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After its initial announcement of the “Barbie phone“, HMD Global promised us a whole heap of additional collaborations to come. The next collab is with beer brand Heineken and US retail marketplace Bodega, and it is intentionally “Boring”.
The idea, you seem is to take the phone back to basics with a device that has no access to the Internet, social media or apps. Hence, the “Boring Phone” is a device strips back all the distractions of today’s smartphones so you can enjoy the moment, without getting distracted by cat videos.
There are a whole heap of studies that highlight just how distracted people are by smartphones despite being in social situations.
My wife even has a very specific look she gives me if I pull out my phone at the dinner table.
But why Heineken? Here’s the official quote from Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken:
“We could all do with a break from the constant distractions of smart tech; something our research has shown is even more important to our Gen Z and Millennial consumers.
Nabil Nasser, Global Head of Heineken
When we spoke to them about their smartphone usage, we quickly realised that many feel they are habitually distracted when socialising by their device but also admit they didn’t want to go completely phone-free.
At Heineken, we want to foster moments of genuine connection and help people experience the joy of true togetherness.
In creating The Boring Phone we have gone back to basics, we have dialled down the tech to help people truly connect over a beer, without any distraction from the constant buzzing and dings.”
Here are some pretty Boring specs:
| Dimensions | 108 x 55 x 18.9mm, 123g |
| Displays | Internal: 2.8” QVGA | External: 1.77″ QQVGA |
| Camera | 0.3MP + LED flash |
| Design | Ergonomic flip phone with DualSIM |
| Audio | FM radio (wired/wireless) |
| Connectivity | 2G, 3G, 4G | Bluetooth 4.2 | 3.5mm AV jack | Micro USB |
| Battery | 1,450mAh (removable)Up to 6 hrs 3G/4G networks talk time. Up to 20hrs talk time in 2G networks | Over a week of standby time |
| Storage | Internal: 128MB | MicroSD slot up to 32GB |
| Charging | Micro USB |
Pricing and availability
Sorry people, the Boring Phone isn’t going to be for sale. The Boring Phone was officially unveiled at Milan Design Week last week and then given away to revellers around the world.
It’s a limited edition device that won’t be available in Australia, unfortunately, though there are plenty of dumb phone alternatives to consider.
