Commodore is reviving the flip phone with a device designed to curb doomscrolling. The Commodore Callback blocks social media apps and web browsers at the system level, but still lets users play emulated retro video games.
A New Commodore Venture
This new phone comes from a company established in 2025 that acquired all Commodore trademarks. It previously released the Commodore 64 Ultimate, a recreation of the classic home computer. The Callback is positioned as a hybrid between a smartphone and a dumbphone.
Features and Limitations
While it is a flip phone, the Callback supports 99% of Android apps, including WhatsApp and Google Maps, and can connect to the internet. However, social media apps and web browsers are permanently blocked. The company states: 'Smartphones are designed to be mindlessly seamless. Callback is built around a simple research-backed finding: remove features designed to pull you back in and reintroduce physical friction.'
Retro Gaming Included
True to its Commodore heritage, the phone includes emulated Commodore games and even the classic Snake game. This adds a nostalgic element for enthusiasts.
Pricing and Availability
No release date has been announced, but pre-orders go live on June 30, with orders expected in winter. Prices start at £409.74 for white, silver, and beige models, reduced to £372.42 with a wishlist discount. The Starlight edition costs £447.79 (£410.47 with discount), and the Founder's edition is £522.42 (£477.65 with discount). These prices are lower than many modern smartphones, but the device is likely more of a novelty for Commodore fans.
CEO's Statement
Commodore president and CEO Peri Fractic said: 'How fitting, that a company whose lights dimmed in the ’90s, returns for its Y2K era, just as so many of us are reaching back for that exact same simpler tech. I hope you’ll join us as we dial down the digital, and dial up the life.'
