Akko, a company best known for keyboards, keycaps, and switches, has launched its own keyboard case for the iPhone. The MetaKey looks very similar to Clicks’ lineup of cases that add a BlackBerry-style mini keyboard to the bottom of iPhones and Android phones, but with some improvements and a much cheaper price tag. The cheapest Clicks case starts at $139, but Akko’s MetaKey is $59.99 for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which is available now, and $69.99 for the 17 Pro Max (temporarily discounted to $59.99), which isn’t available just yet. Color options include black, white, pink, blue, green, and orange.
The MetaKey isn’t only targeted at BlackBerry fans who miss smartphones with tiny physical keyboards. It also facilitates text entry on the iPhone without iOS’ on-screen keyboard covering up nearly half the screen, but that comes at the cost of having to wrangle an iPhone that’s a few inches longer with the case attached. Akko’s solution for those that find their taller phone too top-heavy as they type is an included nine gram weight that can be attached to the back of the keyboard to improve the overall balance.
Like the various Clicks keyboard cases, the MetaKey connects to the iPhone through its USB-C port and includes its own USB-C port for charging. It also features various shortcut keys for entering numbers, triggering app-specific functions, accessing Siri, using iOS’ voice-to-text features, and a mode that turns the top two rows of keys into large scrolling buttons for when you’re mindlessly browsing social media. The MetaKey’s keyboard even has a backlight so you can still tap out a comment during a late-night doomscrolling session, and it’s MagSafe compatible with an additional array of magnets on the back to securely hold accessories.
Clicks has already launched a new version of its case that’s compatible with the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro for $139, and a $159 version for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It features a new design the company says is now 40 percent thinner and 11 percent lighter, distinguishing it from previous Clicks cases and the Akko MetaKey. The new case also uses the same ergonomic sculpted keys that Clicks introduced last year, and adds lanyard holes on each side so it should be compatible with Apple’s new crossbody iPhone strap. The Verge has reached out to Clicks for comment about its new competitor and will update this story if they respond.
