HMD, or Human Cellular Gadgets for brief, is launching a Barbie-branded flip cellphone in July.
HMD
BARCELONA — Not but uninterested in the Barbie film?
Quickly, you can get a flip cellphone from the blockbuster toy franchise.
The corporate behind Nokia-branded smartphones, HMD, brief for Human Cellular Gadgets, says it’s launching a Barbie flip cellphone this summer time, in partnership with toy maker Mattel.
Mattel is the corporate behind the Barbie vogue doll assortment. It has produced and bought the favored children’ toys and equipment since 1959.
The system, which is slated for launch this summer time, “guarantees to embody the classic stylish of the unique lady empowerment model with a touch of pink and naturally, sparkle,” in accordance with a HMD press launch.
It will not be related to the web, making it a throwback to the “dumb telephones” of yesteryear earlier than smartphones turned common.
So-called dumb telephones have turn out to be extra common, particularly with Gen Z shoppers, who’re attempting to restrict their digital exercise and transfer away from poisonous content material discovered on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube.
HMD was spun out of Microsoft after the U.S. tech big determined to promote the Nokia cellphone model, which it first bought in 2014, to a bunch of former Nokia executives.
HMD World was established in 2016.
Driving Barbie mania
Barbie mania turned a phenomenon in 2023 on account of a blockbuster film that includes the likes of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Will Ferrell.
The movie pulled in over $1.4 billion on the field workplace, making it the highest-grossing movie of 2023.
Lars Silberbauer, HMD’s chief advertising and marketing officer, informed CNBC the corporate was taking the “Lego mannequin” of partnering with different big-name manufacturers, whereas offering tech knowhow and its personal cellphone model.
Silberbauer beforehand labored at Lego as a senior world director.
“We’re not a white label enterprise. We wish the HMD model to face for one thing,” Silberbauer informed CNBC. “There can be extra collaborations. The following one is popping out in Might.”
He urged there could be loads different offers and partnerships down the road.
HMD beforehand labored with James Bond film “No Time To Die” to advertise the movie in 2020.
The brand new system from HMD and Mattel will seem like a typical flip cellphone with buttons quite than a contact display, and is available in a sizzling pink coloration, resembling the enduring pink flip cellphone accent that comes with many Barbie dolls.
Info on pricing and availability has not but been shared by the corporate.
The corporate is hoping the traction of the Barbie model will give it a lift as a extra internationally acknowledged model identify.
HMD didn’t reveal the system at its press occasion in Barcelona, which got here forward of the Cellular World Congress know-how commerce present.
It’s the first system being bought by HMD beneath its new model identify, Human Cellular Gadgets — or HMD for brief. This can be a step away from Nokia which is the model HMD sometimes has used to promote its dumb telephones and smartphones.
Below a revamp, HMD plans to nonetheless promote Nokia telephones. However it is going to companion with different manufacturers to promote telephones that signify each its model, and the companion’s.
Francisco Jeronimo, vp of gadgets and analytics for Europe at analysis agency IDC, mentioned he believes HMD will attempt to put for celebrities and influencers to advertise its telephones.
“This might assist the model get a extra premium positioning, Jeronimo mentioned in an interview. “They’re very robust on function telephones their gross sales on smartphones are usually not that robust.”
HMD, which additionally reached profitability final 12 months, sells thousands and thousands of smartphones. However it’s not a family identify like Apple or Samsung.
