At a Glance
- Clicks unveiled the $500 Communicator, a second-phone with a physical keyboard, at CES 2026
- Unihertz teased the Titan 2 Elite, another QWERTY Android device echoing BlackBerry design
- Neither company brought working units; only mockups were shown
- Why it matters: After two decades of glass-slab dominance, multiple firms bet on tactile typing nostalgia
The QWERTY smartphone-killed by the iPhone’s capacitive touchscreen in 2007-is staging a comeback. At CES 2026, accessory-maker Clicks revealed the Communicator, a $500 companion phone built almost entirely for messaging. Days earlier, petite-phone specialist Unihertz posted a silhouette of its own keyboard-toting Titan 2 Elite. Both devices revive the physical keypad, yet neither was functional on the show floor.
Clicks Communicator: A $500 Sidekick for DM Addicts
Clicks bills the Communicator as a “second phone.” The candy-bar handset pairs with your primary device and focuses on one task: rapid-fire typing. Texts, Slack pings, Instagram DMs-anything that benefits from raised keys instead of predictive autocorrect.
Key facts shown so far:
- Price: $500 at launch “later this year”
- Keyboard: Individual sculpted keys, backlit
- Screen: Rectangular panel with rounded corners, hole-punch selfie cam upper-left
- Status: Non-working dummy units only; final specs pending
Company reps told News Of Fort Worth the product is “primarily intended for messaging.” No processor details, battery size, or camera array were disclosed. The mockup felt sturdy, but attendees could not power it on.
Unihertz Titan 2 Elite: BlackBerry Passport Echo
Unihertz made its name with credit-card-sized Jelly phones and brick-like Tank handsets. Its new Titan 2 Elite appears to refine the Titan 2, itself a square-screen homage to the BlackBerry Passport.
Teaser image reveals:
- Familiar rounded-corner display
- Front-facing camera in the same upper-left hole-punch
- BlackBerry-style sculpted keypad rather than Clicks’ separated chiclet keys
- No dimensions, price, or ship date yet
The firm’s January 12 tweet reads: “New QWERTY is coming…Stay tuned.” Sources told News Of Fort Worth that Unihertz will reveal full specs “within the quarter.”
Two Devices, One Keyboard Resurgence
Side-by-side photos show uncanny alignment: both phones share screen curvature and camera placement. The only obvious divergence is key styling. Industry insiders at CES whisper the duo might share a single component vendor restarting production lines for modest-volume orders.
Timeline of public moves:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan 3, 2026 | Unihertz begins social-media tease |
| Jan 7, 2026 | CES press badges issued |
| Jan 8, 2026 | Clicks books last-minute booth space |
| Jan 9, 2026 | Clicks Communicator mockup appears |
| Jan 12, 2026 | Unihertz posts silhouette, ignites keyboard chatter |
Nostalgia, Frustration, or Supplier Push?
Natalie A. Brooks spoke with showgoers who miss tactile feedback. One Galaxy S24 Ultra owner said iOS and Android keyboards “get worse every update,” citing autocorrect fails. Another missed BlackBerry’s sculpted keys after swapping to an iPhone 15.
Yet nostalgia alone may not justify carrying a second phone. “$500 is a lot to ask for that satisfaction,” Natalie A. Brooks noted. Both companies target enthusiasts, not mass market. If sales reach even 50,000 units, the niche could tempt other vendors before the year ends.
Key Takeaways
- Physical QWERTY phones are re-emerging after nearly two decades of touchscreen dominance
- Clicks Communicator positions itself as a premium sidekick for power messengers
- Unihertz Titan 2 Elite leans into BlackBerry-style design language
- Neither handset was functional at CES; real-world performance remains unknown
- With 352 days left in 2026, more keyboard phones could still surface
