"But before that happens, I managed to find phones of a different shape lurking around the corners of the CES convention center halls. They weren't center stage, of course. That was reserved for robots doing laundry badly. But in the margins at tech's biggest show, I saw some glimmers of hope that the future of phones might not look as same-y as it has for the past half decade - at least, if you know where to look."
"Clicks, the company known for its keyboard cases, didn't just launch a combination MagSafe power bank and slide-out keyboard accessory. It also launched a whole-ass phone. The Communicator leans hard into Clicks' BlackBerry DNA, with its full keyboard and Curve-esque design. The prototype units I got to play with weren't functional, but the keyboard keys worked, and boy did they feel nice. The interchangeable back panels are sleek, and I'm personally campaigning for a fuzzy tennis ball optic yellow option."
CES included several unconventional phone prototypes displayed in the convention center margins rather than on the main stage. Clicks introduced both a MagSafe power bank combined with a slide-out keyboard accessory and a dedicated phone called the Communicator. The Communicator emphasizes a full physical keyboard and a Curve-like design rooted in BlackBerry aesthetics. Prototype units had working keys despite limited functionality, and the device offers interchangeable back panels with distinctive design options. The Communicator is positioned as a companion device rather than a replacement for a primary smartphone, aiming to diversify device roles and form factors.
Read at The Verge
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