A bumper crop of physical keyboard phones wasn’t on my bingo card for 2026, but that’s exactly what’s happening. Clicks announced the Clicks Communicator to start the year. A spiritual successor to BlackBerry that promises a focused experience, different from traditional smartphones.
In addition to the physical keyboard, the Clicks Communicator features a custom Niagara-inspired launcher, designed to bring order to chaos and better handle notifications.
It all sounds excellent, but the Clicks Communicator isn’t the only new physical keyboard phone we’re getting in 2026. Unihertz teased a follow-up to its Unihertz Titan 2 phone: the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite.
Details are sparse, and how the phone earns its Elite title is yet to be seen. However, from the press image, the device appears more compact than the beefy Titan 2 — more like a BlackBerry Classic. If true, the sizing should match up with the Clicks Communicator, giving buyers another option for a compact keyboard phone later this year.
Purpose-built phones are making a comeback
Not everything has to be a generic slab
Credit: Unihertz
I love the direction smartphones are headed in 2026. The Honor Robot Phone concept is another excellent example of a device with a unique angle, designed for a specific segment of buyers. I’m excited about what Clicks has planned for the Communicator, but it’s worth noting that Unihertz did an excellent job with the Titan 2.
In previous phones, it felt too much like the keyboard was slapped on as an afterthought, but that’s not the case with the Titan 2. It’s an integral part of the experience, with shortcuts to apps with long and short presses, and a capacitive touchpad built into the keyboard. Unihertz also did a better job with software support.
It’s still not the long-term support Clicks promises for the Communicator, but Unihertz is quoting support intervals for the first time I can remember. I don’t know what the company will offer on the Titan 2 Elite, but we’ll at least know before purchase.
Marking a product as Elite suggests an improved spec sheet, and Unihertz has done that before. All told, the device does appear to have more polish. I look forward to getting it in hand later this spring.
