Have used a Clicks keyboard on my Pro Max to great effect. Being able to touch type without looking, even whilst walking around/changing trains has been truly game changing. Writing SOPs, editing spreadsheets, answering long mails, typing without the atrocious autocorrect making it impossible, all that is far better with the Clicks keyboard. I feel that this is their differentiator and a key customer market they should lean into, people who need reliable input and are willing to sacrifice other things for it.

Personally wish their marketing leaned into the productivity more than in this "second-device" trend. Never understood that if I am totally honest. The logic for buying a $ 700,- Light Phone over just installing a launcher and muting the colours is allegedly that it creates more friction, but there is just as much keeping you from just using your existing phone once you purchased a Light Phone as there is preventing you from uninstalling the launcher. Basically, I see this category as rather dishonest, at most holding on by a treat with the sunk cost argument that anyone truly addicted is unlikely to even feel, so I'd rather see them lean into what makes them great rather than chase an artificial category, often more focused on signaling the intent to lessen phone user over actually facilitating it.

State clearly, proudly and with full conviction that yes, this is a main device and yes, there are things this will do better than arguably anything else on the market, mainly because Clicks does keyboards a multitude better than any alternative, be it Unihertz or Minimal.

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memoriuaysj 4 hours ago | parent [-]

people still need their IG and TikTok

you can fight that, and lose (no market)

or accept second device status (for werk), optimize that use case, and be honest that it will not be the main device

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Topfi 4 hours ago | parent [-]

There is nothing preventing the use of Insta and TikTok. It is a regular Android phone and unlike a Light Phone can have a target market beyond those thinking if they buy a treadmill, that spend will force them to keep exercising. It rarely works, of course, same with second phones.

In the comments below the Verge Article and announcement video on the Communicator, there is already confusion because of their second device marketing. Whether you can use it without another device, whether it can share data contracts like a smartwatch, what keeps one from using it as their sole smartphone, some even asking whether this actually allows for phone calls or is just for mailing.

They have clearly just confused the messaging for the core audience of Clicks and devices of this type by chasing what I'd argue is a mirage, a customer base that doesn't exist.

Keep in mind, Clicks doesn't need to speculate who will buy this. They already have a loyal consumer base (I paid over € 150,- including import fees for just the case and am far from alone), made up of power users who mostly will use this as their sole smartphone, just like we have been doing with our Clicks equipped iPhones, Pixels, Razrs and Galaxies.

Second device is a wholly different market, one that I suspect does not intersect much with the existing base of heavy power users, using their phones to reliably control e.g. IDEs and remote desktops on the go.

I'd argue the two are in fact polar opposites, someone who needs reliable input on the go is likely not the same someone who wants to use their phone less and equally would not want to just have reliable input only on e.g. their work device. For me, it's always a pain when I have to use a touch only keyboard despite previously doing fine with swiping, etc. so if a Communicator user wanted to have physically separate devices for work and private, they'd more likely go for a second Clicks, the keyboard is that nice and arguably locks you in tight.

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joshlemer 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I agree about the marketing. I just heard about this phone now and was confused about if I could just use it as a primary phone. It would be nice if they talked more about what the phone is like to use, show what is the home screen and stuff. I'm wondering if I can use it well with some other utility apps that I don't think I'd want to do without like Maps, Parking payment apps, Podcasts and Spotify.

	▲	Topfi 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		For the Home Screen, they've announced a collaboration with Niagara Launcher and it appears to be close to AOSP+GServices, so I suspect that'll all work out of the box, but yeah, they really should be clearer. Also has both a NanoSim slot and eSim support powered by a not yet public Mediathek SOC. Major concern as is often the case with new phone startups is the update policy and more importantly whether they'll be able to actually deliver over the years. Has been literally half a decade since I last used a Mediathek device, so maybe this changed, but back then they didn't have the best reputation for long term maintenance, providing drivers to enable updates, etc...

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memoriuaysj 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

yes, it can run IG and Tiktok, but you'll have a bad experience due to the screen aspect ratio, and small screen size

the power user base you mention is probably too small to sustain them long term

	▲	Topfi 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Genuine question, why would a none power user want a physical keyboard on their phone? Or from the other side, why would the digital detox, second device crowd go for a fully featured Android phone with a color AMOLED with all the temptations that brings over a smartwatch or black and white screened device?