Hmd Launches Barbie Phone in Partnership With Mattel

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – HMD Global, which makes Nokia-branded phones, said it has teamed up with toymaker Mattel to launch the HMD Barbie Phone – a pint-sized pink feature flip phone with a retro design.

The phone, priced at 99 pounds ($131.24), is available starting on Wednesday. The device allows users to make calls and send texts but gives no access to social media apps.

The Barbie-pink keypad has hidden designs featuring palm trees, hearts and flamingos that light up in the dark, the company said.

The launch coincides with the Barbie doll’s 65th birthday this year and follows the success of last year’s “Barbie” movie starring Margot Robbie, which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box office.

“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,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst at research firm CCS Insight.

Research firm CCS Insight estimates that HMD could sell more than 400,000 Barbie phones in the UK, where it will be available through Vodafone and Argos.

Finnish firm HMD, which is backed by Alphabet’s Google and Qualcomm, has launched several feature phones, including reissues of classic Nokia phones such as the 3210 and 3310.

($1 = 0.7543 pound)

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Stockholm; Editing by Matthew Lewis)