![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clicks-CES-2026-27-of-30.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\t<\/p>\n
Clicks might have cut its teeth developing add-on keyboards for various smartphones \u2014 first iPhone, then Android \u2014 but its latest announcement appears to be its most promising yet. The Clicks Communicator<\/a> feels like the first real minimalist device to potentially provide a substantial improvement over your daily driver, even if many of us might feel it\u2019s better as a secondary device rather than a replacement for whatever you already own.<\/p>\n No matter how you approach it, the Communicator looks and feels like a product from an entirely different timeline. Its wedge-shaped design and swappable backplates spit in the face of whatever glass-and-metal sandwich resides in your pocket. The physical keyboard and its 4.03-inch square-ish touchscreen have more in common with a BlackBerry Bold than any Pixel. Practically every feature \u2014 a customizable notification light, a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack \u2014 reads like a Samsung specs sheet from more than a decade ago. Nothing about this device feels like a modern 2026 product, and I mean that in the best way possible. <\/p>\n I\u2019ve been looking for something like the Communicator for a while. More than ever, I\u2019ve been seeking for my phone to actually act as a communication device first and foremost. It\u2019s not that I don\u2019t take photos, or use navigation apps, or constantly look things up on the internet \u2014 obviously, I do all of those things every day. But after nearly a decade and a half of being glued to a smartphone 24\/7, I\u2019m feeling some level of exhaustion. This isn\u2019t disinterest with technology, or some kind of half-hearted attempt to disconnect from the web entirely. It\u2019s, in theory, a way to create a healthier relationship with my smartphone, a goal I\u2019m sure plenty of us can relate to.<\/p>\n With that in mind, practically everything about the Clicks Communicator feels like an effort to achieve that exact outcome. All of those legacy features I highlighted \u2014 the RGB notification light, expandable storage, a headphone jack \u2014 feel very specifically geared towards bringing back a friendlier era of technology, one where I wasn\u2019t dumping cash every month across various cloud storage offerings while my always-on display begged me to answer one of my thousands of unread emails. Honestly, its approchable design reminded me more of holding an emulation handheld than any smartphone you\u2019ll find in Best Buy.<\/p>\n \tAdvertisement – scroll for more content<\/p>\n Even the software feels specifically chosen to guide me towards more productive uses of my time. Clicks is partnering with Niagara Launcher<\/a>, by far my pick for the best third-party launcher you\u2019ll find on Android. Its various enhancements should allow the Communicator\u2019s home screen to feel more targeted directly to incoming notifications and other short, easy tasks that keep you away from doomscrolling through social media.<\/p>\n The big question for me, specifically, is the physical keyboard. I began my smartphone journey on Android, and the nostalgia for BlackBerry-style keys has never been enough to draw me in. But seeing as this is a secondary device meant to pair \u2014 and not replace \u2014 my phone, I feel far more willing to give it a shot. Even if I only find it comfortable enough (or fast enough) for firing off quick responses while relaxing in the evening, that\u2019s enough of a change to give my brain a bit of a tech-focused break before bed.<\/p>\n I should note this is not a hands-on; while I\u2019ve held some early prototypes, I haven\u2019t used a fully functioning unit. That hasn\u2019t kept me from feeling more excited about this device than any other recent smartphone, tablet, or foldable. The Clicks Communicator, like the brand\u2019s keyboard cases, won\u2019t be for everyone. But if you have a sense of nostalgia for Blackberry, or you\u2019re just drawn to single purpose devices like I am, the Communicator is something to keep an eye on ahead of its launch later in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clicks-CES-2026-20-of-30.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Clicks-CES-2026-28-of-30.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-preferred-source-badge-dark.png\"){kind=icon}
![\"Add](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-preferred-source-badge-light.png\"){kind=icon}