Commodore to release Callback 8020 flip phone running Sailfish OS with limited app support

Commodore will release the Callback 8020, a flip phone that runs the Linux-based Sailfish OS from Jolla and blocks installation of social media apps, browsers, email, and Slack. The front screen displays date, time, and battery status without notifications. An LED light on the front alerts users to incoming notifications.

Inside, the phone supports Uber, WhatsApp, and Spotify, while an OS-level patent-pending system prevents side-loading of browsers and social media. Christian “Peri Fractic” Simpson, Commodore CEO, said the design targets users seeking simpler technology. “A lot of people are trying to go back to slightly simpler tech and maybe trying to ditch their smartphone on the weekend,” Simpson told Wired.

He added that the phone can serve as a weekend, evening, or family-outing device while users keep a primary smartphone. The Callback 8020 uses a MediaTek Helio G81 processor, includes a 32-GB microSD card, and ships with custom-designed in-ear monitors from FiiO.

It features a headphone jack, an audiophile-grade digital-to-analog converter, a removable battery, an FM radio tuner, and a 48-megapixel Sony camera sensor with a retro camcorder mode that applies procedurally generated filters.

Touch input is supported but disabled by default. Ringtones use chiptunes from the original Commodore 64, and the device includes a selection of C64 games plus the game Snake. Messaging requires T9 typing with predictive text or Commodore’s voice transcription service.

The phone comes in five colors: SX Silver, ProtoPET White, BASIC Beige, translucent Starlight Edition, and PVD gold Founder's Edition with a 24-karat gold-plated Commodore button. Standard models start at $500, the Starlight Edition costs $550, and the Founder's Edition costs $640. Preorders begin June 30, with devices scheduled to ship toward the end of the year.