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The company responsible for the Commodore 64 The best-selling desktop model of all timeHe’s back. And Commodore’s latest reveal feels appropriately retro: a “digital detox” foldable phone. 8020 Commodore replied.
Commodore 8020 response Advertisement blog He attributes the phone’s simple throwback design to the “screen splitter” trend, writing that it’s intended for customers who want a “quieter, more designed phone.”
The Callback 8020 promises to reduce distractions and distractions. Limited availability on touch screen and no browser access. It has no business apps, no email, and no artificial intelligence. Entire social media apps are blacklisted from the onboard Commostore. The company has developed a “patent-pending” technology that prevents users from downloading infringing applications.
“When you’re done using it, you close it, which is an intentional endpoint rather than another invitation to scroll,” the company wrote.
A representative for Commodore International Corporation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Stupid phone revolution?
Despite the Callback 8020’s simplicity, Commodore International says the phone falls somewhere between a smartphone and a dumb phone. “It does everything you want, and nothing you don’t want.”
Callback 8020 “Online, not the web. Return to The Internot!”
The phone has many modern features. It runs a constantly updated Linux-based operating system called Sailfish OS. Commodore promises that, aside from blacklisted apps, the Callback 8020 can run “99% of Android apps,” including apps like Maps, Music, Ride Sharing, Camera, Games, Podcasts, and Voice Notes.
The Callback 8020 also has a 48-megapixel camera, a MediaTek Helio G81 processor, 32GB of storage, a headphone jack, and a replaceable battery. The phone’s outer dome has switchable LEDs so you can receive text and call notifications.
David LombThe new foldable phone is part of a broader trend of companies making phones for people who want to disconnect without being completely out of touch, said CNET’s mobile team managing editor. But he’s not convinced it will appeal to a wide range of users.
“Dialback makes a lot of compromises that might annoy modern phone users,” Lomb said. “Despite the nostalgia of the lack of a touchscreen, people may get tired of navigating using only arrow buttons and typing text using the T9 layout.”
The phone’s screen has touch capabilities, but it only works when an app that needs touch controls is loaded. Lomb also pointed out the hefty price tag of $500, which is a tough ask for a phone with fewer features than competitors at the same price.
CNET Senior Writer Jeff Carlson He said the Callback 8020 was almost certainly designed for people who have fond memories of using original Commodore products. But he still has concerns about a foldable phone and isn’t convinced that many people will want the T9’s texting button design.
One cause of discomfort for me is the apparent widespread use of AI-generated visual assets in marketing materials for the Callback 8020. The use of generative AI seems to conflict with the company’s embrace of nostalgic hardware design principles Frutiger Aero themed images. The fine print on the Callback 8020’s product page states that “some product images are displayed” and “some screen images are simulated.”
The marketing materials for the Commodore Callback seemed to include AI-generated images, which impressed me.
Return of the Commodore
If you haven’t heard about the Commodore lately, that would be understandable. While the brand was a major name in the computer industry in the 1980s, it collapsed in the 1990s and has since faded into obscurity.
In July 2025, Commodore Corporation’s trademark and intellectual property were purchased by YouTuber Christian “Berry FracticSimpson (who owns and operates Popular Retro recipes channel) and many other investors. Simpson founded a new US-based company, Commodore International, along with talent from The original Commodore team of the 1980s.
The latest version of Commodore appears to live up to the promises Simpson made in his book Short video of the acquisition announcementwhere he said Commodore would reboot “not just as a legacy brand with next-generation ideas, but as a digital detox brand, picking up where we left off in the ’90s.”
The brand launched two “breadbasket” desktop computers.Commodore 64 Ultimate and Commodore 64C Ultimate, which revamps the company’s most iconic product for the first time in four decades.
The Callback 8020 is the first phone unveiled by the new Commodore, but it’s not without precedent for the computer company to grab a little hand in the mobile phone industry: previous owners released the phone Commodore PET In 2015.
The Commodore Callback 8020 will be available for pre-order for $500 on June 30. And some colors push the price up to $640. The first Callback 8020 is expected to ship by the end of the year, but a shipping date has not been officially announced.
