Nokia phone maker launches Barbie handset for $130 — with no internet

HMD, the company behind Nokia-branded phones, launched a Barbie-branded phone Wednesday that comes with calls, texts and a classic "flip" design — but no internet or social media apps.

The HMD Barbie Phone is a hot pink device that flips open and shut and sports a bold "Barbie" logo on the back, harking back to the iconic fashion doll collection.

It is the result of a partnership with Mattel, the toymaking giant behind the Barbie franchise, which has produced and sold Barbie toys and accessories since 1959.

The phone is available for purchase in the U.K. starting Wednesday, retailing at £99 ($130.74). A U.S. launch is planned "soon," according to HMD, which added that it will reveal exact details of the U.S. launch on social media.

Unlike the internet-connected smartphones of today, which are the most widely adopted form factor when it comes to mobile devices, HMD's Barbie phone won't be connected to the internet.

The firm is seeking to capitalize on an emerging trend in recent years among mainly Gen Z consumers embracing so-called dumb phones, which lack internet and offer only basic text, call and camera features.

The concept of taking a "digital detox" has become more popular over the last few years as consumers have sought to limit harmful effects of social media on their daily lives.

"In our fast-paced digital world, it can often feel like the online buzz never stops," Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer for HMD, said in a statement Wednesday.

"This phone encourages you to ditch your smartphone in times when you just want less browsing and more fun, all with the help of a true cultural icon, Barbie."

The Barbie phone comes equipped with a 0.3 megapixel camera, along with a flash torch for taking "Y2K style" images, HMD said. When taking a photo, users can add a Barbie camera frame to go around their pictures.

The device will also sell with a hot pink Barbie cover, as well as two interchangeable back covers, including one with colored swirls and another with a shooting heart design. It also comes with Barbie-themed stickers and a pastel beaded phone strap.

HMD and Mattel are hoping to tap into the hype that swirled around the Barbie franchise last year off the back of 2023's "Barbie" movie.

The blockbuster film, which featured stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell, grossed $1.4 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023.

For some, there might be a sense that the phone's launch is arriving a little too late after the film's release last July.

Despite the phone's launch arriving more than a year after the movie's release, research firm CCS Insight is forecasting promising sales for the device. It estimates HMD will sell 400,000 units of its Barbie phone in the U.K. this year.

"The Barbie phone taps into the current digital detox trend with a fun design that could have broad appeal," said Ben Wood, chief analyst of CCS Insight, in emailed comments.

"I'd imagine quite a few people will be tempted to buy it as a bit of fun, but in reality, everyone is so dependent on their smartphones that anything more than the odd day of detox will be a stretch."

HMD has held the rights to sell Nokia-branded mobile products since 2016 after striking a deal to acquire the Nokia mobile brand from Microsoft in 2016 with electronics industry supplier Foxconn Technology.

The company, which was then known as HMD Global, rebranded earlier this year as Human Mobile Devices. Nokia earns royalty payments on sales of devices with its brand by HMD.