Commodore Computers Is Making a Distraction-Free Cell Phone

Commodore (yes, that Commodore) is rolling things backmost erstwhile again with the Callback 8020, a compartment telephone "with nary societal media, nary email, nary browser, and nary apologies."

The Callback 8020 has a precise acquainted aboriginal 2000s flip telephone aesthetic and runs Sailfish OS, a "completely de-Googled experience" moving "99%" of Android apps but selectively disabling the ones you apt walk the astir clip utilizing and doom-scrolling.

That means nary Facebook, nary Instagram, nary Slack– you can't adjacent cheque your email. You tin inactive support successful touch, though, with substance messaging, existent telephone calls, and a peculiar mentation of WhatsApp Commdore worked with Meta to create. But different than that, the telephone refuses to fuss you (or adjacent fto you beryllium bothered) with each the different clip sinks we've grown accustomed to successful our pockets.

It besides has an "audiophile people DAC" for euphony playback and supports Spotify, truthful you tin inactive bask euphony and podcasts. It adjacent has an FM tuner built in, if you, similar me, find yourself needing to tune into a triple-play Thursday connected your section butt-rock station. Better still, it has a 48MP camera, truthful you inactive get to transportation a camera with you astatine each times but you conscionable can't usage it to upload your photos to Instagram. You usage it to conscionable instrumentality photos of things you privation to seizure to revisit successful the future. I know, crazy, right?

The thought for the Callback 8020 came from Commodore President and CEO Peri Fractic (real sanction Christian Simpson) realizing helium was "addicted to [his] smartphone."

I was fortunate capable to reappraisal the Commodore 64 Ultimate past year, Commodore's archetypal foray into the hardware satellite since forever, and I perfectly loved it. Scratch that, I didn't conscionable emotion it, I was blown distant by it. It's lone the 2nd "10" I've awarded (the different to Flight Simulator 2020) and it's 1 of the fewer hardware 10s IGN has ever awarded. It perpetually bushed my expectations and suprised maine astatine each turn. Truly a labour of love, and I'm assured Commodore's telephone sitting "between dumb and smart" volition likewise delight me.

I'm a immense retro nerd and I've been threatening to propulsion my existent telephone into the oversea for the past 10 years but lacked the courageousness to bash so, and this telephone is calling retired to me. I was fortunate capable to talk to Peri Fractic and Chief Strategy Officer Jim Squires past week and from what they told me, this looks similar it mightiness beryllium precisely the telephone I've been looking for. It has that Y2K aesthetic my assemblage craves, ditches each the worldly that I'm perpetually checking, but keeps the basics I inactive need.

The Commodore Callback 8020 is expected to merchandise aboriginal this year, with the BASIC Beige, ProtoPET White, and SX Silver priced astatine $499.99, Starlight Edition for $549.99, and an highly constricted Founders Edition implicit with 24K golden plated "C" fastener for $640. Preorders, erstwhile they bash open, volition beryllium astatine Commodore's Callback website, and you tin sojourn present to enactment your sanction connected the waitlist.

Seth Macy is Senior Social Commerce Producer, and conscionable wants to beryllium your friend. You tin find him online @SethFromMaine.