Why a Clip-On iPhone Keyboard Is Better Than Nothing

If you don't mind putting your iPhone in a case that gives it a huge Buzz Lightyear chin, you will soon be able to add a Crackberry-style hardware keyboard. 

The Clicks is a $139 accessory case that puts a chiclet QWERTY keyboard below the iPhone's screen. It's powered by the phone via its Lightning or USB-C port and connects directly over USB instead of Bluetooth. It's pretty neat, looks cool, and the price is right. But hasn't the world moved on from phones with physical keyboards? Yes, but maybe it should take a second look. 

"While it may seem counter-intuitive to attach a bulky add-on and sacrifice the portability, the choice ultimately boils down to the user's preference for portability vs a more traditional typing experience. It's certainly easier to carry around the phone-sized keyboard rather than a full-sized laptop," Jim Eddy, founder and chief editor of Hardware Centric, told Lifewire via email.

The Clicks Keyboard

"Clicks" is the name of the company, and also the keyboard. The company is made up of ex-employees of Apple, BlackBerry, and Google and comes in models for the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro, with a $159 version for the 15 Pro Max on the way. It comes in yellow and gray-blue and actually looks pretty great.

As somebody who types out words for a living, I prefer hardware over on-screen keys. A physical keyboard can be used without looking, and you know when you've tapped a key because you can feel it. Likewise, it's easy to tell if you hit it on the edge or maybe pressed two keys at once (I said it's my job—not that I'm good at typing). 

But for many people, a software keyboard is just fine. With predictive text and ever-improving autocorrect, you can be as accurate on a flat glass screen as on a physical keyboard or close enough. As for speed, that totally depends. I'm not a fast typist, and I see kids on the subway tapping on their phones way faster than I can manage on a laptop. 

A software keyboard is also way more convenient. Not only does it not add bulk to your phone, but the keyboard can change layout depending on what you're doing: the calculator app has a numeric keypad, for example. It's also always ready to go when you need it. There's no need to clip it on. 

"Indeed, software keyboards have become a more integral part of our everyday digital experience, and most users wouldn't see any tangible improvements in their typing speed with a hardware one," says Eddy.

Hardware or Software?

Hardware keyboards have their advantages, too, even considering the extra bulk. For a start, they never change. The keys are always exactly where your fingers remember them being, which can make for a more restful experience. And that tactility is a boon in a few ways. One is that you feel the clicks and can easily locate keys by touch. Another is that you can rest your fingers on the keys without activating them—try that with an iPhone's soft keyboard. 

"Hardware keyboards on phones appeal to a niche market, particularly those who type extensively, like writers or professionals needing tactile feedback for faster typing," Grace White, UX designer and head of design and development at Lilo, told Lifewire via email.

And a hardware keyboard also means you can use keyboard shortcuts. The Clicks has a ⌘ key so you can do all the Mac-like keyboard shortcuts that are built into the iPhone, like ⌘-B for bold, ⌘-H to close (hide) the current app, and ⌘-C for copy, and so on, or tapping the spacebar to scroll webpages in Safari. You can also hit ⌘-Space to bring up the Spotlight search panel, which I think might be a reason alone to buy an iPhone Pro and a matching Clicks. 

And, of course, the biggest advantage—literally—is that you get to use your entire iPhone screen when you're typing because the keyboard no longer takes up half the display. If you're writing anything longer than a quick iMessage or an abusive YouTube comment, then being able to use the entire screen for your words is surprisingly comfortable. 

In the end, it's nice to have the option. With an iPad, you can choose to use it naked, with a stylus, or with a keyboard and a trackpad or a mouse. So, it's nice to finally have at least one of these available on the iPhone.

Looking for more 2024 CES coverage? Check out all of Lifewire's CES news right here.