The Barbie Cellphone is plastic, unbelievable, and impractical

The Barbie Cellphone, very like the doll it pays tribute to, is a factor of magnificence. However like that doll whose proportions, traditionally, are not possible, the Barbie Cellphone simply isn’t constructed for the trendy world.

Even when the ultra-feminine aesthetic isn’t your factor — and it’s probably not mine — it’s important to hand it to the Barbie flip telephone. From the field it is available in, to the interchangeable again plates, rhinestone stickers, and Barbie-fied interface, it’s a delight. The charger and battery are each pink, although they’re a lighter shade than Mattel’s trademarked Barbie Pink (Pantone 219). The telephone says “Hi Barbie!” whenever you flip it on. It’s the definition of committing to the bit.

The breezy enjoyable of the Barbie aesthetic, Pantone 219 or in any other case, is at odds with the precise expertise of utilizing the telephone. It’s based mostly on considered one of HMD’s characteristic telephones, and it runs an working system referred to as KaiOS. The telephone is designed for fundamental connectivity — texting, calling, emails — and even features a internet browser.

In line with HMD, along with being cute, the nostalgic design and restricted characteristic set are alleged to encourage you to disconnect and spend time with your folks IRL. There are a sequence of “Barbie Tips” within the telephone’s menus that advise you on this level. 

“No need to give up the smartphone entirely,” reads Barbie Tip 1. “Find a balance between your smartphone and your Barbie Phone.” Barbie Tip 6 is titled “DreamHouse™️ Rule” and encourages you to “Make tech-free zones in your own DreamHouse. More room for fun!” By the way, Mattel says it sells a Barbie DreamHouse each two minutes. The DreamHouse retails for $199.99; the Barbie Cellphone is $129.99.

The concept of popping my SIM card within the Barbie telephone and operating away for a weekend of digital detoxing with my besties sounds nice. The fact isn’t really easy. Have you ever ever tried to enter your Google account password with an alphanumeric keypad? Have you learnt the best way to discover the curly brackets in T9? I’ve and I do, because of the Barbie Cellphone, and I don’t want that on anybody. Typing out messages with predictive textual content is extra tedious than I bear in mind; if I used this telephone commonly, I’d in all probability name individuals much more.

Except for texting, a number of the options of this characteristic telephone simply didn’t work correctly for me. I efficiently synced my Google calendar, however my appointments seem on the unsuitable days for causes I can’t discern. I couldn’t get the FM radio app to acknowledge the wired earbuds I plugged into the three.5mm jack. The online browser is painfully sluggish and refuses to render The Verge in any usable type, although I understand I’m in all probability the one one who would try and learn The Verge on the Barbie Cellphone.

The delight I felt once I first unboxed the Barbie Cellphone was undoubtedly fading. Even the entrance of the telephone, which is usually coated by a mirror, appeared loads much less charming coated in my very own fingerprints and smudges. And I assume having a mirror on the entrance of your telephone is cute, as a result of you may body up your selfies and verify your enamel for items of kale.

However you realize when it’s not cute? Having to have a look at your personal face each time you verify for a notification. This can be a type of existential dilemma that Barbie doesn’t should endure, as a result of Barbie’s make-up is pre-applied and she or he’s perpetually twenty two or no matter. I don’t wish to see my face once I’m checking texts, 4 espressos deep on a Tuesday morning with nary a drop of concealer below my eyes.

Barbie’s world is a dream. Sadly, the world wherein the Barbie Cellphone lets me escape the drudgery of contemporary connectivity additionally appears to be a dream. Certain, it let me take slightly trip from my smartphone and nonetheless textual content my associates. However principally, it simply changed the annoyances of utilizing an ultra-connected machine with completely different annoyances.

Somebody extra dedicated to utilizing T9 may in all probability have an pleasing time with the Barbie Cellphone. In any other case, that is only a neat collectible merchandise; one thing to take out of the field and play with for some time, however finally depart in a drawer. Form of like a doll.

Pictures by Allison Johnson / The Verge