Classic gaming model Commodore pronounces its subsequent product: a flip-phone that blocks social media and browsers

The subsequent Commodore-branded product has been introduced, and it’s not a gaming gadget.

The Commodore model has been bought quite a few occasions over time, and in 2025 it was acquired by Christian ‘Peri Fractic’ Simpson. Last 12 months it introduced an FPGA recreation of the Commodore 64 dwelling pc known as the Commodore 64 Ultimate, and now it’s revealed its second product – a cellphone designed to dam social media.

The Commodore Callback is a flip cellphone which is designed to suit someplace between a wise cellphone and a ‘dumb’ telephones, with Simpson noting: “The smartphone is still too smart. And dumb phones are, well, too dumb. So we built a bridge between. That’s the Callback.”

Whereas most flip telephones don’t have any smartphone capabilities, the Callback does characteristic some smartphone apps together with WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Google Maps and Uber, in addition to a music participant and a 48MP Sony rear digicam.

Its built-in DAC will assist HD audio and lossless recordsdata, and the cellphone will include HQ IEM earphones, in addition to a number of ringtones based mostly on Commodore 64 SID music.

Social media apps, nonetheless, are “blocked at the system level”, with Commodore claiming the cellphone is “designed to be not just school friendly, but human friendly”.

An FAQ part asking if the block will be turned off replies: “No. Callback is built around these blocks. That is the point.”

Addressing the explanation for blocking net browsers too, it says: “Because the browser is the back door. Most social media, feeds, video sites, news spirals, and endless searches are still available through the web. Blocking only the apps would leave the main temptation intact.

“How many times have you opened a browser to search up something quick, then been intentionally presented something else to click and half an hour later, you forgot what you wanted to search for?”

In an announcement, Commodore CEO Peri Frantic described the Callback as “a modern phone with none of the apps that make you anxious – ads, algorithms, feeds, a browser, a bottomless inbox, or the office chat that follows you home. Was any of that truly for you anyway?”

He added: “Oh, and of course it can emulate a Commodore 64, with a few carefully chosen Commodore games and SID chip ringtones, because how could we not?”

The Commodore Callback will use a personalized model of Linux-based Sailfish OS, and was designed in collaboration with Sailfish’s engineering crew Jolla.

The OS is designed to be suitable with 99% of Android apps in principle, although clearly as a result of a big share of those apps require touchscreen – one thing the Callback doesn’t have – their performance could also be restricted.

Commodore says the cellphone’s flip closure and T9-style button texting “adds mindful friction to usage”, and the shortage of touchscreen means “an end to doomscrolling”.

Pre-orders for the Commodore Callback will begin on June 30 at 9am BST, with those that join the waitlist getting $50 off the full value.

Launch colors will embody the gold-coloured Founders Edition (which has a 24 karat gold-plated Commodore key and prices £520) to the transluscent blue Starlight Edition (£447) and the cheaper BASIC Beige, SX Silver and ProtoPET White (all of that are £410).

The timing of the Callback’s announcement could also be lucky for the brand new Commodore, on condition that earlier this week the UK authorities introduced that it will be implementing a ban on all social media, however that it wouldn’t embody apps like WhatsApp.

In principle, the Callback – which Commodore calls “school friendly” – could possibly be one answer for folks who nonetheless want to have the ability to contact their kids at college.