One of the big surprises of this edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) resulted from the partnership between HMD Global and Mattel, manufacturer of the famous Barbie doll. This partnership is expected to result in the “Barbie Flip Phone”.
As Digital Trends points out, it is not expected that the cell phone in question is more than a pink version of an old Nokia cell phone. The announcement made at MWC 2024 comes shortly after the success of the film “Barbie”, starring Margot Robbie, which filled cinemas all over the world.
Barbie's flip phone won't be a smartphone
Barbie (via Pexels and Facebook)
For Adam Ferguson, from HMD Global, more than the cell phone technology in question, the Barbie Flip Phone aims to encourage digital detox, with particular emphasis on the younger female audience. As he refers to Digital Trends, it will not exactly be a smartphone, but rather a “feature phone”, designed for a target audience between 16 and 24 years old.
As Ferguson points out, one of the great attractions of this cell phone is, precisely, its simplicity. With a classic format and less technologically evolved than what we are used to, the partnership aims to help solve a major problem in today's world, related to excess technology.
Although he doesn't give great details about the Barbie Flip Phone, Ferguson does give one or two clues about the cell phone. So, expect “new things in the software and a lovely new look”, as well as new packaging. Knowing the strength and emblematic character of Nokia cell phones, the HMD representative emphasizes that Nokia, as we know them, will not be distorted.
At MWC 2024, the pixelated version of the cell phone was launched
Pixelized Barbie (via Digital Trends)
In shades of pink, the Barbie Flip Phone begins to take on color, in its metaphorical and literal sense. This is because, at MWC 2024, HMD Global piqued fans' curiosity by releasing a pixelated image of Barbie's cell phone.
Why so much mystery surrounding the appearance of the cell phone? For Ferguson, once again, the answer is simple. The main reason has to do with the story you want to tell. According to him, he could have shown the phone's features and look, but then the focus would be on the device and not on the message, which will only be explored closer to launch.
As for when the Barbie Flip Phone will be launched, we don't know a concrete date, only that it will be in the summer. The HMD Global representative assures fans that both HMD and Mattel have made a great effort to make the cell phone as successful as the film. Whether this will be the case or not… it seems that we will have to wait a while to find out the answer.