Clicks Communicator is moving from concept to something much more tangible, and its latest prototype video makes that shift hard to ignore. The device blends a modern Android phone with a strong BlackBerry-style identity, then adds hardware choices that are increasingly rare on mainstream smartphones.
The biggest draw is not only nostalgia. Clicks is positioning Communicator as a phone that encourages a more focused way of using Android, with a physical keyboard at the center of the experience and several design details that favor direct interaction over screen-only input.
A physical keyboard that changes the Android experience
In the newly shown demonstration, Jeff Gadway, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Clicks, opens with the Communicator homescreen and its app ribbon arranged alphabetically. Users can also pin favorite apps to the front, while widgets can control active apps such as Spotify.
The keyboard is designed to do more than handle typing. When Gadway begins entering an app name, the device immediately surfaces matching apps, showing that the keyboard is meant to function as a primary navigation tool as well as an input method.
| Key Interface Feature | What It Does | Notable Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Alphabetical app ribbon | Organizes apps on the homescreen | Favorites can be moved to the front |
| Widgets | Control active apps | Spotify was shown as an example |
| Keyboard search behavior | Finds apps while typing | Matches appear as soon as names are entered |
Hardware choices that stand out on an Android phone
Communicator also brings back features that many buyers still miss on modern devices. It includes a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which remains one of the most notable hardware additions in a phone built around a physical keyboard.
Audio and communication hardware receive unusual attention as well. Speakers are positioned on both the top and bottom edges, and the device carries three microphones placed at the top, bottom, and rear.
Security is handled through a fingerprint sensor built into the spacebar, another detail that reinforces the device’s physical-first approach. The back cover can also be removed without tools to access the SIM card and microSD slot, although the battery itself is not removable.
Colors, covers, and a more personal feel
Clicks plans to ship Communicator in three colorways. The lineup includes Smoke, described as white with a slight gray tone, Onyx in solid black, and Clover in dark green.
The company is also preparing a range of back covers in different colors. That gives the device a level of customization that fits its distinct identity and helps it stand apart in a market where many Android phones look increasingly similar.
| Color Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Smoke | White with a slight gray tone |
| Onyx | Solid black |
| Clover | Dark green |
What Clicks has not shown yet
Even with the latest video, Clicks has not fully revealed everything Communicator can do. Gadway said additional demonstrations will follow in the coming weeks, suggesting that more of the phone’s core ideas are still being held back for later.
Among the features still awaiting a full showcase are a kill switch, touch-sensitive keyboard, message hub, signal light, and prompt key. Together, they suggest that Clicks wants Communicator to feel like a different kind of Android device rather than a standard phone with an attached keyboard.
The company is still waiting on certification, while beta testing is scheduled for this quarter. Shipping is expected in the fourth quarter, and reservations are already open for users drawn to a smartphone that revives the BlackBerry formula with modern Android hardware.
