We all know that certain someone who will wax nostalgic about their beloved Blackberry or other mobile device outfitted with a physical keyboard when given the opportunity to return down mobile memory lane. This butterfingered typist gets it. The proliferation of touchscreens alongside the subtraction of tactile controls across mobile devices, appliances, and even inside cars can feel like an affront to tech users of a certain age who grew up with physical buttons. If you feel the same, you’re probably the ideal candidate for the Clicks Creator Keyboard for the Apple iPhone.
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Designed as an extra long, slide-in silicone protective case, Clicks’ primary appeal is reintroducing the pleasures of push button typing. The chiclet-sized key layout is reminiscent of the Blackberry keyboard of yore, with a little bit of Microsoft Kin thrown in. If you’re a real tech historian, you might even remember Typo, a BlackBerry-style keyboard case for the iPhone launched by none other than Ryan Seacrest back in 2015 that seems to be an even more similar looking predecessor.
Clicks says it just takes 20 minutes to (re)acquaint yourself to pushing buttons, two hours to get comfortable with the keyboard layout, two days to start using keyboard shortcuts, and two weeks to build up “the muscle memory and become addicted” to the physical interface. As a mechanical keyboard adherent, this timeline seems feasible, but not necessarily a universal noting the Click’s polycarbonate circular keys appear smaller than the iPhone virtual keys (measuring 5.6mm). If you’re curious about your mobile typing speed, try this online typing test.
More challenging is acclimating to the additional length Clicks introduces. Measuring between 7.4-inches and around 8-inches, dependent upon which iPhone you’re accessorizing, deep pockets are literally required to carry the case around.
The keyboard function operates powered by the iPhone, requiring the Lightning or USB-C connection, depending upon whether you use the Clicks case with an iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max.
Even if you peck away at your smartphone, studies have shown people can type about 70% as fast on mobile devices as on a full desktop keyboard even when only using 1 or 2 fingers. And with several generations weaned on virtual keyboard typing, we suspect this gnawing desire for tactile controls will become less prevalent.
But for those still dedicated to touch typing, Clicks is available now for $139 for both the iPhone 14 Pro and 15 Pro and $159 for 15 Pro Max (arriving in mid-March 2024).
Source: design-milk