I’ve been looking for exotic phones and CES 2026 did not disappoint

It’s January, which means we have a whole year of rectangular glass panels ahead of us. But before that happened, I was able to find phones of various shapes lurking in the corners of the halls of the CES Convention Center. They weren’t center stage, of course. This was for robots that do bad laundry. But on the sidelines of technology’s biggest show, I saw some glimmer of hope that the future of phones may not look the same as it has over the past half-decade — at least, if you know where to look.

Clicks, the company known for its keyboard cases, has yet to launch a set of MagSafe power bank and slide-out keyboard accessory. It also launched a Whole ass phone. The Communicator leans heavily on the BlackBerry DNA of the Clicks, with the full keyboard and curved design. The prototype units I played with weren’t efficient, but the keyboard keys worked, and felt nice. The interchangeable back panels are stylish, and I’m personally campaigning for a fuzzy tennis ball yellow option.

Communicator isn’t necessarily trying to put your main smartphone out of business. Its creators envision it as a companion to your daily driver, something you get out of the house when writing an email will be more the focus of your attention than scrolling through a vertical video feed. You know, like when you’re juggling meetings at a four-day conference. But you don’t have to use it this way; Jeff Gadway, Clicks’ co-founder and chief marketing officer, told me they were surprised by how many people showed interest in the phone as a primary device. And you know what? These people might be on to something.

A small Android phone that can be square

I need to tip my hat to Ben Sin for putting the MindOne Pro on my radar. It was easy to miss the show floor; Ikko’s booth was at the far reaches of the central hall past the concession stand selling questionable meatball sandwiches. But I found it, and once it was in my hands, I didn’t want to put down this little phone. It’s a full-featured Android phone with a square shape, a 4-inch display, and a 50-megapixel rear camera that swivels up for selfies. The camera also works as a kickstand if you want to prop the phone up! What a concept. I put the MindOne Pro in my pocket, and after two weeks of holding the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, it feels light as a feather.

I’ve never heard of Ikko, which apparently started out making earphones. However, I’m a little wary of a phone manufacturer when I’m not sure of their track record of providing software updates and being a good steward of your personal data. The MindOne Pro actually comes with a second operating system installed: a proprietary operating system centered around AI applications. These AI features also come with free global data so you can use them even if you are away from your home network. The company’s Kickstarter page notes that you can pre-order the phone and have it shipped without Ikko OS, just Android, which is an attractive option if you’re interested in the small phone aspect but not the rest. I hope to try it soon, so stay tuned for more.

The TriFold wasn’t even in the main exhibit hall, but its presence at the show was almost as big as its 10-inch screen. To be fair, it is a rectangular glass panel. It’s just unfolding in Much larger slab. I spent most of my allotted time using it with it open – rearranging windows in standalone DeX mode, viewing three vertical video feeds side by side, flipping everything aside and scrolling through our home page, which is surprisingly nice. I’m not usually a fan of tablets, but the versatility and promise of the TriFold makes me wonder if I could embrace this lifestyle if it meant I could leave my MacBook at home more often. I intend to test this theory as soon as possible.

There were other unusual phones and some more familiar shapes, but these three stand out to me as different ways of dealing with the same problem: our phones are great, but they don’t quite work for us all of the time. What if they weren’t so intrusive? What if they came with a keyboard? What if it’s also a tablet that can also be your computer? Wouldn’t that be something? Rectangular panels are amazing pieces of technology, and most people are probably okay with that status quo. But for those of us who require something else, I’m glad there are companies willing to try something a little differently.

Photography by Alison Johnson/The Verge