GoKawiilAt a time when nearly every phone-maker is raising prices and cutting memory, one company is bucking the trend by adding more RAM.
The $649 Blackberry-inspired Clicks Communicator phone will launch in December, but the company behind it just announced that the unreleased handset will have a larger battery and more RAM than originally expected. Clicks Technology, better known for its keyboard cases and Power Keyboard accessory, released a video on Friday sharing a number of upgrades, feature details and news about the launch.
The Clicks Communicator will ship with 12GB of RAM (up from the promised 8GB) and a 4,350-mAh battery (up from 4,000 mAh). Given this year’s trends, it is absolutely wild that the company is adding more RAM while keeping the previously announced preorder price of $499. Google, Motorola, Samsung and, most recently, Apple, have raised prices on most of their phones, including the new iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max, citing higher RAM and component costs driven by the increased demand for memory by AI data centers.
Clicks Technology announced the keyboard phone at CES in January. The marquee feature is a built-in physical keyboard that is similar to the one found on the company’s keyboard cases. The design was inspired in part by using a Motorola Razr’s cover screen inside a Clicks keyboard case for the phone. After receiving an unexpectedly high number of preorders, Clicks was able to upgrade the design and features, including the processor.
I took this photo in March. On the left is a dummy prototype of the Clicks Communicator, and next to it is a Motorola Razr (closed) inside a Clicks Keyboard case. Notice the Razr has the Niagara launcher on its cover screen. Patrick Holland/CNET
Turns out, plenty of people want a thoughtfully designed handset that combines old-school features — including a keyboard, dedicated notification light and headphone jack — with a modern smartphone focused on messaging, calls and efficiency. The Communicator, designed by a former BlackBerry designer, is the phone I’ve been looking forward to most this year.
People who preordered the Clicks Communicator can now configure their phone’s color, keyboard layout, charging covers and accessories on the company’s website. If you’re considering buying one, you can preorder it for $499 ($150 off) until Sept. 30.
The Communicator is sold unlocked, meaning that you can use your current carrier’s nano SIM card or eSIM with it. But you also have the option to use the company’s new voice and data service for phone called Clicks Mobile. It’ll run on AT&T in the US and Vodafone in the UK.
The video also showcases a number of Communicator features in depth. Here are a handful that stood out.
The Communicator will ship with the game Brick Breaker. Patrick Holland/CNET
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