The idea of a modern phone with a physical QWERTY keyboard continues to resurface, even as touchscreens dominate the market. After several revival attempts tied to nostalgia for BlackBerry-era devices, 2026 is shaping up to be another test of whether there is still room for buttons alongside glass. Following the recent reveal of the Clicks Communicator, another contender is preparing to enter the conversation, this time from a company with a longer track record in this niche.
Unihertz has spent the better part of the last five years producing Android phones with physical keyboards, largely catering to users who value tactility and durability over slim profiles. Its Titan series emerged as a practical replacement for BlackBerry hardware, emphasizing rugged builds and work-oriented design. Those earlier devices, including the Titan 2 released in 2025, leaned heavily into bulk, with wide bodies, thick bezels, and displays designed more for productivity than portability.
The upcoming Unihertz Titan 2 Elite represents a noticeable shift from that approach. Based on early teasers, the Elite trades the industrial, enterprise-focused look of its predecessors for something smaller and cleaner. The proportions suggest a phone closer in spirit to older compact BlackBerry models rather than the Passport-inspired slabs Unihertz has favored until now. While the company has not confirmed display specifications, the slimmer bezels and overall footprint point to a more pocket-friendly device.
Visually, the Titan 2 Elite also modernizes several elements. The thick top bezel seen on earlier Titans appears to be gone, replaced by an in-display front-facing camera positioned toward the top-left corner. This alone gives the device a more contemporary feel, even if it remains firmly rooted in a keyboard-first philosophy. The screen layout shown in Unihertz’s demo appears wide enough to accommodate a standard Android launcher, with room for multiple app icons across, suggesting it is intended to function as a primary phone rather than a novelty add-on.
That distinction matters when compared to the Clicks Communicator. Clicks has framed its keyboard phone as a companion or secondary device, something to use alongside a main smartphone rather than replace it. Unihertz, at least so far, has not positioned the Titan 2 Elite that way. Its presentation implies a more conventional Android experience, built around a physical keyboard but not constrained by it.
Unihertz has confirmed that the Titan 2 Elite will be formally showcased at Mobile World Congress 2026 in early March, with a Kickstarter campaign to follow shortly after. Details around pricing, specifications, and shipping timelines are still pending, but the company is clearly testing whether a slimmer, less rugged QWERTY phone can appeal beyond a narrow enthusiast audience.
For users who miss the precision of physical keys but want a device that feels usable in daily life, the Titan 2 Elite could end up being a more balanced attempt than many recent revivals. Whether that balance is enough to sustain a keyboard phone in 2026 remains an open question.
