TECH

Compact smartphone with keyboard: Clicks Communicator featured in hands-on video

The Clicks Communicator is one of the most unusual smartphones on the market, as the device combines an almost square 4-inch touchscreen with a keyboard that also functions as a touchpad. Clicks is now showcasing the BlackBerry-style smartphone for the first time in a hands-on video.

The Clicks Communicator has been available for pre-order since spring. The smartphone, priced at $499, is expected to ship toward the end of the year. The manufacturer is now demonstrating the smartphone for the first time in a more comprehensive hands-on video that shows some of the Clicks Communicator’s more unusual features in detail.

First and foremost, the video showcases the Android skin, which displays favorite apps and widgets in a list view. Under favorites, all apps are displayed in an alphabetically sorted list. The Clicks Communicator features three microphones, high-quality stereo speakers, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Since communication is a priority for the manufacturer, Clicks says this also applies to call quality, even in hands-free mode.

To ensure high-quality audio, the Clicks Communicator features two speakers at the top and two front-facing ones below the keyboard, enhancing the stereo sound experience. It includes three microphones: one at the top, one on the back, and another below the keyboard. There is also a 3.5mm jack for wired headphones.

The back cover is easily removable without tools, providing access to the SIM card and the microSD card slot (supporting up to 2 TB); however, the battery is not removable, even though it is easily accessible.

At the end of the video, Jeff emphasizes that this is still a pre-production unit, so the final design will be refined based on suggestions and requests from the community. In future videos, he will demonstrate other new features, such as a touch-sensitive keyboard, a messaging hub, and more.

The keyboard has a few hidden features. In the video, Clicks only shows the fingerprint sensor, which is built into the spacebar. The shortcut button and the touchpad functionality, made possible by the keyboards touch-sensitive surface, will be demonstrated in future videos. At the very least, the video shows how the back cover can be removed without any tools to insert a SIM card or a microSD card, or to replace the battery.

Clicks confirms that everything is currently on track and that shipments are expected to begin in the fourth quarter. The smartphone is expected to stand out not only for its compact design and keyboard, but also for its support of magnetic Qi2 chargers, as well as a 50 MP main camera and a 24 MP selfie camera. However, the manufacturer has not yet provided any details about the built-in processor.

mundophone