Just a touch of Malibu and making waves, the HMD Barbie Phone is now available in Telstra stores and online just in time for summer.
The HMD Barbie Phone is the perfect summer accessory, bringing a burst of nostalgia and a splash of glam to your everyday life in the form of a retro flip phone. Its features include calling, texting, meditation tips and a wide range of Barbie easter eggs to discover, all while living in the real world without digital distractions.
Human Mobile Devices (HMD) is helping Australians live their best life and take a vacay from their smartphone this summer. Its availability into Telstra also reflects HMD’s continued expansion in Australia and sits alongside the HMD Pulse+ smartphone launched earlier this year.
In recent years more and more GenZ’s and young people have embraced the digital detox movement and across the globe they’re actively choosing to limit their screen time and switch off from time to time. Since 2021, talking to friends online has dropped by 13 per cent, while seeing friends in person has shot up by 28 per cent.
Commenting on the availability of the Barbie Flip Phone in Australia, General Manager Australia and Oceania at Human Mobile Devices, Brenden Folitarik, said; “The HMD Barbie phone is turning heads and is the clear go-to accessory this summer. It’s all about ditching your smartphone at times when you just want less browsing and more fun, all with the help of a true cultural icon, Barbie.”
“Launching into Telstra caps off a huge 2024 for HMD in Australia, where we have made a clear statement and introduced a wide range of feature-rich and incredible value-for-money devices that offer a real point of difference and alternative to Australian consumers.”
Developed in close collaboration with the in-house design team at Mattel, the new HMD Barbie Phone is redolent of the original, vintage-chic Barbie world, albeit with a load of added modern sparkle, and it is a homage to one of the most enduring and famous toys in history. And while it screams Barbie, it also allows for epic customisation too.
It comes in a bold pink Barbie cover, but also has two fabulous interchangeable back covers; you can rock the brightly coloured swirls of the 1992 iconic Totally Hair Barbie doll one day and switch to the vibrant Barbie ‘shooting heart’ design the next. It’s like having a new phone every day, matching your mood and your outfit!
But wait, there’s more! This pocket-sized wonder comes with a dazzling set of stick-on crystals and adorable retro Barbie stickers including flowers, flamingos and rainbows, allowing customers to customise their phone. It also comes with a pastel beaded phone strap in hues of pink, yellow and blue which is adorned with phone charms inspired by the doll’s most iconic looks, from a mini pair of the chic 1959 sunglasses to a Malibu roller skate, a palm tree, an ice cream and a heart with a branded ‘B’. All packaged within an adorable Barbie and HMD branded jewellery box for your precious new accessory.
This phone also comes with a bespoke user interface including Barbie wallpapers and Barbie app icons to support digital wellbeing including ‘Digital balance tips‘, ‘BarbieMeditation‘ and in the settings you will find ‘Self-care reminders‘. Even the sounds and alarms are relaxing, with ringtones to choose from including ‘floating‘, ‘Coastal‘, ‘DreamHouse’, ‘Azure Barbie’, and ‘Surf Chimes‘.
The device also comes with hidden easter eggs for key Barbie dates and words, try spelling out BARBIE by pressing *#227243# and see what happens.
The 0.3MP camera with torch delivers authentic Y2K style images which is the latest trend amongst GenZers who are taking photos with classic phones and vintage cameras, and it also comes with a Barbie camera frame for your pictures. With a battery that gives you the freedom to do more with up to nine hours of talk time to keep having fun out and about.
When the phone is flipped open – a truly satisfying act in itself – everything on screen feels like it’s straight out of the DreamHouse. Besides the beautifully familiar ‘Hi Barbie!’ boot up sound that plays when the device is switched on, a missed call from Ken that you can add to contacts, the pared back, Barbie style user interface is achingly easy to navigate. Everything’s been built with Barbie in mind, it’s even got Malibu Snake switching apples for watermelons – the only game you’ll need this summer but do try to take a screen vacay!
Pricing And Availability
The HMD Barbie Phone from Human Mobile Devices has a recommended retail price of $199 and is available online and at Telstra stores nationally from today. Come on, Barbie, let’s go party!
