Adamya Sharma / Android Authority
TL;DR
- HMD has revealed that it’ll launch a Barbie-branded flip telephone later this yr.
- This can be a characteristic telephone relatively than a full-fledged Android machine.
- The producer additionally outlined plans for a extra customizable smartphone with interchangeable rear covers.
HMD introduced late final yr that it might launch its personal branded telephones in 2024 after solely providing Nokia telephones. Now, the corporate has used MWC 2024 to disclose plans for a relatively completely different flip telephone.
The smartphone producer confirmed plans to launch a Barbie-branded flip telephone in July 2024. This can be a characteristic telephone relatively than an Android telephone. HMD hasn’t revealed the telephone’s working system (or different specs), however the firm has beforehand used the KaiOS platform for a number of characteristic telephones.
The smartphone producer hasn’t revealed the Barbie telephone’s design, both. It did, nevertheless, launch a picture (seen under) suggesting a pink shade scheme.
“Promising model, nostalgia, and a much-needed digital detox, this retro characteristic telephone will flip the script on smartphone tradition and can be this summer season’s hottest accent,” the corporate famous in a press launch.
HMD is a bit of late to the Barbie insanity, although, because the telephone can be launched greater than six months after the movie first got here out. Then once more, HMD’s earlier film tie-up with Bond movie No Time To Die was marred by the movie’s delays.
A customizable telephone, and extra repairable telephones
The European cellular model additionally had just a few different bulletins to share in Barcelona. For starters, the corporate acknowledged that it’ll launch a brand new telephone — dubbed the HMD Fusion — that guarantees {hardware} customization.
The HMD Fusion is slated to launch in July 2024, and the corporate says you may swap out the shell for numerous wants. Photographs proven by the corporate, and seen under, present an ordinary rear cowl, a canopy with slots on your playing cards, and a canopy with what seems to be digital camera controls.
HMD is releasing a toolkit for the telephone right this moment, containing design recordsdata and software program integration data. There wasn’t a lot else in the best way of particulars, although. However this looks like a barely extra concerned swap-out course of than the magnetic system seen on the Moto Z telephones.
HMD additionally confirmed that it’ll launch a telephone in July that can supply simpler display repairs. The corporate didn’t delve into this restore course of bar saying that it’ll “considerably” scale back the variety of steps wanted to interchange the display.
Nonetheless need Nokia-branded telephones? Nicely, the producer acknowledged that it’ll proceed to supply Nokia telephones and that it’ll convey again an “iconic telephone” this summer season.
