Joe Maring / Digital Trends
CES typically is n’t a big show for Mobile River , butCES 2024has been a strange exception to that convention . From theAsus ROG Phone 8 Protofuturistic folding construct from Samsung , there ’s been a lot of exciting mobile tech to bet at .
That also include Clicks — a new accoutrement that fundamentally transforms your iPhone into a BlackBerry .
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
The Clicks Creator Keyboardwas announce on January 4 , and at CES 2024 , I had an opportunity to go hand - on with the keyboard case to see what it ’s really like . And now that I ’ve used it , I cerebrate it ’s one of the cool peregrine gadgets at the entire show .
What Clicks gets right
The pitch for a keyboard case is a middling easy one to comprehend . Instead of typing on a virtual keyboard , you now have a physical one to type on . But this is n’t just about having a physical typewriting experience . While that ’s the main draw , what really interested me was the trickle outcome this has on how you use your iPhone .
Take cutoff , for example . dog works with a encompassing diversity of iOS keyboard shortcuts , collapse you debauched access to a numeral of actions . If you ’re in Safari , pressingCmd + Topens a new tab , whileCmd + Fopens the finder so you may wait for a specific intelligence or words on a web page . you may also urge on the space prevention to easily scroll through long websites .
In an app and desire to go back to your dwelling house screen ? PressingCmd + Htakes you there . And if you ’re on the dwelling house screen , pressingCmd + Spaceopens Spotlight Search .
I eff all of these things about dog going into my script - on session , but after actually using them , itclickedwith me how utilitarian they can be . specially as someone who ’s at CES justly now and working a lot from my phone , the idea of having these shortcuts promptly available to me is really compelling .
The other aspect of Clicks that I love is not having to see a practical keyboard . One of Clicks ’ big pitch for the keyboard case is that it adds “ up to 50 % ” more display space since the virtual keyboard is hidden when it would normally invade your screen . It sound a small wacky , but the difference it take a shit really is significant .
Whether you ’re tote up text to an Instagram Story , replying to someone on Threads , or completing some other task , seeing everything on your screen without the practical keyboard taking up the bottom half really is fantastic .
The typing experience
Clicks has me sell on the benefit of using a forcible keyboard with an iPhone . But here ’s the $ 139 motion : How does it finger to type on Clicks ?
In some ways , I intend Clicks get a lot justly here . There ’s a in force amount of clickiness , especially considering the keyboard ’s sizing . It does n’t feel like complete mush , which is a expectant plus . I also love that there ’s a backlight for when you ’re typing at nighttime or in a dim way . I truly did n’t expect to see that in such a heavyset body .
However , there ’s a big acquisition bend when proceed back to typing on a small , strong-arm smartphone keyboard .
After typewrite on a virtual keyboard for so many years , I typed a wad slower and a lot more inaccurately with Clicks compare to just using iOS ’ virtual keyboard . I had to look where certain keys were , delete letter I did n’t mean to typecast , and so on .
That all sound quite bad , but here ’s the thing you need to describe for . I ca n’t enjoin you the last fourth dimension I typed on a smartphone - sized keyboard , and I ’m certain that ’s the slip for most folks out there . This is n’t one of those thing you pick up immediately and are a pro at . It ’s going to clock time and praxis to refamiliarize yourself with this sort of typing experience .
How long will that take ? It ’s inconceivable to say after only spend about an hour with detent so far . That may turn some people off , but that ’s just the reality of a intersection like this .
I can’t wait to use Clicks again
Do I consider Clicks is a perfect gadget ? No . Does it make your iPhone large and bulky when it ’s at bottom of the add-on ? It sure does . Is $ 139 ( or $ 159 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max model ) a lot of money to drop on something like this ? Yep .
However , I came away from my meter with Clicks counting down the twenty-four hour period to when I ’ll be able to use it again . Not necessarily because I hate typecast on a virtual keyboard , but because of all of the other thing it does . You do n’t want to load it or pair it at all . The keyboard crosscut could genuinely make working from my headphone easy . see more of my silver screen while type was great to experience . It ’s not an supplement I ’d rock 24/7 , but I could see this being an incredibly helpful tool when I ’m out and about and working from my iPhone — like when I ’m covering CES .
Clicks is a very targeted and specific character of iPhone accessory , and although I ’m not the physical keyboard mega fan it ’s targeted at , I still intend there ’s a lot to like here . In term of the fluid gadgets I ’ve seen at CES 2024 , it ’s certainly one of the most memorable .
The Clicks Creator Keyboardis available for preorder nowand will begin ship in February .
