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Did you think the Barbie craze was over already? Although the movie came out over a year ago, a new piece of Barbie merchandise has just been announced. While it hasn't officially been released, the exciting product is super nostalgic.

Do you recall having a toy Barbie phone as a kid, or perhaps Barbie lip gloss packaged to look like a phone? And do you remember owning, or dreaming of owning, a real flip phone? Well, this awesome new creation combines the vibes of those Barbie toys and the flip phones of the early 2000s. Yes, you can now have your very own Y2K-style Barbie flip phone (a real phone!) that will delight both your inner child and your inner teen. It's pure pink nostalgia.

Barbie (Mattel) has partnered with HMD to create an exclusive Barbie flip phone. The phone obviously features a Barbie pink color scheme. It also has a mirror on the front! The back cover is hot pink with "Barbie" written in big letters, but that's not your only option. The phone comes with two extra back covers, so you can switch them out and personalize your phone as you see fit. The personalization doesn't stop there—accessorize with beaded lanyards, attachable charms, stickers, and gems. The buttons on the phone (yes, buttons. This isn't a touch screen) are decorated with light pink images of flamingos, palm trees, hearts, and the Barbie B. It's just so fun and cute!

The adorable aesthetic isn't the only thing that has people talking. This flip phone is also advertised as a way to unplug. "Give your smartphone a vacay," the main page for the phone says.

So, if you're looking for a social media cleanse, this phone could be the perfect (and super cute) way to do so. The whole idea is to "disconnect to reconnect." You can call, text, and take photos with the rear camera, but you won't use it for Instagram stories. We're keeping it very old school here. And by old school, I mean, let's say, sometime before the 2010s.

Oh, but it does greet you with a "Hi Barbie" when you turn it on. I can't say my iPhone does that.

Although the capabilities are limited, you can do a few additional things with this phone. According to WIRED, its operating system has a handful of smartphone functions, including 4G connectivity, Wi-Fi, GPS, and available apps like WhatsApp, Google Maps, and YouTube. And if you're worried about needing to carry around an iPod for your tunes and just going full-on early 2000s, don't fret! You can play music through Bluetooth or plug-in headphones, though it's unclear to me where you can download or stream it. The phone even comes with a version of the Snake game called Malibu Snake.

I love this whole concept, but I don't know if I see it popping off beyond being a new trendy item. I definitely don't think phones like this will become the new normal, but that's okay. That's not always the goal.

Fleurine Tideman, a writer for Betches, said, "The truth is I guarantee that more than half the people who buy this phone will keep their smartphone alongside it and use it as a photo prop more than anything else."

Is she wrong? The idea of disconnecting to reconnect is pretty healthy and wholesome, but I can't say having a photo shoot (with an iPhone) while holding the Barbie phone wouldn't be a blast, which I would then rush to post on Insta. Maybe that means I really need to disconnect, LOL.

So, what do you think? Will you be buying the Barbie phone? As much as I love the aesthetic and the whole idea of unplugging, I think committing to this phone would simply be too challenging for me. I do think it could be great as a second phone to use at those times when you want or need to digitally disconnect a bit and reconnect with the real world. But that would depend on if it's possible to simply switch a SIM card between that and an iPhone. The whole concept and the marketing around it have been incredible. Imaging things like snapping my phone shut or using the mirror on the front to apply lipgloss gives me such cool girl vibes. So maybe one day I will decide to get my hands on it. I actually kind of do want it.

The Barbie phone isn't available just yet, but it is supposedly going on sale on October 1 for $129. You can get notified here in case you're worried you'll forget.

Helaina Cozza
Helaina is a content writer for OCN. She is a Colorado transplant and loves the Colorado lifestyle. She loves skiing, camping, and hiking.
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