Updated
Updated · IGN · Jun 16
Commodore Unveils $499.99 Callback 8020 Flip Phone With No Social Media or Browser
Updated
Updated · IGN · Jun 16

Commodore Unveils $499.99 Callback 8020 Flip Phone With No Social Media or Browser

3 articles · Updated · IGN · Jun 16

Summary

  • $499.99 is the starting price for Commodore’s Callback 8020, a flip phone due later this year that strips out social media, email and web browsing.
  • Sailfish OS powers the device with a de-Googled setup that still runs 99% of Android apps, while Commodore and Meta built a special WhatsApp version for messaging.
  • The phone keeps selected smartphone features, including a 48MP camera, Spotify support, an audiophile-grade DAC and an FM tuner, positioning it between a dumb phone and a smartphone.
  • CEO Peri Fractic said the idea came after realizing he was addicted to his smartphone, extending Commodore’s retro-focused hardware revival after the Commodore 64 Ultimate.

Insights

Can the legendary Commodore brand sell a $499 phone that does less, or is nostalgia not enough?
Is Commodore's un-bypassable phone a tool for digital freedom or a new form of censorship?
Can a $499 phone solve the doomscrolling epidemic, or is it a high-tech bandage for a human problem?