- Clicks is a keyboard case that adds a physical QWERTY keyboard to your iPhone.
- Cell phones used to have keyboards like this. seriously.
- Software keyboards are good enough, but in some ways hardware keyboards are still better.
If you don't mind encasing your iPhone in a protective case that gives it a giant Buzz Lightyear chin, you'll soon be able to add a Crackberry-style hardware keyboard.
Clicks is a $139 accessory pack that places a chic QWERTY keyboard beneath the iPhone screen. It's powered by the phone via a Lightning or USB-C port, and connects directly via USB (not Bluetooth). It's very neat, looks cool, and the price is right. But hasn’t the world gotten rid of phones with physical keyboards yet? Yes, but maybe should take another look.
"While it may seem counterintuitive to attach a bulky add-on and sacrifice portability, the ultimate choice comes down to user preference for portability over a more traditional typing experience. Carrying a phone-sized keyboard is definitely easier," said Hardware Centric founder and editor-in-chief Jim Eddy told Lifewire via email.
"Clicks" is the name of the company and the name of the keyboard. The company, made up of former Apple, BlackBerry and Google employees, launches the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro models, with a $159 version of the 15 Pro Max coming soon. It comes in yellow and grey-blue colors and looks very nice.
As someone who types for a living, I prefer hardware over on-screen keys. A physical keyboard works without having to see it, and you know when a key is hit because you can feel it. Likewise, it's easy to tell if you're hitting the edge, or if you're pressing two keys at the same time (I say that's my job, not that I'm good at typing).
But for many people, a software keyboard will suffice. With predictive text and ever-improving autocorrect, your accuracy on a flat glass screen can be as accurate or close enough as on a physical keyboard. As for speed, that all depends. I'm not a fast typist and I see kids on the subway tapping away on their phones faster than I can type on my laptop.
Software keyboards are also more convenient. Not only does it not add bulk to the phone, but the keyboard can change layout depending on what you're doing: for example, the calculator app has a number pad. It's also always available when you need it. No need to clip it.
"In fact, software keyboards have become a more integral part of our daily digital experience, and most users won't see any noticeable improvement in typing speed when using a hardware keyboard," Eddy said.
Even considering the extra bulk, hardware keyboards have their advantages. First, they never change. The keys are always exactly where your fingers remember them, which makes for a more relaxing experience. This touch is a blessing in many ways. One is that you can feel the click and find the keys easily by touch. Another is that you can rest your fingers on the keys without activating them - try using the iPhone's soft keyboard.
"Hardware keyboards on phones appeal to a niche market, especially those who type a lot, such as writers or professionals who need tactile feedback to type faster," Lilo user experience designer and head of design and development Grace White via email told Lifewire.
A hardware keyboard also means you can use keyboard shortcuts. Clicks has a ⌘ key, so you can do all the Mac-like keyboard shortcuts built into the iPhone, such as ⌘-B for bold, ⌘-H for close (hide) the current app, ⌘-C for copy, etc., Or hit the space bar to scroll web pages in Safari. You can also press ⌘-Space to bring up the Spotlight search panel, which I think is probably the only reason to buy an iPhone Pro and the accompanying Clicks.
Of course, the biggest advantage, literally, is that you can use the entire iPhone screen while typing, since the keyboard no longer takes up half of the display. If you have something longer to write than a brief iMessage or an abusive YouTube comment, being able to use the entire screen to write something can be very comfortable.
Finally, it's nice to have this option. With the iPad, you can choose to use it bare-bones, with a stylus, or with a keyboard and trackpad or mouse. So it's nice to finally have at least one of these features available on the iPhone.
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