Commodore has finalised pricing and specs for the Callback 8020 and opened pre-orders. The flip phone runs modern apps and has a capable camera, but it permanently blocks social media and web browsers. Prices start at $399, and the phone is aimed squarely at the growing number of people trying to cut their screen time.
The blocking is the defining feature, and it can’t be undone. Commodore says browsers and a long list of social platforms are locked out at the system level using patent-pending technology, with no way for the user to switch the restriction off. The list includes TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, X, Threads, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, Kick, Discord, Roblox and Tumblr. Email and Slack aren’t preinstalled but can be added.
The software is Sailfish OS, the Linux-based platform from Finnish company Jolla, which grew out of former Nokia engineers. An Android compatibility layer runs most Android apps; Commodore cites Jolla’s estimate of 99 percent. Google Play Services is absent, with microG filling some gaps. In practice, Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, maps, rideshare and podcast apps should work. Commodore acknowledges banking apps are less reliable, which could be a dealbreaker for anyone hoping to use this as their only phone.
The hardware is modest but considered. There’s a 3.25-inch 480 x 640 touchscreen, with touch disabled by default in favour of a physical T9 keypad. A MediaTek Helio G81 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage runs the phone, and it has two physical SIM slots but no eSIM. The 1,850mAh battery is user-swappable, with spares at $19, and the hinge is rated for 200,000 openings. The rear camera uses a 48MP Sony sensor, and a small red outer display can act as a viewfinder for shots taken with the phone closed.
Much of the appeal is nostalgia. The phone plays SID music files from the Commodore 64’s sound chip, uses SID-based ringtones, and ships with a set of C64 games, plus Snake. It also has a dedicated DAC, FLAC support, a 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio.
There are four standard finishes priced at $399 or $449 depending on memory, along with a $640 gold-coated Founders Edition. Commodore offers free worldwide shipping, cancellation at any point before dispatch, and a one-year warranty.
The Callback joins a growing market alongside the Light Phone and various HMD flip phones. Its approach is unusual: rather than stripping apps out, it keeps everything except the specific apps it considers harmful. It also lacks NFC, 5G and tap-to-pay. More pressingly, it still needs FCC authorisation before it can ship, and Commodore hasn’t committed to a delivery date.