If you have fond memories of clicking away on the BlackBerry, the Palm Treo, the T-Mobile Sidekick or similar handhelds from back in the day, I have good news for you: Phones with keyboards are making a comeback. Sort of.
There’s a growing number of companies looking to bring back clicky, tactile buttons, whether for that nostalgic appeal or to reinvent phone keyboards as an addition to your iPhone or Android device. Some of these have even just announced their plans at CES 2026 or will be bringing these button-filled phones to this year’s Mobile World Congress.
From keyboard cases to modern-day BlackBerry clones, here’s what we know about the potential QWERTY renaissance.
The BlackBerry Classic, as seen here, is one of a number of phones having an unexpected revival. A company called Zinwa is swapping out the phone’s internals with updated hardware, and then selling it.
Why are keyboards on phones making a comeback?
It’s difficult to assess the exact turning point for when physical phone keyboards made a comeback, but we have a couple of guesses. Perhaps the biggest reason this is happening is that people rely on their phones as their primary computer. As such, they’re probably typing long emails or editing documentation with just their phone’s touch keyboard.
While that’s perfectly fine for most people, some yearn for the comfort and tactile feel of physical keys. And perhaps getting tired of bad autocorrect errors when typing too quickly.
Another potential case for phones with keyboards is simply the desire for variety. Some people might feel a general fatigue over the familiar look and feel of modern smartphones. Having a handset that functions differently — see the popularity of recent flip and folding phones — is a welcome change.
Plus, phones with keyboards appeal not just to the older generation who miss them, but also to the younger generation who are increasingly into retro tech.
The Clicks case, as seen here during CES 2024, lets you add a keyboard onto your existing phone.
Can I get a BlackBerry in 2026?
Not really. If you want to get a new BlackBerry right out of the factory, you’re out of luck, as the company discontinued hardware production in 2020 and further discontinued its software services in 2022.
You could try to get a BlackBerry on the secondary market (like the TCL-made KeyOne or Key2), but the Android version is outdated and won’t be as functional as other smartphones. Wirecutter’s Brenda Stolyar recently attempted to revive a Blackberry Classic Q20 from 2015 and discovered that, while it can still run modern apps, it takes a lot of patience to sideload them onto the device.
Zinwa is one company that’s buying up old stock of BlackBerry hardware, replacing the internals with new components, installing Android and then reselling them. Its first “product” is the Zinwa Q25, which is essentially a retrofitted BlackBerry Classic. You can buy the finished product for $400 or get a conversion kit for $300.
What keyboard phones and accessories are currently available?
There are several options for keyboard phones on the market.
Clicks keyboard case
The easiest way to get a phone with a keyboard is to turn your existing phone into one. That’s the promise of the Clicks keyboard case, which adds a physical keyboard to most modern smartphones. It made a big splash at CES 2024 and has continued to expand its lineup (we’ll get to that shortly). Simply pop your phone inside the case, and voila, you’ll have a phone with a keyboard.
In our hands-on, we liked the extra screen real estate, how quickly the keyboard interface worked, the preprogrammed keyboard shortcuts and the tactile keys. That said, the keyboard does feel a bit crowded, and it’s unclear if it’s that much more comfortable than the default touch keyboard. Currently, the Clicks keyboard case works with the iPhone 14 and newer, the Razr 2024 and newer and the Pixel 9 and 9 Pro. Its price starts at $139.
There are also plans to release a Clicks Power Keyboard, that attaches to your phone via MagSafe or Qi2 magnetic connection. The Power Keyboard has a slider that accommodates phones of different sizes, plus it can be paired with a tablet, a smart TV or anything that uses Bluetooth. This makes the Power Keyboard much more flexible than the Clicks case, since it doesn’t need to be made for a particular device.
The preorder price is $79, though that could go up in the future.
This is a non-working prototype of the Clicks Communicator phone.
Clicks Communicator
If you feel ready to get a dedicated keyboard-equipped phone, Clicks also recently announced the Clicks Communicator, an Android smartphone centered around the keyboard experience. It is designed by a former BlackBerry designer to show what a new BlackBerry phone would be like for 2026. It has a slimmed-down interface that prioritizes messaging apps, a text-based home screen and of course, a tactile and clicky keyboard.
As it’s not as full-featured as other modern smartphones, Clicks is positioning the Communicator as a secondary productivity-focused device, which might be a good thing if you’re trying to limit your social media screen time.
It’ll be available later this year for $499, but you can preorder it now for $399.
Unihertz Titan
Unihertz is a Chinese company that’s been making keyboard phones for a few years now. They’re all part of the Titan series and run Android. The current lineup includes the Titan, Titan Pocket, Titan Slim and Titan 2. Plus, an upcoming Titan 2 Elite has been teased for Mobile World Congress. It looks like a curvier addition to the lineup, compared with the other passport-shaped models.
These phones look a lot like BlackBerrys of yore, and the Titan 2 in particular seems to bear a passing resemblance to the BlackBerry Passport.
Prices start at around $300.
The Ikko Mind One has an optional keyboard case, that gives it a BlackBerry-like look.
Ikko Mind One
The Ikko Mind One is a unique “card-sized” Android phone that comes with an innovative Sony 50-megapixel flip-up camera and, indeed, an optional keyboard case. It also ships with an “Ikko AI OS,” though it’s unclear how that works just yet. It looks utterly adorable, but we haven’t heard enough about it yet.
The Pro version sells for $429.
The Minimal Phone.
Minimal Phone
If you combined a Kindle with a BlackBerry, you might have the Minimal Phone. As the name suggests, the Minimal Phone is designed to be a super-simple distraction-free alternative to the modern smartphone. It has a generic e-paper display, a straightforward user interface, a QWERTY keyboard and the Android operating system.
The price starts at $449. You can check out PCMag’s review of the Minimal Phone here.
Which physical phone keyboard should I get?
For now, the easiest way to get a physical keyboard on your phone is likely one of the Clicks accessories, since the keyboard case and power keyboard won’t require a full phone purchase.
For most of these other devices, you’re entering a niche phone category, so support could be all over the place. You’ll want to check how many years of software and security updates these other phones are expected to receive. That way, you can have an idea about how many years of use you can safely get with these phones.
You’ll also want to consider how you want to use the device. If you’re looking for something that’s a step back from a more powerful yet constantly pinging device, the Clicks Communicator or the Minimal Phone might make a good secondary phone. The Unihertz Titan line and the Ikko Mind One may be a closer mimic of that BlackBerry experience.
