HMD’s Barbie-branded flip phone arrives a little too late to catch the Hot Foldable Summer wave, but it’s definitely not short on charm. Preannounced at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the HMD Barbie Phone is now official and goes on sale for $129 in October.
HMD’s Barbie flip phone goes extremely hard
A feature phone with plenty of nostalgic flair for $129.
A feature phone with plenty of nostalgic flair for $129.
is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.
The Barbie phone is a true feature phone; no apps, just connectivity for calls and texts. HMD is pitching it as a device for a digital detox so you can “take a vacation from your smartphone.” That’s fine since you probably wouldn’t want to do much more on its small 2.8-inch inner screen, but bear in mind that typing out T9 texts is worse than you remember. There’s a 5-megapixel camera with a built-in flash, which, as HMD points out, is perfect for that early digital camera look that’s so hot right now.
1/6
The phone itself may be basic, but the vibe is not. The Barbie Phone comes with extra theme-appropriate battery covers, a beaded wrist strap, and stick-on gems to customize the look. Even the classic Snake game gets a Barbie treatment. I love a gadget that goes all in on a concept, and this one goes hard.
The HMD Barbie Phone will work on all three major US wireless networks. It’ll be available for preorder on September 23rd and will ship on October 1st.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Most Popular
Most Popular
- Meta’s historic loss in court could cost a lot more than $375 million
- Apple raises the Mac Mini’s starting price
- How the internet’s favorite squirrel dad made the hottest camera app of 2026
- These reusable digital Polaroids are a clever way to cover a fridge in memories
- AI music is flooding streaming services — but who wants it?
