Retro returns: new iPhone case brings back physical keyboards, BlackBerry-style
8:55 AM EST, January 6, 2024
The British startup Clicks announced a presentation at CES 2024, an event dedicated to smartphones, to showcase their latest creation—a physical keyboard for the iPhone. The Clicks keyboard links to the iPhone via Lightning or USB-C, depending on the phone model, as reported by Spider's Web.
This innovative blend of a case and a keyboard offers the benefit of phone charging, backlit keys for easy visibility, and the option for iPhone control using keyboard shortcuts. This attachment gives the iPhone a semblance to the iconic BlackBerry models.
The keyboard case comes in gray and yellow hues. According to the company, the pre-sale price for the Clicks case, designed for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, is $139. The cost for the iPhone 15 Pro Max model is $159.
Interestingly, this is not the first attempt at creating such a product. Such a Keyboard case was available for purchase in 2013. However, it failed to gain traction due to its bulkiness, hindering port access and muffling speakers.
The pricing of the new iPhone 15 in the US
Launched in mid-September 2023, the latest iPhones were announced—the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, and the iPhone 15 Pro & iPhone Pro Max. These were the company's first phones to feature a USB-C port (instead of the proprietary Lightning standard), enabling them to be charged with cables customarily used in other phone brands. The move also follows EU regulations aiming to standardize charging.
On the day of the premiere, the base model iPhone 15 128 GB had a price tag of $1,175. For the same memory capacity, the iPhone 15 Plus was set at $1,325. The iPhone 15 Pro 128 GB was priced at $1,500, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256 GB was costing $1,800. The highest-priced iPhone model, the 15 Pro Max 1 TB, was then priced at $2,400.
