Commodore Launches the Callback 8020 Digital-Detox Flip Phone

In July 2025 Christian “Peri Fractic” Simpson, a retro-gaming YouTuber, purchased the Commodore trademarks for a low-seven-figure sum. After releasing a re-issued Commodore 64 and the mini-PC Commodore 64X, he announced the Callback 8020, a clamshell handset marketed as a digital-minimalist device for weekend or night-time use.

Ars Technica

The phone runs Jolla’s Sailfish OS, a Linux-based platform that runs about 99 % of Android apps. Commodore’s Commostore store uses a whitelist; social-media, web-browser, email and collaboration apps are excluded and blocked at the system level. Allowed services include WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, WeChat, iMessage, SMS, Uber, Spotify and maps. Hardware includes a MediaTek Helio G81 SoC, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage (plus a 32 GB microSD card), a removable 1,550 mAh battery, dual-SIM LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 48-MP Sony rear camera, a 3.25-inch IPS display (480 × 640) with touch disabled by default, and a 1.77-inch cover screen showing time, date and battery. Audio is handled by an audiophile-grade DAC with included wired earphones. The device ships in five retro-themed colorways—ProtoPET White, SX Silver, BASIC Beige, Starlight and a gold Founders edition—and costs $499 for standard models, $549.99 for Starlight, and $640 for the Founders version.

Commodore Callback Takes Aim At iPhone And Android Fatigue With A Retro Flip Phone

Analysts note the $499 entry price exceeds typical feature-phone budgets, and reviewers describe the hardware as modest compared with current smartphones. The lack of a disclosed Shenzhen manufacturing partner and an exact shipping date has drawn scrutiny. Requiring users to enable touch manually may also deter those accustomed to touchscreen navigation.

Commodore Callback Takes Aim At iPhone And Android Fatigue With A Retro Flip Phone

Sources differ on the Starlight edition price ($549.99 versus $550) and on the outer display size—some cite a 1.77-inch screen, others only note date and battery readouts. Battery capacity is consistently reported as 1,550 mAh, but endurance estimates range from “up to a week” to unspecified. Preorders begin 30 June, yet the targeted winter shipment window lacks a precise month, and the Shenzhen partner remains unnamed.

TechSpot

• “A lot of people are trying to go back to slightly simpler tech and maybe trying to ditch their smartphone on the weekend,” — Christian Simpson, CEO, Commodore

Wired Magazine

• “This is really the phone between dumb and smart,” — Christian Simpson, CEO, Commodore

The Verge

• “ He added: We’ve also developed patent pending technology that will prevent these apps—and only these apps—from being sideloaded on the device.” — Christian Simpson, CEO, Commodore

Ars Technica

• “We’ve built in a buffer to the pricing,” — Christian Simpson, CEO, Commodore

The Verge

Preorders open 30 June 2026 at 10:00 CEST. Commodore targets a winter 2026 shipment for all five colorways. The company notes that pricing buffers could enable discounted launch offers if component costs fall below projections.

The Verge