Technologies

Soon You Can Give Your iPhone a Physical Keyboard With Real Buttons

A new Clicks case with a hardware keyboard for recent iPhone Pro models is launching at CES 2024.

When the original iPhone launched back in 2007, it marked the ascendance of on-screen keyboards, but some folks still miss the full physical keyboards that were popular on BlackBerry devices and other mobile phones earlier this century. For those iPhone texters who wish they had real buttons to press, a new physical keyboard iPhone case is debuting at CES 2024 — and prominent phone industry YouTubers contributed to the design.

New company Clicks Technology is debuting its eponymous Clicks keyboard as its first product for $139, which will be compatible with the most recent iPhones to start. Available with either Lightning (for iPhone 14 Pro) or USB-C (for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max) connectors, the keyboard is actually integrated into a wraparound case. Just slide your iPhone into the device and start typing. The keys are backlit for night typing, and it runs off the phone’s battery, so no charging required.

Read more: Best iPhone Camera Accessories for Pro Photos and Videos

«We use keyboards on our desktops, laptops and tablets every day — so it’s kind of odd that we abandoned physical buttons on the smartphone,» Michael Fisher, known as Mr. Mobile on YouTube and co-founder of Clicks Technology, said in a press release. Fisher’s channel includes contemporary reviews and throwback profiles of phones from yesteryear, when screens where smaller and designs were weirder in the days where manufacturers gave phones bold and bizarre looks to entice buyers.

The Clicks keyboard brings some of this energy back in its bright banana yellow color, which wouldn’t look out of place on a Nintendo N64 controller. It’s also available in a more svelte gray hue for this early Founders Edition round of the product; other colors may be available in the future.

Having a physical keyboard below the phone elongates the whole package, so you might not be able to fit it in your pocket, and it’s hard to tell if the extra length will make it a bit tougher to hold while typing. But there are definite advantages to a dedicated keyboard, most notably faster and more accurate typing than on a digital keypad, as well as a command button to allow for shortcuts to the home screen or search bar. A less obvious benefit: Without a digital keyboard popping up, you keep your full screen when typing.

Read more: Best iPhone 15 and 15 Pro Cases

«We labored over every decision from exactly how the buttons should feel to the keyboard layout, ensuring it would be intuitive for iPhone users,» said Kevin Michaluk, known as CrackBerry Kevin on YouTube and co-founder at Clicks Technology. He joined Fisher and a team with mobile experience from companies like Apple, BlackBerry and Google to design the keyboard.

The Clicks keyboard is available to order now and will begin shipping on Feb. 1 for the iPhone 14 models, with the iPhone 15 shipping at some point in Spring. The keyboard runs on a partner app that will soon be downloadable from the Apple App Store and will «bring new functionality to the keyboard over time,» according to a press release.

Though smartphones have transitioned to full front screens and users have gotten the hang of digital keyboards, there still remains a contingent of phone fans wistful for their physical keyboards. A startup co-founded by Ryan Seacrest feuded with BlackBerry in court over an iPhone keyboard back in 2014, but even today’s phone owners find digital keyboards lacking — like this Redditor asking if there was a case for last year’s iPhone 14 with a physical keyboard that slid out like T-Mobile’s Sidekick phone from yesteryear.

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Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for March 10, #1725

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for March 10, No. 1,725.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle is a tough one. It’s a word I don’t think many people use often, and some might not know it at all. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with S.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with L.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a sandbank or sandbar that makes water shallow.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is SHOAL.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, March 9, No. 1,724, was HASTY.

Recent Wordle answers

March 5, No. 1,720: SHEEP

March 6, No. 1,721: GUNKY

March 7, No. 1,722: VOGUE

March 8, No. 1,723: LOBBY

Technologies

Apple’s iPhone 17E vs. iPhone 17, Air, Pro, Pro Max: Comparing the Full Lineup

How Apple’s lower-cost iPhone 17E matches up with its more-expensive sibling phones.

Apple’s latest addition to its iPhone 17 lineup is the lower-cost iPhone 17E. Just like last year’s iPhone 16E, the iPhone 17E is priced at $599 and is meant to be Apple’s entry-level offering for the year. But the 17E has a number of upgrades over its predecessor, such as double the starting storage space at 256GB, MagSafe compatibility and a faster A19 chip.

It’s still fairly basic compared with the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, though. The 17E only has one camera, no Dynamic Island and no Camera Control button. Also, even though it has a 12-megapixel selfie camera, the 17E lacks the Center Stage feature — which automatically switches between portrait and landscape — that’s on the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series.

Here’s how the iPhone 17E compares with the Air and the iPhone 17 lineup.

Design and display

With a 6.1-inch OLED display, the iPhone 17E has the smallest display compared with the rest of its siblings. Both the iPhone 17 and the 17 Pro have a slightly larger 6.3-inch display, while the iPhone Air has a 6.5-inch screen, and the 17 Pro Max has the biggest screen of them all with a 6.9-inch OLED display.

While the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 models have a 120Hz variable refresh rate, the iPhone 17E is the only one with just a 60Hz refresh rate. That means the animations won’t be quite as smooth, and you won’t get an always-on display. However, if you’re upgrading from an older iPhone like the iPhone 16, you might not notice as big a difference.

Design-wise, the iPhone 17E lacks the Dynamic Island that’s on the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series. It doesn’t have a physical Camera Control button either.

It does, however, come in an aluminum frame and is protected by the Ceramic Shield 2, which is on par with the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup. The exception is the iPhone Air, which has a titanium frame. At 0.31-inch thick, the iPhone 17E is just as slender as the iPhone 17 — definitely not as skinny as the 0.22-inch thick iPhone Air. It is quite light, though, at 169 grams (5.96 ounces), which is just a bit heavier than the Air’s weight of 165 grams.

Cameras

Like the 16E, the iPhone 17E only has a single 48-megapixel rear camera. It does have sensor cropping, which offers 2x magnification. The iPhone Air also has only a single 48-megapixel rear camera. The iPhone 17 has two: a 48-megapixel wide and a 48-megapixel ultrawide. Both the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max have three: a 48-megapixel wide, a 48-megapixel ultrawide and a 48-megapixel telephoto that has 4x optical zoom but can double up to 8x at 12 megapixels.

The 17E has a 12-megapixel front-facing camera, while the Air, the 17, the 17 Pro and the 17 Pro Max all have an 18-megapixel selfie shooter. Additionally, the 17E lacks the Center Stage feature that automatically switches between portrait and landscape orientations.

Storage, processors and battery

The iPhone 17E starts with a base storage of 256GB, which is double that of the 16E and brings it up to par with the Air and the rest of the iPhone 17 series. All the phones are also available with 512GB, while the Pro and Pro Max are the only ones available in a 1TB configuration.

The 17E is powered by Apple’s latest A19 chip, which is the same as on the iPhone 17, except the 17E has a quad-core GPU while the 17 has five cores. The iPhone Air, 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max are all powered by Apple’s A19 Pro.

As for battery, the 17E has the same battery as the 16E, with a 4,005-mAh battery and roughly 26 hours of video playback, according to Apple. That’s actually slightly larger than the iPhone 17’s 3,692-mAh battery and the Air’s 3,149-mAh battery. The 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max top out the battery charts with a 4,252- and 5,088-mAh battery, respectively. Still, the iPhone 17E’s battery should hold up well thanks to the A19 processor, C1X cellular modem and the power management of iOS 26.

The 17E gets MagSafe, which was sorely missing in the 16E. This lets the iPhone 17E work with magnetic chargers and accessories. It also has up to 15 watts of Qi2 wireless charging. The iPhone Air and the rest of the 17 lineup offer fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using a 30-watt adapter or higher with MagSafe charging.

Check out the chart below to see all the ways these phones match up.

Apple iPhone 17E vs. iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max

	Apple iPhone 17E	Apple iPhone 17	Apple iPhone Air	Apple iPhone 17 Pro
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate	6.1-inch OLED display; 2,532×1,170 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622×1,206 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.5-inch OLED; 2,736×1,260 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.3-inch OLED; 2,622×1,206 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate
Pixel density	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi	460 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	5.78×2.82×0.31	5.89×2.81×0.31	6.15×2.94×0.22	5.91×2.83×0.34
Dimensions (millimeters)	146.7×71.5×7.8	149.6×71.5×7.95	156.2×74.7×5.64	150.0×71.9×8.75
Weight (grams, ounces)	167g (5.88 oz.)	177g (6.24 oz.)	165g (5.82 oz.)	206g (7.27 oz.)
Mobile software	iOS 26	iOS 26	iOS 26	iOS 26
Camera	48-megapixel (wide)	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide)	48-megapixel (wide)	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) 48-megapixel (4x, 8x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	12-megapixel	18-megapixel	18-megapixel	18-megapixel
Video capture	4K	4K	4K	4K
Processor	Apple A19	Apple A19	Apple A19 Pro	Apple A19 Pro
RAM + storage	RAM unknown + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None	None	None
Battery	4,005 mAh	3,692 mAh	3,149 mAh	4,252 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None, Face ID	None, Face ID	None, Face ID	None, Face ID
Connector	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None	None	None
Special features	MagSafe, Qi2 charging (up to 15W), Action button, Apple C1 5G modem, Apple Intelligence, Ceramic Shield, Emergency SOS, satellite connectivity, IP68 resistance	Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, dual eSIM, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: black, white, mist blue, sage, lavender; fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger	Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, thread, Action button, Apple C1X cellular modem, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, Dual eSIM, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: space black, cloud white, light gold, sky blue; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 20W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger	Apple N1 wireless networking chip: Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 6, Thread, Action button, Camera Control button, Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Visual Intelligence, dual eSIM, ProRes Raw video recording, Genlock video support, 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range, IP68 resistance; colors: silver, cosmic orange, deep blue; fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable; fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger
US price starts at	$599 (256GB)	$829 (256GB)	$999 (256GB)	$1,099 (256GB)

Technologies

Apple Gave Us the Neo, Now It Might Be Planning a High-End MacBook Ultra

The company might launch its most sophisticated MacBook ever, with its first OLED screen.

Apple went budget with the MacBook Neo. Now reportedly the company is preparing to go high end, and high price.

Apple is gearing up to launch a MacBook «Ultra» in the fall, outfitted with the first OLED display in MacBook history, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman.

Gurman says the new laptop will have a touchscreen and new M6 chips. Last month, Bloomberg reported that Apple could be launching its first touchscreen MacBook — with a Dynamic Island. The Dynamic Island is a feature on more recent iPhone models — iPhone 14 and later — that’s shaped like a long horizontal pill atop the screen and shows alerts, notifications, timers and music.

It if happens, the Ultra would be at the opposite end of the cost spectrum from the Neo, which Apple launched earlier this month for $599 as a rival to Chromebooks and Windows laptops in the same price range. Gurman says the MacBook Ultra could cost 20 percent more than the new MacBook Pro (M5 series), which Apple lists at $1,699.

If you want to read more about the new Neo, CNET has been all over it: Here’s why students might love it, the colors we liked and didn’t like and why the Neo is a really is a game-changer.

Gurman suggested that Apple might keep selling the M5 series MacBook Pro even after the Ultra launches. That would give the company a wider range of MacBooks at various costs — the Neo ($599), the Air (starting at $1,099), the Pro ($1,699) and the Ultra.

Tech analyst Paolo Pescatore said adding the premium MacBook Ultra would «signal a clear shift in strategy» for Apple.

«If this turns out to be the case, then Apple appears to be stretching the Mac further upmarket,» Pescatore told CNET. «The opportunity is to drive higher spending and keep premium users firmly within Apple’s ecosystem. The challenge will be avoiding confusion, especially if the lines between MacBook Pro and iPad Pro become even more blurred.»

Gurman also said that Apple’s first foldable iPhone, rumored to be launched later this year, might be called the «iPhone Ultra.»