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Clicks is getting closer to putting a physical keyboard back into the hands of smartphone users. The company has confirmed that its long-awaited Clicks Communicator, an Android smartphone inspired by the keyboard-first design made famous by BlackBerry, will begin shipping to customers in December.

The Communicator represents a major expansion for Clicks, which became known for selling physical keyboard cases for smartphones. Instead of attaching a keyboard to someone else’s device, the company is now building an entire phone around the idea that some users still prefer physical keys for messaging, email and productivity.

Clicks first showed off the Communicator earlier this year and has continued refining the device ahead of production. On September 18, the company opened its configuration process, allowing existing reservation holders to choose their phone color, keyboard layout, back covers and accessories before shipments begin.

Customers who have been waiting will also receive more capable hardware than Clicks originally promised. The production Communicator is now set to include 12GB of RAM, up from the initially announced 8GB, giving the compact device considerably more memory for multitasking and modern Android applications.

The phone is built around a 4.03-inch AMOLED touchscreen positioned above its physical keyboard. The keypad is touch-sensitive, allowing users to scroll through messages, inboxes and web pages without constantly moving their fingers between the keyboard and display. A fingerprint sensor is integrated into the spacebar.

Despite its deliberately retro appearance, the Communicator has decidedly modern internals. It will ship with Android 17, 256GB of internal storage and expandable microSD storage of up to 2TB. It also supports 5G connectivity, NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and both a physical nano-SIM and eSIM.

Clicks has also included several features that have disappeared from many mainstream flagship phones. The Communicator has a 3.5mm headphone jack alongside USB-C and Qi2 wireless charging with MagSafe compatibility. Its camera system includes a 50-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization and a 24-megapixel front-facing camera.

Battery capacity has also increased during development. Clicks originally announced a 4,000mAh battery, but the final hardware has received a larger battery as the company prepares for production. Combined with the relatively small display, the additional capacity could become an important part of the Communicator’s appeal for users who want a device focused more heavily on messaging and productivity.

Software longevity is another part of Clicks’ pitch. The company says the Communicator will launch on Android 17 and receive major Android updates through at least Android 20, along with five years of security updates. That commitment is significant for a first-generation smartphone from a company entering a market dominated by much larger manufacturers.

Clicks is also positioning the Communicator as either a primary smartphone or a companion to devices such as an iPhone, Galaxy or Pixel. The idea is unusual: rather than competing directly with large-screen flagship phones on entertainment and media consumption, Clicks describes the Communicator as a device designed for “doing, not doomscrolling.”

Early customers can lock in a $499 launch price through September 30. Beginning October 1, Clicks says the price will increase to its $649 MSRP. Existing reservation holders can make changes to their configurations through October 31 and update their shipping addresses through November 30 ahead of the first December deliveries.

The bigger question is whether nostalgia for physical keyboards can translate into meaningful demand in 2026. BlackBerry-style phones have largely disappeared as manufacturers embraced enormous touchscreens, but Clicks is betting there is still an audience that values tactile typing, compact hardware and communication-focused design. December will provide the first real indication of whether that bet can turn the Communicator from an enthusiast curiosity into a viable alternative to the modern smartphone.