TL;DRClicks released a video showing the pre-production hardware of its $499 Communicator, a BlackBerry-inspired phone shipping in Q4.
Clicks Technology released a video on Tuesday showing the pre-production hardware and internal software of its Communicator, a $499 smartphone with a physical keyboard that is the closest thing to a new BlackBerry anyone has built in years. The phone was first unveiled at CES in January and is scheduled to ship in the fourth quarter. The new footage gives the fullest look yet at a device designed for people who type more than they scroll.
The Communicator pairs a four-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a tactile, touch-sensitive keyboard below it. The keyboard doubles as a trackpad for scrolling through messages and web pages without touching the screen. Keys are 30 percent larger than those on Clicks’ existing snap-on keyboard cases for iPhones, which the company has been selling since 2024.
Its most distinctive feature is the Signal Light, a button on the right side that lights up in customizable colors and patterns to flag messages from specific people, groups, or apps. The idea is that you can leave the phone face-down and only pick it up when you see the right colour. Clicks is positioning it as a way to stay reachable without being tethered to a screen.
