HMD, or Human Mobile Products for limited, is launching a Barbie-branded flip cellular phone in July.
HMD
BARCELONA — Not still worn out of the Barbie movie?
Before long, you may be able to get a flip cellular phone from the blockbuster toy franchise.
The company powering Nokia-branded smartphones, HMD, quick for Human Cellular Units, suggests it is launching a Barbie flip mobile phone this summer, in partnership with toy maker Mattel.
Mattel is the corporation behind the Barbie trend doll selection. It has made and bought the well-liked kids’ toys and accessories considering the fact that 1959.
The system, which is slated for launch this summer months, “promises to embody the vintage chic of the authentic lady empowerment brand with a dash of pink and of course, sparkle,” in accordance to a HMD push launch.
It won’t be related to the world-wide-web, producing it a throwback to the “dumb telephones” of yesteryear ahead of smartphones grew to become well-known.
So-known as dumb telephones have become far more well known, specially with Gen Z individuals, who are striving to limit their electronic action and transfer away from toxic content material identified on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
HMD was spun out of Microsoft following the U.S. tech huge resolved to market the Nokia cellphone model, which it first ordered in 2014, to a team of former Nokia executives.
HMD Global was founded in 2016.
Driving Barbie mania
Barbie mania grew to become a phenomenon in 2023 because of to a blockbuster film showcasing the likes of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Will Ferrell.
The movie pulled in about $1.4 billion at the box business office, creating it the optimum-grossing film of 2023.
Lars Silberbauer, HMD’s main advertising and marketing officer, told CNBC the business was using the “Lego product” of partnering with other big-name brand names, though supplying tech knowhow and its personal mobile phone manufacturer.
Silberbauer earlier labored at Lego as a senior world director.
“We are not a white label business. We want the HMD brand to stand for some thing,” Silberbauer advised CNBC. “There will be a lot more collaborations. The following a person is coming out in Could.”
He instructed there would be lots other discounts and partnerships down the line.
HMD formerly worked with James Bond movie “No Time To Die” to advertise the movie in 2020.
The new system from HMD and Mattel will seem like a typical flip cellular phone with buttons rather than a contact display, and arrives in a incredibly hot pink color, resembling the iconic pink flip cellphone accessory that arrives with quite a few Barbie dolls.
Information on pricing and availability has not still been shared by the business.
The company is hoping the traction of the Barbie model will give it a improve as a a lot more internationally acknowledged manufacturer title.
HMD did not reveal the product at its press occasion in Barcelona, which arrived ahead of the Cellular Environment Congress technological know-how trade clearly show.
It is the initially device currently being sold by HMD under its new manufacturer title, Human Mobile Devices — or HMD for limited. This is a stage absent from Nokia which is the brand name HMD commonly has employed to promote its dumb phones and smartphones.
Less than a revamp, HMD programs to nevertheless offer Nokia phones. But it will spouse with other brand names to promote telephones that characterize each its brand, and the partner’s.
Francisco Jeronimo, vice president of devices and analytics for Europe at exploration business IDC, reported he thinks HMD will attempt to place for celebs and influencers to advertise its telephones.
“This could support the model get a far more top quality positioning, Jeronimo said in an interview. “They are quite robust on aspect telephones their sales on smartphones are not that sturdy.”
HMD, which also arrived at profitability last yr, sells thousands and thousands of smartphones. But it is not a residence identify like Apple or Samsung.
