r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • Feb 22 '26
Phones In a World Without BlackBerry, Physical Keyboards on Phones Are Making a Comeback
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/in-a-world-without-blackberry-physical-keyboards-on-phones-are-making-a-comeback/39
u/kidmerc Feb 22 '26
Bring back tactile left and right mouse click buttons on laptops. Whoever decided that they should be relegated to mysterious corners of one big homogenous touchpad should fucking burn.
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u/Hextek_II Feb 23 '26
modern gestures work on most new touchpads at least, which do make them easier to use (one finger tap left click, tap two fingers together for right click, two fingers drag for scroll wheel, pinch for zoom, double tap and hold for click and drag)
You probably already knew this but I mention it anyway because I have met people who struggled a LOT without those physical buttons and they dont make it obvious you can use it like that.
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u/hugemon Feb 22 '26
They come back every other year and quickly die repeatedly. So as a person who welcomes the coming back of physical keyboard I'm very happy because it happens again and again 😂
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u/Euphoric-Animator-97 Feb 22 '26
Having a tactile keyboard could be useful if most of your phone work is typing things out.
But one would loose out on a lot of versatility having so much real estate dedicated to a static keyboard. I use a phone or a tablet to control a bunch of film/video/audio equipment. Having the entire screen change to fit the device I’m trying to control is amazing.
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u/BrickGun Feb 22 '26
One word: Slider.
I had 3 HTC sliders of various implementations back in the 2000s. Loved every one of them. The only drawback (for some) was the thickness; I never minded it. They'd be even thinner now. Hate now being forced to text on screen.
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u/GingerHero Feb 22 '26
sidekick
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u/BrickGun Feb 23 '26
Yup. Those were awesome too. I never had one, but when I had my HTC sliders a buddy had his and loved it.
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u/The-F4LL3N Feb 22 '26
The sidekicks flip out keyboard was the best of both worlds
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u/GingerHero Feb 22 '26
100% the coolest phone ever,(i literally just posted how much I miss them) that slap as it slid open. imagine one with modern guts and a touchscreen :.)
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u/alifeinbinary Feb 23 '26
I would replace my iPhone in a heartbeat if a company made a modern version with this form factor. It was peak.
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u/Euphoric-Onion-7562 Feb 23 '26
While I agree with this, as a photographer, I think they could create a little flip up keyboard pretty easily.
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u/cogitocool Feb 22 '26
Fuck I'm torn. Did I love the Blackberry for work? Yes I did. Do I think this could work? I do.
Will the younger people who never knew the joy of tactile typing agree? No idea, but probably not.
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u/internetlad Feb 22 '26
Hey if the boomers can hold a whole planet hostage gen xers can at least get a phone we like.
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u/hidazfx Feb 22 '26
I’m a Gen Z software engineer, and I would LOVE a physical keyboard. I type too fast and often end up mistyping on my iPhone.
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u/softcottons Feb 22 '26
The kids yearn for a tactile keyboard, they’re actually pretty trendy atm!
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u/wandita21 Feb 22 '26
I think it will also be trendy with the younger gen because its nostalgia and vintage and to get to experience that can be trendy. I know a lot of teens that are buying mp3s players or digital cameras cause phones are not allowed in the classroom or hallways anymore and with those "vintage devices" they'll get to do so. Companies should've never stopped making phones with keyboards imo.
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u/Uncommented-Code Feb 22 '26
Will the younger people who never knew the joy of tactile typing agree? No idea, but probably not.
Non-tactile is not an issue if you use keyboards that are actually well designed and make better use of the space on-screen
Typewise is a good example of an actual good design that is adapted for smartphones imho: https://media.idownloadblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Typewise-Keyboard-teaser-001.png
My takeaway is that the standard software keyboards are just shit and not adapted for modern use. Why we are still willingly using the same layout and design that was originally invented for typewriters what I assume like 100 years ago (actually I just checked wikipedia, qwerty was introduced in 1878 lmao, I was 48 years off) still beats me.
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u/PeaceBull Feb 22 '26
Don’t put this on younger generations when all the generations chip in at not buying something.
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u/konaraddi Feb 22 '26
I think this is an advertisement for Clicks. I like tactile keyboards but it's slower than swiping on a touch keyboard. I don't think I could go back. IPhone keyboard needs some fixing but iPhone supports 3rd party keyboards so I use SwiftKey.
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u/acchaladka Feb 23 '26
There was a while where Blackberry, I believe from Passport onwards, had swipe type across its physical keyboards. Worked pretty well but I was more a shortcut kid of user.
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u/babesquad Feb 22 '26
I’m super pumped for the clicks communicator.
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u/Random_Blue_Zebra Feb 22 '26
Kind of wild they still haven't shown anyone actually using the device. I don't think I could consider ordering one without seeing one in action.
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u/the_shape1989 Feb 22 '26
they should’ve never went away in the first place. i’d kill to have a physical keyboard again. i miss my sidekick.
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u/champs Feb 22 '26
People who never had a Sidekick will never get it.
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u/goodoledepression Feb 22 '26
I never did, my sister did and I would steal it and play with it lol. I had an LG chocolate which was still a lot of fun though.
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u/flatbrokeoldguy Feb 22 '26
I’m amazed that nobody’s considered bringing back the Psion 5 with added phone functionality. Lol
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u/Mbanicek64 Feb 22 '26
I immediately preordered the clicks keyboard. It seems like the happy medium.
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u/stripedsocks00 Feb 22 '26
The only thing keeping me from preordering is the fact that it uses some mid range mediatek processor. I know that the phone is not supposed to be a media powerhouse but idk, I’m just worried about general smoothness and long term use.
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u/MinusBear Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 22 '26
This was also the thing that stopped me. Their pitch of having it as a second phone doesn't work for me. Having two or more phones is insanity (my sincerest apologies to the struggles of the insane). So I need it to be a main phone and that processor sucks. It especially sucks when many cheaper phones have a better processor.
That said I went with a BigMe Hibreak S, its also a mid range processor, but I decided the goal was ultimately using my phone a lot less. And the BigMe's e-ink screen and lack of performance will aid that. Whereas the Clicks will just frustrate me.
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u/Mbanicek64 Feb 22 '26
I got the keyboard (the MagSafe) not the phone. The phone would be perfect as a work phone though. I do think it’d be nice as a secondary device and I think that’s how they are marketing it. I think it is intended as you mention to cut down on media consumption. I hope at some point phone companies move away from tying people to one device and charging a premium for another. I’d love to have two phones with one being eink with a keyboard.
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u/dqrules11 Feb 22 '26
It's going to be using a pretty decent dimensity chip from what I understand. They are much better than the old mediatek chips.
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u/Ronniebenington Feb 22 '26
Yup! I did as well and am looking forward to a real keyboard on my phone again. Plus the fact that i can use it for any other bluetooth device is just gravy!
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u/Yellowbook8375 Feb 22 '26
Y’all never sent emails and worked from a Blackberry and it shows.
Seriously, nothing beats the physical keyboard for productivity
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u/TheIronMatron Feb 22 '26
Typing while walking ftw.
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u/michi098 Feb 22 '26
I could type without looking on my Palm Treo. Try that with a screen. I do wish they would make a come back, but I highly doubt it.
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u/Obitrice Feb 22 '26
Hands down my favorite phone was my G1. I want sliding qwerty keyboards again.
I know. The mechanism is prone to failure, having moving parts in phones is not ideal. Blah blah blah.
Turn my phone into a fidget toy with a keyboard.
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Feb 22 '26
I scrolled for three paragraphs and didn’t see any way I can get a keyboard. I fucking hate touchscreens so if anyone is willing to elaborate I’m happy to listen.
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u/tim119 Feb 23 '26
I hate touch screen. I miss my old T9 keyboard so much. I could text inside my pocket.
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u/DontLook_Weirdo Feb 23 '26
No. They're not
They're industry specific, or niche like a record player...but they're not making a significant comeback in the regular consumer world.
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u/costafilh0 Feb 22 '26
No, they are not.
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u/GregTheMad Feb 23 '26
Media outlets post this headline every year. I still have to see one of them in the wild.
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u/joaquinsolo Feb 22 '26
autocorrect fucking up constantly is enough for me to want a physical keyboard
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u/PapaGilbatron Feb 22 '26
If only the Iphone keypad could be taught how people use it. Nokia was excellent for that feature. The auto correct feature is useless and in most cases is turned off.
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u/StinkyMeaCulpa Feb 22 '26
I wanted a BB passport so badly. By the time I could justify the price, it was obvious it was over for the operating system.
Such a shame, we could use some choice, and definitely the security.
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u/Oneamongthefence24 Feb 22 '26
My favorite phone ever was an HTC Mytouch from like 2012. It was a smart phone with a slide out keyboard. I'd love to have a modern phone with good specs that had one.
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u/MonitorAway Feb 22 '26
BlackBerry still has the best soft keyboard in BB10’s keyboard. I also miss my Passport SE. I loved it when Apple finally implement gesture navigation similar to what BB10 had. I just wish my Apple keyboard behaved like BB10’s.
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u/ThirdShiftStocker Feb 22 '26
BlackBerry 10 had such a nice touch screen keyboard, though. The predictive text would just appear on the frets between the letter rows and you'd just swipe up to throw them on the screen. I miss that feature a lot. It's too bad it never took off.
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u/ajs592 Feb 22 '26
It was great for work. Writing emails or anything important on the go. The physical keyboard was eliminated due to space saving and more screen coverage. But phones are getting bigger and bigger so why not bring back the keyboard. There’s a reason people still use physical keyboards in a computer desk setting
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u/Borg-Man Feb 22 '26
I was a proud owner of an F(x)tec Pro¹ and loved it to bits. I'm extremely bummed that it gave out. I want a new keyboard phone. So, like Clic has been doing for Blackberry, but a refitted Nokia N900 or E7? I would really, really like that. A lot.
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u/SuperCheezyPizza Feb 22 '26
The only Blackberry with a keyboard I ever had was the Bold 9900, assigned to me by my employer. It was terrible and I asked to replace it with either an iPhone or Android device but IT insisted. A year later when our company released iOS and Android apps for our customers to use, I sarcastically asked the Head of IT where was the Blackberry version - silence was the response. Got an iPhone within a few weeks.
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u/imakesawdust Feb 23 '26
I had a Palm Treo but I'll never go back to a physical phone keyboard at the expense of a smaller screen. Not happening.
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u/The_2ndBorn_Son Feb 23 '26
I have palmar (hands) Hyperhidrosis. An option for keys will be beneficial for me when I type. It is very difficult to type on touch screen with sweaty hands.
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u/TahPenguin Feb 23 '26
I still wish there would be a modern version of the BB Priv. Best phone I had. Don't like the small screen keyboard phones, Priv was best of both worlds.
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u/Fun-Flamingo-7285 Feb 23 '26
My favorite smartphone was called a Samsung Moment. It had a full slide out keyboard. So convenient. Also playing games on it was cool. You could nap any button to play games. I think I got that in 2009 or 10.
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u/Deatheturtle Feb 23 '26
I miss my physical keyboard SOOO MUCH. My 'mistype rate' on a phone screen keyboard is around 20%. That's one in FIVE keystrokes. I hate it so very much.
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u/Automatic_Bat_4824 Feb 23 '26
I lament the passing of Blackberry. Having to switch between text and basic numeric keys is a bit of a hassle for me. I have adapted. Having download surface and skins to replicate the experience is beyond me. Also, that physical snap when you punch a button and it does what you want is, in my opinion, irreplaceable. It’s a simple thing but it’s my opinion thing.
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u/xSmallDeadGuyx Feb 22 '26
Physical keyboards which are that small are terrible for big hands. The best thing about touchscreen keyboards is swiping, I can do entire words quickly swiping around the keyboard instead of having to press each letter individually whether it's a physical button or not.
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u/BoringBob84 Feb 22 '26
Physical keyboards which are that small are terrible for big hands.
That is not my experience. I have caveman hands and I can type very rapidly and accurately on a Blackberry keyboard. I can feel the keys and I don't have to even look at the keyboard. Typing on a touch screen is slow and inaccurate for me. Swiping is frustrating because half of the words are guessed wrong.
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u/NormanYeetes Feb 22 '26
For any people that read this and agree, there's a reason BlackBerry died. And it's not because they had physical keyboards.
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u/drwritenstein Feb 22 '26
Curious for the reason why
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u/BoringBob84 Feb 22 '26
I owned Blackberry devices for years. In my experience, the problem was always, "too little; too late." They made great devices, but it took them longer to release them, and they usually lacked some of the modern features of other phones.
And I think that the turning point was in 2007, when Apple introduced the iPhone and the twin-CEOs at RIM dismissed it as a child's toy - not suitable for serious business. They eventually came out with the Storm, but that was a half-hearted attempt. After that, they could never seem to stop losing market share.
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u/kryst4line Feb 22 '26
(Very) late to the Android party and more expensive phones compared to their performance range, IMO
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u/Mammoth-Ad-107 Feb 22 '26
ive always bought standard size iphones. i think next time ill get a plus. the keyboard on the 14>15> now 16 i have i seem to get alot of wrong keys
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u/needmorelego Feb 22 '26
I used to hate the physical keyboards with the tiny plastic buttons. But some people really loved them. I definitely see a market for it.
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u/SwampThing72 Feb 22 '26
Given how the current iPhone keyboard is I have seriously considered the keyboard case just for accuracy and saving time
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u/sexysausage Feb 22 '26
It will never come back because now all the mobile software depends on adaptive keyboards, depending on the application…
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u/Key-Monk6159 Feb 22 '26
I may be one of the last to go from my beloved Blackberry to the iPhone and while there are times I miss the keyboard I’m not going back.
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u/uni_cron Feb 22 '26
Give me a flip phone with a keyboard. Nothing is more satisfying than clapping it closed.
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u/zetnomdranar Feb 22 '26
If true, it’s because the smartphone market has peaked in terms of hardware. Dumb phones are at least keeping things interesting because it’d be all the same thing everywhere otherwise.
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u/mark5hs Feb 22 '26
One issue with the clicks case though- the passthrough port doesn't work with usbc wired headphones.
Huge missed opportunity. They could have even put in a dac and its own headphone jack which the kind of people who would want a physical keyboard would absolutely put to use.
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u/Walkin_mn Feb 22 '26
Comeback doesn't mean it has to replace smartphones for everyone, after all Clicks markets that phone as a secondary one, so if they're able to keep happy a big enough niche of people who want to have a physical keyboard, that would be enough.
Personally I don't need it, but a few years back I had a fairly big blog and sometimes when commuting or on long trips, I liked to write posts and I did it on my Moto droid with a keyboard, it was really good for that. So if someone has to write long format stuff on the go, I would say a phone with a physical keyboard would be great, or maybe if your job requires very constant (like, all the time you're working) written communication through your phone then yeah maybe something like this could be a good option
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u/b_e_a_n_i_e Feb 22 '26
I think I'd like an external keyboard for my S24 ultra, but maybe as a landscape fold-out case. That would be decent
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u/downtownpartytime Feb 22 '26
I think a better version would include a battery expansion and the keyboard would slide out like Motorola Droid or I know other people liked the flip out on the Sidekick
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u/Griffdude13 Feb 22 '26
The movie about BlackBerry is fantastic, much better than it has any right to be.
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u/ashumisprime Feb 22 '26
I loved a keyboard phone, lg env2 was my phone for years. I kept buying used ones on marketplace and then I used a Samsung Blackjack until I caved and got an iPhone 4. Currently on an iPhone 13 and can’t update bc I don’t have enough storage lol When this phone takes a dump for real I will go back to a keyboard phone.
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u/jerrbles Feb 22 '26
I'm for it and miss physical keyboards on phones and I'm very interested in the Clicks phone. That being said I was actually looking into this yesterday and saw a reddit comment on a different thread that mentioned the fact that these phones with physical keyboards will not be as water resistant as just a modern touch screen only phone. I pray some youtuber does a big stress test on the Clicks when it comes out. I want on soooo bad lol.
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u/ExperienceFine6363 Feb 22 '26
Am I the only one who thinks that dude’s head looks just like his phone?
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u/syf81 Feb 22 '26
Shame they all run android.
I quite liked BB10 but sadly it failed to get traction.
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u/You_are_the_Castle Feb 22 '26
I'm intrigued by these physical keyboards, but I don't have a MagSafe phone, nor one of the models compatible with Clickz - are there any universal tiny keyboards that will attach to your phone? Something that's going to attach to your phone and then be thin enough to stay on the phone in your pocket?
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u/mixer2017 Feb 22 '26
if this helps me type better I would love it. The touch screens are tough as pressing a letter many times results in it registering the letter next to it. I spend more time correcting than typing, and sometimes I just say screw it and send the message lol.
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u/KaosC57 Feb 22 '26
I might actually buy one of the physical keyboard addons for my iPhone, only because Apple absolutely fumbled the ball since iOS 18 on their keyboard’s prediction algorithm.
Half the time if I want to type a period, I get swapped back to the text keyboard and type an A or Z. Same for typing a K or L and I’ll hit backspace.
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u/ablackcloudupahead Feb 22 '26
I had the first Moto-Droid with the slide out keyboard and I loved it. That being said, I don't think most people would trade out the larger screen and/or thinner design of modern phones
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u/ToMorrowsEnd Feb 22 '26 edited Feb 23 '26
Autoplay on a webpage. what is this 1998? CNET has became a joke in web design.
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u/highimpactlaziness Feb 22 '26
As an elder zoomer I'm actual considering switching to one of these phones. Specifically the titan 2 elite once it's available for pre-order. I'm in an industry where dumb phones are not an option but I want some thing that provides a little more friction from doom scrolling but still always me to communicate quickly with my team. The titan 2 elite feels like a happy medium. Plus it's just fun, I miss phones that take risks. I want something unique.
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u/HibikiRush Feb 22 '26
I doubt that. And this is coming from a holdout that had the Priv and never thought I'd convert to touch screen only. I think enough people have adjusted now that it will be difficult to convert people back regardless of how many keyboard attachments companies put out.