The Clicks Communicator finally has a case, and it leaves the best part exposed

Despite initial reactions that a phone built like this would never need a case, Clicks went and made one anyway. The Communicator Ring, announced today (July 30), is a bumper for its keyboard phone with one rule: never cover the back. On a regular slab phone such as the Galaxy S26 Ultra or the Pixel 10 Pro, that would be a footnote, but on a compact phone it changes the narrative.

Clicks built a case for a phone it designed to go without one

The announcement went up on the company's own Discover blog this morning, and Clicks is upfront about the tension it created for itself. The tapered back, the raised chin and the keyboard surfacing were all engineered so people would want to hold the Communicator with nothing wrapped around it.

Back in March we called it sturdy enough to skip a case entirely, which is more or less what Clicks was going for. However, the company says reservation-holders asked for protection anyway, and it points to global accessory data putting case use at 75% or higher.



So the Ring is what happens when a design principle meets the three quarters of buyers who reach for a case regardless.

What it covers, and what it leaves exposed on purpose

The Ring pairs hard polycarbonate with flexible TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), with joints blended into the frame that flex just enough to get it on and off, and a molded channel that grips the midframe. Here is what that buys you:

• A ridge around the back edge shields the cover while leaving its color and texture out in the open
• Front side rails sit just above the raised display to protect the cover glass
• Those rails dip down around the keyboard so typing is not affected
• The bumper tapers up at the chin, recessing the keys when the phone sits face down
• The Prompt Key frame is frosted so the Signal Light still glows through it
• Metal key caps and a chamfered cutout cover
• Lanyard points on the bottom corners take a cross-body strap or a wrist loop

Why the back cover was the one part that could not be touched

If you are holding a reservation, this matters because the back is not decoration here. Clicks sells swappable covers in different colors and textures, and a conventional case would make that pointless on day one.

There is a second group worth pointing at. We reported this week that 45% of Communicator buyers already carry an iPhone, so plenty of these are second phones riding in a bag next to something else. That makes side and corner scuffs the realistic risk, not a face-down drop.

Who should actually add one to the order

The lanyard points are the tell. If you were always going to clip this to a bag or use it one-handed while moving, that is the part a generic case cannot give you later. If it was going to live on a desk and in a jacket pocket, the tapered back was designed for exactly that.

The price for this accessory is still open, as Clicks has not shared one. However, the company says the Ring will be available to order when device reservations convert into orders this fall.

I would still carry mine bare, though I get the pull

I would not normally think about putting a case on something like this. If anything I would want one with a magnetic ring so I could stick a grip on the back, and the Ring deliberately does the opposite.

Still, there is a real argument for a bumper that only guards the sides and corners, which is where a compact phone takes its hits when it slides off a table. I am hoping Clicks shows the Ring on the lighter back covers before orders open, because the whole idea falls apart if it fights with the whole look.

• The first working Communicator unit, and what it revealed
• Our sit-down with the BlackBerry designer behind the keyboard
• For hot takes and behind-the-scenes bits, come find me at @jojothetechie on X and Threads

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