Unihertz teases the Titan 2 Elite, confirming that the era of communicators with keyboards is back
Moving past BlackBerry nostalgia into a new era of design.
It appears that the era of the glass slab might officially be cracking. Following the buzz around the Clicks Communicator last week, another major player is stepping into the ring, turning the physical keyboard niche into a full-blown competitive arena.
Unihertz has officially teased the Titan 2 Elite, a sleek new device that aims to marry modern Android power with the tactile joy of clicking buttons. Now, it should be said that Unihertz is hardly the new kid on the block when it comes to making phones with physical keyboards. They have been keeping the QWERTY dream alive for years with niche devices like the rugged original Titan, the compact Titan Pocket, and the Titan Slim. But this new device signals a major shift in their design language.
Personally, I find the timing—and the design choice—fascinating. As of right now, we don't have any concrete specs, pricing, or availability info on the Titan 2 Elite, so it is hard to say if it can truly compete on performance.
However, there is one major hesitation I always have with this brand. The one thing that has always kept me from personally purchasing a Unihertz device is the company's reputation for software support.
The return of the click
Unihertz has officially teased the Titan 2 Elite, a sleek new device that aims to marry modern Android power with the tactile joy of clicking buttons. Now, it should be said that Unihertz is hardly the new kid on the block when it comes to making phones with physical keyboards. They have been keeping the QWERTY dream alive for years with niche devices like the rugged original Titan, the compact Titan Pocket, and the Titan Slim. But this new device signals a major shift in their design language.
Unlike its predecessors, which often looked like ruggedized BlackBerry and Palm clones, the Titan 2 Elite looks suspiciously similar to the Clicks Communicator. It ditches the wide, passport-style chassis for a more modern smartphone silhouette that just happens to have a keyboard at the bottom. Although at this point, what we have is just this render to look at, it seems Unihertz is moving away from the "construction site" aesthetic to compete directly with this new wave of sleek communicators.
A new arena for keyboard phones
New is coming…Stay tuned Sign up here > https://t.co/Lh1W8f7zcW pic.twitter.com/NDk42TeZ6J
— Unihertz (@Unihertz) January 12, 2026
This launch is significant because it suggests we are seeing a genuine competitive landscape form around physical keyboards again. With the Clicks Communicator entering the market, we suddenly have options.
Companion vs. daily driver
The battle lines are being drawn between two different philosophies that look surprisingly identical:
This matters because it validates the form factor. Manufacturers are realizing that a modern keyboard phone doesn't need to look like a relic from 2008. By adopting this "screen-first" design, Unihertz is acknowledging that we still need to doom-scroll Instagram, even if we want to type out emails with real clicks.
- The Companion approach: The Clicks Communicator is designed primarily as a secondary "companion" device to keep you connected without the distractions. While it runs Android 16 and can technically be used as a standalone phone, it’s not really meant to be your main smartphone.
- The Daily driver approach: If this is anything like Unihertz's previous Titan devices, we can assume the Titan 2 Elite is built to be your one-and-only. It integrates those keys directly into a device meant to handle your entire digital life, 24/7.
This matters because it validates the form factor. Manufacturers are realizing that a modern keyboard phone doesn't need to look like a relic from 2008. By adopting this "screen-first" design, Unihertz is acknowledging that we still need to doom-scroll Instagram, even if we want to type out emails with real clicks.
Is it a serious contender, though?
Personally, I find the timing—and the design choice—fascinating. As of right now, we don't have any concrete specs, pricing, or availability info on the Titan 2 Elite, so it is hard to say if it can truly compete on performance.
However, there is one major hesitation I always have with this brand. The one thing that has always kept me from personally purchasing a Unihertz device is the company's reputation for software support.
They have a history of not providing timely OS updates, often opting to just release a brand-new phone rather than updating the ones already out in the wild. If the Titan 2 Elite is going to be a serious contender, Unihertz needs to prove they will support it for the long haul — or at least match the two years of OS updates that Clicks is promising.
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