Clicks Technology is pushing physical keyboards back into the spotlight with a new hardware lineup set to debut at CES 2026 in Las Vegas. The headline product, the Clicks Communicator, is a BlackBerry-inspired device designed to sit alongside an existing iPhone or Android phone, not replace it.

The pitch is straightforward: Modern smartphones are built for feeds, not focus. The Communicator narrows that scope to core communication — emails, texts, calls and voice notes — while keeping everything else out of the way. Messages sync from a primary phone, but the device itself is meant to reduce how often users feel pulled back to a glass slab.

Clicks is leaning on a behavior that is already common among professionals: carrying a second phone to separate work from personal life or to escape constant notifications. The Communicator formalizes that habit with a purpose-built companion that stays connected without demanding attention. A main smartphone is still required for it to work.

The hardware leans heavily into nostalgia: A compact touchscreen sits above a prominent physical keyboard, echoing the proportions of classic BlackBerry devices. The keyboard is touch-sensitive, allowing users to scroll without reaching for the screen, and supports voice note recording. Several features abandoned by mainstream phones also make a return, including a 3.5mm headphone jack, a physical airplane mode switch, expandable microSD storage, and support for both SIM cards and eSIMs.

Specs are firmly mid-range. The Communicator runs Android 16, carries a 50-megapixel rear camera and a 24-megapixel front camera, weighs 170 grams, and stands 131.5mm tall.

The device will retail for $499. Clicks is taking $199 reservation deposits now and offering a limited $299 early-bird price, cutting $100 off the final cost ahead of its release later in 2026. The company has not yet confirmed an exact shipping date.

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Clicks is also expanding the idea beyond a dedicated device: The newly announced Power Keyboard is a detachable physical keyboard that connects to smartphones and other screens via MagSafe or Qi2. A sliding mechanism allows it to fit different phone sizes, and it works in both portrait and landscape modes. Clicks says it can also pair with tablets, smart TVs, and AR or VR systems.

“Power Keyboard brings a consistent, confident typing experience to all your smart devices,” said Clicks president Kevin Michaluk.

The Power Keyboard is priced at Dh295 in the UAE, is available for preorder, and is expected to ship in the spring. For Clicks, the message is clear: tactile input is no longer nostalgia. It is being positioned as a counterpoint to the attention economy built into today’s smartphones.