Six months ago, Human Mobile Devices and Mattel teamed up to bring back classic flip phones in Barbie style. They first announced it at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in February, and targeted its release for later this summer.
It's not your typical smartphone as it’s built to handle the basics like calling and texting, with a nostalgic twist. Today, the HMD Barbie phone has launched, and you can preorder it for $129. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Experience simple storage, broad carrier support & all-day battery life
The HMD Barbie Phone is just as previously announced, and among the latest smartphones to bear the HMD brand instead of Nokia. It comes with 512 MB RAM and 4GB storage. Sadly, that's all the memory option you'll get, but it shouldn't be a bummer considering that you won't use the phone for advanced tasks you'd normally do on a higher end phone.
The phone also works with pretty much any major U.S. carrier, including T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. So you can easily use it with your current plan or switch carriers easily. However, it has space for only one nano SIM. It means you’ll be using it as a single-line phone, which is ideal if you don’t need multiple numbers or if you just want a secondary phone for calls and texts.
The operating system is KaiOS 3.1, a lightweight software similar to what Nokia 2760 and 2780 flip models are using. It also uses the Qualcomm 215 Mobile Platform and there’s a removable 1450mAh battery that should last through a full day of use.
The Barbie Phone is retro chic with hot pink design
In terms of design, you get a choice between a 2.8-inch screen with 240×320 pixels or a smaller 1.77-inch screen with 128×160 pixels. The phone comes in hot Power Pink and you can change up its look with two extra covers from the fancy product box. Also included is a beaded lanyard for wearing your phone around your neck, colorful stickers, and charms for decorations.
Frankly, everything in the box is so pink you might get overwhelmed. There's even a pink battery, pink USB Type-CTM charger, and a cleaning cloth that's probably also pink. What's more interesting is that HMD and Mattel have added a vanity mirror on the cover screen to save you during touch-up emergencies.
The 5MP camera on the HMD Barbie Phone isn’t meant to compete with high-end smartphone cameras. It’s designed to complement the retro, nostalgic experience of the phone. So if you’re looking for high-quality photos, you might want to manage your expectations.
Pre-order your Barbie Phone
If you place an order for the Barbie Phone on a weekend, a public holiday, or after 1 PM on the last business day of the week, it will be shipped the next business day. Additionally, you have 15 days to return the phone and accessories if you change your mind.
But the return policy for services may be different, especially in different locations. The phone is available in the US for $129. Officially, we should see it in stores from October 1 this year.
