This smart keyboard case lends the nostalgic, tactile feel of physical buttons to iPhones
I was only a boy when BlackBerry dominated the mobile phone industry. At that tender age, I discerned two undeniable truths. Firstly, owning a BlackBerry was a hallmark of adulthood, a symbol of a refined and professional world. Secondly, I couldn’t wait to possess one.
Alas, that dream was fleeting, a wistful desire that faded as the touch screen era eclipsed the BlackBerry’s once formidable presence. But it seems dreams—even forgotten ones—can come true.
UK-based startup Clicks Technology has unveiled its nostalgic offering, a keyboard case that brings the tactile feel of physical buttons to the iPhone. Simply dubbed ‘Clicks’, the case has a BlackBerry-style silhouette and keyboard arrangement that evokes a time before touch screens reigned supreme. Clicks doesn’t connect with bluetooth, opting instead for an in-built lightning or USB-C connector that draws power from the phone’s battery. This design decision is quite elegant, allowing consumers to connect seamlessly while simultaneously removing the prospect of latency issues—the plague of many bluetooth keyboards.
The keyboard, though reminiscent of a BlackBerry, sports its own unique design. The keys are round instead of the piano-shaped keys of yesteryears, a subtle yet substantial change that gives the case a modern charm. The backlit-keyboard has a dedicated CMD key that allows the utilisation of iOS keyboard shortcuts, meaning you can press CMD + H to go to the homescreen or CMD + spacebar to bring up the search bar.
The physical keyboard reclaims precious real estate from the bottom half of the screen. That said, the case itself takes up space, elongating the phone by almost a third of its size. If you’d appreciate a physical keyboard, the trade-off might be worth it, even if it makes the phone-holding experience slightly awkward.
Coming in two colours, vibrant “Bumblebee” yellow and sleek “London-Sky” greyish-blue, Clicks made its physical debut at CES 2024. Currently available for the iPhone 14 Pro and 15 Pro, and taking reservations for the 15 Pro Max.
