Clicks Technology got its start making keyboard cases for smartphones, with buttons that give users a taste of the BlackBerry-dominated 2000s. Now the company is releasing its own phone to turn back the clock for a new generation.
Today, the UK-based company (with a significant Canadian presence) announced two new devices ahead of next week’s Consumer Electronics Show.
The Clicks Communicator is exactly as it sounds: a phone built for communicating. While you may want your iPhone to notify you that your mom reposted something on Facebook while you’re watching TikToks, the Clicks Communicator is meant to be your “second phone” for work, travel, privacy, or just to stop yourself from doomscrolling. The phone has its own 5G connection, so it can function as a standalone phone if needed.
The custom Android-based device does its best to convince you you’re back in 2008, sporting Clicks’ signature tactile (clicky) keyboard, expandable microSD storage up to 2TB, and a built-in 3.5mm headphone jack. The signal light on the side of the device can be configured to display different colour and light patterns, allowing users to know if there’s an important text at a glance. Or, users can just switch off the light when it’s time to unplug.
“Communicator is to a smartphone what a Kindle is to an iPad,” Clicks chief marketing officer Jeff Gadway said in a statement. “It’s a complementary product that stands on its own, optimized for a specific purpose. In the case of Clicks Communicator, that means communicating with confidence in a noisy world.”
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Beyond emulating a once-dominant Canadian tech company, Clicks has strong roots in Canada. Gadway was a marketing manager at BlackBerry for nearly eight years, and fellow Canadian co-founder Kevin Michaluk is well-known for his fan site Crackberry and the Bring Back BlackBerry campaign.
It’s not just nostalgic millennials who want to return to simpler times and phones. Younger generations are becoming more cognizant of smartphone addiction, and have begun romanticizing the BlackBerry era on social media, even if they didn’t live it. This has spawned a “dumbphone” market made up of minimalist devices such as Clicks, Punkt, Light Phone, and Minimal Phone.
For those who are content with their iPhones or Google Pixels as is but want a little nostalgic flair, Clicks is also launching the Power Keyboard. An evolution of its keyboard cases, the Power Keyboard is a portable wireless charger that sports a sliding keyboard, turning any phone into a pseudo-BlackBerry Torch without the need to swap out its case. The device connects through Bluetooth, so it can also be used to type on smart TVs or AR/VR headsets.
The Clicks Communicator can be reserved now for $547 ($399 USD), with its launch slated for later this year. The Power Keyboard, set to launch in the spring, can be pre-ordered for $108 ($79 USD).
Feature image courtesy Clicks.