Clicks Communicator: A Modern BlackBerry-Style Phone With a Real Keyboard

The Clicks Communicator is a full Android smartphone built around a physical QWERTY keyboard — not a nostalgia project, but a messaging-first device with genuine BlackBerry DNA. Announced at CES 2026 and priced at $499 (early-bird $399 until March 15), it ships in Q4 2026 across 50-plus countries. For anyone who types for a living and finds touchscreen keyboards a constant friction, this is the most serious attempt yet at a modern second phone.

The hardware

The Communicator pairs a 4.03-inch AMOLED display (1200×1080, nearly square) with a full tactile keyboard underneath — its fingerprint scanner sits in the spacebar, a move straight out of the BlackBerry playbook. Inside is a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 processor, 256 GB of storage, and a 4,000 mAh battery. Rare extras include a 3.5 mm headphone jack, microSD support up to 2 TB, and a removable back cover.

The camera stack is 50 MP main with OIS and 24 MP front. A programmable Clicks Key on the keyboard can open any app or trigger an AI assistant. A side button records voice memos. An LED notification light is customizable per app — a feature smartphones largely dropped a decade ago.

Credibility comes from the keyboard itself: Clicks enlisted Joseph Hofer, the designer behind some of BlackBerry's most-loved keyboards, to shape the tactile feel, per FINEws. That matters — most QWERTY revivals stumble on ergonomics first.

The software angle

The Communicator ships with Android 16 and Niagara Launcher, tuned for quick access to Gmail, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Slack. A unified Message Hub pulls all conversations into one place. Clicks is promising a minimum of four years of Android version updates and five years of security patches — well above what most mid-range phones offer.

Price and availability

At $499 full retail (or $399 early-bird before March 15, secured with a $199 deposit), the Communicator sits level with its main rival: the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite at $490, which offers a 120 Hz OLED and Dimensity 7400 but trails on software support and keyboard heritage. The Clicks advantage is the longer update promise and Hofer's involvement.

No official GBP pricing has been announced. US buyers pay $499 direct; UK buyers should budget for 20% VAT and roughly £27 shipping on top of the converted price — likely landing at £415–£450 all-in. Five keyboard layouts are available at launch: QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, Korean, and Arabic, per the Clicks official FAQ.

Carrier certification for specific networks hasn't been confirmed yet; Clicks says it will evaluate that as shipping approaches. For now, deposits are open and the early-bird window closes March 15.