Brat summer may be over in the US, but the imminent arrival of the new HMD flip phone means Australia is about to have a Barbie summer.
Now that I’ve potentially alienated everyone outside the Gen Z demographic, the long-teased collaboration between HMD and Mattel has finally borne fruit. A hot pink flip phone that encourages you to disconnect from social media, the HMD Barbie Phone hones in on customisation over being online 24/7.
The iconic retro-styled device’s 1.77-inch outer display doubles as a mirror so you can quickly check that you’re looking your best, and flipping the phone open reveals the main 2.8-inch screen. It even has a 0.3MP camera for taking early millennium-styled selfies.
Most importantly, the HMD Barbie Phone comes with accessories galore. Charms, stick-on crystals, and a beaded phone strap come included, along with replaceable covers. In addition to the classic pink Barbie design, you can swap to a swirly cover inspired by the 1992 Totally Hair Barbie, or a heart-laden case.
Capable of calling and texting, the phone also houses countless references and Barbie-themed flourishes. Every time you boot the phone up, you’re greeted with “Hi Barbie!”, accompanied by a cute variation of Snake to play. Typing “*#227243#” (spelling “Barbie” in text talk) into the keypad reveals a hidden Easter egg too.
Aside from the cute aesthetic, the phone centres around chill vibes, coming pre-loaded with a range of relaxing sounds. Self-care and meditation apps also come pre-installed, tying in with themes of being present with your surroundings.
HMD Barbie Phone release date and price in Australia
HMD has set 5 September as the release date in Australia for its personality-infused Barbie Phone. It also happens to coincide with my birthday, which is very kind of the HMD folks.
If you’re keen for one of these hot little phones, it costs $199 from a bunch of stores including JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Big W, Officeworks, The Good Guys, and Amazon. More details are available via HMD’s website.
Following the success of last year’s Barbie movie, I imagine this phone will fly off the shelves. Feature phones, dumb phones – whatever you want to call them – are making a big comeback, as we saw with the modern release of the classic Nokia 3210 earlier in the year.
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