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I've found the best solution if you want a smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard
If you’re looking for the best phones with a physical keyboard, then I’m sorry to tell you that your options are slimming down. Phones with a built-in physical keyboard are becoming very, very rare. And the few ones available right now are pretty much considered antiques in the world of smartphones.
However, if this is a feature you absolutely need, there are still some devices you might want to consider — and the best solution might surprise you.
Clicks Keyboard Case: The best Android QWERTY Keyboard solution
- Full QWERTY keyboard
- Impressive tactile feedback
- Keyboard shortcut compatibility
- MagSafe support
- Cramped keys
- Causes phone imbalance
- No arrows or standalone number row
- No tangible typing speed gain
If you really want a phone with a physical keyboard, and you don’t want to buy what could be considered an antique in the modern world of tech, then the Clicks Keyboard Case is your best bet. This isn’t technically one of the best phones with a physical keyboard, though. It’s a keyboard case.
The tricky part with the Clicks Keyboard Case is that it is only available for a limited selection of smartphones. But if your phone is compatible, this is the best way to add a QWERTY keyboard to a modern phone.
If you have an iPhone, the case is available for the Apple iPhone 16 series, iPhone 15 series, and iPhone 14 series. On the Android side, you can get it for the Motorola Razr 2025 and 2024 series, and the Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro. It’s also available for the iPhone 14-17 devices.
If you want to use a physical keyboard on a smartphone, nothing beats the Clicks Keyboard case.
This is one of the most expensive cases around, too. It costs $139-$159, depending on the phone it is made for. I had some time to play with it at CES and was pleasantly surprised. The tactile feedback is excellent, and the backlit keys make it easy to type in the dark. It works as a pretty good case, too.
Clicks Power Keyboard: This one will be the best!
The Clicks Keyboard Case is great, but it is only available for a select number of devices, and the brand has already come up with a better alternative. The only issue is that the Clicks Power Keyboard is being released in batches, and it’s only available for pre-order as of now. That said, some devices have already reached customers’ hands. So it is available, just not readily. This is why it isn’t taking the top spot in this list.
The Clicks Power Keyboard is essentially a magnetic power bank with a 2,300 mAh battery. Aside from giving your phone a charge boost, a section can slide out to showcase a full physical QWERTY keyboard. And the keyboard is backlit, too!
The cool thing about this mobile keyboard is that it doesn’t use a wired connection. Instead, it uses Bluetooth, so you can even use it when it is detached from the phone. Additionally, it works with both Android and iOS, as well as other devices that support wireless keyboards. This may include computers, tablets, TVs, consoles, etc. This one is quite the treat for physical keyboard fans!
Honorable mentions
Unihertz is one of the very few manufacturers in the world that still make phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard. We have tested the brand’s devices and would actually recommend some of them to the right users. If you want the best actual phone with a physical keyboard, and don’t want an ancient relic, this is your best bet. The Unihertz Titan 2 is one of the brand’s newest phones.
It comes with pretty good specs for the price. There is a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 inside, along with 12GB of RAM. There’s a 4.5-inch screen, reminiscent of classic phones with physical keyboards. It also has a secondary 2-inch display in the back!
By the way, the brand will also be releasing the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite. It is currently in its funding stage on Kickstarter.
Here’s something from 2021 for those who prefer something a bit more resistant, yet still pretty small. It has a pretty nice physical QWERTY keyboard and a rugged construction. It has an octa-core processor, 6GB of RAM, and runs on Android 11. It’s also significantly cheaper!
Does this remind you of another phone? It looks like a BlackBerry! The physical keyboard is great, and it has a fingerprint reader. It launched in 2022. It’s a nice option if you prefer a more standard screen aspect ratio and sleeker design.
The state of physical keyboard phones
Years ago, most of us had entirely written off the idea of a phone with a physical keyboard, as the category was all but dead. Not wanting to let go, BlackBerry started pushing back. The revival of the physical keyboard began with the BlackBerry Priv, but didn’t truly heat up until the BlackBerry KEYone and KEY2’s arrival. Unfortunately, the trend didn’t last, and hope is undoubtedly dying now.
TCL stopped making Blackberry phones, which left the brand languishing. Still, it had a fresh new owner in OnwardMobility, which promised it would offer a keyboard-toting 5G Blackberry phone. Sadly, the new company shut down in 2022, and all plans for any new BlackBerry phone were also canceled.
The best option today is to get a compatible phone and a Clicks Keyboard case.
A crowdfunded phone, the ASTRO Slide 5G, successfully raised good money in 2020, and it had an expected October 2021 release date. The device reached some backers, but most were disappointed by the outdated tech, and many were still waiting for it in 2023. Fxtec released the Pro1, and in 2019, also made an Indiegogo campaign for a successor, the Fxtec Pro1 X. It’s now amazingly hard to get, and most don’t think it is a worthy acquisition.
Still, the market for phones with a physical QWERTY keyboard continues to die off slowly, and some of you might be better off picking a good keyboard app or a Bluetooth keyboard instead. If you still want a device with an actual keyboard, though, the ones above are your best bets, which seems rather sad. That said, we believe by now it’s time to give up, and the best option is to get a compatible phone and a Clicks Keyboard case.
FAQs
Smartphones with physical QWERTY keyboards are becoming a scarce breed. Very few are still around. While possible, your options are now very limited
Whether you prefer physical or software keyboards is a subjective matter. Many like the tactile feedback you get from pressing actual keys. That said, these smaller keyboards aren’t always optimal. They are usually crammed into small spaces and offer little to no customization. Physical keyboards pretty much become dead space when not typing. This is why the industry has moved to software keyboards, which can be customized and adapted to every user’s needs.
Most phones with a physical keyboard aren’t too expensive, mainly because they can be pretty old now. Of course, plenty of other factors will come into play. For example, some of these are so rare that people are starting to sell them for extremely high prices. On the other side of the spectrum, most newer keyboard-toting handsets are budget phones.
As you can see, you don’t have many options to pick from. Maybe it’s time to finally let go of phones with physical keyboards. At least for now, it would be worth checking out our list of the best Android phones and best budget phones.
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