Joe Maring / Android Authority
For all the people who say smartphones are boring and that innovation is dead, CES 2026 is quickly proving them wrong. Between the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold, Motorola Razr Fold, and Punkt MC03, we’ve seen numerous Android phones that all bring something fresh and new to the table.
But as impressive as those phones are, there’s another Android handset I saw at this year’s CES that has me even more hyped. It’s called the Clicks Communicator, and after just a 30-minute briefing/hands-on session, I can confidently say it’s the most excited I’ve been about a new Android phone in years.
If you have’t heard of the Clicks Communicator before, the general idea is this: It’s an Android phone designed with the singular goal of being the best communications device possible. It’s not meant to be a mobile gaming powerhouse, the best phone for Netflix binge sessions, or a camera champion. Instead, it’s meant to be the best Android phone you can buy for managing emails and triaging endless text messages.
It’s a fascinating mission, and one I’ll discuss more later, but what’s also so intriguing about the Communicator is how radically different its hardware is from virtually every other Android phone available today.
Would you buy the Clicks Communicator? 40 votes I already placed my pre-order! 25 % Yes, but I'm waiting for the full release. 20 % I'm not sure yet. 30 % No way — who would want this? 25 %
Joe Maring / Android Authority
As you’ve likely noticed, the Clicks Communicator doesn’t look like most modern Android phones — largely because it has a keyboard!
Below the 4.03-inch AMOLED display is a full QWERTY keyboard, which feels outstanding. The keys are about 30% larger than those on other Clicks keyboards (including the new Clicks Power Keyboard) and are shaped like an oval rather than circular. I certainly need more hands-on time to determine just how fast and accurate my typing will be, but even after just a few minutes playing with the keyboard, it felt noticeably more comfortable than Clicks’ other products.
What’s also unique about the Communicator’s hardware is its back design. Using magnetic backplates, you can easily change the phone’s color whenever you want. I saw pink, blue, green, red, yellow, and black plastic backplates, plus a really lovely leather option that felt incredible. Hardware customization to this extent is all but nonexistent with current Android phones, and I couldn’t be happier to see it return on the Clicks Communicator.
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