The original iPhone convinced me (and many others) that typing on a touch screen was the future. So the last thing I wanted to do was test a mobile accessory trying to bring back a physical keyboard during CES 2024 in Las Vegas. And, while I don’t want to think of Clicks as something for people who can’t escape the past, I find it to be a little tool for solving some modern problems by taking cues from the past.
The design of Clicks couldn’t be simpler. It’s a silicone shell (Clicks’ website actually says it’s liquid silicon, but I think that’s a misspelling) with a physical keyboard on the bottom. There’s a small vegan leather trim on the back, a few little bumps to house the buttons and switches, and a pass-through connector (Lightning or USB-C, depending on your device) at the bottom. When it launches, Clicks will be available on three devices starting at $139: iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The first problem Clicks is trying to solve is giving you back screen real estate, because when you don’t have the virtual keyboard always displayed at the bottom, it suddenly feels a lot more spacious. Clicks achieves this goal brilliantly. But personally, with phones continuing to increase in size (especially new foldable phones), this has never really been an issue for me. But that doesn’t mean it’s not an issue for others, so it’s nice to see Clicks giving people an alternative to typing on glass.
Another big goal of Clicks is to optimize your device by providing a large number of shortcuts, which to me is even more attractive. It gives your phone virtually the speed and productivity you enjoy on your laptop. You can press CMD+H to return to the homepage, hit the space bar to scroll in Safari, hit CMD+Space to open Spotlight search, and more. Some commands even work within third-party apps like Instagram, which is very convenient. After seeing Apple add a single action key to the iPhone 15 Pro, my mind was already filled with the possibility of having over 30 customizable shortcut keys.
Finally, there’s the simple joy of having physical buttons to cry on. While you don’t get mechanical switches like desktop keyboards (the Clicks have rubber domes), the tiny nickel-plated keycaps feel sturdy and provide a nice tactile feel every time you press them. You also get some handy backlighting so you don’t have to suffer in a dark room. One problem is that, after years of typing on a screen, I’m not entirely sure I want to go back. This might go double for anyone who prefers swipe-based input methods.
After years of typing on glass, just using Clicks to type out a brief text feels drowsy. Even with the rounded design, there’s plenty of space between the keys that I found myself fumbling with. But then old habits start to creep back in, and I can easily see how people who long for the old BlackBerrys, Sidekicks, or Motorola Envy might be hooked.
Now that I’ve used it, I can’t deny there’s something lovely about Clicks. But when it comes to getting more out of a device, I’d prefer a foldable phone or a bigger screen. There are also a few other niggles, such as the iPhone’s inability to handle charging and data via USB-C at the same time, which could be an issue for anyone who relies on wired CarPlay when using Clicks. Additionally, if you attach the keyboard to the bottom of an iPhone that already has an extra-long 19.5:9 aspect ratio, you might feel like you’re dragging a bunch of rulers around. If you have an Android phone, you’re out of luck (at least for now). But there’s no doubt that the Clicks are a charming device, especially those gorgeous yellow and blue/pink models.
iPhone 14 Pro will be available on Click starting February 1, with other models launching later this spring.
We will provide live coverage of CES 2024, which will be held in Las Vegas from January 6th to 12th.Get all the latest news from the show here.
This article was originally published on Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/clicks-hands-on-a-charming-keyboard-for-2024-thats-relying-on-more-than-just-nostalgia-131537619.html ? src=rss
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