GoKawiilThe recently resurrected Commodore is getting back into phones, but rather than taking on the likes of Apple and Samsung at their own game, the Commodore Callback 8020 is a proudly non-conformant flip phone that wouldn't have looked out of place in the '90s.
Billed by its maker as a "retreat from Black Mirror technology," the Callback 8020 (the first phone to carry the Commodore name since 2015's PET) uses patent-pending tech to enforce a system-level block on social media apps, web browsers and email clients. What you are allowed to have is the Linux-based Sailfish OS operating system, which Commodore says offers a "completely de-Googled experience compatible with over 99 percent of Android apps" thanks to the Runtime compatibility layer. These include WhatsApp, Maps and Spotify. Sailfish OS was developed by Jolla, a Finnish company founded by a team of Nokia veterans.
In a statement to Ars Technica, Commodore said it supports sideloading of nearly anything that isn't available on its "Commostore," apart from the "doomscrolling" apps around which it has "drawn a firm line in the sand." It's so committed to its anti-social media policy that it's even blocked unwanted software at the DNS level, so even if you do find a workaround for getting certain apps on the phone, you still won't be able to access their servers.
Commodore also promises not to collect your data without consent, and says it won't monetize any data you do hand over, track cookies or monitor the way you use the phone. Despite banning browsers, it does maintain an internet connection, so you can use it for things like scanning QR codes and navigation when you're out and about.
Commodore says the Callback 8020 "celebrates real communication" with its support for services like WhatsApp, Signal and apparently even iMessage after you've approved it on a Mac (although there is no evidence that this is going to work based on the history of people trying to get iMessage on non-Apple devices). It also has a good old-fashioned predictive text feature built in, and instead of pop-up on-screen notifications, the phone uses a dome LED light to tell you when you have a new message.
On the specs front, you'll be not using Instagram on a 3.25-inch IPS main display, with a mini 1.77-inch VFD-style display on the front. The phone uses a MediaTek Helio G81 processor, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. A 32GB microSD card is also included and comes pre-loaded with some music, with the slot supporting expanded storage up to 256GB. The Callback 8020 has a 48MP rear camera with flash and a selfie camera with autofocus when flipped open. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are supported and GPS is built in. The phone charges via UBS-C.
Everything from the 1550 mAh battery to the covers can be swapped out if you want to add a burst of color to the device, and Commodore is leaning heavily on its heritage with a selection of pre-loaded Commodore 64 games (plus Snake) and an exterior display inspired by its 1970s calculators.
The phone has a full 8-bit SID music player and SID ringtones, which Commodore said are a mix of officially licensed classic tunes and some new ones. Audiophiles are served by a built-in DAC and included HD in-ear monitor (IEM earphones) that you can plug into the 3.mm jack. There's even an on-board FM radio.
Commodore CEO and President, Peri Fractic, said the Callback 8020 was inspired by his own experience of shunning his smartphone after becoming a parent, which allowed him to be more present in his daughter's early years. But after discovering that the alternative devices he tried were "too minimal," the company set out to create the "not dumb dumbphone" that embodies the spirit of both retro and futurism.
"The Commodore Callback is the phone I wished had existed when I started my journey, and the one we now want to put in the hands of everyone who's ready to escape the doomscrolling and distractions, with a speed bump for the mind," Frantic said in a press release.
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