Hello and Goodbye Clicks Power Keyboard
I received my pre-ordered Clicks Power Keyboard this week. It's a quality iPhone accessory and it made my thumbs very happy. But a Clicks account is required for firmware updates, and that's a deal-breaker for me.
I was excited when the Clicks Power Keyboard was first announced. A mag-safe physical keyboard that turns your phone into a slider and is also a battery pack? I immediately pre-ordered one.
When I received it this week, I was impressed by the build quality and how good it felt to type on. I was a bit skeptical about how the round keys would feel, but my thumbs didn't seem to have a problem with them. No doubt, as muscle memory improved, I would have mastered it like my old BlackBerry phones.
When attached to my iPhone, both devices together are quite heavy, but still manageable and not as top-heavy as I thought they would be. I couldn't see myself using it for marathon typing sessions, but for long emails and texts or moderate-length blog posts, it would be so much better for me than typing on glass.
I didn't try it, but you can also pair the keyboard with any other Bluetooth device that accepts keyboard input. So it's a pretty versatile gadget.
But today I tried to install an available firmware update via the Clicks app on iOS. And it prompted me to log into my Clicks account. It gave me two options: “Later” and “Sign In”. “Later” doesn't actually mean later, it means cancel, because it just kicks you out of the update screen. “Sign In” takes you to a screen with two options: sign in with Apple, and sign in with Google. No option to use a different sign in method or even a preferred email address.
So Clicks has locked the ability to install firmware updates for its products behind the creation of a Clicks account using your Apple or Google account credentials. I have both an Apple and Google account (for now), but what if I didn't have either? What if I didn't want either?
Why is this even a requirement for firmware updates? The only reason I can think of is so Clicks can track, market to, exploit, and monetize their users. It is wrong, and it is insulting. It means that I don't really own the product Clicks sold me. Rather, they are allowing me to pay for the privilege of using their product, and they get to decide how it is used.
I am already trying to wean myself off the likes of Apple and Google, and it is not easy in a society where their products and services are ubiquitous. I don't want to entrench myself with even more companies that are trying to copycat unethical Big Tech practices.
So farewell, Clicks Power Keyboard. I hardly knew you. My thumbs are sad again. But my conscience – on this matter, at least – is clear.
#100DaysToOffload (No. 163) #tech #smartphones #accessories