for everyone, but as the right device for people who actually type.

The Price Point and Positioning

At $499, the Communicator costs less than a flagship from Samsung, Apple, or Google. It's positioned as a premium device, but not an ultra-premium one. You're paying for the engineering of the keyboard and the thoughtful industrial design, not for excessive computing power or a massive display.

For context, a Samsung Galaxy S24 starts at

The separate $79 slide-out keyboard accessory for other devices is interesting but probably less compelling. It's solving a different problem for people who already have a phone and want to add typing capability to it. The integrated Communicator is the real product.

Early Reception and Sales Momentum

Clicks went into product launch and had early sales that surprised even the team. Over a one-week period, they were selling one unit every 6.5 seconds across both the Communicator and the slide-out keyboard.

Let's do some quick math. 6.5 seconds per unit means about 9.2 units per minute, or roughly 550 units per hour. In a 24-hour day, that's about 13,200 units. Over a week, that's roughly 92,400 units.

Clicks didn't share specific sales numbers, but that weekly velocity is significant for a startup hardware company. It suggests real demand for what they've built, not just novelty interest.

The reception being better than expected tells you something important: there's a market segment that wants this product, and it's larger than hardware investors typically assume.

Who This Phone Is Actually For

The Communicator isn't for everyone. It's not for people who value having the absolute cutting-edge processor or the largest screen possible. It's not for gamers or heavy media consumers.

It's for journalists, writers, developers, business professionals, and anyone whose primary phone interaction is typing messages and emails. It's for people who've been frustrated by touchscreen typing limitations and would trade some screen real estate to get better input method.

It's also for people who remember BlackBerrys fondly and want that experience updated for the modern era. These aren't people living in nostalgia—they're people who found something that actually worked and want to use it again.

In 2009, BlackBerry held a dominant 55% market share among enterprise users, highlighting its popularity before the iPhone's rise. Estimated data for iPhone and others.

Manufacturing and Availability Timeline

The prototype I tested isn't a fully functional phone—it's a size and weight reference. But Clicks was using it to gauge feel and ergonomics, which are critical for a device where tactile experience is part of the value proposition.

The phone is expected to ship in the second half of 2026. That's not immediately available, but it's on the horizon. It gives the company time to refine the keyboard pressure (that 110 vs. 120-130 gram debate), finalize the software experience, and handle manufacturing ramp-up.

The Keyboard Market Comeback

The Communicator isn't the only company thinking about physical keyboards. Gaming phones have started adding shoulder triggers and buttons. The Steam Deck and similar devices proved people still want tactile input options. But a mainstream smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard? That's a different move.

It's a bet that a specific segment of users is underserved. And early sales numbers suggest that bet is paying off.

What makes the Clicks approach different from BlackBerry's approach is that it's built on Android. A BlackBerry phone was locked into a specific ecosystem. The Communicator gives you the full Google Play Store ecosystem with a better typing experience.

You can use Gmail, Outlook, or any email client. You can use WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, or any messaging app. You can use any productivity tool in the Play Store. You're not locked in; you're just getting a better input method.

Design Philosophy: Form Follows Function

Everything about the Communicator is designed around the idea that how you interact with your phone matters more than how powerful it is.

The keyboard is elevated. The screen is elevated. The materials are chosen for durability and feel, not for premium sheen. The battery is practical rather than enormous. The camera is solid rather than excessive.

This is the opposite of flagship phone design, where specs are maximized and everything is optimized for marketing bullets. The Communicator optimizes for experience. For how it feels. For how it works when you're actually using it.

That's a fundamentally different design philosophy, and it's refreshing to see in an industry obsessed with numbers.

Security Features

Android Strongbox support means sensitive data like passwords, encryption keys, and authentication tokens are stored in dedicated secure hardware rather than in the main processor. Even if malware compromises your phone, it can't access your most sensitive credentials.

Nano-SIM support is standard, and the slot is protected underneath the back cover. NFC support enables contactless payments and data transfer. GPS provides location services.

Five years of security updates is genuinely important. That's longer than most people keep phones anyway, but having that commitment means you'll have security patches as long as you're using the device.

The Communicator device will receive Android updates from version 16 to 20 over five years, ensuring long-term software support. Estimated data.

The Competitive Landscape

In 2025, every major phone manufacturer has abandoned physical keyboards. Samsung makes phones for power users and businesses, but they assume touchscreen keyboards. Google makes Pixels optimized for AI features. Apple makes iPhones optimized for ecosystem lock-in.

None of them are interested in serving the specific segment that wants a physical keyboard. That leaves room for a focused player like Clicks to move in and own that category.

The trade-off is clear: you get better typing, but you might get fewer features or less cutting-edge processing power than flagship devices. But if you primarily use your phone for messaging and email, that trade-off makes sense.

Future Software Updates and Support

Clicks committed to five years of updates, which is substantial. Android 16 through Android 20 means the phone will stay current with Google's OS evolution for a long time.

This is important because it means the Communicator isn't going to feel outdated in two years. You're getting a device with a multi-year roadmap of support. That's rare in the Android space, where many manufacturers abandon devices after 2-3 years.

Software reliability is critical for a device where physical feel is a key selling point. If the software is constantly glitchy, the great keyboard doesn't matter. The multi-year update commitment suggests Clicks understands this.

The Emotional Appeal

Let's be honest: part of the appeal here is emotional. People remember their BlackBerrys fondly, often with genuine affection. Those devices worked. They did one thing (messaging) extremely well. They didn't try to be everything.

The Communicator taps into that nostalgia, but it's not pure nostalgia—it's nostalgia wrapped around a genuine technical advantage. Keyboards are objectively better for typing than touchscreens. That's not opinion; that's just physics.

Clicks is banking on the idea that the people who loved BlackBerrys have evolved. They want modern specs, Android apps, and the full internet. They just also want the keyboard back. It's a specific insight, and it seems to be correct.

Materials and Durability

The device is described as weighing around 170 grams, which is typical for a modern smartphone. The contoured back is designed for durability, and the interchangeable covers protect the back from damage.

The elevated screen design protects against damage from normal drops and use. The keyboard sits recessed, which means it's less likely to get damaged if you accidentally drop the phone.

Materials aren't explicitly specified in what I've learned, but the focus on ergonomics and durability in the design suggests Clicks thought about long-term use, not just first impressions.

Network Connectivity

The MediaTek processor includes 5G support, which means you get the fastest available mobile networks when they're available in your area. You also get standard cellular features: voice calls, SMS, and data.

Bluetooth support enables wireless headphones and accessories. WiFi support is standard. NFC support enables contactless payments and data transfer.

GPS provides precise location services for maps, weather, and location-based apps. It's a full-featured connectivity package, nothing unusual or limited.

Expandable Storage Deep Dive

MicroSD card support up to 2 terabytes is actually massive. You could store your entire photo library, music collection, and document archive on this phone with room to spare.

For context, 2TB is roughly:

• 500,000 average photos
• 400 hours of high-quality video
• 400,000 songs
• 10,000 full-length eBooks

Why include this level of expandable storage? Because it lets users keep their important data with them without relying on cloud services. It's freedom.

Most manufacturers are moving away from expandable storage because they want to push cloud services. Clicks chose the opposite: let people own their data locally if they want to.

The Second Half of 2026 Launch

The Communicator will ship in the second half of 2026. That's not immediately, but it's not some distant future either. It's a clear timeline that gives the company enough time to finish manufacturing setup, complete final software optimizations, and handle any last-minute changes.

For a startup hardware company, having a specific ship date is important. It shows confidence in the product and gives early adopters a clear expectation.

Initial Impressions and Real-World Usage

In hands-on time with the prototype, the phone felt genuinely good. Not just as a novelty or nostalgia piece, but as a tool that made sense for typing.

Holding it in one hand while typing with the other felt natural. The keyboard was responsive without being mushy or overly soft. The screen was bright and clear. The overall weight distribution was comfortable.

None of this is revolutionary or shocking. It's just... competent. A device built by people who understood what they were trying to do.

The Market Opportunity

How many people want a physical keyboard phone in 2025? Enough to sell one unit every 6.5 seconds. That's not a mass-market number, but it's a viable business for a focused company.

The addressable market might be a few million people globally. Not billions, but not niche either. There are enough journalists, developers, business professionals, and BlackBerry nostalgists to support a sustainable business.

Clicks seems to have found that gap in the market and built exactly what that segment wants.

FAQ

What is the Clicks Communicator?

The Clicks Communicator is an Android smartphone with a built-in physical QWERTY keyboard, priced at $499 and expected to launch in the second half of 2026. It's designed specifically for users who prioritize typing and messaging over other smartphone features, running Android 16 with a 4.03-inch AMOLED display and a 256GB storage option with expandable microSD support.

How does the Clicks Communicator keyboard work?

The keyboard features individually responsive keys that sit at the same vertical height as the touchscreen, allowing seamless transition between typing and tapping. The device includes a programmable Signal Light button that glows with different colors based on notification rules you set, keeping you aware of important messages without constant phone checking.

What are the technical specifications of the Communicator?

The phone features a MediaTek 4-nanometer processor with 8GB of RAM, a 4.03-inch AMOLED display at 1,080 x 1,200 resolution, a 4000mAh silicon-carbon battery with 18-watt wired and 15-watt wireless charging, a 50-megapixel rear camera with optical stabilization, and support for 5G connectivity. It weighs approximately 170 grams and measures about the size of a thick candy bar for comfortable one-handed holding.

Who should buy the Clicks Communicator?

The Communicator is ideal for journalists, writers, developers, business professionals, and anyone whose primary phone interaction involves typing emails and messages. It appeals to former BlackBerry users who want modern features combined with physical keyboard reliability, as well as people frustrated by touchscreen typing limitations who are willing to trade screen real estate for better text input.

How long will the Communicator receive software updates?

Clicks committed to five years of security updates and Android OS updates, with support extending through Android 20. This means users will have security patches and modern OS features available throughout their ownership of the device, making it a longer-supported option than many competing Android devices.

Why did Clicks decide to build a physical keyboard phone in 2025?

Clicks recognized that a significant segment of users—primarily professionals and power users who spend most of their phone time typing—was underserved by the industry's focus on touchscreen devices. The company identified that physical keyboards are objectively more efficient for typing and less error-prone than touchscreen input, making them valuable for messaging-focused users despite the shift away from keyboards in mainstream smartphone design.

What makes the keyboard feel different from a touchscreen?

The keyboard provides immediate tactile feedback that confirms each keystroke, allowing fast typing without worrying whether you actually pressed a key. The pressure response and physical resistance give your hands information that touchscreens can't replicate, making typing feel more intentional and reducing the mental overhead of text input.

How much does the Communicator cost compared to flagship phones?

The Communicator is priced at

Can I run standard Android apps on the Communicator?

Yes, the Communicator runs Android 16 and has full access to the Google Play Store, meaning you can install any Android app available. It's not locked into a proprietary ecosystem like older BlackBerry devices—it provides modern Android functionality combined with a better typing experience.

What is the Signal Light feature?

The Signal Light is a programmable side button that glows with customizable colors or patterns based on rules you set. You can configure it to show different colors for messages from specific people, groups, or apps, letting you know who's trying to reach you without constantly checking your phone, which reduces notification fatigue and helps minimize distraction.

When will the Communicator be available for purchase?

The Communicator is expected to ship in the second half of 2026, giving the company time to finalize manufacturing, complete software optimizations, and address any last-minute improvements before the official launch date.

Key Takeaways

• The Clicks Communicator is a $499 Android phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard launching in H2 2026, designed for messaging and typing-focused users
• Early sales velocity reached one unit every 6.5 seconds, indicating strong demand for physical keyboard phones beyond pure nostalgia
• Keyboard pressure is still being debated (110g vs. 120-130g) based on user feedback, with faster typists preferring more tactile response
• The device features a MediaTek 4nm processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage with 2TB expandable microSD, and 5 years of Android updates through Android 20
• Industrial design prioritizes ergonomics with contoured back, elevated screen, and recessed keyboard for protection when placed face-down
• The Signal Light programmable notification system reduces notification fatigue by visually alerting users only to important messages
• Positioned $300 below flagship phones while offering full Android compatibility, making it accessible premium pricing for a specific market segment
• Built on modern Android 16 with Niagara Launcher integration, avoiding the proprietary ecosystem limitations of original BlackBerry phones

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