GoKawiilAfter some teasing and a couple of red herrings, Commodore today unveiled a retro-styled flip phone dubbed the Callback 8020. More specifically, the classic computing brand has showcased a Linux-based clamshell phone with “no social media, no browser* + no work or email apps.” This is its first original product designed to promote its philosophy of technology serving us, not enslaving us. It hopes to help others reap the benefits of a digital detox with the Callback, which sits flexibly between rival smart and dumb phone offerings.
Join the Commodore Callback 8020 waitlist now to save $50.
Pre-orders go live on June 30th at 10:00 CEST.
Before we look more closely at the Commodore Callback 8020 and its tech specs, it may be enlightening to consider what Peri Fractic, President & CEO of Commodore, says about the origin of this surprising product. In a letter to Commodore fans, he explains that the Callback 8020 is the result of his own personal journey in curing phone addiction.
After switching to an Android flip phone, in an effort to promote digital well-being, Fractic says the process involved “learning what worked, what didn’t, and what people wanted.” Thus, the Callback 8020 was designed as “the perfect middle ground between dumb and smart, and what should a Commodore phone be today?”
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The software that has helped Commodore achieve its middle ground looks like it is basically a custom version of the Jolla Sailfish OS. Thus, it can still deliver plenty of smart functionality, partly due to the broad Android app compatibility of this Linux-based OS. So, how does Commodore ensure that the Callback “minds its own flippin’ business?”
Apparently, the OS has hard blocks to stop the installation of browsers and social media apps. We guess it has some kind of app store blacklist, as the device FAQ confirms, “Users are still able to sideload apps outside those that are blocked, using APK installer files, but Callback is designed first and foremost as a calmer, more intentional phone.”
Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Commodore (Image credit: Commodore
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