The Barbie Flip Phone is on the way.
HMD Global, the Swedish phone manufacturer which releases Nokia branded devices, has teamed up with Mattel to create a different kind of phone that encourages the user to have a digital detox.
Adam Ferguson, HMD Global’s head of product marketing, told Digital Trends: “Let me put it like this.
“Mattel, and Barbie in particular, is not the kind of brand you offer something off the shelf to.”
Although he wasn't willing to give too much away about the upcoming product, which was announced at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, Ferguson teased something fresh and exciting.
He said: “There’s going to be new things in the software, and a lovely new look and feel. There’s going to be new stuff in the box and the packaging. We are doing everything bespoke with Mattel in this partnership. Obviously, there are certain elements of historical devices, as there’s a reason they want to work with us. They want to draw on the amazing heritage we’ve got being the the sole makers of Nokia devices.”
HMD and Mattel have put a lot of thought into the message they want to convey and are seemingly still working on the final version.
He added: “One of the great things about the partnership is that it has a huge two-way dialogue. We have been through dozens of iterations of the design, because Barbie is more than just the colour palette, and the overall brand stands for a lot more than that. As for what is the final version, we aren’t revealing the final design yet, but there has been a huge back-and-forth, and it has been a really collaborative design process.”
Ferguson said it will “embody the vintage chic of the original girl empowerment brand with a dash of pink and sparkle.”
The phone follows the blockbuster success of the live-action 'Barbie' movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Barbie and Ken, which was all about female empowerment.
The Barbie Flip Phone is expected to go on sale this summer.
