HMD Global, the company behind Nokia, has collaborated with toymaker Mattel to introduce the HMD Barbie Phone. The phone is a small pink flip phone with a retro design, priced at 99 pounds ($131.24). It will be available starting on Wednesday.
The device allows users to make calls and send texts but does not provide access to social media apps. Featuring a Barbie-pink keypad with hidden designs of palm trees, hearts, and flamingos that light up in the dark, the phone is being launched to mark the Barbie doll’s 65th birthday this year, following the success of last year’s “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie, which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box office.
Although the phone may be appealing to many as a novelty item, Ben Wood, chief analyst at research firm CCS Insight, pointed out that people are heavily reliant on smartphones, making it difficult to switch to a basic device for an extended period.
Research firm CCS Insight estimates that HMD could sell over 400,000 Barbie phones in the UK, where it will be available through Vodafone and Argos. HMD, a Finnish company backed by Alphabet’s Google and Qualcomm, has previously launched several feature phones, including reissues of classic Nokia phones like the 3210 and 3310.