For many years, the smartphone market has been dominated by the touch screen, beginning in 2007, when Apple launched the first iPhone.
Today, newcomers such as UK-based Clicks Technology and Chinese firm Unichertz launch on the mobile market with the classic keyboard.
The «faithful» of Blackberry
Removing from the button keyboards, which once seemed definitive, today meets resistance from several fans of the previous type of mobile.
A typical example is the case of Blackberry, where it had become known for keyboard phones. In 2016 she stopped production of material, while in 2022 she discontinued her software services.
But the last reason seems to have the «faithful» buyers of her small square mobile phones, as shown by subreddit r/Blackberry, which numbers 25,000 members.
There, brand lovers exchange tips and share their nostalgia for those mobiles.
Is that fashion and is she leaving?
This renewed interest reflects a wider pattern, considers Jung Younbo, a professor of communication at Nanyang University of Technology in Singapore.
«We tend to use our smartphones as a kind of means to express ourselves», younbo told CNBC.
And as mobile phones are increasingly integrated into everyday life, trends associated with them are increasingly similar to the circular trends of fashion, he added.
Different mode of use
For some users, the traction of the old school keyboard on the mobile is mainly related to checking on the device.
Clicks Technology's co-founder and marketing chief, Jeff Gadway, told CNBC that about 45% of their customer base has never used a phone with a natural keyboard.
«They do not see this as a nostalgia game, but as a completely new way of using their phone that is more intentional», stated to CNBC.
Gadway of Clicks Technology stated that the company's device emphasizes message exchange and key functions.
Its main purpose is to keep users focused on the tasks they want to fulfill, without being lured into other applications or unrelated to the requested applications.
Revival of functions
Beyond behavior, devices also revive functions that have largely disappeared from today's smartphones.
Gadway told CNBC that Clicks offers keyboards in various languages, interchangeable rear covers, extended storage on a 3.5 mm memory card and physical 3.5 mm headphone reception, instead of wireless connectivity.
These are natural features that modern smartphones have mostly abandoned.
Accessibility
Some people with visual or motor control problems found it easier to use keyboard than touch screens, Gadway told CNBC.
Cell phones with keyboards may also seem exculpatory to those who often make mistakes on the touch screen, said Youngbo of Nanyang Tech University.
Niche market – Great competition
The more interest the more competition in this market increases.
Companies such as Zinwa Technologies and iKKO are releasing their own keyboard smartphones this year, along with the aforementioned Clicks and Unihertz.
This means that interest in phones with the classic keyboard is particularly strong.
It is indicative that Unihertz's Kickstarter campaign for the second edition of the Titan phone attracted over 8,200 supporters and raised more than $4,8 million by 8 May, and even before the campaign's expiry date on 13 May.
AI challenges
Meanwhile, the sector faces challenges in producing these old school mobiles.
Increasing demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure has limited memory supply, increasing the cost of components, notes CNBC.
This resulted in Unihertz increasing Titan 2's price, citing the highest memory cost.
Clicks said she plans to keep her price stable and absorb the pressure.
Source: ot.gr
