I used to be overjoyed after I first noticed the Clicks Keyboard Case. It’s the first-of-its-kind iPhone case with a built-in bodily keyboard—sure, in 2024! I bear in mind ferociously typing and sending texts on my clackety Blackberry Curve and LG Rumor again in the day and have been chasing that feeling since. You can think about my shock when I discovered myself hating Clicks at first.
When I hooked up it to my iPhone 15 Pro this summer time, I believed it might be like using a motorbike after a very long time—easy, straightforward, easy, and most significantly, nostalgic. But it was the reverse. Between the small keys, discovering the proper approach to cradle the case in my arms, and memorizing the shortcuts, I’d usually pull up the digital keyboard as an alternative. This factor takes time to be taught.
The newest model made for the iPhone 16 lineup improves issues general. The keys are bigger and contoured, it helps MagSafe and CarPlay, and a brand new devoted motion button enables you to set off sure instructions. (It’s solely out there for the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max proper now, however the firm says it is going to have circumstances for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus by the finish of the 12 months.) The upgrades will not take away from the proven fact that persistence remains to be a necessity in the starting. But it is price it—bodily keys rule.
Key Price
Naturally, the built-in keyboard seized my consideration after I first heard about Clicks. Then my eyes rapidly darted to the worth. The Clicks Case is dear, beginning at $139 and going as much as $159 for the larger iPhone Pro Max models. Yes, it is technically two merchandise in a single (a case and a keyboard), however I do not sometimes spend greater than $50 on an iPhone case. Still, it is simpler to grasp why it is so costly as soon as it is in your arms.
I already thought the iPhone 15 Clicks Case felt good, however the iPhone 16 model goes a step additional. The rubbery again is now a tougher plastic that not solely feels extra sturdy but in addition attracts much less mud and lint. It’s simpler to absorb and out of your pocket too (in case you have a pocket that may match it) as a result of it will not snag. There are brushed metallic aspect keys, a pleasant contact, together with a cutout for the new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16. On the backside half, you will discover a patch of vegan leather-based that provides some beautiful padding whereas holding the case.
The keyboard is far nicer on this model. On the iPhone 15 Pro, the keys are small, spherical, raised buttons and it felt tedious typing on them, particularly if I wished to keep away from a typo. The newest model options keys with a contoured design, and crucially, the floor space of every button is 35 p.c larger. Bigger targets imply extra correct typing. They’re backlit (on each variations), so it is simply as straightforward to sort in the darkish too.
Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
