21 ms·

Clicks Communicator

422 points by microflash 9mo ago

deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
vpol 9mo ago
For people who miss blackberry.
- KingOfCoders 9mo ago
  Me.
- SunshineTheCat 9mo ago
  What's funny is I actually use to have a Palm Treo and I feel like I stopped being able to text even remotely efficiently ever since I switched from that to my first iPhone. Probably just a me problem, but I feel like I've never been able to get any good at typing on a screen keyboard no matter how long I do it. That said, I may consider this just for the fact that I won't have to retype/correct every other word in a text lol.
  - deleted 9mo ago
    [deleted]
- voxleone 9mo ago
  If only form factors like these could run general use/free OS's...
  - 9021007 9mo ago
    This is running Android
- Elidrake24 9mo ago
  Hell yeah it is. They've found some success with their cases, and I'm excited to switch to their new magnetic keyboard for horizontal portable work, but I do worry this is a moonshot that will sink them.
- wowczarek 9mo ago
  Well, seems to have all the right ingredients: - PKB (check) with gestures / navigation (check) - Customisable, colour notification LED (check) - Unified inbox (check). So far though only BB got all of it right though - very curious how this one works out.
LunicLynx 9mo ago
I love it. Finally some innovation. Now make it incapable of instagram and TikTok and other invasive social media crap and we might have the winner for the next decade. As if :(
- memoriuaysj 9mo ago
  do you have so little agency that you can't stop yourself from installing TikTok? what will stop you then from keeping your existing TikTok phone after buying this?
  - LunicLynx 9mo ago
    Uhhh judgey… You do you. It was ment as a glimmer of hope for society at large.
    - kgwxd 9mo ago
      Education is the hope we need, not yet another "innovative", centrally controlled device.
      - pseidemann 9mo ago
        Agreed. Most people still don't see the gamification built into everyday products and apps.
    - memoriuaysj 9mo ago
      ah, sorry, you just want to control what apps other people can use
      - LunicLynx 9mo ago
        I think you misunderstood. My point was: This would be a great device if there wasn’t a need for it to support these apps. And because of this it’s just another android phone. And it fails (will) because the screen ratio does not work for those apps. This would be awesome if it would just be that a „communicator“ meaning a device that allows to communicate. Think remarkable vs all the other e-ink android tablets.
steviedotboston 9mo ago
I've been very impressed by the attention to detail Clicks puts into their products. It might be a niche but it seems like one that deserves to exist.
drcongo 9mo ago
One of these running linux would be nice, but definitely not buying one to run Android.
- adenta 9mo ago
  why not?
  - drcongo 9mo ago
    Had to use it at a prior job and hated it. Plus, you know, Google.
    - automathematics 9mo ago
      I'm with you. But what phone are you using day to day? I keep watching for linux phones or even start to wonder if Apple is finally the "lesser of two evils" :/
- gumby271 9mo ago
  I wish they'd specify if the bootloader was unlock/relockable. Could have been cool to see GrapheneOS support.
  - gue5t 9mo ago
    It's a MediaTek SoC, so the Linux experience will be Bad to say the least. This thing will be running the oldest kernel possible with all kind of nasty vendor hacks.
  - Fnoord 9mo ago
    This device misses some of the requirements for GrapheneOS. It wouldn't be as secure as a Pixel. Just get a Pixel with GrapheneOS and put one of ZitaoTech's USB-C BB keyboards under it (or get a BT one).
- muppetman 9mo ago
  Wouldn't you want battery life of more than 2 hours though?
adenta 9mo ago
I've been rocking a Razr 2025 Ultra and just try to do everything on the front screen. Its not the best experience, just pre-ordered this, excited to try it!
nikhizzle 9mo ago
I may eventually get one of these just to use with Claude code. Been looking for the lightest best machine to use with agents.
- vosper 9mo ago
  Maybe dictation is the way to go? It’s a quick way to interact with agents and works really well.
- yoz-y 9mo ago
  Shellfish on iOS to ssh into a vps with tmux with Gemini-cli, lazygit and neovim worked quite well for me. The clicks keyboard does not have ctrl, arrows, page up, down or really any special keys so I’m not sure it would be that much more pleasant. I know iOS keyboard has been quite meh in the recent releases but for thumb typing I’m not convinced that physical keyboard are superior.
crtasm 9mo ago
Looks great and the price is a pleasant surprise. Can we flash a custom OS to it? I'm missing having LED colours for notifications on my current phone.
- KingOfCoders 9mo ago
  Loved the LED on my Blackberry Passport.
  - reconnecting 9mo ago
    I had two Blackberry Passport even after EOF. Best email experience ever and LED for emails was particularly useful.
- summermusic 9mo ago
  I really hope the bootloader is unlocked and something line LineageOS could be adapted to work well with it.
aleksi 9mo ago
> What languages will be supported? > As a real keyboard with the QWERTY layout, Communicator supports languages that use the Latin alphabet: [...] Russian Weird
- dullcrisp 9mo ago
  Japanese too
- altairprime 9mo ago
  > Weird Clarify?
  - paxys 9mo ago
    Russian does not use the Latin alphabet
    - altairprime 9mo ago
      Oh! Okay. I’m not an expert, but the depth of information here appears to disagree? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Latin_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Latin_alphabet
      - Kirth 9mo ago
        Муч лике хов Ю кан/кулд спел Енглиш ин Кирилик.. but who in their right mind actually does that?
        throwaway74354 9mo ago
        Palm Treo/Pre and BlackBerry users! And probably Clicks users too. It's not a matter of "Does Russian language use the Latin script?" (it doesn't), but rather "What is the least annoying method to input Cyrillic on a BB-style keyboard, which doesn't have enough buttons for the йцукен layout?". Phonetic layouts such as яверты or яшерты were very popular for such devices back in the day.
Topfi 9mo ago
Have used a Clicks keyboard on my Pro Max to great effect. Being able to touch type without looking, even whilst walking around/changing trains has been truly game changing. Writing SOPs, editing spreadsheets, answering long mails, typing without the atrocious autocorrect making it impossible, all that is far better with the Clicks keyboard. I feel that this is their differentiator and a key customer market they should lean into, people who need reliable input and are willing to sacrifice other things for it. Personally wish their marketing leaned into the productivity more than in this "second-device" trend. Never understood that if I am totally honest. The logic for buying a $ 700,- Light Phone over just installing a launcher and muting the colours is allegedly that it creates more friction, but there is just as much keeping you from just using your existing phone once you purchased a Light Phone as there is preventing you from uninstalling the launcher. Basically, I see this category as rather dishonest, at most holding on by a treat with the sunk cost argument that anyone truly addicted is unlikely to even feel, so I'd rather see them lean into what makes them great rather than chase an artificial category, often more focused on signaling the intent to lessen phone user over actually facilitating it. State clearly, proudly and with full conviction that yes, this is a main device and yes, there are things this will do better than arguably anything else on the market, mainly because Clicks does keyboards a multitude better than any alternative, be it Unihertz or Minimal.
- memoriuaysj 9mo ago
  people still need their IG and TikTok you can fight that, and lose (no market) or accept second device status (for werk), optimize that use case, and be honest that it will not be the main device
  - Topfi 9mo ago
    There is nothing preventing the use of Insta and TikTok. It is a regular Android phone and unlike a Light Phone can have a target market beyond those thinking if they buy a treadmill, that spend will force them to keep exercising. It rarely works, of course, same with second phones. In the comments below the Verge Article and announcement video on the Communicator, there is already confusion because of their second device marketing. Whether you can use it without another device, whether it can share data contracts like a smartwatch, what keeps one from using it as their sole smartphone, some even asking whether this actually allows for phone calls or is just for mailing. They have clearly just confused the messaging for the core audience of Clicks and devices of this type by chasing what I'd argue is a mirage, a customer base that doesn't exist. Keep in mind, Clicks doesn't need to speculate who will buy this. They already have a loyal consumer base (I paid over € 150,- including import fees for just the case and am far from alone), made up of power users who mostly will use this as their sole smartphone, just like we have been doing with our Clicks equipped iPhones, Pixels, Razrs and Galaxies. Second device is a wholly different market, one that I suspect does not intersect much with the existing base of heavy power users, using their phones to reliably control e.g. IDEs and remote desktops on the go. I'd argue the two are in fact polar opposites, someone who needs reliable input on the go is likely not the same someone who wants to use their phone less and equally would not want to just have reliable input only on e.g. their work device. For me, it's always a pain when I have to use a touch only keyboard despite previously doing fine with swiping, etc. so if a Communicator user wanted to have physically separate devices for work and private, they'd more likely go for a second Clicks, the keyboard is that nice and arguably locks you in tight.
scienceman 9mo ago
Ah man this hardware looks amazing — I just don’t know if I could give up living on iOS…
- mertd 9mo ago
  They have a standalone keyboard product that snaps with magsafe.
  - Topfi 9mo ago
    Also, the existing suite of Clicks Keyboard Cases for iPhone, which while making the phone longer than the slide out magsafe PowerKey, keep the depth nearly unchanged. Personally got an iPhone solely because Clicks initially was only available for Apples product line and have to say after two years that while Android was never bug free either, iOS doesn't really keep me on polish alone. In other words, neither is less issue prone/has fewer bugs and glitches than the other.
onesandofgrain 9mo ago
Isnt this just a blackberry?
- yoz-y 9mo ago
  “Just”? A blackberry was a lot of a thing.
  - analogpixel 9mo ago
    even it is "JUST" a blackberry, seems like there is a market for that again. Although it would be nice if they had their own OS like blackberry and ditched android.
    - onesandofgrain 9mo ago
      Do we really wanna go back to using keyboards? Like Steve Jobs said, the keyboard shouldnt be visible when not in use, but I dunno, seems more like a niche nostalgia product
      - analogpixel 9mo ago
        At least on the iphone, the onscreen keyboard has gotten worse with every release, so I guess maybe something new is in order.
      - rchaud 9mo ago
        Jobs said a lot of things designed to make his tchotchke look better than the other guy's. He said he couldn't use a Samsung 8 inch tablet without filing his fingers down, while working on the iPad Mini at that same exact time.
as1mov 9mo ago
This actually looks nice! I'd prefer a slide out horizontal keyboard like the X10 Mini Pro[1], but beggars can't be choosers. I've never gotten used to the touch keyboard, since writing anything while code-switching multiple languages doesn't really work well with the predictive input. Especially if the other language has to be transliterated from a non Latin script. Though the update policy doesn't sound too promising, 2 years of OS updates + 5 years of security updates is too short :/ [1] https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini_pro-3147.php https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini_pro-3...
juancn 9mo ago
Sooo a Blackberry?
jadbox 9mo ago
Sounds like a competitor to the Minimal Phone?
steve-atx-7600 9mo ago
I was disappointed by their iPhone keyboard offering. I felt like their product was superficially good: fancy adds, fancy web-page, the keyboard looked nice, BUT the functionality was not well thought out. They seemed to not realize that they need to provide a hell of a lot of benefit to warrant making an iPhone - especially a max - bigger and heavier. So, sure, they provided physical qwerty. But, they did not make it easy to bind keys or combos to all/most of the Apple supported shortcuts that a bluetooth keyboard would be able to take advantage of. The result is that even if I liked the qwerty, I still have to take my fingers off of it to touch the damn screen to do basic navigation. With better leadership, they would be a much stronger company. EDIT: was referring to their first product that is an iphone case plus keyboard (I just noticed they have a new keyboard offering).
Waterluvian 9mo ago
The first rendering made me think it was as thick as a brick, and that got me kind of excited for a moment… Any device that isn’t as thick and heavy as the original Game Boy feels uncomfortably cramped in my hands. Being unable to fit in a pocket would be a plus. I want a device I have to consciously choose to carry with me to a new room, like a tablet or a pound of butter.
- thehamkercat 9mo ago
  You could create a 3D printed case maybe
solomonb 9mo ago
Wow I wish they had announced this sooner. I just ordered a keyphone but this looks way more suited to my use case. I just want a basic feature phone + qwerty keyboard + signal + whats app. I've been using a lightphone for 3 years but i can't stand the touch screen and only having SMS is annoying.
- joshlemer 9mo ago
  What do you use for maps? Or paying for parking which maybe isn't the case for you but in my city requires use of a smartphone app. What about music and podcasts? Asking cause I would like to use a dumb phone if possible but it seems like it would actually introduce a lot of friction into daily life.
  - solomonb 9mo ago
    I pay for parking with quarters or a credit card. If necessary I use a piece of paper for maps. For music I have an ipod.
    - ulfw 9mo ago
      And you watch movies on your VHS?
      - solomonb 9mo ago
        Why are you trying to make fun of me?
  - Klonoar 9mo ago
    The Keyphone they are referencing is Android, so those things can be worked around to some degree.
    - solomonb 9mo ago
      Hopefully! Supposedly it is pretty locked down but I'm hopeful there is a way to get other apps onto it.
IlikeKitties 9mo ago
>What version of Android will be supported? >Communicator will run Android 16. We’re comfortable committing to 2 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates
spenczar5 9mo ago
I feel like I see an independent low-noise phone project like, every 3 months. Clearly there is some latent demand here. I wonder why the big players (Google, Apple, Samsung, HTC) haven't made a big-corp product for this market. I am always reluctant to jump on with these independent ambitious projects. The first version is understandably rough, and the company seems to fold before they get to a second or third version. But maybe advances in manufacturing in China are making high-quality, small-batch products like this more tractable?
- cptskippy 9mo ago
  > I wonder why the big players (Google, Apple, Samsung, HTC) haven't made a big-corp product for this market. Because it impacts ARPU. It's really not that difficult, you're the product being sold.
- jrmg 9mo ago
  I feel like I see an independent low-noise phone project like, every 3 months. Clearly there is some latent demand here. I don’t know - it feels to me that this is evidence that there _isn’t_ sufficient demand to sustain a successful product like this.
  - deleted 9mo ago
    [deleted]
- mystifyingpoi 9mo ago
  > Clearly there is some latent demand here No, there demand is negligible. It's just typical hacker news people who want to suddenly become productive Silicon Valley trope hustle style, or people who want to change their damaging habits in a day, so instead of uninstalling TikTok which takes 15 seconds to do, they will spend money a separate device. Although the keyboard may be useful.
- altairprime 9mo ago
  Same reason Acura stopped making small cars like the Integra/RSX: costs scale more slowly than revenue as car size increases, so selling to the small car market segment results in unearned potential profits — even if the small car segment is a majority, it’s better to make a higher profit per unit on fewer unit sales if your most primary goal is to min/max labor/profit. (Small phones, unlike small cars, also have costs in UI development to maintain their form factor’s OS support, which can create an additional pressure to withhold devices for a viable and profitable market.)
pmarsh 9mo ago
This is looking great, hope the camera can at least produce decent photos. So many other phones with a QEWRTY keyboard just have awful cameras. The Razr 2024/25 + the clicks keyboard is probably the "best" so far. Although I just got a Zinwa Q25. Amazing how good that formfactor feels after having candy bars this long.
- petrey 9mo ago
  The site lists the following specs for cameras: > Cameras > Rear: 50MP OIS > Front: 24MP Honestly, this sounds like a great deal
  - pmarsh 9mo ago
    Thanks, I saw that, but I never can make heads or tails of just MP. Feel like some phones have much lower MP but the quality of the photo is much higher. It does seem like a great deal either way though!
    - lewiscollard 9mo ago
      > Thanks, I saw that, but I never can make heads or tails of just MP. Feel like some phones have much lower MP but the quality of the photo is much higher. It does not merely feel that way; it often is. That is because megapixels measure the dimensions of the files the camera generates (this is not the same as resolution) and as such are almost the worst measure of camera quality. Boring tech websites like comparing megapixels, because that is a number, and that allows people who do not know how cameras work to review products and have opinions without actually using them. Truth is that pixels, a measure of resolution, have been irrelevant for years when one is not printing them huge or looking at them full-size on gigantic computer monitors. More or less nobody is doing that these days; they're looking at them a few inches wide on their phones or tablets, usually via [insert social app] that downsizes and compresses the shit out of them to save on bandwidth & storage. Things like * colour rendition * contrast rendition * low-light ability * speed of operation (allows you to get a photo in the first place) * and more things I could name ...are all far more important to what makes a good camera on a phone. If more people were like you and actually LOOKED AT THE PHOTOS we might have ended up with much better cameras than we have now.
kgwxd 9mo ago
I have fond memories of my LG enV2, so much that I tried a hardware keyboard again a few years ago. Hardware solves the tactile problem but the most painful part of mobile typing is cursor navigation, basic editing, and tiny text areas. So, now I can feel the keys, but it does nothing to enhance navigation, or basic editing; I get a smaller screen for text areas (and all other non-typing related tasks); and if any of those tiny keys breaks, the entire device is useless.
nicksergeant 9mo ago
Pretty neat. I have the Clicks keyboard and I just wish the keys weren't so stiff. Too hard to type on, sadly.
- microflash 9mo ago
  This has been my complaint as well. I didn't realize how stiff those keys were when I recently got to try it.
- coder543 9mo ago
  Is it their original launch edition keyboard, or the later refined version? The launch edition one I have is like you describe, but I hope they have improved things since then.
  - nicksergeant 9mo ago
    Yeah I think I have the original, and reading this again seems like these new ones are more "touch sensitive". It's a neat idea if they can nail the haptics.
    - nicksergeant 9mo ago
      s/haptics/feel
reconnecting 9mo ago
It looks more like hype than a real product. What makes me suspicious is the Gmail icon instead of a generic email app. So if I have my own email server, does that mean no mail? Or would there be one Gmail app and another separate email client? Unclear.
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
- microflash 9mo ago
  It is supposed to run Android, so if you need another client, it might be as easy as installing it through an APK.
  - 8organicbits 9mo ago
    If it's android, presumably you'd just install via the Google Play Store?
    - reconnecting 9mo ago
      I found out that it's sister product of keyboard accessory company, so most probably this will be usual android with keyboard as accessory.
- muppetman 9mo ago
  The Gmail app on Android supports 3rd party email servers via IMAP and has done for as long as I can remember (I have Gmail accounts but my primary account is a self hosted one and I use the Gmail app for all the accounts)
- jeroenhd 9mo ago
  The Gmail app supports POP, IMAP, MS Exchange, and (though it got bugged into re-downloading the entire mailbox every day) even old-fashioned MS ActiveSync. You can disable the Gmail app and install something like Thunderbird seeing as this is just a normal Android phone (which, of course, will also show you your Gmail emails if you set it up to do so).
jama211 9mo ago
Cool, I have a friend who always mourned the loss of his physical keyboard, I will tell him. I wish it could run standard Linux though (perhaps it can) - would make it a sweet little cyberdeck…
jstummbillig 9mo ago
This feels very scammy.
- analogpixel 9mo ago
  While I do like the product Idea, I'll agree that their video came off as stiff/fake/forced? I guess we'll just have to wait to see what actually gets released.
SkyPuncher 9mo ago
I had the Unihertz Titan for a while . It was a fun experiment, but I ultimately found it too annoying for continued daily use First, typing was actually slower and more error prone. Even nearly a year into owning it, I was constantly misclicking and spending loads of time correcting myself. Second, you loose a ton of navigate functionality with the hardware keyboards. Holding space to navigate between characters is gone. Emojis are gone. GIF keyboards are gone. Third, none of the apps are built for this aspect ratio or screen size. Often this is just an annoyance - but there are times this became an actual, legitimate blocker. Items would be laid out off screen in a way that you couldn’t access them. The solution: a scaled view where everything was ridiculously tiny. Three B: too many situations where the virtual keyboard would come up and you’d literally have the entire screen covered. I didn’t realize how much value I lose with these issues until I experienced them. Every thing you’ve relied on essentially become unreliable because you might not be able to use certain functionality.
- hasperdi 9mo ago
  I have the Titan slim, and my experience is similar to what you described. I think most of the bad experience is caused by Unihertz half competent implementation. Phones with hardware keyboard like this requires a good keyboard companion app, which Unihertz doesn't have.
- backscratches 9mo ago
  This one says the keyboard is touch sensitive, like the old android blackberries, so you can still do some swipe gestures
- savolai 9mo ago
  It’s funny we have gone full circle. I still miss the nokias and bbs for being able to just write without typoing all the time and without the cognitivr load thay comes wiyh foxinh typos ally yeh time. Authentic samplr.
- wowczarek 9mo ago
  As for the typing itself, just curious, were you a Blackberry user in the past? I was for 15+ years, but I've never used a Unihertz. But my typing experience was always running circles around every poor soul with a touch keyboard. As to the rest - I owned one of every model of BlackBerry's Android PKB phones and none of this was an issue, so I'd say a lot of it may be Unihertz's execution. Losing navigation functionality with a PKB? That's shocking, you should have _gained_ advantage rather than lost anything. Makes me almost happy I haven't gone for a Unihertz when my last Key2 croaked.
reconnecting 9mo ago
Actually, this was initially a phone accessory (1) with a keyboard. App reviews (2) saying that there was lot of glitches with keyboard app. I assume same approach will be for the this phone: accessory keyboard over android phone. 1. https://www.clicks.tech/en https://www.clicks.tech/en 2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicks.companionapp&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicks.com...
aduwah 9mo ago
It would be nice to have something like this with a privacy OS
bobse 9mo ago
[dead]
feelamee 9mo ago
The user interface looks very similar to Niagara Launcher. I found it a really fresh and comfortable alternative to the default android launchers
- paxys 9mo ago
  It is Niagara Launcher. They say so in the demo video.
dzink 9mo ago
I wouldn’t buy this with Android - especially not out their software expiration policies. It’s designed to be obsolete. Put another OS on it and it would be great. Presentation: The web site shows the same screen - show some variety of what the OS looks like in that format.
- mystifyingpoi 9mo ago
  Yep, this confused me as well. They claim it's a normal Android, so... this is just the fullscreen notification view? That's it?
analogpixel 9mo ago
This might actually get me to switch away from apple. Although I've gotten to the point where I realize that phones are mostly gimmicky sales portals, and it's just easier to do stuff on a real computer. I second/third/forth all the other comments on this already, it would be better if I didn't have to buy into the google android system; seems like google has lost most of the trust with most people.
- memco 9mo ago
  This company makes cases with a physical keyboard for iPhone 14+ so if you just want the keyboard you might be able to get one of those instead.
websiteapi 9mo ago
I'm surprised this is a thing. with the advances in STT I want the other extreme - a smaller and smaller device that leverages better voice control - super efficient inferencing chip on board and low power mic that's worn on your person to make said STT very very accurate (>95% word accuracy).
- drakythe 9mo ago
  The thing I am always curious about with voice controlled devices is how do you use them in public? On the bus? Subway? How do you discretely check a message while in a lecture hall? Voice control makes for a fun scifi gimmick but it is incredibly impractical in real life without an alternative interface, in my experience.
  - wowczarek 9mo ago
    This. Speak to type I can understand, to a degree, but for proper voice control to be quick and effective and anything more than a gimmick, it would need to rely on some shorthand - kind of how full-on screen reader action for those visually impaired is very intense - just the other way round.
  - websiteapi 9mo ago
    You would still have a screen. The device itself could just be smaller.
gspr 9mo ago
Slight digression: why isn't a computer – a general purpose computer, open enough to run mainline Linux – in this form factor readily available? I'm fine with not calling it a phone. I just don't understand why we don't have (connected) open pocket computers by now, with all the innovations introduced by smartphones more or less commoditized by now. By "open" above, I don't necessarily mean open hardware (though that would be great). I just mean "as open as a random consumer x86 computer you can just throw any Linux distro at without any special secret sauce".
- drakythe 9mo ago
  Miniaturization is expensive and often these kinds of devices rely on some form of subsidy to be cheap enough to reach popular adoption levels. Not to mention the user interfaces these days seem to be built for touch or game controller, and not a lot else. Your options are things like the CHIP (which is dead, now, I think?), Pocket GPD or other gaming focused ultra-portable, or something like the Pinephone.
- oytis 9mo ago
  Linux phones exist, but I don't see a huge market for it. Most people don't really need a general-purpose computer in their pocket. The most used app on my phone is a web browser, and I also need a banking app, authorization apps and all the parking, public transportation apps for wherever I happen to be today to work.
- jeroenhd 9mo ago
  https://www.gpd-minipc.com/ https://www.gpd-minipc.com/ has all kinds of models for the "tiny laptop" form factor as long as 7 inches is tiny enough for you. Their recent products seem to be pivoting more towards the "handheld gaming computer" space, but their Pocket 3 and MicroPC 2 seem to be pretty close to "pocket computers". As far as I know, these are plain old amd64 platforms that will run Linux as well as any other Chinese motherboard. The small+portable nature of these phones make them unsuitable for amd64 chips (so far) so everyone is using ARM chips, which means dealing with weird and quirky bootloaders or hard-coded OS keys. Qualcomm is putting effort into getting some iterations of their hardware into a well-supported state, so hopefully we may see better mainline Linux support on their chips soon. However, you're not going to get your hands on Qualcomm chips if you don't beat their (high) minimum order quantities and these tiny keyboard phones are hardly mainstream devices, so they often end up with MediaTek chips which have absolutely terrible mainline Linux support (and even worse bootloader quirks).
deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
thrtythreeforty 9mo ago
Beautiful hardware. If they'd commit to GrapheneOS's hardware requirements https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices, I'd preorder... I'm stuck on Pixels because Graphene is so nice.
- backscratches 9mo ago
  Seconded. Graphene has spoiled me. Here's to hoping graphene's future collaboration with an OEM results in a small physical keyboard device! Not holding my breath, and will choose graphene over any other feature.
- UpstairsEmpire 9mo ago
  I mean, is it beautiful though? Also, who cares if it's beautiful.
  - beeflet 9mo ago
    the beauty of machines is case-deep
  - carlosjobim 9mo ago
    It is one of the most beautifully designed electronic devices I've seen recently. People who will carry the device with them every day care if it is beautiful. I know Hackers only care about size of RAM, no matter what kind of device and what kind of usage.
CGMthrowaway 9mo ago
>Designed for doing, not doomscrolling. It still has a touchscreen, right? And it even has a blinky light up button on the side, something iPhone doesn't. I read the homepage, but I couldn't figure out how this phone was "anti-doomscrolling" - what am I missing?
- tabiv 9mo ago
  The "small" screen is supposed to deter social media and video use.
  - jeroenhd 9mo ago
    I find that the Unihertz Titan 2 with its capacitive scrolling physical keyboard to be an even better reading/doomscrolling vessel than a long touch screen phone where the act of scrolling may accidentally open something. The Clicks Communicator appears to be a bit smaller than the chonky Titan 2, but for those looking to end doom scrolling, this might not be the phone for you. That said, using a rectangular phone does make the device unappealing for most video based platforms (which are all either in widescreen or tall landscape mode). It'll do in a pinch, but a square screen is pretty good at making Youtube/Tiktok/etc. less appealing.
  - ulfw 9mo ago
    It deters any kind of use outside texting. Apps won't render properly on too small a screen (e.g. Google Maps). Good luck reading a website on a 4" square screen too
    - carlosjobim 9mo ago
      Reading websites should be no problem if pagination is used instead of scrolling.
      - ulfw 9mo ago
        Yea good luck restricting yourself to those
paxys 9mo ago
Seems like they have a good idea for a phone and want to fund the development using "pre-orders" (aka a Kickstarter). I went through the website and all the marketing and watched the launch video to find out how this thing works, but all I see is the same rendered home screen and lots of promises. Even in the video they show plenty of models of the phone lying around but not a single shot of one turned on and working. I really do hope they succeed, and will definitely buy one if it turns out to be a viable product, but not before that.
- xp84 9mo ago
  Indeed. I am highly skeptical of kickstarters (and their ilk) outside of a small subset which is mainly forms of art. Art is something you ought to know for sure if you can achieve it before launching your kickstarter. (And even if the album/photo book/whatever doesn't turn out exactly how you imagined it, you can still give the backers some art of equivalent value.) Electronics are the exact opposite. Coming up with an idea and getting some renders done is at least 1,000x easier than the remaining work from idea to shipping 10,000 units, therefore it's reasonable to expect that at least 90% of kickstarters for such products will fail to deliver, leaving backers holding the bag, since all our money has been spent already on the failed attempts. Furthermore, I tend to think that if, due to some combination of their existing reputation + the amount of the work they've already completely finished, the project were a safe bet, then they'd be able to get investors to front them any further needed startup funds the normal way.
  - mbreese 9mo ago
    Because of their existing product lines, I look at this more like marketing or market research. I'm pretty confident that this will actually be made. For one, the company actually has experience making and selling devices. This is a bit more ambitious than an accessory keyboard, but it's at least experience making something. Second, the pre-order reservation is about half of the full pre-order price. Unlike most Kickstarters where you have to front 100% of the money. At some point, Kickstarter (et al) campaigns switch from high-risk speculative products to marketing pitches (get in early!). I think this is one of the later. You're right that they could probably have (or have already) funded the product development themselves. I think this pitch is trying to build a market early in the year before potential competitor products are announced.
jaysonelliot 9mo ago
I bought their Clicks phone case for iPhone and was very disappointed. The keyboard was dismal to type on and slowed me down significantly. If they're using the same keyboard in this phone, it won't be of interest to me.
thecrumb 9mo ago
Can wait to get my Clicks jeans with 18 pockets for all my devices. Or my Clicks sport coat which includes a hood. Also find it ironic how all these things are starting to look more and more like my old Palm Pilot.
chabad360 9mo ago
This is very exciting to me, I have been reluctant to upgrade from my Pixel 4a because I've been looking for a small form factor phone, and those seem to have gone extinct. Now here comes a product that both provides a small form factor, and even better, is aimed at reducing distractions and provides features to that effect. It's running regular Android with a custom version of Niagara launcher (which it seems I need to try), and seems like it's a product built by people who want to use it. Which makes me hopeful that a lot of care was put into designing it. It seems like they're aiming it towards people that want a second device for work, which -in my mind- means there might be some compromises, so I'll be waiting for reviews to decide if it can hold up as a daily driver or not. It should be noted, they claim that the keyboard is touch sensitive and can be used for scrolling, so it might actually solve some of the usability issues that immediately come to mind. TBH, I'm a little surprised by all the hate. This might not be a product for you, or it might not speak to you for other reasons. The fact is that this company has seen success with their phone cases (I don't get it either), and has now announced two new products that should reach more of the market (the other is a magsafe slide out keyboard, it's very cool). If you don't like it, fair enough, but that doesn't mean it's a bad product.
pimlottc 9mo ago
The hero image makes it look like the phone is an inch thick. I didn’t realize it was actually showing two phones (front and back) until I saw the rest of the gallery.
deleted 9mo ago
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butz 9mo ago
Device form factor looks attractive. This one might even fit in a pocket, unlike all modern phablets and their protruding camera "islands".
mt_ 9mo ago
Discipline yourself before buying a new device.
- bicx 9mo ago
  How many lashes must I give myself before I buy this phone?
kh_hk 9mo ago
My recommendation for someone considering a minimalist / dumbphone / detox / whatever is to avoid expensive products that over-promise their utility. There's no middle ground, it's either usable or it is not, so any in between will just become e-waste eventually. The alternative I went with, and which I recommend, is getting both a smartphone and a nokia shitphone (no internet). Then ask the carrier for a sim duplicate. These exist, and are in fact a new number that redirects to your number. Use and carry whichever you want, knowing that calls will all go to both phones.
- mawax 9mo ago
  Did not know these existed. Just ordered a duo sim from my carrier, thanks!
- Void_ 9mo ago
  I just keep my iPhone locked up. You can go to Screen Time and disable Safari and App Store. You can protect it with a passcode, which is what I did. After a few weeks I just got used to my phone being dumb. Now these apps are unlocked, but the habit is there, and I use it for utility only.
- RajT88 9mo ago
  Speaking of e-Waste: > Can Communicator be used as my primary phone? Without them making a statement of how long they will provide security updates for, this could easily go like past phones of mine. My work tightens their mobile security policy, and the device can no longer meet it. This is for both Android version and security updates. Happened to me a few times where I had to stop using a perfectly good phone which wasn't that old. (Now I bought a Pixel I only use on wifi - 7 years of updates, and actually better for my WLB, since I leave work at home by default, or stuff a second phone in my pocket if I want to take it with)
  - kwoff 9mo ago
    > Without them making a statement of how long they will provide security updates They said this: What version of Android will be supported? Communicator will run Android 16. We’re comfortable committing to 2 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates.
twalichiewicz 9mo ago
Reminds me of the old Peek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peek_(mobile_Internet_device) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peek_(mobile_Internet_device)
- paxys 9mo ago
  The only thing I remember about Peek is how they sold "lifetime service" with the device for an extra $300 or so and a couple years later went "sike! Your device isn't supported on our network anymore".
class3shock 9mo ago
The Communicator is interesting but why are they marketing this as a "second" phone? I can see buying this as a primary but who is really looking for a phone they carry specifically as a backup for when they want a keyboard?
- growt 9mo ago
  If you’re aiming for the second phone market you don’t have to beat the iPhone. Probably the easier pitch.
  - philistine 9mo ago
    A second phone market has never been a thing. History is filled with failed attempts. They should focus on the largest potential market: parents who buy a phone like this to text with their kids without allowing them to have a completely internet connected phone.
    - growt 9mo ago
      From my experience as a parent, that market is also very small, because the time between “child is old enough to text and be away from parents for long enough” to “child wants to have a real phone” is not that long.
      - turtletontine 9mo ago
        Is there any potential market of parents like this: "my child wants a real phone, but I won't give them one because they'll melt their brain with tiktok and instagram"? I'm not a parent, but I imagine I'd feel something like this.
        hrimfaxi 9mo ago
        The problem is other kids will get real phones and use them to talk to each other and your kid will be left out. And unlike the old days, kids can't just ring up the house line to chat.
bicx 9mo ago
The back panel design, shape, and customizability reminds me a bit of the old Moto X that Motorola built while being owned by Google. Brings back some nostalgia.
rchaud 9mo ago
If they really wanted this to be about "doing", they'd give the USB-C port display out capability and let it be used with an external display, like Samsung does with DeX. Android phones with a lapdock and desktop UI are almost indistinguishable from a laptop.
- kevinmichaluk 9mo ago
  It does! Keep it a secret though, OK? Was going to save that for a surprise.
  - Topfi 9mo ago
    Hey, it's CrackBerry Kevin. If you don't mind me asking on here, what materials will the frame be made out of? Asking because I used my 15 Pro Max Clicks somewhat intensely and managed to dig through the rubber on the bottom right and bottom left edge with the friction from typing alone. Keyboard still works flawlessly, but the case looks like it's seen an apocalypse... Also would love to see a video showcase of the touch functionality on the keyboard, I can already imagine a few ways that'll be useful. Am personally waiting for the next Razr before deciding whether I'll replace my iPhone with a Communicator or the next Clicks for Razr (hoping that there will be one). Then again, Motorola has hinted at a book style foldable for CES so if that is interesting, might go for the PowerKeys instead. Or might there be something for larger phones, perhaps inspired by an old Samsung phone, dare we dream? That'd "zeal" my purchase for sure... The keyboard is a really good lock in mind you, once I got the hang of it I really detested (a very strong word, but it is true) any time I had to use a smartphone without one, even if only briefly.
  - rchaud 9mo ago
    Wow, pkb, 3.5mm jack, microSD and display out? That's a winning set of specs in my book. Well done!
  - kabouik 9mo ago
    If this is confirmed, this is going to be the ultimate XR glasses companion, and will be easily distinguished fromm the Titan 2 with DP, SD and Jack. I hope you guys don't drop this DP plan in the end!
throwawayExSUSE 9mo ago
I had my fair share of exposure to the super-hyper start-up scene. Did these every-smiling people just re-invent the blackberry, and practiced the pitch for a month? Does anyone ever tell them "no, don't do this"?
thekurst_ 9mo ago
This looks really interesting. Sidephone also falls into this camp since I haven't seen it mentioned so far: https://www.sidephone.com/ https://www.sidephone.com/
asadm 9mo ago
While the communicator is nice, I just pre-ordered the power keyboard: https://www.clicks.tech/powerkeyboard https://www.clicks.tech/powerkeyboard
laweijfmvo 9mo ago
I might buy/support this, because it seems like they’re actually listening to what [some] people want. But I don’t know that it’ll get me off iMessage.
stormed 9mo ago
I'm interested in getting that standalone magsafe Clicks keyboard they also announced. I have the original Clicks keyboard case for my iPhone 15 and almost never use it because of how goofy the size is + I dislike hate that soft touch plastic that gets stuck in my pocket. The slide out keyboard looks way more appealing in comparison. Not sure how people lived using the keyboard case with any plus sized iPhone-- It's basically a weapon!
dbgrman 9mo ago
The website shows no additional screens. hard to make up my mind about it.
- novoreorx 9mo ago
  same idea here
beeflet 9mo ago
I would like it to have an open bootloader and support for some open source OS
MagicMoonlight 9mo ago
It’s just a blackberry. We all had those, they were trash compared to iPhones. That’s why they went extinct.
zx8080 9mo ago
It ships to Australia and NZ but not to Singapore or Japan. Care to say why?
mberning 9mo ago
I am fully in support of the dumb smartphone hybrid.
desireco42 9mo ago
I totally get people being skeptical, I myself are not pre-ordering nothing :) let's be honest here. This is awesome idea with a lot of really nice touches, headphone jack, button lights up as a notification, keyboard as a touch pad... So I have a lot of hope for this working and it will be fantastic influence on others. Niagara launcher, if they tweaked it, can be nice as well with keyboard. I want them to succeed. I am on Google Fi, I have data card with my plan, this would be perfect use. I don't chat nearly as much but this would just me fantastic. I watched full keynote, it is very good presentation, that thing alone should sell phones. Price... I don't know, it is OK, it could be lower, but it is fine if it delivers. I am not getting anything until I get it reviewed by multiple people. Wish them success.
amelius 9mo ago
Android based. How easy is it to build a custom android phone these days, with the help of Chinese suppliers of course?
electrofreak0 9mo ago
They release a new keyboard with numbers and don't have it on the new device?!
- Topfi 9mo ago
  Asked them, they stated this was to keep the Communicator more compact. Honestly a bit disappointed myself, not gonna lie.
ronbenton 9mo ago
Marketed as "for doing" and not "for doomscrolling" but if it can host any Android app then what's really the distinction? Seems like at the end of the day it's a discipline thing regardless of the device, unless you truly have a "dumb" phone that is unable to install doomy apps
- bcye 9mo ago
  Consumption is probably rather not gun on a 4" square screen.
VikingCoder 9mo ago
I'd love a landscape keyboard for my Pixel 8 in landscape mode. Oh well.
novoreorx 9mo ago
The only thing shown of the UI is a screenshot of the launcher, I still don't understand how the system looks or feels to use. Besides, the entire launch video is too tedious and flashy. It's quite sarcastic of them to claim they hate long presentations full of nonsense at the very beginning.
yujzgzc 9mo ago
That looks like it's trying to do too much and too little. Too smart for a dumb phone, too limited for a smart phone. The hard keyboard feels antediluvian now that we have swipe or voice recognition typing with relatively acceptable accuracy, or for typing in multiple languages.
singpolyma3 9mo ago
Oh look, it's a blackberry
BrenBarn 9mo ago
I don't see how a smaller screen is "designed for doing". I already find regular phone screens to small to do any meaningful work on. For me it's basically impossible to do actual work on anything smaller than a laptop (and even a small laptop makes it stressful).
ksec 9mo ago
I submitted this as well and I think it capture something much deeper than the product itself. I think there is a market for Blackberry type of devices again. Not for messaging but for business. Apple could have made an iPhone Mini with customised OS that does not cater for massive screen and social media entertainment. But Apple is too focused on making money from services sector which is the App Store.
Kristopher1337 9mo ago
I feel where they messed up is including modem hardware especially as they tout this as a secondary device. I could definitely use a second device that is specific for work. I don't want MDM on my phone mostly because they can erase my phone at any time. I also would check work email and Teams constantly. My work is more than happy to get me connected to work services if I will accept the MDM terms yet they won't help pay for my phone bill nor pay for a phone. All I need is a device that can easily connect to my smartphone hotspot or wifi when I choose to that will meet my company's MDM requirements, has email, and can use Teams. If Im making a phone call at work I 100% use Teams. All I need is data which I can get from my smartphone. The included modem is extra costs. If this was $200-$300 I would consider it which they could do if they didn't include a modem.
- rahkiin 9mo ago
  So you’d basically want what was the iPod Touch?
zx10rse 9mo ago
I recently charged and old Blackberry to see if it is still alive. They got everything so right I really miss those devices I will buy BB in a heartbeat. The OS is sublime I was surprised how after 10+ years not using a device like this I could go around everything without any friction. So easy to use intuitive the little trackpad is on par with macbooks, BB had stacking messages 10 years ago, the size of the device is just perfect. Everything about it is just a joy to use. I can't understand to this day how this company went downhill.
darthbanane 9mo ago
I would recommend not touching pre-orders with a 10-foot pole. The leadership behind this project is f(x)tec. While they're not outright scammers they have a TERRIBLE track record in delivering products like this. Just look up the old fxtec community forums or the indiegogo pages for the pro1 / pro1x. It's just data points but so far the modus operandi was to take pre-order money and then take years to deliver a bad product with no aftermarket support. There were always new excuses about what happened (shipping company stole our stuff! chip reseller scammed us! etc) but no transparency. The reality seems to be they ran out of money and instead of being upfront about it kept making up new stories why nothing was happening. The few devices they have shipped are basically unusable unless you're going to mod the hard- and software yourself (no security updates, issues in antenna design, outdated hardware by the time it ships, keyboard quality issues, you name it). If you're interested in the device I implore you to wait until you can buy it upfront (ideally in a physical store) and return it at your convenience. I thought I needed a keyboard too, but when everything is designed for a slab screen and your "productivity" phone randomly shuts down or has no reception in a major area, you gotta think about what productivity really means.
- rchaud 9mo ago
  I had forgotten about FXTec. I think Clicks could be different though. For one thing they have already shipped keyboard accessories for the iPhone and the Moto Razr. The core technology is there. Additionally, a small company like Unihertz has shipped several variants of PKB phones reliably over the last few years. The Fxtec Pro 1 tried to implement a sliding keyboard mechanism, which is mechanically complicated: the Palm Pre ran into problems with that design and the Blackberry Priv in 2015 discontinued that design after only one generation, switching back to integrated PKBs for the KeyOne and Key2.
- 827a 9mo ago
  I have a founders edition Clicks keyboard for the iPhone 15 Pro. Its really a fantastic piece of hardware; worked great since I got it, idk, maybe 14 months ago. Obviously this is a full device and much more complicated, but I wouldn't personally have any qualms taking a risk on it given that their track record for the other clicks devices is pretty solid IME.
divan 9mo ago
> Premium typing experience Nothing beats N900 typing experience. Change my mind.
- rchaud 9mo ago
  HTC Touch Pro 2 running Windows Mobile. I remember writing a 4,000 word essay on it for a magazine, mostly while travelling to and from my summer job.
hecifato 9mo ago
I’m hopeful for this product both becoming real and being good. No word on what Mediatek SOC they’re using on the spec sheet, plus what memory capacity we’ll be working with. The people in my life I’ve shown this to so far have all shared my hopefulness. It seems to me that everyone who had a keyboarded Blackberry misses it for the utility of the device. I think Apple and the rest of the smartphone industry were correct on the direction mobile phones were heading. A big screen is great for viewing content but is not so great at doing things besides social media. This has become increasingly obvious as the iOS keyboard keeps on getting worse while more people use their iPhone as their only, or at least primary, computing device. I can’t speak to the Android space so I’m not sure if Samsung, Huawei, or Google devices are having similar on-screen keyboard issues. One thing that is immediately disappointing about the product specs at this moment is the timeframe for updates. Two years of Android system updates plus 5 years of security updates is paltry compared to Samsung & Google’s recent change of tune on that front. It is pretty pathetic compared to Apple’s long-standing precedent of providing full OS updates for several years, even for phones that probably shouldn’t be on the latest version of iOS.
tiku 9mo ago
Why is there no market for cases with keyboards inside, that baffles me.
- darknavi 9mo ago
  I can't tell if you're serious but the company shipping this phone ships keyboard cases. They are hilariously sized. https://www.clicks.tech/products/clicks-keyboard-for-iphone-17 https://www.clicks.tech/products/clicks-keyboard-for-iphone-...
mghackerlady 9mo ago
I'm hesitantly excited about this. On one hand, I've been wanting something like this for years and it's literally everything I want in a cell phone. On the other hand, this isn't the first time I've been hyped for a product like this and been burned. I'll be pessimistically optimistic
whycome 9mo ago
The comma is behind the m. I hate it. Why can’t we have the basic punctuation up front.
patrick91 9mo ago
I really wish someone would make a keyboard or smartphone with the same keyboard as the HTC Touch Dual, it was so good!
julius-fx 9mo ago
omg I love it!
paulhart 9mo ago
I'm more interested in the Comet - https://mecha.so/comet https://mecha.so/comet - as a thing to support in pre-order. They will be launching their Kickstarter soon, and the founder is very active and transparent on their Discord.
SarahMiles 9mo ago
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SarahMiles 9mo ago
[dead]

Clicks Communicator

422 points by microflash 9mo ago

deleted 9mo ago

[deleted]

vpol 9mo ago

For people who miss blackberry.

KingOfCoders 9mo ago
Me.
SunshineTheCat 9mo ago
What's funny is I actually use to have a Palm Treo and I feel like I stopped being able to text even remotely efficiently ever since I switched from that to my first iPhone. Probably just a me problem, but I feel like I've never been able to get any good at typing on a screen keyboard no matter how long I do it. That said, I may consider this just for the fact that I won't have to retype/correct every other word in a text lol.
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
voxleone 9mo ago
If only form factors like these could run general use/free OS's...
- 9021007 9mo ago
  This is running Android
Elidrake24 9mo ago
Hell yeah it is. They've found some success with their cases, and I'm excited to switch to their new magnetic keyboard for horizontal portable work, but I do worry this is a moonshot that will sink them.
wowczarek 9mo ago
Well, seems to have all the right ingredients: - PKB (check) with gestures / navigation (check) - Customisable, colour notification LED (check) - Unified inbox (check). So far though only BB got all of it right though - very curious how this one works out.

LunicLynx 9mo ago

I love it. Finally some innovation. Now make it incapable of instagram and TikTok and other invasive social media crap and we might have the winner for the next decade. As if :(

memoriuaysj 9mo ago
do you have so little agency that you can't stop yourself from installing TikTok? what will stop you then from keeping your existing TikTok phone after buying this?
- LunicLynx 9mo ago
  Uhhh judgey… You do you. It was ment as a glimmer of hope for society at large.
  - kgwxd 9mo ago
    Education is the hope we need, not yet another "innovative", centrally controlled device.
    - pseidemann 9mo ago
      Agreed. Most people still don't see the gamification built into everyday products and apps.
  - memoriuaysj 9mo ago
    ah, sorry, you just want to control what apps other people can use
    - LunicLynx 9mo ago
      I think you misunderstood. My point was: This would be a great device if there wasn’t a need for it to support these apps. And because of this it’s just another android phone. And it fails (will) because the screen ratio does not work for those apps. This would be awesome if it would just be that a „communicator“ meaning a device that allows to communicate. Think remarkable vs all the other e-ink android tablets.

steviedotboston 9mo ago

I've been very impressed by the attention to detail Clicks puts into their products. It might be a niche but it seems like one that deserves to exist.

drcongo 9mo ago

One of these running linux would be nice, but definitely not buying one to run Android.

adenta 9mo ago
why not?
- drcongo 9mo ago
  Had to use it at a prior job and hated it. Plus, you know, Google.
  - automathematics 9mo ago
    I'm with you. But what phone are you using day to day? I keep watching for linux phones or even start to wonder if Apple is finally the "lesser of two evils" :/
gumby271 9mo ago
I wish they'd specify if the bootloader was unlock/relockable. Could have been cool to see GrapheneOS support.
- gue5t 9mo ago
  It's a MediaTek SoC, so the Linux experience will be Bad to say the least. This thing will be running the oldest kernel possible with all kind of nasty vendor hacks.
- Fnoord 9mo ago
  This device misses some of the requirements for GrapheneOS. It wouldn't be as secure as a Pixel. Just get a Pixel with GrapheneOS and put one of ZitaoTech's USB-C BB keyboards under it (or get a BT one).
muppetman 9mo ago
Wouldn't you want battery life of more than 2 hours though?

adenta 9mo ago

I've been rocking a Razr 2025 Ultra and just try to do everything on the front screen. Its not the best experience, just pre-ordered this, excited to try it!

nikhizzle 9mo ago

I may eventually get one of these just to use with Claude code. Been looking for the lightest best machine to use with agents.

vosper 9mo ago
Maybe dictation is the way to go? It’s a quick way to interact with agents and works really well.
yoz-y 9mo ago
Shellfish on iOS to ssh into a vps with tmux with Gemini-cli, lazygit and neovim worked quite well for me. The clicks keyboard does not have ctrl, arrows, page up, down or really any special keys so I’m not sure it would be that much more pleasant. I know iOS keyboard has been quite meh in the recent releases but for thumb typing I’m not convinced that physical keyboard are superior.

crtasm 9mo ago

Looks great and the price is a pleasant surprise. Can we flash a custom OS to it? I'm missing having LED colours for notifications on my current phone.

KingOfCoders 9mo ago
Loved the LED on my Blackberry Passport.
- reconnecting 9mo ago
  I had two Blackberry Passport even after EOF. Best email experience ever and LED for emails was particularly useful.
summermusic 9mo ago
I really hope the bootloader is unlocked and something line LineageOS could be adapted to work well with it.

aleksi 9mo ago

> What languages will be supported? > As a real keyboard with the QWERTY layout, Communicator supports languages that use the Latin alphabet: [...] Russian Weird

dullcrisp 9mo ago
Japanese too
altairprime 9mo ago
> Weird Clarify?
- paxys 9mo ago
  Russian does not use the Latin alphabet
  - altairprime 9mo ago
    Oh! Okay. I’m not an expert, but the depth of information here appears to disagree? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Latin_alphabet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Latin_alphabet
    - Kirth 9mo ago
      Муч лике хов Ю кан/кулд спел Енглиш ин Кирилик.. but who in their right mind actually does that?
      - throwaway74354 9mo ago
        Palm Treo/Pre and BlackBerry users! And probably Clicks users too. It's not a matter of "Does Russian language use the Latin script?" (it doesn't), but rather "What is the least annoying method to input Cyrillic on a BB-style keyboard, which doesn't have enough buttons for the йцукен layout?". Phonetic layouts such as яверты or яшерты were very popular for such devices back in the day.

Topfi 9mo ago

Have used a Clicks keyboard on my Pro Max to great effect. Being able to touch type without looking, even whilst walking around/changing trains has been truly game changing. Writing SOPs, editing spreadsheets, answering long mails, typing without the atrocious autocorrect making it impossible, all that is far better with the Clicks keyboard. I feel that this is their differentiator and a key customer market they should lean into, people who need reliable input and are willing to sacrifice other things for it. Personally wish their marketing leaned into the productivity more than in this "second-device" trend. Never understood that if I am totally honest. The logic for buying a $ 700,- Light Phone over just installing a launcher and muting the colours is allegedly that it creates more friction, but there is just as much keeping you from just using your existing phone once you purchased a Light Phone as there is preventing you from uninstalling the launcher. Basically, I see this category as rather dishonest, at most holding on by a treat with the sunk cost argument that anyone truly addicted is unlikely to even feel, so I'd rather see them lean into what makes them great rather than chase an artificial category, often more focused on signaling the intent to lessen phone user over actually facilitating it. State clearly, proudly and with full conviction that yes, this is a main device and yes, there are things this will do better than arguably anything else on the market, mainly because Clicks does keyboards a multitude better than any alternative, be it Unihertz or Minimal.

memoriuaysj 9mo ago
people still need their IG and TikTok you can fight that, and lose (no market) or accept second device status (for werk), optimize that use case, and be honest that it will not be the main device
- Topfi 9mo ago
  There is nothing preventing the use of Insta and TikTok. It is a regular Android phone and unlike a Light Phone can have a target market beyond those thinking if they buy a treadmill, that spend will force them to keep exercising. It rarely works, of course, same with second phones. In the comments below the Verge Article and announcement video on the Communicator, there is already confusion because of their second device marketing. Whether you can use it without another device, whether it can share data contracts like a smartwatch, what keeps one from using it as their sole smartphone, some even asking whether this actually allows for phone calls or is just for mailing. They have clearly just confused the messaging for the core audience of Clicks and devices of this type by chasing what I'd argue is a mirage, a customer base that doesn't exist. Keep in mind, Clicks doesn't need to speculate who will buy this. They already have a loyal consumer base (I paid over € 150,- including import fees for just the case and am far from alone), made up of power users who mostly will use this as their sole smartphone, just like we have been doing with our Clicks equipped iPhones, Pixels, Razrs and Galaxies. Second device is a wholly different market, one that I suspect does not intersect much with the existing base of heavy power users, using their phones to reliably control e.g. IDEs and remote desktops on the go. I'd argue the two are in fact polar opposites, someone who needs reliable input on the go is likely not the same someone who wants to use their phone less and equally would not want to just have reliable input only on e.g. their work device. For me, it's always a pain when I have to use a touch only keyboard despite previously doing fine with swiping, etc. so if a Communicator user wanted to have physically separate devices for work and private, they'd more likely go for a second Clicks, the keyboard is that nice and arguably locks you in tight.

scienceman 9mo ago

Ah man this hardware looks amazing — I just don’t know if I could give up living on iOS…

mertd 9mo ago
They have a standalone keyboard product that snaps with magsafe.
- Topfi 9mo ago
  Also, the existing suite of Clicks Keyboard Cases for iPhone, which while making the phone longer than the slide out magsafe PowerKey, keep the depth nearly unchanged. Personally got an iPhone solely because Clicks initially was only available for Apples product line and have to say after two years that while Android was never bug free either, iOS doesn't really keep me on polish alone. In other words, neither is less issue prone/has fewer bugs and glitches than the other.

onesandofgrain 9mo ago

Isnt this just a blackberry?

yoz-y 9mo ago
“Just”? A blackberry was a lot of a thing.
- analogpixel 9mo ago
  even it is "JUST" a blackberry, seems like there is a market for that again. Although it would be nice if they had their own OS like blackberry and ditched android.
  - onesandofgrain 9mo ago
    Do we really wanna go back to using keyboards? Like Steve Jobs said, the keyboard shouldnt be visible when not in use, but I dunno, seems more like a niche nostalgia product
    - analogpixel 9mo ago
      At least on the iphone, the onscreen keyboard has gotten worse with every release, so I guess maybe something new is in order.
    - rchaud 9mo ago
      Jobs said a lot of things designed to make his tchotchke look better than the other guy's. He said he couldn't use a Samsung 8 inch tablet without filing his fingers down, while working on the iPad Mini at that same exact time.

as1mov 9mo ago

This actually looks nice! I'd prefer a slide out horizontal keyboard like the X10 Mini Pro[1], but beggars can't be choosers. I've never gotten used to the touch keyboard, since writing anything while code-switching multiple languages doesn't really work well with the predictive input. Especially if the other language has to be transliterated from a non Latin script. Though the update policy doesn't sound too promising, 2 years of OS updates + 5 years of security updates is too short :/ [1] https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini_pro-3147.php https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini_pro-3...

juancn 9mo ago

Sooo a Blackberry?

jadbox 9mo ago

Sounds like a competitor to the Minimal Phone?

steve-atx-7600 9mo ago

I was disappointed by their iPhone keyboard offering. I felt like their product was superficially good: fancy adds, fancy web-page, the keyboard looked nice, BUT the functionality was not well thought out. They seemed to not realize that they need to provide a hell of a lot of benefit to warrant making an iPhone - especially a max - bigger and heavier. So, sure, they provided physical qwerty. But, they did not make it easy to bind keys or combos to all/most of the Apple supported shortcuts that a bluetooth keyboard would be able to take advantage of. The result is that even if I liked the qwerty, I still have to take my fingers off of it to touch the damn screen to do basic navigation. With better leadership, they would be a much stronger company. EDIT: was referring to their first product that is an iphone case plus keyboard (I just noticed they have a new keyboard offering).

Waterluvian 9mo ago

The first rendering made me think it was as thick as a brick, and that got me kind of excited for a moment… Any device that isn’t as thick and heavy as the original Game Boy feels uncomfortably cramped in my hands. Being unable to fit in a pocket would be a plus. I want a device I have to consciously choose to carry with me to a new room, like a tablet or a pound of butter.

thehamkercat 9mo ago
You could create a 3D printed case maybe

solomonb 9mo ago

Wow I wish they had announced this sooner. I just ordered a keyphone but this looks way more suited to my use case. I just want a basic feature phone + qwerty keyboard + signal + whats app. I've been using a lightphone for 3 years but i can't stand the touch screen and only having SMS is annoying.

joshlemer 9mo ago
What do you use for maps? Or paying for parking which maybe isn't the case for you but in my city requires use of a smartphone app. What about music and podcasts? Asking cause I would like to use a dumb phone if possible but it seems like it would actually introduce a lot of friction into daily life.
- solomonb 9mo ago
  I pay for parking with quarters or a credit card. If necessary I use a piece of paper for maps. For music I have an ipod.
  - ulfw 9mo ago
    And you watch movies on your VHS?
    - solomonb 9mo ago
      Why are you trying to make fun of me?
- Klonoar 9mo ago
  The Keyphone they are referencing is Android, so those things can be worked around to some degree.
  - solomonb 9mo ago
    Hopefully! Supposedly it is pretty locked down but I'm hopeful there is a way to get other apps onto it.

IlikeKitties 9mo ago

>What version of Android will be supported? >Communicator will run Android 16. We’re comfortable committing to 2 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates

spenczar5 9mo ago

I feel like I see an independent low-noise phone project like, every 3 months. Clearly there is some latent demand here. I wonder why the big players (Google, Apple, Samsung, HTC) haven't made a big-corp product for this market. I am always reluctant to jump on with these independent ambitious projects. The first version is understandably rough, and the company seems to fold before they get to a second or third version. But maybe advances in manufacturing in China are making high-quality, small-batch products like this more tractable?

cptskippy 9mo ago
> I wonder why the big players (Google, Apple, Samsung, HTC) haven't made a big-corp product for this market. Because it impacts ARPU. It's really not that difficult, you're the product being sold.
jrmg 9mo ago
I feel like I see an independent low-noise phone project like, every 3 months. Clearly there is some latent demand here. I don’t know - it feels to me that this is evidence that there _isn’t_ sufficient demand to sustain a successful product like this.
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
mystifyingpoi 9mo ago
> Clearly there is some latent demand here No, there demand is negligible. It's just typical hacker news people who want to suddenly become productive Silicon Valley trope hustle style, or people who want to change their damaging habits in a day, so instead of uninstalling TikTok which takes 15 seconds to do, they will spend money a separate device. Although the keyboard may be useful.
altairprime 9mo ago
Same reason Acura stopped making small cars like the Integra/RSX: costs scale more slowly than revenue as car size increases, so selling to the small car market segment results in unearned potential profits — even if the small car segment is a majority, it’s better to make a higher profit per unit on fewer unit sales if your most primary goal is to min/max labor/profit. (Small phones, unlike small cars, also have costs in UI development to maintain their form factor’s OS support, which can create an additional pressure to withhold devices for a viable and profitable market.)

pmarsh 9mo ago

This is looking great, hope the camera can at least produce decent photos. So many other phones with a QEWRTY keyboard just have awful cameras. The Razr 2024/25 + the clicks keyboard is probably the "best" so far. Although I just got a Zinwa Q25. Amazing how good that formfactor feels after having candy bars this long.

petrey 9mo ago
The site lists the following specs for cameras: > Cameras > Rear: 50MP OIS > Front: 24MP Honestly, this sounds like a great deal
- pmarsh 9mo ago
  Thanks, I saw that, but I never can make heads or tails of just MP. Feel like some phones have much lower MP but the quality of the photo is much higher. It does seem like a great deal either way though!
  - lewiscollard 9mo ago
    > Thanks, I saw that, but I never can make heads or tails of just MP. Feel like some phones have much lower MP but the quality of the photo is much higher. It does not merely feel that way; it often is. That is because megapixels measure the dimensions of the files the camera generates (this is not the same as resolution) and as such are almost the worst measure of camera quality. Boring tech websites like comparing megapixels, because that is a number, and that allows people who do not know how cameras work to review products and have opinions without actually using them. Truth is that pixels, a measure of resolution, have been irrelevant for years when one is not printing them huge or looking at them full-size on gigantic computer monitors. More or less nobody is doing that these days; they're looking at them a few inches wide on their phones or tablets, usually via [insert social app] that downsizes and compresses the shit out of them to save on bandwidth & storage. Things like * colour rendition * contrast rendition * low-light ability * speed of operation (allows you to get a photo in the first place) * and more things I could name ...are all far more important to what makes a good camera on a phone. If more people were like you and actually LOOKED AT THE PHOTOS we might have ended up with much better cameras than we have now.

kgwxd 9mo ago

I have fond memories of my LG enV2, so much that I tried a hardware keyboard again a few years ago. Hardware solves the tactile problem but the most painful part of mobile typing is cursor navigation, basic editing, and tiny text areas. So, now I can feel the keys, but it does nothing to enhance navigation, or basic editing; I get a smaller screen for text areas (and all other non-typing related tasks); and if any of those tiny keys breaks, the entire device is useless.

nicksergeant 9mo ago

Pretty neat. I have the Clicks keyboard and I just wish the keys weren't so stiff. Too hard to type on, sadly.

microflash 9mo ago
This has been my complaint as well. I didn't realize how stiff those keys were when I recently got to try it.
coder543 9mo ago
Is it their original launch edition keyboard, or the later refined version? The launch edition one I have is like you describe, but I hope they have improved things since then.
- nicksergeant 9mo ago
  Yeah I think I have the original, and reading this again seems like these new ones are more "touch sensitive". It's a neat idea if they can nail the haptics.
  - nicksergeant 9mo ago
    s/haptics/feel

reconnecting 9mo ago

It looks more like hype than a real product. What makes me suspicious is the Gmail icon instead of a generic email app. So if I have my own email server, does that mean no mail? Or would there be one Gmail app and another separate email client? Unclear.

deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
microflash 9mo ago
It is supposed to run Android, so if you need another client, it might be as easy as installing it through an APK.
- 8organicbits 9mo ago
  If it's android, presumably you'd just install via the Google Play Store?
  - reconnecting 9mo ago
    I found out that it's sister product of keyboard accessory company, so most probably this will be usual android with keyboard as accessory.
muppetman 9mo ago
The Gmail app on Android supports 3rd party email servers via IMAP and has done for as long as I can remember (I have Gmail accounts but my primary account is a self hosted one and I use the Gmail app for all the accounts)
jeroenhd 9mo ago
The Gmail app supports POP, IMAP, MS Exchange, and (though it got bugged into re-downloading the entire mailbox every day) even old-fashioned MS ActiveSync. You can disable the Gmail app and install something like Thunderbird seeing as this is just a normal Android phone (which, of course, will also show you your Gmail emails if you set it up to do so).

jama211 9mo ago

Cool, I have a friend who always mourned the loss of his physical keyboard, I will tell him. I wish it could run standard Linux though (perhaps it can) - would make it a sweet little cyberdeck…

jstummbillig 9mo ago

This feels very scammy.

analogpixel 9mo ago
While I do like the product Idea, I'll agree that their video came off as stiff/fake/forced? I guess we'll just have to wait to see what actually gets released.

SkyPuncher 9mo ago

I had the Unihertz Titan for a while . It was a fun experiment, but I ultimately found it too annoying for continued daily use First, typing was actually slower and more error prone. Even nearly a year into owning it, I was constantly misclicking and spending loads of time correcting myself. Second, you loose a ton of navigate functionality with the hardware keyboards. Holding space to navigate between characters is gone. Emojis are gone. GIF keyboards are gone. Third, none of the apps are built for this aspect ratio or screen size. Often this is just an annoyance - but there are times this became an actual, legitimate blocker. Items would be laid out off screen in a way that you couldn’t access them. The solution: a scaled view where everything was ridiculously tiny. Three B: too many situations where the virtual keyboard would come up and you’d literally have the entire screen covered. I didn’t realize how much value I lose with these issues until I experienced them. Every thing you’ve relied on essentially become unreliable because you might not be able to use certain functionality.

hasperdi 9mo ago
I have the Titan slim, and my experience is similar to what you described. I think most of the bad experience is caused by Unihertz half competent implementation. Phones with hardware keyboard like this requires a good keyboard companion app, which Unihertz doesn't have.
backscratches 9mo ago
This one says the keyboard is touch sensitive, like the old android blackberries, so you can still do some swipe gestures
savolai 9mo ago
It’s funny we have gone full circle. I still miss the nokias and bbs for being able to just write without typoing all the time and without the cognitivr load thay comes wiyh foxinh typos ally yeh time. Authentic samplr.
wowczarek 9mo ago
As for the typing itself, just curious, were you a Blackberry user in the past? I was for 15+ years, but I've never used a Unihertz. But my typing experience was always running circles around every poor soul with a touch keyboard. As to the rest - I owned one of every model of BlackBerry's Android PKB phones and none of this was an issue, so I'd say a lot of it may be Unihertz's execution. Losing navigation functionality with a PKB? That's shocking, you should have _gained_ advantage rather than lost anything. Makes me almost happy I haven't gone for a Unihertz when my last Key2 croaked.

reconnecting 9mo ago

Actually, this was initially a phone accessory (1) with a keyboard. App reviews (2) saying that there was lot of glitches with keyboard app. I assume same approach will be for the this phone: accessory keyboard over android phone. 1. https://www.clicks.tech/en https://www.clicks.tech/en 2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicks.companionapp&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicks.com...

aduwah 9mo ago

It would be nice to have something like this with a privacy OS

bobse 9mo ago

[dead]

feelamee 9mo ago

The user interface looks very similar to Niagara Launcher. I found it a really fresh and comfortable alternative to the default android launchers

paxys 9mo ago
It is Niagara Launcher. They say so in the demo video.

dzink 9mo ago

I wouldn’t buy this with Android - especially not out their software expiration policies. It’s designed to be obsolete. Put another OS on it and it would be great. Presentation: The web site shows the same screen - show some variety of what the OS looks like in that format.

mystifyingpoi 9mo ago
Yep, this confused me as well. They claim it's a normal Android, so... this is just the fullscreen notification view? That's it?

analogpixel 9mo ago

This might actually get me to switch away from apple. Although I've gotten to the point where I realize that phones are mostly gimmicky sales portals, and it's just easier to do stuff on a real computer. I second/third/forth all the other comments on this already, it would be better if I didn't have to buy into the google android system; seems like google has lost most of the trust with most people.

memco 9mo ago
This company makes cases with a physical keyboard for iPhone 14+ so if you just want the keyboard you might be able to get one of those instead.

websiteapi 9mo ago

I'm surprised this is a thing. with the advances in STT I want the other extreme - a smaller and smaller device that leverages better voice control - super efficient inferencing chip on board and low power mic that's worn on your person to make said STT very very accurate (>95% word accuracy).

drakythe 9mo ago
The thing I am always curious about with voice controlled devices is how do you use them in public? On the bus? Subway? How do you discretely check a message while in a lecture hall? Voice control makes for a fun scifi gimmick but it is incredibly impractical in real life without an alternative interface, in my experience.
- wowczarek 9mo ago
  This. Speak to type I can understand, to a degree, but for proper voice control to be quick and effective and anything more than a gimmick, it would need to rely on some shorthand - kind of how full-on screen reader action for those visually impaired is very intense - just the other way round.
- websiteapi 9mo ago
  You would still have a screen. The device itself could just be smaller.

gspr 9mo ago

Slight digression: why isn't a computer – a general purpose computer, open enough to run mainline Linux – in this form factor readily available? I'm fine with not calling it a phone. I just don't understand why we don't have (connected) open pocket computers by now, with all the innovations introduced by smartphones more or less commoditized by now. By "open" above, I don't necessarily mean open hardware (though that would be great). I just mean "as open as a random consumer x86 computer you can just throw any Linux distro at without any special secret sauce".

drakythe 9mo ago
Miniaturization is expensive and often these kinds of devices rely on some form of subsidy to be cheap enough to reach popular adoption levels. Not to mention the user interfaces these days seem to be built for touch or game controller, and not a lot else. Your options are things like the CHIP (which is dead, now, I think?), Pocket GPD or other gaming focused ultra-portable, or something like the Pinephone.
oytis 9mo ago
Linux phones exist, but I don't see a huge market for it. Most people don't really need a general-purpose computer in their pocket. The most used app on my phone is a web browser, and I also need a banking app, authorization apps and all the parking, public transportation apps for wherever I happen to be today to work.
jeroenhd 9mo ago
https://www.gpd-minipc.com/ https://www.gpd-minipc.com/ has all kinds of models for the "tiny laptop" form factor as long as 7 inches is tiny enough for you. Their recent products seem to be pivoting more towards the "handheld gaming computer" space, but their Pocket 3 and MicroPC 2 seem to be pretty close to "pocket computers". As far as I know, these are plain old amd64 platforms that will run Linux as well as any other Chinese motherboard. The small+portable nature of these phones make them unsuitable for amd64 chips (so far) so everyone is using ARM chips, which means dealing with weird and quirky bootloaders or hard-coded OS keys. Qualcomm is putting effort into getting some iterations of their hardware into a well-supported state, so hopefully we may see better mainline Linux support on their chips soon. However, you're not going to get your hands on Qualcomm chips if you don't beat their (high) minimum order quantities and these tiny keyboard phones are hardly mainstream devices, so they often end up with MediaTek chips which have absolutely terrible mainline Linux support (and even worse bootloader quirks).

deleted 9mo ago

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thrtythreeforty 9mo ago

Beautiful hardware. If they'd commit to GrapheneOS's hardware requirements https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices https://grapheneos.org/faq#future-devices, I'd preorder... I'm stuck on Pixels because Graphene is so nice.

backscratches 9mo ago
Seconded. Graphene has spoiled me. Here's to hoping graphene's future collaboration with an OEM results in a small physical keyboard device! Not holding my breath, and will choose graphene over any other feature.
UpstairsEmpire 9mo ago
I mean, is it beautiful though? Also, who cares if it's beautiful.
- beeflet 9mo ago
  the beauty of machines is case-deep
- carlosjobim 9mo ago
  It is one of the most beautifully designed electronic devices I've seen recently. People who will carry the device with them every day care if it is beautiful. I know Hackers only care about size of RAM, no matter what kind of device and what kind of usage.

CGMthrowaway 9mo ago

>Designed for doing, not doomscrolling. It still has a touchscreen, right? And it even has a blinky light up button on the side, something iPhone doesn't. I read the homepage, but I couldn't figure out how this phone was "anti-doomscrolling" - what am I missing?

tabiv 9mo ago
The "small" screen is supposed to deter social media and video use.
- jeroenhd 9mo ago
  I find that the Unihertz Titan 2 with its capacitive scrolling physical keyboard to be an even better reading/doomscrolling vessel than a long touch screen phone where the act of scrolling may accidentally open something. The Clicks Communicator appears to be a bit smaller than the chonky Titan 2, but for those looking to end doom scrolling, this might not be the phone for you. That said, using a rectangular phone does make the device unappealing for most video based platforms (which are all either in widescreen or tall landscape mode). It'll do in a pinch, but a square screen is pretty good at making Youtube/Tiktok/etc. less appealing.
- ulfw 9mo ago
  It deters any kind of use outside texting. Apps won't render properly on too small a screen (e.g. Google Maps). Good luck reading a website on a 4" square screen too
  - carlosjobim 9mo ago
    Reading websites should be no problem if pagination is used instead of scrolling.
    - ulfw 9mo ago
      Yea good luck restricting yourself to those

paxys 9mo ago

Seems like they have a good idea for a phone and want to fund the development using "pre-orders" (aka a Kickstarter). I went through the website and all the marketing and watched the launch video to find out how this thing works, but all I see is the same rendered home screen and lots of promises. Even in the video they show plenty of models of the phone lying around but not a single shot of one turned on and working. I really do hope they succeed, and will definitely buy one if it turns out to be a viable product, but not before that.

xp84 9mo ago
Indeed. I am highly skeptical of kickstarters (and their ilk) outside of a small subset which is mainly forms of art. Art is something you ought to know for sure if you can achieve it before launching your kickstarter. (And even if the album/photo book/whatever doesn't turn out exactly how you imagined it, you can still give the backers some art of equivalent value.) Electronics are the exact opposite. Coming up with an idea and getting some renders done is at least 1,000x easier than the remaining work from idea to shipping 10,000 units, therefore it's reasonable to expect that at least 90% of kickstarters for such products will fail to deliver, leaving backers holding the bag, since all our money has been spent already on the failed attempts. Furthermore, I tend to think that if, due to some combination of their existing reputation + the amount of the work they've already completely finished, the project were a safe bet, then they'd be able to get investors to front them any further needed startup funds the normal way.
- mbreese 9mo ago
  Because of their existing product lines, I look at this more like marketing or market research. I'm pretty confident that this will actually be made. For one, the company actually has experience making and selling devices. This is a bit more ambitious than an accessory keyboard, but it's at least experience making something. Second, the pre-order reservation is about half of the full pre-order price. Unlike most Kickstarters where you have to front 100% of the money. At some point, Kickstarter (et al) campaigns switch from high-risk speculative products to marketing pitches (get in early!). I think this is one of the later. You're right that they could probably have (or have already) funded the product development themselves. I think this pitch is trying to build a market early in the year before potential competitor products are announced.

jaysonelliot 9mo ago

I bought their Clicks phone case for iPhone and was very disappointed. The keyboard was dismal to type on and slowed me down significantly. If they're using the same keyboard in this phone, it won't be of interest to me.

thecrumb 9mo ago

Can wait to get my Clicks jeans with 18 pockets for all my devices. Or my Clicks sport coat which includes a hood. Also find it ironic how all these things are starting to look more and more like my old Palm Pilot.

chabad360 9mo ago

This is very exciting to me, I have been reluctant to upgrade from my Pixel 4a because I've been looking for a small form factor phone, and those seem to have gone extinct. Now here comes a product that both provides a small form factor, and even better, is aimed at reducing distractions and provides features to that effect. It's running regular Android with a custom version of Niagara launcher (which it seems I need to try), and seems like it's a product built by people who want to use it. Which makes me hopeful that a lot of care was put into designing it. It seems like they're aiming it towards people that want a second device for work, which -in my mind- means there might be some compromises, so I'll be waiting for reviews to decide if it can hold up as a daily driver or not. It should be noted, they claim that the keyboard is touch sensitive and can be used for scrolling, so it might actually solve some of the usability issues that immediately come to mind. TBH, I'm a little surprised by all the hate. This might not be a product for you, or it might not speak to you for other reasons. The fact is that this company has seen success with their phone cases (I don't get it either), and has now announced two new products that should reach more of the market (the other is a magsafe slide out keyboard, it's very cool). If you don't like it, fair enough, but that doesn't mean it's a bad product.

pimlottc 9mo ago

The hero image makes it look like the phone is an inch thick. I didn’t realize it was actually showing two phones (front and back) until I saw the rest of the gallery.

deleted 9mo ago

[deleted]

butz 9mo ago

Device form factor looks attractive. This one might even fit in a pocket, unlike all modern phablets and their protruding camera "islands".

mt_ 9mo ago

Discipline yourself before buying a new device.

bicx 9mo ago
How many lashes must I give myself before I buy this phone?

kh_hk 9mo ago

My recommendation for someone considering a minimalist / dumbphone / detox / whatever is to avoid expensive products that over-promise their utility. There's no middle ground, it's either usable or it is not, so any in between will just become e-waste eventually. The alternative I went with, and which I recommend, is getting both a smartphone and a nokia shitphone (no internet). Then ask the carrier for a sim duplicate. These exist, and are in fact a new number that redirects to your number. Use and carry whichever you want, knowing that calls will all go to both phones.

mawax 9mo ago
Did not know these existed. Just ordered a duo sim from my carrier, thanks!
Void_ 9mo ago
I just keep my iPhone locked up. You can go to Screen Time and disable Safari and App Store. You can protect it with a passcode, which is what I did. After a few weeks I just got used to my phone being dumb. Now these apps are unlocked, but the habit is there, and I use it for utility only.
RajT88 9mo ago
Speaking of e-Waste: > Can Communicator be used as my primary phone? Without them making a statement of how long they will provide security updates for, this could easily go like past phones of mine. My work tightens their mobile security policy, and the device can no longer meet it. This is for both Android version and security updates. Happened to me a few times where I had to stop using a perfectly good phone which wasn't that old. (Now I bought a Pixel I only use on wifi - 7 years of updates, and actually better for my WLB, since I leave work at home by default, or stuff a second phone in my pocket if I want to take it with)
- kwoff 9mo ago
  > Without them making a statement of how long they will provide security updates They said this: What version of Android will be supported? Communicator will run Android 16. We’re comfortable committing to 2 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates.

twalichiewicz 9mo ago

Reminds me of the old Peek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peek_(mobile_Internet_device) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peek_(mobile_Internet_device)

paxys 9mo ago
The only thing I remember about Peek is how they sold "lifetime service" with the device for an extra $300 or so and a couple years later went "sike! Your device isn't supported on our network anymore".

class3shock 9mo ago

The Communicator is interesting but why are they marketing this as a "second" phone? I can see buying this as a primary but who is really looking for a phone they carry specifically as a backup for when they want a keyboard?

growt 9mo ago
If you’re aiming for the second phone market you don’t have to beat the iPhone. Probably the easier pitch.
- philistine 9mo ago
  A second phone market has never been a thing. History is filled with failed attempts. They should focus on the largest potential market: parents who buy a phone like this to text with their kids without allowing them to have a completely internet connected phone.
  - growt 9mo ago
    From my experience as a parent, that market is also very small, because the time between “child is old enough to text and be away from parents for long enough” to “child wants to have a real phone” is not that long.
    - turtletontine 9mo ago
      Is there any potential market of parents like this: "my child wants a real phone, but I won't give them one because they'll melt their brain with tiktok and instagram"? I'm not a parent, but I imagine I'd feel something like this.
      - hrimfaxi 9mo ago
        The problem is other kids will get real phones and use them to talk to each other and your kid will be left out. And unlike the old days, kids can't just ring up the house line to chat.

bicx 9mo ago

The back panel design, shape, and customizability reminds me a bit of the old Moto X that Motorola built while being owned by Google. Brings back some nostalgia.

rchaud 9mo ago

If they really wanted this to be about "doing", they'd give the USB-C port display out capability and let it be used with an external display, like Samsung does with DeX. Android phones with a lapdock and desktop UI are almost indistinguishable from a laptop.

kevinmichaluk 9mo ago
It does! Keep it a secret though, OK? Was going to save that for a surprise.
- Topfi 9mo ago
  Hey, it's CrackBerry Kevin. If you don't mind me asking on here, what materials will the frame be made out of? Asking because I used my 15 Pro Max Clicks somewhat intensely and managed to dig through the rubber on the bottom right and bottom left edge with the friction from typing alone. Keyboard still works flawlessly, but the case looks like it's seen an apocalypse... Also would love to see a video showcase of the touch functionality on the keyboard, I can already imagine a few ways that'll be useful. Am personally waiting for the next Razr before deciding whether I'll replace my iPhone with a Communicator or the next Clicks for Razr (hoping that there will be one). Then again, Motorola has hinted at a book style foldable for CES so if that is interesting, might go for the PowerKeys instead. Or might there be something for larger phones, perhaps inspired by an old Samsung phone, dare we dream? That'd "zeal" my purchase for sure... The keyboard is a really good lock in mind you, once I got the hang of it I really detested (a very strong word, but it is true) any time I had to use a smartphone without one, even if only briefly.
- rchaud 9mo ago
  Wow, pkb, 3.5mm jack, microSD and display out? That's a winning set of specs in my book. Well done!
- kabouik 9mo ago
  If this is confirmed, this is going to be the ultimate XR glasses companion, and will be easily distinguished fromm the Titan 2 with DP, SD and Jack. I hope you guys don't drop this DP plan in the end!

throwawayExSUSE 9mo ago

I had my fair share of exposure to the super-hyper start-up scene. Did these every-smiling people just re-invent the blackberry, and practiced the pitch for a month? Does anyone ever tell them "no, don't do this"?

thekurst_ 9mo ago

This looks really interesting. Sidephone also falls into this camp since I haven't seen it mentioned so far: https://www.sidephone.com/ https://www.sidephone.com/

asadm 9mo ago

While the communicator is nice, I just pre-ordered the power keyboard: https://www.clicks.tech/powerkeyboard https://www.clicks.tech/powerkeyboard

laweijfmvo 9mo ago

I might buy/support this, because it seems like they’re actually listening to what [some] people want. But I don’t know that it’ll get me off iMessage.

stormed 9mo ago

I'm interested in getting that standalone magsafe Clicks keyboard they also announced. I have the original Clicks keyboard case for my iPhone 15 and almost never use it because of how goofy the size is + I dislike hate that soft touch plastic that gets stuck in my pocket. The slide out keyboard looks way more appealing in comparison. Not sure how people lived using the keyboard case with any plus sized iPhone-- It's basically a weapon!

dbgrman 9mo ago

The website shows no additional screens. hard to make up my mind about it.

novoreorx 9mo ago
same idea here

beeflet 9mo ago

I would like it to have an open bootloader and support for some open source OS

MagicMoonlight 9mo ago

It’s just a blackberry. We all had those, they were trash compared to iPhones. That’s why they went extinct.

zx8080 9mo ago

It ships to Australia and NZ but not to Singapore or Japan. Care to say why?

mberning 9mo ago

I am fully in support of the dumb smartphone hybrid.

desireco42 9mo ago

I totally get people being skeptical, I myself are not pre-ordering nothing :) let's be honest here. This is awesome idea with a lot of really nice touches, headphone jack, button lights up as a notification, keyboard as a touch pad... So I have a lot of hope for this working and it will be fantastic influence on others. Niagara launcher, if they tweaked it, can be nice as well with keyboard. I want them to succeed. I am on Google Fi, I have data card with my plan, this would be perfect use. I don't chat nearly as much but this would just me fantastic. I watched full keynote, it is very good presentation, that thing alone should sell phones. Price... I don't know, it is OK, it could be lower, but it is fine if it delivers. I am not getting anything until I get it reviewed by multiple people. Wish them success.

amelius 9mo ago

Android based. How easy is it to build a custom android phone these days, with the help of Chinese suppliers of course?

electrofreak0 9mo ago

They release a new keyboard with numbers and don't have it on the new device?!

Topfi 9mo ago
Asked them, they stated this was to keep the Communicator more compact. Honestly a bit disappointed myself, not gonna lie.

ronbenton 9mo ago

Marketed as "for doing" and not "for doomscrolling" but if it can host any Android app then what's really the distinction? Seems like at the end of the day it's a discipline thing regardless of the device, unless you truly have a "dumb" phone that is unable to install doomy apps

bcye 9mo ago
Consumption is probably rather not gun on a 4" square screen.

VikingCoder 9mo ago

I'd love a landscape keyboard for my Pixel 8 in landscape mode. Oh well.

novoreorx 9mo ago

The only thing shown of the UI is a screenshot of the launcher, I still don't understand how the system looks or feels to use. Besides, the entire launch video is too tedious and flashy. It's quite sarcastic of them to claim they hate long presentations full of nonsense at the very beginning.

yujzgzc 9mo ago

That looks like it's trying to do too much and too little. Too smart for a dumb phone, too limited for a smart phone. The hard keyboard feels antediluvian now that we have swipe or voice recognition typing with relatively acceptable accuracy, or for typing in multiple languages.

singpolyma3 9mo ago

Oh look, it's a blackberry

BrenBarn 9mo ago

I don't see how a smaller screen is "designed for doing". I already find regular phone screens to small to do any meaningful work on. For me it's basically impossible to do actual work on anything smaller than a laptop (and even a small laptop makes it stressful).

ksec 9mo ago

I submitted this as well and I think it capture something much deeper than the product itself. I think there is a market for Blackberry type of devices again. Not for messaging but for business. Apple could have made an iPhone Mini with customised OS that does not cater for massive screen and social media entertainment. But Apple is too focused on making money from services sector which is the App Store.

Kristopher1337 9mo ago

I feel where they messed up is including modem hardware especially as they tout this as a secondary device. I could definitely use a second device that is specific for work. I don't want MDM on my phone mostly because they can erase my phone at any time. I also would check work email and Teams constantly. My work is more than happy to get me connected to work services if I will accept the MDM terms yet they won't help pay for my phone bill nor pay for a phone. All I need is a device that can easily connect to my smartphone hotspot or wifi when I choose to that will meet my company's MDM requirements, has email, and can use Teams. If Im making a phone call at work I 100% use Teams. All I need is data which I can get from my smartphone. The included modem is extra costs. If this was $200-$300 I would consider it which they could do if they didn't include a modem.

rahkiin 9mo ago
So you’d basically want what was the iPod Touch?

zx10rse 9mo ago

I recently charged and old Blackberry to see if it is still alive. They got everything so right I really miss those devices I will buy BB in a heartbeat. The OS is sublime I was surprised how after 10+ years not using a device like this I could go around everything without any friction. So easy to use intuitive the little trackpad is on par with macbooks, BB had stacking messages 10 years ago, the size of the device is just perfect. Everything about it is just a joy to use. I can't understand to this day how this company went downhill.

darthbanane 9mo ago

I would recommend not touching pre-orders with a 10-foot pole. The leadership behind this project is f(x)tec. While they're not outright scammers they have a TERRIBLE track record in delivering products like this. Just look up the old fxtec community forums or the indiegogo pages for the pro1 / pro1x. It's just data points but so far the modus operandi was to take pre-order money and then take years to deliver a bad product with no aftermarket support. There were always new excuses about what happened (shipping company stole our stuff! chip reseller scammed us! etc) but no transparency. The reality seems to be they ran out of money and instead of being upfront about it kept making up new stories why nothing was happening. The few devices they have shipped are basically unusable unless you're going to mod the hard- and software yourself (no security updates, issues in antenna design, outdated hardware by the time it ships, keyboard quality issues, you name it). If you're interested in the device I implore you to wait until you can buy it upfront (ideally in a physical store) and return it at your convenience. I thought I needed a keyboard too, but when everything is designed for a slab screen and your "productivity" phone randomly shuts down or has no reception in a major area, you gotta think about what productivity really means.

rchaud 9mo ago
I had forgotten about FXTec. I think Clicks could be different though. For one thing they have already shipped keyboard accessories for the iPhone and the Moto Razr. The core technology is there. Additionally, a small company like Unihertz has shipped several variants of PKB phones reliably over the last few years. The Fxtec Pro 1 tried to implement a sliding keyboard mechanism, which is mechanically complicated: the Palm Pre ran into problems with that design and the Blackberry Priv in 2015 discontinued that design after only one generation, switching back to integrated PKBs for the KeyOne and Key2.
827a 9mo ago
I have a founders edition Clicks keyboard for the iPhone 15 Pro. Its really a fantastic piece of hardware; worked great since I got it, idk, maybe 14 months ago. Obviously this is a full device and much more complicated, but I wouldn't personally have any qualms taking a risk on it given that their track record for the other clicks devices is pretty solid IME.

divan 9mo ago

> Premium typing experience Nothing beats N900 typing experience. Change my mind.

rchaud 9mo ago
HTC Touch Pro 2 running Windows Mobile. I remember writing a 4,000 word essay on it for a magazine, mostly while travelling to and from my summer job.

hecifato 9mo ago

I’m hopeful for this product both becoming real and being good. No word on what Mediatek SOC they’re using on the spec sheet, plus what memory capacity we’ll be working with. The people in my life I’ve shown this to so far have all shared my hopefulness. It seems to me that everyone who had a keyboarded Blackberry misses it for the utility of the device. I think Apple and the rest of the smartphone industry were correct on the direction mobile phones were heading. A big screen is great for viewing content but is not so great at doing things besides social media. This has become increasingly obvious as the iOS keyboard keeps on getting worse while more people use their iPhone as their only, or at least primary, computing device. I can’t speak to the Android space so I’m not sure if Samsung, Huawei, or Google devices are having similar on-screen keyboard issues. One thing that is immediately disappointing about the product specs at this moment is the timeframe for updates. Two years of Android system updates plus 5 years of security updates is paltry compared to Samsung & Google’s recent change of tune on that front. It is pretty pathetic compared to Apple’s long-standing precedent of providing full OS updates for several years, even for phones that probably shouldn’t be on the latest version of iOS.

tiku 9mo ago

Why is there no market for cases with keyboards inside, that baffles me.

darknavi 9mo ago
I can't tell if you're serious but the company shipping this phone ships keyboard cases. They are hilariously sized. https://www.clicks.tech/products/clicks-keyboard-for-iphone-17 https://www.clicks.tech/products/clicks-keyboard-for-iphone-...

mghackerlady 9mo ago

I'm hesitantly excited about this. On one hand, I've been wanting something like this for years and it's literally everything I want in a cell phone. On the other hand, this isn't the first time I've been hyped for a product like this and been burned. I'll be pessimistically optimistic

whycome 9mo ago

The comma is behind the m. I hate it. Why can’t we have the basic punctuation up front.

patrick91 9mo ago

I really wish someone would make a keyboard or smartphone with the same keyboard as the HTC Touch Dual, it was so good!

julius-fx 9mo ago

omg I love it!

paulhart 9mo ago

I'm more interested in the Comet - https://mecha.so/comet https://mecha.so/comet - as a thing to support in pre-order. They will be launching their Kickstarter soon, and the founder is very active and transparent on their Discord.

SarahMiles 9mo ago

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SarahMiles 9mo ago

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