Startups Launch Physical Keyboard Phones Targeting Niche Retro Market

-based Clicks Technology and Chinese firm Unihertz. Blackberry, once synonymous with such hardware, stopped producing devices in 2016 and shuttered its software services in 2022. Its loyal users continue to gather online, with the r/Blackberry subreddit counting 25,000 members who exchange tips and reminisce about the brand's signature squarish phones with tactile buttons.

The renewed interest fits a pattern in which smartphones serve as tools for self-expression, according to Jung Younbo, a communications professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. "We tend to use our smartphones as a kind of means to express ourselves," said Younbo. As the devices become more central to daily routines, phone trends increasingly mirror cyclical fashion, he added.

Clicks Technology has found that about 45% of its customer base has never used a phone with a physical keyboard. " That intentionality appealed to Chonnie Alfonso, a 23-year-old content creator who features retro gadgets on her YouTube channel. " Alfonso told CNBC the change has helped her reduce time spent on social media, curb doomscrolling and gain better control of her schedule.

Clicks Technology's device focuses on messaging and core functions through a dedicated home launcher. " The phones also restore hardware features largely abandoned by modern smartphones. 5 mm headphone jack.

Wei Lun Ng, a 23-year-old audio enthusiast, cited the headphone jack as a practical advantage. "I think it doesn't cut out as much because when your battery is low, on like, a wireless headphone or wireless earphone, it will start cutting out," he said. Ng added that wired headphones are less likely to be misplaced and cost far less than wireless alternatives.