YouTuber Michael Fisher, popularly known as Mr. Mobile, and the founder of the tech blog “CrackBerry Kevin” have jointly unveiled a distinctive iPhone accessory through their newly established company- Clicks Technology. The inaugural product from this collaboration is an attachable keypad that seamlessly connects to iPhones via the charging port, providing users with a complete QWERTY keyboard experience.
The ‘Clicks’ keyboard extends a few inches to the bottom of the iPhone, offering a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the classic BlackBerry devices while delivering the comfort of a physical keyboard to modern iPhone users. Sounds interesting? Let’s take a closer look at the Clicks.
Priced at $139 (approximately INR 11,500), the Clicks case is touted as the first creator keyboard for the iPhone. It is compatible with the iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The keyboard seamlessly connects to iPhones through the Lightning or USB-C port, leveraging iOS’s support for external keyboards via the human interface devices (HID) protocol. This eliminates concerns about wireless pairing complications and latency in registering key feedback.
In addition to enhancing the convenience by providing the tactile experience of a traditional physical keypad for texting, the keypad will free some space on your iPhone’s display and should reduce unwanted typos. As per Clicks Technology, each key on the keypad provides 0.22 mm of travel, enabling a hassle-free typing experience.
However, there are a few notable drawbacks to the Clicks implementation.
- When the keypad is attached, users can only charge their iPhones wirelessly.
- The use of wired earphones is not possible.
- There is no dedicated or combination key to enable emojis as iOS external keyboards currently lack support for this feature.
- The Clicks keypad is not compatible with MagSafe accessories, though the creators aspire to address this limitation in the future.
Clicks Technology mentions on its website that they are actively working on a solution to enable simultaneous use of the keyboard and wired headphones.
Considering battery life, the keyboard utilizes about 4.4 mAh when active but not in use. Clicks Technology assures users that battery usage typically remains below 2 percent even on heavy-use days with the backlight turned off. If the backlight is on, usage may increase by an additional ~2 percent.
We should also clarify that the strap-on keypad case is not protective and does not safeguard the iPhone from significant damage, although it does offer some protection against scratches. But then, the Clicks keypad lacks IP ratings, making it vulnerable to water and dust damage.
In conclusion, while the Clicks keypad is a commendable third-party accessory for the iPhone, its functionality and features could have been more robust considering the price point. The concept of freeing up screen space with a physical keypad is promising, and we hope subsequent iterations will integrate more technology to enhance functionality and cater to diverse use cases.
Despite its current limitations, it marks a promising beginning and has the potential to evolve into a more comprehensive product in its subsequent generations.