The dream of the mobile phone keyboard - and why it's falling apart
I'm a fan of real keyboards – even on smartphones. I've never been able to get used to touchscreens. So I was really looking forward to the Clicks Power Keyboard. But I was disappointed.
I'm not writing this text with my MacBook keyboard as usual, but on a hardware keyboard for my phone. The Clicks Power Keyboard is magnetically docked to the back of my Google Pixel and connected via Bluetooth. I slide the keyboard down and type with my thumbs – just like with Blackberry and co. back in the day.
As a keyboard fan, I never warmed up to touchscreens
I was one of those fans of real buttons on mobile phones. I never owned a Blackberry, but I had several Nokia Communicators in the 2000s. I typed entire articles on them – whenever I didn't want to use the laptop monsters that weighed two to three kilograms back then.
Just like now on the crowded ICE to Hamburg. The MacBook barely has room on the small table, so a phone keyboard is perfect at this moment. Of course, I could type directly on the touchscreen, but I still find it uncomfortable after almost 20 years. And I'm not as fast as I was on the Nokia back then.
That's why I immediately ordered the Power Keyboard for around 80 Swiss francs or euros when it was launched by the English start-up Clicks. Finally, being able to type quickly on real keys again – that's my dream.
Good hardware, poor weight distribution
The rude awakening followed shortly after delivery. No matter how many good ideas the manufacturer may have incorporated, the keyboard fails in one central aspect: it cannot be held comfortably with two hands. The problem is the weight distribution; the design is too top-heavy. I need so much strength that I can't type relaxed.
This is due to the docked smartphone. My Google Pixel 10 Pro isn't even particularly large or heavy, but it already throws the magnetic keyboard off balance. I have the same problem with an iPhone 15 Pro – with and without a case. The problem is likely to worsen with the XL and Max versions.
Despite all my love for keyboards: for me, the Clicks Power Keyboard is unusable. Even though I quickly got used to the small round keys and was typing faster than on the touchscreen after a short time – I can't keep it up for more than a few minutes.
And that's not enough for me: if I'm carrying an extra 180 grams and the unwieldy hump on the back of my smartphone, I want to be able to work with it for extended periods. I type short messages or emails on the touchscreen – or dictate them using speech recognition.
Hope types last
At that point, the many positive aspects of the Clicks keyboard no longer matter: the high-quality craftsmanship; the small but very pleasant backlit keys; the built-in 2300 mAh battery that can wirelessly charge the phone; the stable hinge that also turns the keyboard on and off; and the software that supports countless shortcuts and operating functions via the keyboard.
I'm not giving up hope entirely. Because if I place the smartphone on a table and simply use the Power Keyboard remotely via Bluetooth, then I notice how the typing feeling comes alive. And I'm looking forward to the Clicks Communicator, which I've already ordered. The weight distribution should be better here, because the device was planned from the beginning as a smartphone with a keyboard. With the Unihertz Titan 2, a second promising keyboard phone is coming onto the market.
When and if the Clicks Power Keyboard will be available in our range is still unclear. That's not a problem, because it doesn't fulfill the promise of a good accessory keyboard.
By the way: After two paragraphs, I switched back to the MacBook to finish writing this text. The Clicks keyboard was too cumbersome for me. If anyone is genuinely interested in the Power Keyboard, they can email me via my author profile. The person with the best arguments will receive the gadget for free.
Gadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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