A new company called Clicks Technology has announced an iPhone case with a built-in keyboard on the bottom. The case is also known as Clicks; priced at $139, the iPhone 14 Pro version starts shipping on February 1, and the 15 Pro version becomes available in mid-March. The company is also taking pre-orders for the $159 iPhone 15 Pro Max model, which will be available in “early spring,” according to the site. (Whether it makes sense to buy them or not is up to you and your conscience.) Clicks, founded by Michael Fisher and Kevin Michaluk (aka MrMobile and CrackBerry Kevin), will be showing off the case at CES next week.
Of course, there are other physical keyboard cases for iPhone. But this reminds me of Typo, a bad mistake (according to the younger version) edgeDavid Pierce’s keyboard case, funded by Ryan Seacrest, blatantly copied BlackBerry keyboards and was sued by BlackBerry, causing it to be removed from shelves. twice.
But where that case was a dull imitation of an outdated phone, this case is modern, cheerful, and the design seems more intentional.
It connects to your phone like a Backbone controller. Slide the phone in, carefully aligning the phone’s power port with the USB-C or Lightning (there’s also an iPhone 14 version) connector protruding from the inner edge, then snap the case on top. Clicks don’t use Bluetooth and don’t include batteries, instead drawing power directly from your phone. According to the Clicks website, the case supports iPhone 15 Pro pass-through fast charging.
Fisher noted some shortcomings about the new case in his film. The most obvious one is size. Click gives the iPhone TV a remote-control-like proportions, which may feel awkward at first. The case also doesn’t have built-in magnets, so MagSafe accessories like chargers and wallets don’t stick to it well, he said. But wireless charging should still work.
Clicks said the companion app, which will soon be available in the Apple App Store, will “continue to bring new features to the keyboard over time.” The case will initially be available in two colors — Bumblebee (yellow) and London Sky (gray blue) — and Fisher says in the video that the first buyers will receive a “Founders Edition” of the case. ”, which gives them “VIP” support” and early access to new colors.
According to the company’s announcement, the team that created Clicks includes former employees from Apple, BlackBerry, and Google. Clicks says it builds keyboards for creators, and Fisher said it was “a little weird” to ditch the hardware buttons found in smartphones, given that creators use keyboards on laptops and other devices.
“Click brings the tactility and precision of a physical keyboard to iPhone,” Fisher said, “so people don’t have to wait until they’re back at their desk to create or communicate the satisfying feedback that only real buttons can provide.”
It also has other features of a computer keyboard, including backlighting. Since it’s for iPhone, there is a CMD key. Why is there CMD key? Using iOS keyboard shortcuts, of course. Did you know that on your iPhone you can type CMD + H to go to the home screen, or CMD + Spacebar to start a search? I didn’t have that before today.
According to the company’s press release, the Clicks case exists because smartphone keyboards tend to take up a lot of screen real estate, so using physical keys returns that content and allows users to “immerse themselves in apps and content.”
There’s immersion, and then there’s the annoying feeling of slamming imaginary keys on a phone that’s desperately trying to correct your words, even if you’re hitting the target on every letter. If you’ve longed for the return of the stubby typing chin at the bottom of your smartphone, it looks like physical keyboards are finally back (presumably with CMD+H).
Updated January 4, 2024 at 1:44 pm ET: Add to Mr Mobile’s video About the click case.
Updated January 4, 2024 at 2:03 pm ET: Added more details on case specifications and availability.
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