HMD’s Barbie Phone, the new device for Y2K-nostalgic hot pink aficionados, finally has pricing and release details. The Mattel-sanctioned master of delayed movie compilations launched in October – just 15 months after the Greta Gerwig movie hit theaters! – $129.
The handset is an invention of Human Mobile Devices (HMD), which currently owns the rights to sell Nokia phones. Rather than a smartphone replacement, the Barbie Phone is a retro (pretty Nokida-esque) flip phone with a T9 keyboard and no third-party apps in sight. The company describes it as “the perfect tool to live your best life and take a vacation on your smartphone.”
You won’t find any social media apps, but the phone still makes calls and sends texts. When you power on the handset, you will be greeted with a voice saying “Hello Barbie” before you wake it up Malibu Snake for a charge of OG mobile games. Its keypad (in “Barbie pink,” of course) has hidden designs like palm trees, hearts and glow-in-the-dark flamingos. Because why not?!
The Barbie Phone has a 5MP camera with flash that “delivers authentic Y2K-style photos.” It comes with two interchangeable covers in addition to the standard one. The two plates include one honoring the “brightly colored swirls of the iconic 1992 Tolly Hair Barbie doll” and another with a shooting heart design.
Also in the box is a beaded phone strap that you can decorate with charms like a roller skate or “Barbie doll-sized ice cream.” You’ll find glitter gems and classic retro Barbie stickers (including flowers, flamingos and rainbows) to decorate the phone to your heart’s content. It even has a pink USB-C charger.
Naturally, the phone features a Barbie-themed user interface (described as “sadly easy to navigate”), themed wallpapers and app icons. As HMD brands the handset as a vacation from smartphone hell, it even includes a digital lifestyle app.
The Barbie Phone will be available on October 1 for $129. It will ship unlocked and ready to work on the AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon networks. You can pre-order it on the HMD website from September 23rd.
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