ICYMI: HMD, Mattel to release Barbie Flip Phone this Summer 2024

This one's for the Barbie fanatics!

Courtesy: HMD

Incorporating Barbie's chicness with technology

Human Mobile Devices (HMD), the company behind Nokia phones, has partnered with toy company Mattel to create the Barbie Flip Phone expected to arrive summer of 2024. This device will be designed to reflect the "vintage chic of the original girl empowerment brand with a dash of pink and of course, sparkle."

Human Mobile Devices Chief Marketing Office Lars Silberbauer said in a statement the company is "thrilled to partner with Mattel, a company that shares our commitment to meaningful innovation and societal change."

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, said Ruth Henriquez, head of Consumer Products, Publishing, and LBE, Mattel EMEA.

HMD cited a study that said flip phones are being preferred because they are seen as a solution for a digital detox as around four in ten or 38 percent of 16-24 year-olds worry they spend too much time on their smartphone. In the United States alone, a third of Gen Z are actively trying to limit time on social media.

Gen Zs are the only ones whose daily time on social media has fallen since Q1 2021. Since that year, talking to friends online dropped 13 percent, while seeing friends in person increased to 28 percent.

Demand for feature phones is rising, especially among the Gen Zs and millennials as they opt to limit their screen time for their own mental health. The so-called "screenagers" even trended on TikTok #bringbackflipphones that garnering 60.2 million views.

But this has also become a cultural movement as people of all ages seek balance in an increasingly digital world. Feature phones are making a comeback with HMD reporting Flip Phone sales alone more than doubled in Europe (2022 vs 2023) and expects further growth in 2024.

Are you excited to see this Barbie phone?

Source: HMD