Clicks thinks you want a $499 second phone just for communicating

News
By published

Are buttons worth spending close to $500? Clicks sure hopes so

The Clicks Communicator keyboard phone
(Image credit: Clicks)

A new phone is on the way from Clicks, the company behind the Clicks keyboard for the iPhone that gained some popularity a few years ago. According to the company, it has shipped more than 100,000 units to customers in over 100 countries.

The new phone, called the Clicks Communicator, is designed to eliminate the distractions we've come to expect from our smartphones, with endless scrolling video apps like TikTok and Instagram. It's meant to serve as a sort of secondary phone for communication only, with texting and messaging apps taking center stage. But with a $499 price tag, does anyone really need a second phone that performs fewer functions than their main phone, but with a keyboard?

Who is the Clicks Communicator for?

Meet Clicks Communicator & Power Keyboard: Tools for Action - YouTube Meet Clicks Communicator & Power Keyboard: Tools for Action - YouTube
Watch On

Clicks believes there's an audience of people who long for the days of BlackBerries (and there probably is, at least to some extent). After all, nostalgia is powerful, and lots of smartphone users grew up using BlackBerry devices.

With the Clicks Communicator limited to just communication apps, you can talk with others without getting distracted, but you can also just use willpower to stay in the main apps you're focused on with one of the best smartphones as your main device.

According to Adrian Li, CEO and co-founder of Clicks, “There’s growing demand for purpose-built products that help people communicate with confidence and take action. Clicks Communicator is a natural evolution of that idea.”

That evolution costs $499, though. That's a pretty steep price for a secondary device, or about $300 less than a brand new iPhone 17.

According to Michael Fisher, co-founder of Clicks Technology and YouTube tech reviewer, “The two-phone lifestyle is becoming more common. Some people need a second phone for work, others want to be more intentional about how they use technology. At a time when everything is fighting for our attention, your phone should excel at helping you take action, not feeding distraction.”

The Clicks Communicator is expected to ship later in 2026, so we'll see if there really is a market of people with enough BlackBerry nostalgia and money to burn to make the Clicks Communicator a success.

Oh, and it has a 3.5mm headphone jack if that's your thing.

For you single phone users...

Clicks Power Keyboard

(Image credit: Clicks)

Clicks didn't forget what made it popular in the first place. The company also announced the Clicks Power Keyboard, "to bring fast, confident typing to smart devices plagued by slow, awkward, or frustrating input."

“Whether you’re typing on a phone, entering a password on a smart TV, or trying to work on a tablet, input today is slow, cumbersome, and frustrating,” said Kevin Michaluk, President and co-founder of Clicks. “Power Keyboard brings a consistent, confident typing experience to all your smart devices, in a compact keyboard you can take anywhere in your pocket.”

Clicks power keyboard

(Image credit: Clicks)

It can pair with all kinds of devices. Even though it supports MagSafe and Qi2 magnets, you can also hold it in your hands and use it with the best smart TVs, tablets and other larger devices. It doesn't look comfortable to use it this way, but I'd have to get my hands on one to see how it feels before I pass judgment.

The Clicks Power Keyboard can be paired with multiple devices at once, so you won't need to switch back and forth between TV, tablet, and phone.

As a nice bonus, it comes with a 2,150mAh battery that powers the keyboard and can wirelessly charge a smartphone via MagSafe or Qi2 charging.

Google News

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.

More from Tom's Guide

  • Article
  • Article
  • Article
Dave LeClair
Dave LeClair
Senior News Editor

Dave LeClair is the Senior News Editor for Tom's Guide, keeping his finger on the pulse of all things technology. He loves taking the complicated happenings in the tech world and explaining why they matter. Whether Apple is announcing the next big thing in the mobile space or a small startup advancing generative AI, Dave will apply his experience to help you figure out what's happening and why it's relevant to your life.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.