Road to Communicator: April Update

Building a new smartphone platform has a rhythm to it. Before there are working units you can touch, see and feel there's engineering work that has to happen (that often doesn't make for exciting updates!). Over the last three months we've been heads down in the first phase and we're about to enter the second.

If you've been following the Clicks Communicator closely and want to know what's happening behind the scenes, here's a closer look at what the team has been working on:

Mechanical engineering design.

Every module and component has been finalized. The physical architecture of Communicator is locked from each module to every screw. This means that the working units we'll show in June won't just be handmade samples, but built with production tooling.

SoC and component integration.

The full component stack-up is complete, including the MT8883 platform. This is an important process that touches multiple engineering disciplines including mechanical, antenna, thermal. If you missed the deeper dive on why we chose the upgraded MT8883 platform, and what it means for the experience, we wrote about it here.

Thermal design.

A dedicated vapor chamber heat spreader has been integrated to ensure the upgraded MT8883 platform performs consistently under load without thermal compromise.

Battery engineering.

The silicon-carbon battery is custom-designed for the Communicator form factor. We're pleased to share that thanks to some resourceful engineering, we've pushed the size of the battery beyond the originally announced 4,000 mAh.

This tends to be unglamorous but critical to what comes next… working units in June.

What's committed, and what's coming

We've made two public commitments: working prototypes in Q2, and shipping later this year. Both are on track.

May: You'll start seeing the Communicator experience come to life with glimpses into the UX design for the Prompt Key, Signal Light, Message Hub, and touch-sensitive keyboard. We'll also share more behind the scenes content on the decisions that led to the Communicator industrial design.

June: Working units in hand in line with the Q2 commitment.

July: New details on Clicks Communicator accessories.

Q3: Certifications and beta testing. Reservation holders will also be invited to configure their orders: color (Smoke, Clover, or Onyx), keyboard layout (QWERTY, AZERTY, QWERTZ, Korean, or Arabic), and back Cover options.

Q4: Manufacturing ramp and shipping.

We're excited for what lies ahead in May and beyond and can't wait to share it with you.