HMD teams up with a beer company to bring you ‘The Boring Phone’

The product is the outcome of an unlikely collaboration between Nokia parent company HMD, brewing company Heineken, and fashion label Bodega.

Doomscrolling begone. (Image: HMD)

For those of us constantly bombarded by notifications and app overload, Finnish company HMD has come up with a rather unexpected solution – a phone so basic, it’s literally called the “Boring Phone.” And this isn’t just some outlandish concept either. It’s an actual product brought to you by an unlikely collaboration between HMD, Heineken, and fashion label Bodega.

The Boring Phone is designed to be the epitome of bare-bones telephony – it can make calls, send texts, and that’s about it. For fun, you can play the classic Snake game. There are no apps, no social media, so there will be no endless doomscrolling.

But this gadget is anything but boring in the looks department. The transparent flip phone design with holographic stickers and green accents are designed to woo fans of retro-futurism. According to Bodega, the “Newtro” aesthetic taps right into Gen Z’s love for modernised 80s/90s tech.

(Image: HMD)

Specs are minimal but functional – a 2.8-inch inner display, 1.77-inch outer display, 0.3MP camera, headphone jack, and support for 2G/3G/4G networks. The battery life is ridiculous too, promising up to a week on standby.

The Boring Phone won’t be hitting stores, at least not directly. HMD plans to give away only 5,000 units globally through contests and promo events, starting in Italy on April 18 for Milan Design Week. It isn’t clear if the company will be actually selling these. Other markets like the UK will follow later this year, but unfortunately, it looks like India isn’t making the cut.

If you feel like you’re missing out, you’ll still be able to download an app that “turns smartphones boring” coming in June to strip your existing phone down.

This isn’t HMD’s first foray into nostalgic collabs. Earlier this year at MWC, they unveiled a Barbie-themed flip phone with Mattel, riding that 90s kid wave. While seemingly gimmicky, these moves highlight HMD’s new “Human Mobile Devices” focus on unique partnerships beyond just Nokia-branded phones.