An official Barbie flip phone has been released that not only has a bold design but also a bold look – there are no social media apps.
The retro mobile phone focuses on the essentials and supports calls and SMS as well as a simple camera to meet the digital detox trend.
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The film follows the success of last year’s live-action Barbie film starring Margot Robbie, which grossed a whopping £1.1 billion, or $1.4 billion, worldwide.
When you turn on the official phone, the voice greeting “Hi Barbie” will play and you will also see a missed call notification from Ken.
HMD, the maker of Nokia phones, has teamed up with Barbie owner Mattel on this device to bring a touch of nostalgia to the busy smartphone scene dominated by flashy features.
“In our fast-moving digital world, it can often seem as if the online buzz never ends,” explains Lars Silberbauer, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Human Mobile Devices (HMD).
“This phone encourages you to put your smartphone aside for times when you want to browse less and have more fun, all with the help of a true cultural icon: Barbie.
“Barbie is more popular than ever and feature phones continue to grow in popularity – we’re bringing two brilliant things together.
“We can’t wait for people to get their hands on the device and take a break from their smartphones.”
The other quirky feature of the Barbie phone is the use of interchangeable covers.
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There are the colorful swirls of the iconic 1992 Totally Hair Barbie doll and a vintage “shooting heart” design.
Users can also personalise and decorate their handset with a selection of glittery gems and retro-vintage Barbie stickers.
The Barbie phone is classified as a “dumb phone” due to its lack of smart features, and experts believe there is still a market for it.
CCS Insight estimates that over 400,000 units will be sold in the UK alone this year.
“The Barbie phone taps into the current trend of digital detoxification and has a fun design that could be widely accepted,” says expert Ben Wood of CCS Insight.
“I imagine a lot of people buy it for fun, but in reality everyone is so addicted to their smartphone that more than a few days of detox would be too much for them.
“HMD deserves applause for bringing a bit of fun to the humble ‘dumbphone’. Everyone I’ve shown the phone to loves the idea and design. It’s a very eye-catching product that definitely turns heads.”
The official Barbie phone is available now for £99 from hmd.com.
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have changed since then.
Always inform yourself before making any purchase.
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