Shortcuts automations<\/a>.<\/p>\nOn Android, they can integrate with native NFC actions or third-party tools like Tasker.<\/p>\n
In demos, taps opened apps, triggered smart home scenes, and initiated various multi-step workflows. The accessory delivers the physical click itself; haptic feedback and vibration are provided by your phone, leading to a light yet immediate feel.<\/p>\n
There are platform-specific considerations to take into account. Recent versions of iOS and Android support background NFC scans, though some actions will still require confirmation or an unlock in accordance with Apple\u2019s and Google\u2019s respective security policies. The germ of the idea holds true: A physical tap can start complex routines without digging deep into a menu system.<\/p>\n
Real-World Uses and Safety Situations for Solver<\/p>\n
The simplest use is speed. One button might open Notes to a blank page, begin a voice memo, or switch the camera into video mode. The other could activate a commute routine \u2014 Do Not Disturb, open Maps, and then play your favorite playlist \u2014 without ever touching the screen.<\/p>\n
Where Solver gets exciting, though, is in chained automations. With one press, a user can share their live location with preselected trusted contacts, start recording audio or video, and send that file once they\u2019re finished. The booth demonstrated safety-focused workflows that layered an alarm sound, a location share, and a call to emergency services into one tap. NFC is passive, and it doesn\u2019t continuously broadcast, so the device is not tracking you; it\u2019s just starting up what your phone can already do.<\/p>\n
![\"Solver](\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\")
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Accessibility is another angle. Some users may find on-screen gestures unreliable or small touch targets a bit elusive to hit \u2014 something that physical buttons can be much more reliable for. Haptic affordances work better \u2014 you can more easily find their locations by hand, even when traveling or in low light.<\/p>\n
Why Physical Controls Are Back on Modern Smartphones<\/p>\n
Smartphones have gone through phases of buttons, from side keys and dedicated camera shutters to all-screen minimalism. The pendulum has recently nudged back: Apple\u2019s Action Button brought a programmable control back to the high-end iPhone, and gaming phones have made capacitive shoulder triggers mainstream. Solver takes this a step further, adding two reprogrammable buttons to virtually any modern phone.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a broader context, too. Meanwhile, in recent years IDC has noted shipments of more than one billion smartphone units worldwide, and at the high end this convenience and user experience feature set has been cited as a purchasing driver. And, as apps multiply, trimming seconds off the time taken by repetitive tasks can end up making the difference that people can actually feel every single day.<\/p>\n
There had been earlier stabs at add-on inputs, but with trade-offs: the Pressy plug took over your headphone jack; Bluetooth \u201csmart buttons\u201d like Flic demanded charging and an always-on app. Using passive NFC and a trim-tab mechanical interface, Solver sidesteps the hassle of pairing and battery woes.<\/p>\n
Compatibility, Price, and Availability for Solver<\/p>\n
Solver is compatible with both iOS and Android handsets that have NFC, and attaches magnetically to the back of the device (or a compatible case). NFC reliability might depend on the case thickness and the materials used; just like when using contactless payments, we had no issue here: thinner cases and non-metallic ones seem the most suitable.<\/p>\n
The accessory is available in a variety of colors for $140. That\u2019s not impulse territory, but it targets the market of power users, creators, and commuters who appreciate fast, consistent control. For people who miss the surety of a physical press, two extra buttons that launch anything from a Spotify scene to an emergency macro could find their way onto the back of the phone permanently.<\/p>\n
Small ideas with outsized impact often break through at CES. Solver makes no claim to reinvent the smartphone; it simply makes that other one you carry faster, safer, and sexier in your hand. In a screen-dominated world, that click may be exactly what people want to feel again.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"One little accessory at CES is helping to bring back the feel of a real button. Solver, a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":389274,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[49,48,61],"class_list":["post-389273","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=389273"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/389273\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/389274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=389273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=389273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=389273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/solver_edited_1767600094.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n![\"Solver](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ces_2026_solver_reveals_customizable_haptic_button_edited_1767600107.png\"\/)
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