The HMD Barbie cellphone is a co-branded product with Mattel, the toymaking big behind the franchise.
HMD
HMD, the corporate behind Nokia-branded telephones, launched a Barbie-branded cellphone Wednesday that comes with calls, texts and a basic “flip” design — however no web or social media apps.
The HMD Barbie Telephone is a scorching pink system that flips open and shut and sports activities a daring “Barbie” brand on the again, paying homage to the long-lasting vogue doll assortment.
It’s the results of a partnership with Mattel, the toymaking big behind the Barbie franchise, which has produced and bought Barbie toys and equipment since 1959.
The cellphone is offered for buy within the U.Ok. beginning Wednesday, retailing at £99 ($130.74). A U.S. launch is deliberate “quickly,” based on HMD, which added that it’s going to reveal precise particulars of the U.S. launch on social media.
In contrast to the internet-connected smartphones of immediately, that are essentially the most broadly adopted kind issue with regards to cell gadgets, HMD’s Barbie cellphone will not be linked to the web.
The agency is in search of to capitalize on an rising pattern lately amongst primarily Gen Z customers embracing so-called dumb telephones, which lack web and provide solely fundamental textual content, name and digicam options.
The idea of taking a “digital detox” has develop into extra in style over the previous couple of years as customers have sought to restrict dangerous results of social media on their every day lives.
“In our fast-paced digital world, it may usually really feel like the web buzz by no means stops,” Lars Silberbauer, chief advertising and marketing officer for HMD, mentioned in a press release Wednesday.
“This cellphone encourages you to ditch your smartphone in instances while you simply need much less shopping and extra enjoyable, all with the assistance of a real cultural icon, Barbie.”
The Barbie cellphone comes geared up with a 0.3 megapixel digicam, together with a flash torch for taking “Y2K type” photos, HMD mentioned. When taking a photograph, customers can add a Barbie digicam body to go round their footage.
The system can even promote with a scorching pink Barbie cowl, in addition to two interchangeable again covers, together with one with coloured swirls and one other with a taking pictures coronary heart design. It additionally comes with Barbie-themed stickers and a pastel beaded cellphone strap.
HMD and Mattel are hoping to faucet into the hype that swirled across the Barbie franchise final yr off the again of 2023’s “Barbie” film.
The blockbuster movie, which featured stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell, grossed $1.4 billion on the field workplace, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2023.
For some, there is likely to be a way that the cellphone’s launch is arriving a bit too late after the movie’s launch final July.
Regardless of the cellphone’s launch arriving greater than a yr after the film’s launch, analysis agency CCS Perception is forecasting promising gross sales for the system. It estimates HMD will promote 400,000 models of its Barbie cellphone within the U.Ok. this yr.
“The Barbie cellphone faucets into the present digital detox pattern with a enjoyable design that would have broad enchantment,” mentioned Ben Wooden, chief analyst of CCS Perception, in emailed feedback.
“I might think about fairly a number of individuals will likely be tempted to purchase it as a little bit of enjoyable, however in actuality, everyone seems to be so depending on their smartphones that something greater than the odd day of detox will likely be a stretch.”
HMD has held the rights to promote Nokia-branded cell merchandise since 2016 after hanging a deal to accumulate the Nokia cell model from Microsoft in 2016 with electronics trade provider Foxconn Expertise.
The corporate, which was then generally known as HMD World, rebranded earlier this yr as Human Cell Gadgets. Nokia earns royalty funds on gross sales of gadgets with its model by HMD.
