Following last summer’s trend of embracing Barbiecore aesthetics, it appears that the trend is making a comeback, with Nokia’s phone makers now joining in for another iteration.
At Mobile World Congress 2024, Human Mobile Devices (HMD) – which has been in the news lately for shifting focus from the Nokia brand – and Mattel have announced a collaboration to work on a new mobile phone that celebrates the Barbie franchise. What’s even more exciting is that it will be a flip phone, a category that resonates with the world’s most iconic doll.
But why now? Why announce a Barbie flip-phone several months after the Barbiecore mania faded away? Although HMD and Mattel haven’t commented on the matter, we assume it has something to do with the Barbie franchise in general and not Greta Gerwig‘s 2023 Hollywood movie.
Unlike the Barbie-themed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 from last year, HMD’s Barbie flip phone is said to be designed from scratch and will offer a retro twist. This isn’t surprising, given that HMD is the brains behind Nokia’s diverse range of retro feature phones that offer a taste of the ‘90s and early 2000s nostalgia in 2024.
So, if you’re interested in retro phones, are still intoxicated by Barbie mania, or both, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Barbie flip phone.
Barbie flip phone: Is Mattel not done with Barbiecore?
The short answer, no.
The craze of Barbie and HMD’s retro feature phones is spilling into 2024 and based on the brand’s MWC announcements, it looks like the Barbie flip phone is an exercise to grab attention for HMD’s launch of non-Nokia smartphones this summer.
Speaking of smartphones, this phone will not have anything to do with Android or any other conventional operating system. HMD further clarified in its press statement that the Barbie flip phone is a feature phone and its sole purpose is to bring the Barbie franchise’s style to the concept of digital detox.
“The Barbie Flip Phone will arrive this summer 2024. Promising style, nostalgia and a much-needed digital detox, this retro feature phone will flip the script on smartphone culture and will be this summer’s hottest accessory,” says HMD.
Barbie flip phone: Specifications and features
With the possibility of this being a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 rival ruled out, we can limit our expectations from HMD’s Barbie flip phone. After all, HMD and Mattel intend this device to be used as a digital detox accessory for the summer.
And finally, *Drumroll, please… * 👋 Hi @Barbie!#BarbieFlipPhone = promising style, nostalgia and a much-needed digital detox, this retro phone will be this summer’s hottest accessory 🎀#HMD #MWC24 pic.twitter.com/IGb5vIimnm
— HMD (@HMDdevices) February 25, 2024
Considering the press images shared by HMD, it looks like the Barbie flip phone will be devoid of most modern-day perks seen in feature phones and is likely to stick to the basics.
A well-laid out T9 keypad along with a large colour TFT LCD display, a big battery, a USB-C charging port and a 3.5m headphone jack is expected to be part of the standard specifications list. We also expect to see support for 4G connectivity.
No camera for Barbie though, as evident from the pixellated image shared by HMD on the stage. A digital detox taken too far? Or is the phone supposed to be for children? Only time will tell.
Barbie flip phone’s release date
For now, HMD and Mattel have committed to release the Barbie flip phone in the summer of 2024. While there aren’t any hints about the pricing, given the basic nature of this flip phone, you can expect it to cost less than the Nokia 2660 4G flip phone.
(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy HMD)
This story first appeared here.
Amritanshu lives and breathes tech, cars, Formula 1, space stuff and everything that delivers an adrenaline rush. Since 2016, he converted his favorite hobby of going all gaga over iPhones and Lamborghinis into his profession; hence, you aren’t likely to be surprised upon checking his browser history. In his spare time, he loves to drive and explore food joints, but will somehow end up with a plate of Chicken Biryani and a big smile. He has previously written for Hindustan Times, India Today, BGR.in, and Deccan Chronicle.
