The leadership behind this project is f(x)tec. While they're not outright scammers they have a TERRIBLE track record in delivering products like this. Just look up the old fxtec community forums or the indiegogo pages for the pro1 / pro1x.

It's just data points but so far the modus operandi was to take pre-order money and then take years to deliver a bad product with no aftermarket support. There were always new excuses about what happened (shipping company stole our stuff! chip reseller scammed us! etc) but no transparency. The reality seems to be they ran out of money and instead of being upfront about it kept making up new stories why nothing was happening. The few devices they have shipped are basically unusable unless you're going to mod the hard- and software yourself (no security updates, issues in antenna design, outdated hardware by the time it ships, keyboard quality issues, you name it).

If you're interested in the device I implore you to wait until you can buy it upfront (ideally in a physical store) and return it at your convenience.

I thought I needed a keyboard too, but when everything is designed for a slab screen and your "productivity" phone randomly shuts down or has no reception in a major area, you gotta think about what productivity really means.

First, typing was actually slower and more error prone. Even nearly a year into owning it, I was constantly misclicking and spending loads of time correcting myself.

Second, you loose a ton of navigate functionality with the hardware keyboards. Holding space to navigate between characters is gone. Emojis are gone. GIF keyboards are gone.

Third, none of the apps are built for this aspect ratio or screen size. Often this is just an annoyance - but there are times this became an actual, legitimate blocker. Items would be laid out off screen in a way that you couldn’t access them. The solution: a scaled view where everything was ridiculously tiny.

Three B: too many situations where the virtual keyboard would come up and you’d literally have the entire screen covered.

I didn’t realize how much value I lose with these issues until I experienced them. Every thing you’ve relied on essentially become unreliable because you might not be able to use certain functionality.

I really do hope they succeed, and will definitely buy one if it turns out to be a viable product, but not before that.

The alternative I went with, and which I recommend, is getting both a smartphone and a nokia shitphone (no internet). Then ask the carrier for a sim duplicate. These exist, and are in fact a new number that redirects to your number. Use and carry whichever you want, knowing that calls will all go to both phones.

It's running regular Android with a custom version of Niagara launcher (which it seems I need to try), and seems like it's a product built by people who want to use it. Which makes me hopeful that a lot of care was put into designing it. It seems like they're aiming it towards people that want a second device for work, which -in my mind- means there might be some compromises, so I'll be waiting for reviews to decide if it can hold up as a daily driver or not.

It should be noted, they claim that the keyboard is touch sensitive and can be used for scrolling, so it might actually solve some of the usability issues that immediately come to mind.

TBH, I'm a little surprised by all the hate. This might not be a product for you, or it might not speak to you for other reasons. The fact is that this company has seen success with their phone cases (I don't get it either), and has now announced two new products that should reach more of the market (the other is a magsafe slide out keyboard, it's very cool). If you don't like it, fair enough, but that doesn't mean it's a bad product.

The Razr 2024/25 + the clicks keyboard is probably the "best" so far. Although I just got a Zinwa Q25. Amazing how good that formfactor feels after having candy bars this long.

I second/third/forth all the other comments on this already, it would be better if I didn't have to buy into the google android system; seems like google has lost most of the trust with most people.

I've never gotten used to the touch keyboard, since writing anything while code-switching multiple languages doesn't really work well with the predictive input. Especially if the other language has to be transliterated from a non Latin script.

Though the update policy doesn't sound too promising, 2 years of OS updates + 5 years of security updates is too short :/

[1] https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_ericsson_xperia_x10_mini_pro-3...

By "open" above, I don't necessarily mean open hardware (though that would be great). I just mean "as open as a random consumer x86 computer you can just throw any Linux distro at without any special secret sauce".

I've been using a lightphone for 3 years but i can't stand the touch screen and only having SMS is annoying.

App reviews (2) saying that there was lot of glitches with keyboard app.

I assume same approach will be for the this phone: accessory keyboard over android phone.

1. https://www.clicks.tech/en

2. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.clicks.com...

I'm missing having LED colours for notifications on my current phone.

Presentation: The web site shows the same screen - show some variety of what the OS looks like in that format.

> As a real keyboard with the QWERTY layout, Communicator supports languages that use the Latin alphabet: [...] Russian

Weird

I could definitely use a second device that is specific for work. I don't want MDM on my phone mostly because they can erase my phone at any time. I also would check work email and Teams constantly. My work is more than happy to get me connected to work services if I will accept the MDM terms yet they won't help pay for my phone bill nor pay for a phone.

All I need is a device that can easily connect to my smartphone hotspot or wifi when I choose to that will meet my company's MDM requirements, has email, and can use Teams. If Im making a phone call at work I 100% use Teams. All I need is data which I can get from my smartphone. The included modem is extra costs. If this was $200-$300 I would consider it which they could do if they didn't include a modem.

Any device that isn’t as thick and heavy as the original Game Boy feels uncomfortably cramped in my hands.

Being unable to fit in a pocket would be a plus. I want a device I have to consciously choose to carry with me to a new room, like a tablet or a pound of butter.

So I have a lot of hope for this working and it will be fantastic influence on others. Niagara launcher, if they tweaked it, can be nice as well with keyboard.

I want them to succeed. I am on Google Fi, I have data card with my plan, this would be perfect use. I don't chat nearly as much but this would just me fantastic.

I watched full keynote, it is very good presentation, that thing alone should sell phones.

Price... I don't know, it is OK, it could be lower, but it is fine if it delivers. I am not getting anything until I get it reviewed by multiple people.

Wish them success.

It still has a touchscreen, right? And it even has a blinky light up button on the side, something iPhone doesn't. I read the homepage, but I couldn't figure out how this phone was "anti-doomscrolling" - what am I missing?

What makes me suspicious is the Gmail icon instead of a generic email app.

So if I have my own email server, does that mean no mail? Or would there be one Gmail app and another separate email client? Unclear.

Also find it ironic how all these things are starting to look more and more like my old Palm Pilot.

I am always reluctant to jump on with these independent ambitious projects. The first version is understandably rough, and the company seems to fold before they get to a second or third version.

But maybe advances in manufacturing in China are making high-quality, small-batch products like this more tractable?

Apple could have made an iPhone Mini with customised OS that does not cater for massive screen and social media entertainment.

But Apple is too focused on making money from services sector which is the App Store.

Personally wish their marketing leaned into the productivity more than in this "second-device" trend. Never understood that if I am totally honest. The logic for buying a $ 700,- Light Phone over just installing a launcher and muting the colours is allegedly that it creates more friction, but there is just as much keeping you from just using your existing phone once you purchased a Light Phone as there is preventing you from uninstalling the launcher. Basically, I see this category as rather dishonest, at most holding on by a treat with the sunk cost argument that anyone truly addicted is unlikely to even feel, so I'd rather see them lean into what makes them great rather than chase an artificial category, often more focused on signaling the intent to lessen phone user over actually facilitating it.

State clearly, proudly and with full conviction that yes, this is a main device and yes, there are things this will do better than arguably anything else on the market, mainly because Clicks does keyboards a multitude better than any alternative, be it Unihertz or Minimal.

How easy is it to build a custom android phone these days, with the help of Chinese suppliers of course?

The people in my life I’ve shown this to so far have all shared my hopefulness. It seems to me that everyone who had a keyboarded Blackberry misses it for the utility of the device. I think Apple and the rest of the smartphone industry were correct on the direction mobile phones were heading. A big screen is great for viewing content but is not so great at doing things besides social media. This has become increasingly obvious as the iOS keyboard keeps on getting worse while more people use their iPhone as their only, or at least primary, computing device. I can’t speak to the Android space so I’m not sure if Samsung, Huawei, or Google devices are having similar on-screen keyboard issues.

One thing that is immediately disappointing about the product specs at this moment is the timeframe for updates. Two years of Android system updates plus 5 years of security updates is paltry compared to Samsung & Google’s recent change of tune on that front. It is pretty pathetic compared to Apple’s long-standing precedent of providing full OS updates for several years, even for phones that probably shouldn’t be on the latest version of iOS.

Oh well.

EDIT: was referring to their first product that is an iphone case plus keyboard (I just noticed they have a new keyboard offering).

Nothing beats N900 typing experience. Change my mind.

If they're using the same keyboard in this phone, it won't be of interest to me.

>Communicator will run Android 16. We’re comfortable committing to 2 years of Android updates and 5 years of security updates