I didn't get the Clicks Communicator, now I'm a believer
The BlackBerry-like Clicks Communicator is an upcoming Android smartphone focusing on reducing distractions and getting things done.
The Clicks Communicator reignites our love for physical QWERTY keyboards | Image by PhoneArena
Clicks started out as a unique keyboard accessory for iPhone, which aimed to transform the full-touchscreen device into something reminiscent of a good old BlackBerry smartphone. Something, more tactile.
Now, they have a magnetic powerbank with slide-out QWERTY keyboard on the way, and, most notably, a full-blown smartphone in production – the Clicks Communicator.
The Clicks Communicator is a very cute phone, with a somewhat chubby but compact body, A squarish display and, of course, the signature physical QWERTY keyboard. Whoever thought of this concept must have been at least a little bit crazy.
The Clicks Communicator comes with classic fan-favorite features like an LED indicator, microSD card slot and 3.5mm jack. | Images by PhoneArena
I generally dislike similar types of products, because they often try to play the "digital detox" game. As in: here's a dumb phone that can't do anything so you can stay away from TikTok for a while, because you obviously can't control base impulses and you simply must waste 5 hours a day scrolling meaningless videos...
But! I was very pleasantly surprised the moment I set foot in Clicks' booth at the Mobile World Congress today. The atmosphere wasn't that of a bunch of hippies yapping about detoxing and excessive screen times and fighting consumerism. Thank God. Instead, it was that a small but energetic group of people who're extremely passionate about their product and who want to get s...tuff done. Yeah, that's not the exact word used by the company's co-founder and chief marketing officer, Jeff Gadway, but you get the message.
Make no mistake, though, Jeff isn't just a marketer – he's deeply involved with the product and obviously understands its real value and the people who may be interested in buying and using it. This is the sort of person who can meet someone like me, who is typically disinterested in "digital minimalism" and convert them into a believer in the product. These are the kind of encounters I like!
What's cool about Clicks Communicator
Interchangeable back covers in different colors and textures will keep the Communicator looking fresh. | Image by PhoneArena
First of all – just look at it! It's genuinely attractive! Turns out, when you have something to show on the front of a phone (aside from just a giant display), it immediately creates the opportunity to establish a character – something that draws the gaze and urges the user to reach out and interact with this tactile object.
I'm not a Clicks keyboard case user, but I've tried it and the keys felt very small. I can't see how it would allow for faster typing compared to a good, spacious touch keyboard. But the Clicks Communicator is different – its keyboard is considerably more spacious. The units I could play with during my meeting with Clicks were dummies, but their keyboards were fairly representative of the real deal. With this one, I can see myself typing out messages, emails and so on. I'm still not convinced that it'll be faster than an on-screen keyboard, but who knows, maybe after a bit of getting used to. We'll see about that when the phone comes in for testing.
Another interesting person I met was Peter Huber, the creator of Niagara Launcher. Clicks is partnering with Niagara, making them the default launcher on the Communicator, which makes total sense, due to the shared ideologies between the two. An efficient, anti-distraction launcher that focuses your experience onto what matters most sounds like the perfect match for the Communicator – a phone that aims to get distraction out of the way and focus your energy onto more productive things.
If you want to know how the Clicks Communicator is going to function – just look into Niagara Launcher. Basically, the homescreen shows a feed of notifications and entries from the apps you select. It's optimized to work with single-hand gestures for the most part, making the process of checking items and navigating through the interface fast and efficient.
After meeting the Clicks guys, I understand there's a lot of product thinking that's going into the Communicator – from the exact shape of the buttons, to the replaceable back panels, to the fan-favorite features like the microSD card slot and 3.5mm jack. The buttons, especially, are very cool – you can see they aren't just flat, but are slanted in a specific way, which creates a more intuitive tactile feel. There are also interchangeable back covers that will be available in different colors and finishes, which is also extremely cool. Most of the colors that were on display today looked very nice. What better way to freshen up your handset's appearance?
Look closely and you'll see the slanted shape of the keys. | Image by PhoneArena
Clicks Communicator price and release date
So, when is it coming? "Later this year" is the official answer, but it's currently expected to arrive towards the latter part of Q2, so we won't have to wait long. There's currently an early-bird promo with reservation price of $399, which will be valid until March 15, meaning now is a good time to strike if you like what Clicks is offering here. Reserving now will also bring you 2 bonus back covers (worth $100).
Sure, the Clicks Communicator isn't your over-the-top flagship. It has a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 (MT8883) chipset, comes with 256 GB storage (but has microSD) and has a 4" AMOLED display. But it'll probably offer superb battery life, effortless interaction, durable construction (no need for a case with this one!) and a very unique mobile computing experience. At the price it's currently offered, the Communicator very much sounds like an idea that should be given a chance. What do you think?
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