this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2026
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107
Commodore Callback 8020: Flip phone without browser, social networks, and 5G (www.heise.de)
submitted 1 day ago by HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.org to c/technology@lemmy.world
39 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

The manufacturer explicitly positions the device as a response to constant availability and what it considers problematic mechanisms of modern smartphone platforms. In conversation with heise, Commodore CEO Peri Fractic describes the Callback 8020 as a “not stupid dumbphone” for people who want to spend less time scrolling and more time in the real world. It is envisioned as a secondary device for staying reachable without being constantly exposed to the temptations of a smartphone with its notifications, apps, and games. The decision was influenced by his young daughter and his own behavior: “I was addicted to my smartphone,” says Prei Fractic.

Fantastic. We need more people like that.

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[–] diablicja@lemmy.zip 7 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

If there were a way that you could have 50% more attention for your kids, yourself, and the people around you, how much would that be worth for you? How much is your attention worth?

Following this logic they could just as well stick a $50 000 price tag in it. It still wouldn't be defensible.

Manufacturing a phone in small numbers is not cheap

Sure, but is it so much more expensive than manufacturing a HMD 2660, which does more or less the same things and retails for approx. $100?

Let's be for real, the whole Commodore thing nowadays is milking gen X nostalgia for all it's worth. And I don't think it's worth that much.

[–] JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz 2 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

is it so much more expensive than manufacturing a HMD 2660, which does more or less the same things and retails for approx. $100?

Yes, extremely so.

HMD will manufacture millions of them with partners they have been using for a decade, they will each skim a few dollars to cover costs and profit and still do fine.
Commodore will manufacture a fraction of that volume using parts way more expensive as they buy less of them, and they still have to cover r&d and tooling costs from that lower volume.

That is why kickstarters (and pre-orders) are so damn useful, as that allows you to get a start at covering those costs before you even manufacture anything.

[–] diablicja@lemmy.zip 1 points 13 hours ago

If they were introducing some groundbreaking tech I could agree, but they're using premade components to make their own version of an existing product. And sure, it's cheaper to manufacture at scale but 5x the going price is way too much. For comparison, Nothing Phone launched 4 years ago at $400. By that logic it should've cost ~$1500.