Bringing Barbie to the silver screen proved to be Box Office gold for toy manufacturer Mattel, and now it hopes that making its doll’s iconic plastic flip phone a reality will be another blockbuster success. Yes, the trademark flip phone that shipped with several Barbie dolls will be a real phone that you can use.
Mattel has called in HMD Global to produce the handset. The popular brand, Europe’s largest smartphone manufacturer, gained success by rebooting the Nokia 3310 at the Mobile World Congress tradeshow back in 2017. It returned with a reimagined Nokia 2780 Flip a few years later, and now it’s using everything it has learnt from these feature phones to make a fictional handset real.
The Barbie Flip Phone is set to arrive on store shelves in July. During its Mobile World Congress keynote, Finnish start-up HMD Global confirmed its partnership with Mattel ...but that’s about it.
No announcement was made about the price, specs, or any standout features.
There's no word on how much HMD Global will charge for the flip phone when it releases in the coming months
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We think the Barbie Flip Phone will resemble the Nokia 2780 Flip, so don’t expect it to have any of the trimmings of a modern smartphone. However, HMD Global has confirmed that it’ll be an all-new design ― refuting whispers that this is simply a pink paint job on the rebooted Nokia 2780 Flip from 2022.
Mattel Head of Consumer Products Ruth Henriquez said: “At the heart of Mattel is design and innovation, and this latest collaboration is another step forward in that direction.
“The Barbie x HMD launch promises to be an exciting moment for Barbie fans of all ages, we're excited to flip the switch and unveil it to the world at Mobile World Congress.”
HMD Global believes its flip phones are gaining in popularity because they offer a way to avoid the stresses of smartphones. Studies in the United States show that a third of Gen Z (aged 12 – 27) are actively trying to limit time on social media.
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Feature phones — phones that don’t have the suite of features found on smartphones — are seen as a good way to take away the temptation of social media and endless notifications. Posts about this phenomenon on TikTok using the social hashtag #bringbackflipphones hit 60.2 million views.
HMD has benefited from this trend, sales doubling in Europe between 2022 and 2023. The company expects to see further growth in 2024, helped by the launch of a new Barbie-themed blower.
HMD Global Chief Marketing Office Lars Silberbauer said: “Is it time to swap reel life for real life and take a breather from all the interruptions of notifications? We’re thrilled to partner with Mattel, a company that shares our commitment to meaningful innovation and societal change.”
