Clicks charmed us at CES this year with its Blackberry-like Communicator smartphone that offers a real hardware keyboard and custom Android interface. We liked the idea, but since the device was a non-functional dummy at the time, couldn’t say much else about it. Now, Clicks has released its first hands-on YouTube video of the Communicator and it looks ideal for anyone who loves a retro vibe and real keyboard.
As we detailed earlier, Communicator is a smartphone built on Android 16 with a 4-inch OLED display, 3.5mm headphone jack, expandable microSD storage and, of course, a tactile keyboard. Clicks sees it as a second device for most people, and thinks “content capture” is still best done via your primary device. Nonetheless, it comes with everything you’d expect in a new phone, like 50MP main and 24MP front cameras, NFC for Google Pay, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 4,000 mAh battery and both USB-C and wireless charging.
In its demo by marketing VP Jeff Gadway, Clicks showed us its custom interface based on the Niagara Launcher, letting you select and reorganize apps using a ribbon-style interface on the right or by just typing on the keyboard. The demo also showed how you take calls, switch between apps and do other chores.
The company also detailed some hardware features, like the fingerprint sensor incorporated into the spacebar and 3.5mm headphone jack on the top, along with the three microphones (top, bottom and back), speakers and a barometric pressure sensor. The USB-C port recess helps to remove the back cover (available in multiple colors), where you can access the SIM and microSD ports.
Clicks, co-founded by YouTuber Michael Fisher (MrMobile) is known best for its physical iPhone keyboard cases and Power Keyboard, so it seems well-positioned to build such a device. The company promised to show off other features in future demos and is targeting a sales launch by Q4 2026 at $499 price point.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
