Human Mobile Devices (HMD) has teamed up with Mattel to launch the HMD Barbie Phone, a pint-sized pink flip phone that delivers all the customisable fun of the iconic doll – without all the headaches of a smartphone.
Designed to be a fun accessory that keeps users connected with friends, the retro flip-phone design comes with matching features – calls, texts and no social media. It also includes an adorable, branded jewellery box filled with everything you need to customise your new phone: a pastel beaded phone strap and dazzling stick on crystals, as well as Barbie-themed stickers and phone charms, including the chic 1959 white sunglasses and a Malibu roller skate. The 0.3MP camera with light even brings that vintage Y2K feel to your photos.
The new HMD Barbie phone does more than just remind users of the “joy of simpler, sweeter days” before doomscrolling took over our waking hours, it delivers tools to improve user experience. From digital well-being tips to meditation to self-care reminders, this Barbie device is a pointed response to the stress of modern smartphones. Even the soundscape is designed to be relaxing, featuring ringtones with names like Floating and Surf Chimes.
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Recent years have seen a rise of smartphone use among children, with one UK study estimating around a quarter of children aged 5 to 7 years old now have their own smartphones. It is a concerning trend, especially as teens and adults face their own struggles with mental health and FoMo (fear of missing out) linked to social media and smartphone use.
Mattel points to a movement among GenZ and young people to embrace the ‘digital detox’, limiting screen time and moving more of their personal interactions back offline. There’s also an uptick in adoption of ‘dumbphones’ with users digging up their old Y2K models or buying new phones designed to simply provide the basics – like HMD Barbie.
“This phone encourages you to ditch your smartphone in times when you just want less browsing and more fun”, explained Lars Silerbauer, global CMO at HMD. By combining a feature phone style with a “true cultural icon”, the HMD Barbie aims to give users a special, playful alternative to their smartphone – and to the plain black bricks that dominate much of the dumbphone market.
