The last time I held a mobile phone was the modern version of the Nokia 3310 which looked quite interesting. But after HMD kept quiet in Malaysia, it's been a long time since I saw such a device in front of my eyes until the Barbie Phone was launched. I have made this phone for a week and in the article I will share my experience with it.
SPECIFICATION AND DESIGN
Inside Screen – 2.8-inch QVGA
External – 1.77-inch QQVGA
Unisoc T107 CPU/GPU
Internal Memory/Storage – 128 MB, Micro SD card – 32GB
RAM – 64MB
Camera Main Camera
0.3 Megapixel, VGA
Flash
1x LED Light
S30+ Operating System
1450 mAh battery1
Removable
Battery life:
Talk time up to 9 hours (in the lab environment)
SIM/Telephony Dual-SIM 4G
Bluetooth 5.0 connection
3.5mm
USB-C
Selling Price RM699
HMD Barbie Phone is a regular mobile phone with 4G support. It has no WiFi, no NFC, no Android and practically nothing. Barbie Phone is just a traditional valve phone with modern elements.
The entire build is plastic that feels like a toy phone rather than a durable Nokia handset. It has a mirror on the outside and also a small screen for notifications, an adequate color inner screen and soft-pressed keys. Two physical buttons are also visible on the left side for power and volume.
Barbie Phone is designed with an openable back panel. It is not only to remove the battery but also to change the back panel with a different pattern or to connect accessories such as the handle bracelet. The phone supports up to two 4G SIM cards and also one 32GB micro SD card.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
The HMD Barbie Phone does not run the KaiOS operating system like most of their other mobile phones. Instead it runs the S30+ operating system long used by Nokia and HMD with the help of Unisoc as the device is powered by the Unisoc T107 chip. There is nothing special about this mobile phone except that it can be connected to the Internet to surf the web with Opera Mini. Opera Mini version is so old that most websites now cannot be opened.
The performance of the device is very smooth, but it is very cumbersome because all interactions need to use physical buttons for control. The button that is not pleasant to press makes me press it wrong many times because there is a little delay and it does not immediately open what is pressed. The button on the side is also uncomfortable to press and I realized from the ringing setting that the device was accidentally muted by me.
The screen on the outside is similar to Nokia's famous Always-on Display system, the Glance Screen, only it's not as active. It displays notifications, clock, date and sound level. It's also a bit dim and less useful for me. The screen inside is big enough for me, there is no problem to read text, read notifications, use the camera, use various applications and even play the Snake game.
The S30+ is a very limited operating system. It does not support app downloads. It only allows you to use what is already available. This Barbie edition brings some pretty cool features, like the Snake game with a purple and pink beach theme that suits Barbie. Then there's Barbie's notification feature that gives random facts and advice to free yourself from the digital world. Unfortunately, this information does not have a link for further reading about Barbie.
This Barbie Phone also supports radio without the need for earphones to be connected to the 3.5mm audio jack. It can also play music files and has limited support for playing videos. The speaker quality is quite good even though it is mono. It is loud and sufficient. The same goes for the microphone quality when answering phone calls. The voice sounds very clear and natural.
The camera capability is like a mobile phone because it uses VGA quality. Even so, the trend that Gen Z users love includes filters and classic image results. Then file sharing is via Bluetooth which feels very fast because the file size is only a few kilobytes.
The device's battery life is said to be continuous for 9 hours, but in my tests with light use it had no problem lasting up to a week. Charging is by USB-C so it's easy to charge.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Specially for the Barbie edition, HMD provides a variety of additional items. With every purchase you will receive;
1x Barbie phone
2x Additional back panels
2x Set of stickers
1x Bracelet
1x Mini key chain set
1x Pink wipes
1x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1x Pink battery
1x Manual/safety book
CONCLUSION
After a week of using this device with my SIM card in it, I can say it's hard to live without access to the digital world. It's only been two days, my hands are already itching to open various applications and continue to lose by going back to using the smartphone. Even so, just answering a phone call by a food delivery person – it indirectly reduced my obsession with smartphone screens a bit.
Anyway for RM699, HMD Barbie Phone is actually quite expensive. There is no necessary app like WhatsApp, no interesting modern features and its very basic use should be sold at a cheaper price. This expensive price you pay to get the Barbie edition with various themes inside the phone and accessories. It's more of a phone to be a collection or just to cheer up the kids.
Pro
Attractive classic design.
A unique dual-screen option.
Quality speakers.
A special Barbie theme.
There is a 4G connection and the Opera Mini web browser
Long lasting battery
SHORTAGES
Very limited use.
No WhatsApp.
Ugly 0.3MP VGA camera.
Media player has difficulty playing videos.
Unsightly buttons.
Cheap build.
The price is quite expensive.