AssetID: 55818751
Headline: Commodore launches flip phone that blocks social media but plays retro games
Caption: A new flip phone that blocks social media apps while letting users play classic retro video games has been unveiled. The handset, called the Commodore Callback, is being billed as a halfway point between a modern smartphone and a traditional "dumbphone" - offering access to essential apps while deliberately cutting out the most distracting parts of the internet. Unlike the original Commodore business, this venture is separate from Retro Games, the company behind TheC64 Mini. After reviving the famous home computer with the Commodore 64 Ultimate last year, the company has now turned its attention to smartphones - albeit with a nostalgic twist. Although the Callback is a flip phone, it still supports 99% of Android apps, including WhatsApp and Google Maps, meaning users can stay connected without having access to social media platforms. Its headline feature is the ability to block all social media apps and web browsers at system level, with no option for users to switch the restriction off. The company's website says: "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. It's a speed bump for the mind." In keeping with Commodore's gaming heritage, the phone also includes an emulator capable of running a small selection of classic Commodore titles, alongside the evergreen mobile favourite Snake. No release date has been confirmed, but customers can already wishlist the handset ahead of pre-orders opening on June 30. The company expects to begin shipping devices during the winter. The Callback will be available in white, silver and beige for £409.74, with wishlisting reducing the price to £372.42. A Starlight edition will cost £447.79, dropping to £410.47 with the wishlist discount, while the gold-coloured Founder's edition is priced at £522.42, or £477.65 for those who register interest in advance. 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."
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,Commodore Callback, Commodore phone, flip phone, social media-free phone, retro gaming phone, Android flip phone, dumbphone, Commodore 64, Snake game, smartphone alternative, digital detox, retro games, mobile technology, gadget news, technology
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