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Commodore Creates New Spin on a "Dumb Phone"

Jun 16, 2026, 2:45 PM by Rich Brome @rbrome.bsky.social
updated Jun 29, 2026, 10:23 AM

Commodore's newest product is a 4G flip phone that can run many popular Android apps, but will refuse to run any web browser, social media, email, or "work" apps. The Commodore Callback 8020 will run messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, and Telegram, as well as music, podcasts, maps, rideshare apps, and of course several Commodore 64 games. It also has a smartphone-grade camera with a 48-megapixel Sony sensor. The OS is based on Sailfish by Jolla, but tweaked to block prohibited apps at a system level. The 3.25-inch display can operate as a touch-screen for third-party apps that require one, but touch is disabled while in apps that can be controlled by just the keypad. It has a MediaTek Helio G81 processor, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, and a microSD slot for adding up to 256 GB of storage. The phone will be available in five different retro colors and swappable back covers allow further customization. Pre-orders begin June 30 and Commodore expects to make deliveries within six months. The phone will sell for $499 (updated), but those who join the wait-list now will get a $100 discount.

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GravityFails

Jun 17, 2026, 11:11 PM

All the Nostalgia...

Double the price.

I understand; tech is expensive these days. But part of the nostalgic appeal of feature phones is that their simplicity comprises not only the physical aspects of the device (i.e., form factor), but also the economic, which is where the price issue comes in.

$599 is a tough nut to swallow when you consider that there's not likely to be any way that you'll be able to test the Callback before purchasing one. What are the odds that you'll be able to go to a brick and mortar carrier store and look at the screen, or actuate the hinge (to check for wobbles and squeaks, naturally), or feel the feedback on the keypad? Is it even likely to be picked up by any stateside carriers? Or at least have good frequency support for an...
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