clicks' keyboard for iPhone brings back tactile typing à la blackberry

Clicks’ keyboard for iphone in blackberry style

‘Buttons are back, baby!’ That’s what Kevin Michaluk, aka CrackBerry Kevin, says when he and his co-founder Michael Fisher, aka MrMobile, unveiled the new BlackBerry-looking keyboard for the iPhone under their UK-based startup, Clicks Technology. So far, there are two color variations: a vibrant Bumblebee yellow and the grayish London Sky shade. Before its physical debut at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, where visitors can try out the keyboard for the iPhone between January 9th and 12th, 2024, the Clicks team has already clued up the clickety-clack typing fans on what to expect with the return of a BlackBerry-styled keyboard.

In an interview, Kevin Michaluk tells designboom that it’s been a while since the world has seen buttons on a smartphone. ‘As a brand and product introduction, we wanted to make a statement and differentiate ourselves from legacy keyboard phones. Instead of thinking about how to recreate keyboard phones from the past, we started by asking ourselves how an iPhone could be enhanced with a keyboard in the most Apple-way possible. One of the important decisions we made was to adopt round keys (instead of piano-shaped keys), because they not only provide more space, and offer more confident typing – but they help strengthen the design of the keyboard. I think the result speaks for itself – a product that feels like a natural extension of iPhone while having a look that stands out.’

Just like other phone cases, Clicks’ keyboard for the iPhone slides and fits right into the smartphone, bound by the lightning port or USB-C, depending on the iPhone model, at the bottom of the cover. To remove it, the user simply needs to unplug the case from the iPhone. As soon as the case is in place, the iPhone looks as if it doubled in size given the extra length that the BlackBerry-looking keyboard gives. What’s more to it is that it has a backlight feature, so users who burn the midnight oil typing can see the buttons they’re pressing. Clicks says the shipping of its BlackBerry-looking keyboard for the iPhone begins on February 1st, 2024.

images courtesy of Clicks Technology

Keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation

Users who love shortcuts may not need to worry, as Kevin Michaluk shares that Clicks’ keyboard for the iPhone is more than ready to activate the iOS workarounds, including pressing CMD + H to navigate to the home screen, using CMD + Space to launch Search, and scrolling through web pages with the space bar. Users attending CES 2024 might be able to test these features out since there, the design team will launch the physical unveiling of the smart case. Since Clicks’ BlackBerry-styled keyboard for the iPhone connects through the Lightning or USB-C port, users can still charge their smartphones as normal since the case itself has a port at the bottom.

Because of this direct connection, the keyboard for the iPhone doesn’t need to be charged and requires no Bluetooth connection, a literal plug-and-play smart case. Kevin Michaluk says that Clicks’ first customers will receive the Founders Edition units of the BlackBerry-looking keyboard for the iPhone, complete with a Founders Edition badge on the back along with a laser-engraved serial number and ‘other Founders perks.’ From January 4th, 2024, users can already reserve their Clicks’ case for 139 USD, and the dedicated app will soon arrive on the Apple App Store for extended functionalities.

Clicks’ Blackberry-looking keyboard for iPhone will have its physical debut at CES 2024