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.Â
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
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…
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