HMD’s Barbie Flip Phone is tough

HMD’s Barbie-branded flip phone may be a bit late to catch the hot foldable summer wave, but it’s certainly not lacking in appeal. Pre-announced at Mobile World Congress earlier this year, the HMD Barbie Phone is now official and will go on sale in October for $129.

The Barbie phone is a true feature phone; No apps, just connectivity for calls and texts. HMD makes it a device for digital detox, so you can “take a vacation from your smartphone.” That’s good because you won’t want to do much on its tiny 2.8-inch internal screen, but keep in mind that typing text on the T9 is worse than you might remember. There’s a 5-megapixel camera with built-in flash, which, as HMD points out, is perfect for the early digital camera look that’s so hot right now.

The phone itself may be basic, but the vibe isn’t. The Barbie phone comes with additional theme-matching battery covers, a beaded wrist strap and stick-on gems to customize the look. Even the classic Snake game gets the Barbie treatment. I love the gadget in a concept, it’s tough.

The HMD Barbie Phone will work on all three major US wireless networks. It will be available for pre-order on September 23rd and will ship on October 1st.