Hands-on with a prototype of Clicks’ Communicator, a new BlackBerry-like smartphone

BlackBerry is kind of back. Mobile keyboard maker Clicks Technology last week announced its first phone, the $499 Communicator, which has a physical keyboard. The company also offers a $79 separate slide-out physical keyboard that fits any device.

At CES, TechCrunch spoke with CMO and co-founder of Clicks, Jeff Gadway, and learned about the latest prototype of the upcoming smartphone.

The device offers a BlackBerry-like keyboard and messaging-focused touchscreen, and runs Android 16 under the hood, meaning the Communicator can run any Android app. The company has partnered with the simple launcher Niagara Launcher to display apps on the home screen. Other applications can be easily accessed via a scrollable list.

Gadway told TechCrunch that reception for the new devices has been better than expected. Although he declined to share sales numbers, he said that over the past week, the company was making a sale every 6.5 seconds between both devices.

Although the prototype we tried wasn’t a fully functional phone, it’s the same size and weight as the device that will ship later this year, giving a first sense of what it’ll be like to use the Communicator. Built-in storage is up to 256GB, with expandable microSD storage for up to 2TB of data. The device will also feature a 4,000 mAh carbon silicon battery and currently weighs around 170 grams (or 6 ounces). Below the back is where your nano-SIM card will fit.

The phone also comes with interchangeable back covers that you can open to change its look. Although not present in the prototype, the lid will have a small opening at the top and then a small finger at the bottom.

In our hands-on testing, the phone was comfortable to hold, wasn’t too heavy or light, and was easy to hold. Jadway told me that the company settled on the final form of the device after dozens of 3D-printed shapes. The phone’s winning design features a contoured back that makes it easy to pick up and hold.

The device’s screen is also somewhat high from the body, and its chin is curved upward to form a gap that protects the keys when placed face down.

This is where the device’s illuminated side button can help. The button called “Signal Light” can be set to glow in different colors or patterns when you receive messages from certain people, groups, or apps. So you can be sure to respond if your boss or kids call you and ignore less important notifications.

The tactile physical keys feel good, although the prototype version may actually be a little less “clicky” than the final product. (There’s debate over whether switches should have 110 grams of pressure or 120 or 130 grams, and feedback so far suggests the latter numbers win.)

With less pressure, the keys become softer, which may make them more accessible for those who haven’t used a BlackBerry before. But people who type quickly tend to prefer more keys to press because there is more feedback.

“These are the things that Michael Fisher, Kevin Michaluk, and I fight about all the time,” Gadway said, referring to the co-founders. “We’re fighting over the gram.”

The keys and screen are at the same vertical height, so you can seamlessly transition from keyboard to touchscreen.

The Clicks Communicator comes with a fixed-focus, punch-hole front camera that can capture 24-megapixel photos. The rear camera features optical image stabilization and electronic image stabilization for video, and can take 50-megapixel photos.

The phone runs on a MediaTek 5G IoT processor with 4nm technology, with 8GB of RAM.

The Communicator will have a 4.03-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 1200. It supports up to 18W wired charging and up to 15W wireless charging. The device is also Qi-compatible and Android Strongbox ready, which will appeal to security-minded customers.

The phone has other standard features as well, such as GPS and NFC, and will offer five years of security updates as well as Android updates through Android 20.

The device is expected to ship in the second half of 2026.