HMD has partnered with Mattel to launch the HMD Barbie Phone. This is a nostalgic feature flip phone that has some interesting capabilities. This limited-edition mobile device has the Barbie aesthetic but it looks like it’d be a top model 20 years ago.
The HMD Barbie Phone has a retro flip design and a pink keypad with hidden designs that light up in the dark. It has the essentials, like calling, texting, and alarms, but no social media capabilities. According to HMD, this is an intentional omission to encourage users to focus on real-world interactions and reduce screen time. The lack of features is likely why the phone only has 512 MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.
The phone is known as a “dumb phone” because it is made for users wanting to digitally detox, a trend focused on limiting screen time. This pairing nicely with the calming sounds, self-care reminders, and digital balance tips the phone comes with. Adding the Barbie label really helps the phone, as almost nothing about it makes you think of smart devices. In fact, it doesn’t connect to the internet, presumably for the digital detox.
While the inside is just like phones 20 years ago, except with a Barbie theme, the phone shines on the outside. It comes with two back covers, a beaded lanyard phone strap, crystals, stickers, and charms. These extra materials allow you to customize and decorate the outside of the phone, just like a Barbie. Without them, this is just a very nostalgic-looking pink flip phone with a Barbie theme and the logo on the back. The only part that feels recent is the Pink USB-A to USB Type-CTM charging cable that comes with the phone. That’s not a base to charge it with, just the cable.
The Barbie phone is already available in the UK for costs £99 (around $130), and it’s “coming soon” to the United States. You can visit the product page for the option to be notified when the phone becomes available.
Source: HMD
