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Touch phones have almost eliminated the QWERTY keyboard, so why in 2026 are users willing to spend tens of millions of dong to return to pressing each key like the BlackBerry era?
1. Physical keyboards are having a notable resurgence
After many years of the smartphone market being dominated by devices with nearly identical designs with large touch screens covering almost the entire front, physical keyboard phones are reappearing in a more modern form.
This is not a big enough trend to threaten the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy, but this niche market is becoming interesting as Unihertz continues to develop the Titan line, Clicks steps from keyboard accessories to full smartphones, and Minimal pursues the philosophy of smartphones that reduce distractions.
What these devices have in common is not the strongest camera or the highest gaming performance. They focus on something modern smartphones have almost completely eliminated, which is the feeling of real typing.
Model Battery Chip Screen Highlights
Clicks Communicator 4.03 inch AMOLED MediaTek 4 nm Unannounced in information on QWERTY, Qi2, microSD 2 TB
Unihertz Titan 2 Elite 4.03 inch AMOLED 120 Hz Dimensity 7400 4,050 mAh QWERTY with integrated trackpad
Unihertz Titan 2 Elite Pro 4.03 inch AMOLED 120 Hz Dimensity 8400 4,050 mAh Performanceng higher
Unihertz Titan 2 4.5 inch 120 Hz Dimensity 7300 5,000 mAh Secondary rear display
Minimal Phone 2 3.92 inch AMOLED 90 Hz Dimensity 8300 Not stated Distraction-reducing design
2. Clicks Communicator brings BlackBerry style to modern Android
Clicks Communicator is one of the keyboard smartphones attracting attention at CES 2026. Unlike Clicks keyboard accessories for iPhone, Communicator is an independent Android smartphone.
The device has a 4.03 inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1200 pixels. Right below is a backlit QWERTY keyboard with shaped keys to increase fingertip recognition.
The fingerprint sensor is also integrated right on the Space key, a layout suitable for the compact design of the device.
Clicks equips the Communicator with a MediaTek chip manufactured on a 4 nm process, a 50 MP main camera with OIS and a 24 MP front camera. The device supports USB-C, Qi2 wireless charging, Wi-Fi 6, NFC and still retains the 3.5mm headphone jack.
A rare feature on modern smartphones is the microSD slot with the ability to expand capacity up to 2 TB.
But the software is what makes Communicator different.
Instead of forcing users to constantly open WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack or Gmail, the device aims to gather conversations into a unified information stream. This idea turns the Communicator into a centralized communication tool instead of a smartphone designed to keep users constantly in apps.
The device also has Signal Light around a button next to it. Colors may varyi customize the notification sender, helping users recognize the importance level without opening the screen.
The pre-order price is announced at 399 USD, equivalent to about 10.5 million VND if converted for reference. The selling price after the pre-order period is expected to be 499 USD, about 13.1 million VND. Production and pre-order deliveries are currently targeted for the fourth quarter of 2026.
3. Unihertz Titan 2 Elite is small but serious about its work
Unihertz has been pursuing keyboard phones since 2019, and the Titan 2 Elite shows that the QWERTY design can still be shrunk significantly.
The device's dimensions are about 117.8 x 75 x 10.4 mm, significantly smaller than the early Titans, which were quite thick and bulky.
The front is a 4.03-inch AMOLED with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Below continues to be the QWERTY keyboard but has an integrated trackpad function, allowing the keyboard to take on an additional navigation role.
The standard Titan 2 Elite uses MediaTek Dimensity 7400, while the Titan 2 Elite Pro upgrades to Dimensity 8400 to serve users with heavier multitasking needs.
Both use a 4,050 mAh battery, 33 W fast charging, 50 MP dual rear camera cluster and Android 16.
A small but very important change for people who really type a lot is the keyboard pressure. According to test data cited by the source, the activation force is about 58 grams, down from about 67 grams on the Titan two generations ago. This can help reduce finger fatigue when typing long emails or documents.
Titan 2 Elite pre-order price from 489.90 USD, converted to about 12.9 million VND. Titan 2 Elite Pro from $579.99,about 15.3 million VND.
4. Unihertz Titan 2 is for people who need a larger screen and battery
Titan 2 is still a notable choice even though Titan 2 Elite has appeared.
The device uses a 4.5 inch square screen with a resolution of 1440 x 1440 pixels and a scan frequency of 120 Hz. Larger screens make reading emails, documents, and web content more comfortable than tiny QWERTY devices.
A 2-inch secondary screen is placed behind to display notifications or as a preview screen when taking photos.
The front physical keyboard also supports swipe gestures, reducing the need to constantly switch hands between the keyboard and touchscreen.
Titan 2 uses Dimensity 7300, 12 GB RAM, maximum memory 512 GB and 5,000 mAh battery. The device also has an infrared port to control electronic devices and IP65 water and dust resistance standard.
Reference price is about 499 USD, equivalent to about 13.1 million VND.
5. Minimal Phone 2 abandons E Ink to be more practical
The original Minimal Phone used an E Ink screen with the goal of limiting distractions. The idea is interesting, but E Ink's response speed also creates many limitations when performing common smartphone tasks.
Minimal Phone 2 changed direction when it switched to a 3.92-inch AMOLED with a 90 Hz refresh rate but kept the physical QWERTY keyboard.
This may be a more reasonable balance between minimalist philosophy and practicality.
The keyboard is backlit, supports keyboard shortcuts, and uses metal dome switches. Inside is MediaTek Dimensity 8300 with storage capacity of up to 512 GB.
The device also supports NFC, has its own mute switch and jack3.5 mm headphones.
Minimal Phone 2 still focuses on the group of people who want to reduce the time they spend using smartphones but do not want to completely give up the conveniences of modern Android. However, the device is being deployed through crowdfunding, so its commercial status is significantly different from a smartphone that is already widely produced and distributed.
6. Four QWERTY smartphones are pursuing four types of users
Clicks Communicator Titan 2 Elite Titan 2 Minimal Phone 2 criteria
Key priorities Compact QWERTY messaging and communication Larger screen and battery Reduced distractions
AMOLED Yes Yes Not stated AMOLED Yes
Scan frequency Not stated 120 Hz 120 Hz 90 Hz
Physical Keyboard Yes Yes Yes Yes
Keyboard trackpad Not stated Yes Swipe support Not stated
NFC Yes Can be configured according to the market Can be configured Yes
3.5 mm Jack Yes Not stated Not stated Yes
microSD Up to 2 TB Not stated Not stated Not stated
Battery Not stated 4,050 mAh 5,000 mAh Not stated
Difference Unified message flow Very small design 2-inch secondary screen Digital minimalism
7. BlackBerry is not coming back, but the BlackBerry philosophy is coming back to life
The most notable thing about this trend is not in sales.
Clicks, Unihertz or Minimal can hardly compete directly with Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel in terms of scale. But these devices are proving that smartphones don't have to continue to follow a single formula.
For years, the industry has been optimizing phones for video, social media, cameras, and moregame. The QWERTY smartphones of 2026 are trying to reverse that priority, bringing text input, email, messaging and focus back to center stage.
Clicks Communicator is attractive to people who want a specialized communication device. The Titan 2 Elite strikes a good balance between small size, modern Android, and a real keyboard. Titan 2 is more suitable when screen and battery capacity are priorities. Minimal Phone 2 is aimed at people who want their smartphone to serve them less instead of constantly competing for attention.
BlackBerry may no longer be a smartphone powerhouse, but 2026 is showing something quite surprising. The physical QWERTY keyboard hasn't gone away. It's just waiting for touchscreen smartphones to become similar enough for users to start remembering the feeling of pressing real keys.
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