Clicks Keyboard Case Evaluation: Bodily Keys for the iPhone

I used to be overjoyed after I first noticed the Clicks Keyboard Case. It is 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 within the day and have been chasing that feeling since. You possibly can think about my shock when I discovered myself hating Clicks at first.

After I hooked up it to my iPhone 15 Professional this summer time, I assumed it might be like driving a motorbike after a very long time—easy, simple, easy, and most significantly, nostalgic. But it surely was the other. Between the small keys, discovering the appropriate option to cradle the case in my arms, and memorizing the shortcuts, I would 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 total. The keys are bigger and contoured, it helps MagSafe and CarPlay, and a brand new devoted motion button helps you to set off sure instructions. (It is solely obtainable for the iPhone 16 Professional and 16 Professional Max proper now, however the firm says it would have instances for the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus by the tip of the yr.) The upgrades will not take away from the truth that persistence remains to be a necessity to start with. But it surely’s value it—bodily keys rule.

Key Value

Naturally, the built-in keyboard seized my consideration after I first heard about Clicks. Then my eyes rapidly darted to the value. The Clicks Case is pricey, beginning at $139 and going as much as $159 for the larger iPhone Professional Max fashions. Sure, 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. Nonetheless, 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 more durable plastic that not solely feels extra sturdy but additionally attracts much less mud and lint. It is simpler to soak up and out of your pocket too (you probably have a pocket that may match it) as a result of it will not snag. There are brushed metallic facet keys, a pleasant contact, together with a cutout for the brand new Digicam Management button on the iPhone 16. On the underside half, you may 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 Professional, 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. Greater targets imply extra correct typing. They’re backlit (on each variations), so it is simply as simple to sort at nighttime too.

{Photograph}: Brenda Stolyar