HMD’s Barbie-branded flip phone arrived a little late to the summer foldable craze, but it definitely doesn’t lack for charm. The HMD Barbie Phone, which was pre-announced at Action World Congress earlier this year, is now officially available and will go on sale in October for $129.
The Barbie phone is a true feature phone; there are no apps, just call and text messaging connections. HMD is pitching it as a digital detox device so you can “go on vacation away from your smartphone.” That’s fine, since you probably won’t want to do much on its tiny 2.8-inch internal screen, but keep in mind that typing text on the T9 is worse than you remember. There’s a 5-megapixel camera with a built-in flash, which, as HMD points out, fits the early digital camera look that’s so popular now.
The phone itself may be basic, but the atmosphere is not. Barbie Mobile comes with an extra theme-appropriate battery cover, beaded wristband and stick-on gems to customize the look. Even the classic Snake game gets the Barbie treatment. I love a gadget that goes all out to realize a concept, and this product is difficult to use.
HMD Barbie Phone works on all three major wireless networks in the United States. The product will be available for pre-order on September 23rd and will ship on October 1st.
