HMD Global and Mattel Collaborate to Launch HMD Barbie Phone

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – HMD Global, known for Nokia-branded phones, has partnered with toymaker Mattel to unveil the HMD Barbie Phone, a compact pink feature flip phone with a retro style.

The phone is priced at 99 pounds ($131.24) and became available starting Wednesday. Users can make calls and send texts, though social media apps are not accessible.

The Barbie-pink keypad features hidden designs of palm trees, hearts, and flamingos that glow in the dark, as stated by the company.

This launch aligns with the 65th birthday of the Barbie doll and follows the tremendous success of last year’s “Barbie” movie, starring Margot Robbie, which grossed $1.4 billion globally.

Analyst Ben Wood from CCS Insight commented, “I’d imagine quite a few people will be tempted to buy it as a bit of fun, but in reality, everyone is so dependent on their smartphones that anything more than the odd day of detox will be a stretch.”

Estimates from CCS Insight suggest HMD could sell over 400,000 Barbie phones in the UK, where it will be sold through Vodafone and Argos.

HMD, a Finnish company backed by Google and Qualcomm, has released several feature phones, including reissues of classic Nokia models like the 3210 and 3310.

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