HMD’s Barbie flip phone goes extremely hard

HMD’s Barbie-branded flip phone arrives a little too late to catch the Hot Foldable Summer wave, but it’s definitely not short on charm. Preannounced at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the HMD Barbie Phone is now official and goes on sale for $129 in October.

The Barbie phone is a true feature phone; no apps, just connectivity for calls and texts. HMD is pitching it as a device for a digital detox so you can “take a vacation from your smartphone.” That’s fine since you probably wouldn’t want to do much more on its small 2.8-inch inner screen, but bear in mind that typing out T9 texts is worse than you remember. There’s a 5-megapixel camera with a built-in flash, which, as HMD points out, is perfect for that early digital camera look that’s so hot right now.

The phone itself may be basic, but the vibe is not. The Barbie Phone comes with extra theme-appropriate battery covers, a beaded wrist strap, and stick-on gems to customize the look. Even the classic Snake game gets a Barbie treatment. I love a gadget that goes all in on a concept, and this one goes hard.

The HMD Barbie Phone will work on all three major US wireless networks. It’ll be available for preorder on September 23rd and will ship on October 1st.