Human Mobile Devices, known as HMD, is working with Mattel to launch a Barbie flip phone and a smartphone under the HMD brand. Earlier, the company announced the HMD Fusion strategy — the development of new smartphones with various partners.
No prices, specifications or features of the Barbie phone, which has not yet been officially named, have been announced. It is known that it will be a traditional flip phone, not a smartphone — according to the company itself:
«Smartphones are loved because they offer a digital detox solution in a world where nearly four in ten (38%) young people aged 16-24 are concerned about spending too much time with their smartphones. In the United States alone, one-third of millennials are actively trying to limit their time on social media, and their fear of missing out (FOMO) is gradually decreasing.
The 2000s generation is currently the only one whose daily time on social media has decreased by 13% since the first quarter of 2021, while the number of face-to-face meetings with friends has increased to 28%.
The demand for push-button phones is growing as young people decide to limit the time spent on smartphones for the sake of their mental health. The so-called «screenagers» have appeared on TikTok, and their hashtag #bringbackflipphones has garnered 60.2 million views».
As for the own-brand phone, the company hasn’t announced any details yet, but it is known that it will also appear this summer. The company also says that it plans to «bring back the iconic phone this summer», possibly another Nokia.
