Humans Mobile Devices (HMD), a company that has made Nokia phones for the past few years, recently announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 that they have partnered with Mattel, a global toy company that is the owner of one of the strongest portfolios of family and children’s entertainment franchises in the world; they are releasing an official Barbie pink flip phone this summer.
The Barbie product coming out in the summer will be a featured phone, not a smartphone, but it is in line with HMD’s commitment to inspire many to jump into the digital detox trend. The digital detox trend is about refraining from using tech devices including tablets, social media sites, televisions, and smartphones.
The company stated that the Barbie Flip phone is providing a new option to Gen Z and millennial phone users who are increasingly looking for ways to stay connected. HMD press release stated, “The device, which is slated for the launch this summer, promises to embody the
vintage chic of the original girl empowerment brand with a dash of pink and of course sparkle.” The new device would be a standard flip phone with buttons, not a touch screen. The flip phone color is hot pink which represents the iconic pink flip phone accessory that comes with many Barbie dolls. The availability and pricing haven’t been shared by the company.
vintage chic of the original girl empowerment brand with a dash of pink and of course sparkle.” The new device would be a standard flip phone with buttons, not a touch screen. The flip phone color is hot pink which represents the iconic pink flip phone accessory that comes with many Barbie dolls. The availability and pricing haven’t been shared by the company.
In a recent interview with Richard Dickson, who is the Mattel President and CEO, he stated, “Barbie manifests itself through product interpretations, but the idea is bigger than any one product.” Adam Ferguson, the HMD Global’s head of product marketing agreed, stating, “…thinking the phone was ‘late’ missed the point of what the Barbie brand is about, the trajectory it’s on, and what it means.” When asked what the phone will be about and if there will be further collaborations, Ferguson responded, “It has been an absolute joy and pleasure working with the team at Mattel, and seeing the journey that Barbie’s gone on over the last years, and we have been able to talk about things like digital detox and girls in tech.”
