HMD unveils Barbie flip phone, new lineup for India at MWC 2024

HMD Global, which recently announced its plans to launch phones under its own brand alongside Nokia’s, has teamed up with Mattel, the company behind Barbie, to bring the iconic Barbie toy phone to life. The brand that is now called Human Mobile Devices said at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 that the Barbie Flip Phone will be launched this summer. The company promises that it will capture the vintage charm of the original girl empowerment brand with a touch of pink and sparkle.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Mattel, a company that shares our commitment to meaningful innovation and societal change,” said HMD chief marketing officer, Lars Silberbauer. “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.

Flip phones are popular for being a solution to digital addiction in a world where 38 percent of 16-24 year-olds worry about excessive smartphone use. According to HMD, one of the few companies still selling flip feature phones, flip phone sales alone more than doubled in Europe (2022 vs 2023) and will see further growth in 2024. The Barbie Flip Phone will promote the idea of sticking to essentials on a phone, but HMD is not sharing more details about it yet.

HMD revealed plans to launch four new phones by July this year.

HMD is also going big this year with at least four new phones in the pipeline. These new phones, which include both Nokia-branded and HMD-branded phones, are likely to arrive before July, but exact launch dates are unclear. HMD shared an image showing blurred silhouettes of these phones, so it is difficult to tell what these phones look like. But we can take a guess and based on that, the lineup includes two feature phones and two smartphones. Obviously, the feature phones will bear the Nokia branding, while smartphones will go out in the market with HMD’s logo. While one phone is slated for launch in May, the remaining three will come in July. These phones are likely coming to India, too. The company has also announced early plans for a new development platform called HMD Fusion.