When the original iPhone launched, back in 2007, it marked a firm rejection of button-heavy hardware like BlackBerrys and Palm Treos, and the overwhelming success of its onscreen keyboard virtually banished the physical keyboard from our phone lives. A startup company with a new iPhone case called Clicks is hoping to change all that.
Two popular YouTubers have debuted an iPhone case at CES 2024 that adds a physical keyboard with real buttons to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Clicks is the kind of retro, “analog” tech that’s been making a splash with Gen Z, but that older generations might find nostalgic as well, harkening back to the days of early smartphones. I recently got a chance to try out the Clicks case in person to see what it’s like.
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As an iPhone user, I still find myself longing for a physical keyboard from time to time, particularly when my fingertips are damp after finishing a sweaty workout or handling a perspiring cup of iced coffee. I sometimes crave the precision typing that I get on my laptop, as well as the somatic satisfaction of smashing a physical keyboard with my thumbs.
Here’s the thing: Not only has the iPhone never had a physical keyboard; it was revolutionary in part because it didn’t. Save for the home button and a few other controls, the iPhone celebrated its all-virtual keyboard.
Watch this: This iPhone Case Gives You a Physical Keyboard
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The Clicks case launches Feb. 1 for the iPhone 14 Pro, and later in the spring for iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Clicks cases are available for preorder now, ranging in price from $139 to $159. Color options include banana-yellow BumbleBee and a more tame, grayscale London Sky.
Model
Clicks case price
Ship date
iPhone 14 Pro
$139
Feb. 1
iPhone 15 Pro
$139
Mid-March
iPhone 15 Pro Max
$159, $30 deposit
Early spring
Here’s what I experienced when converting my iPhone 15 Pro into a keyboarded handheld smartphone for the first time.
Hands-on with Clicks keyboard case for iPhone Pro
Let’s get to the bottom line first, then dive into the details. The extra screen space while typing is a dream, the case was surprisingly light, and I acclimated to the additional keyboard shortcuts quickly.
The most immediate and obvious benefit to the Clicks case is the change in screen size when typing. Since the case already has a keyboard, the digital keyboard no longer appears on your screen while typing, giving you far more space.
Two iPhone Pros, side by side,