Press Release | 11 Oct 2024

HMD Barbie™ Phone now available on Vodafone, The Nation’s Network

Customers can pick up the new feature phone for £99, plus the cost of any PAYG 30-day bundle.

  • Vodafone offers more feature phone options than any other network*, including the Nokia 110, Nokia 105 and, from today, the new HMD Barbie™ Phone – now available for £99 (plus the cost of any PAYG 30-day bundle) on The Nation’s Network.**
  • The HMD feature phone comes with: different Barbie covers for customers to choose from; stickers and crystals; a camera for photoshoots with friends; a beaded lanyard and attachable charms; as well as an external display with a mirror – making it a great option for parents looking for a feature phone for their kids.
  • Parents can find a wealth of guidance and resources on Vodafone’s Digital Parenting hub, aimed at helping families build healthy digital habits. This includes a toolkit in partnership with NSPCC, Digital Parenting Pro – one of the UK’s largest directories of parental controls, safety settings and guidance on choosing a child’s first phone.

The HMD Barbie™ Phone comes with no apps, so customers can disconnect, and reconnect with their friends and families. The feature phone is a great option for parents who want to keep in contact with their kids, but are concerned about the online access that owning a smartphone enables.

The device comes with a number of cool features, including Barbie covers, stickers and crystals, so customers can give their phone a personal touch. It also has a camera for those essential photoshoots with friends, a beaded lanyard and attachable charms, as well as an external display with a mirror.

HMD Barbie phone with accessories.
The HMD feature phone comes with: different Barbie covers for customers to choose from; stickers and crystals; a camera for photoshoots with friends; a beaded lanyard and attachable charms; as well as an external display with a mirror.

Four great reasons to buy the new HMD Barbie™ Phone from Vodafone, the smarter place to buy a new phone:

  • The Nation’s Network – Vodafone’s reliable, award-winning network*** has been supporting people since 1984.
  • Award-winning loyalty and perks – weekly discounts and giveaways with VeryMe Rewards. Customers can even gift selected rewards to a friend.   
  • Unlimited minutes and texts – customers can enjoy unlimited contact with their friends and family.
  • Roll over any unused data – Any unused data from your Bundle will automatically roll over into the next 30 days.

Vodafone is committed to raising awareness of feature phones as an option for parents who want to keep in contact with their children.

To help equip parents and carers with everything they need to navigate buying their child’s first phone, Vodafone has an online Digital Parenting hub, packed with information and resources. This includes Digital Parenting Pro – one of the UK’s largest directories of parental controls and safety settings.

Back to the feature: Two thirds of parents would opt for feature phone for their child

New Vodafone research shows 67% of UK parents would prefer their child’s first device to be a basic feature phone without apps.

Alongside practical tools and advice, parents can find information on feature phones as well as new and refurbished smartphones to help them choose the best option for their family. Vodafone has more feature phone options than any other network, including the Nokia 110 and Nokia 105.*

Vodafone also recently expanded its resources with an online toolkit created in partnership with NSPCC, the UK’s leading children’s charity. The toolkit is designed to provide parents with practical advice regarding online safety, as well as support for setting parental controls.

To find out more, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/digitalparenting. 

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-Ends-

Notes to Editors

* More feature phones than any other network

Claim: ‘Vodafone has more feature phones than any other major network’ offered online

A feature phone is a type of mobile phone that, compared to a smartphone, has a simpler operating system and has a fixed set of functions that are more limited. For example, a feature phone may have a camera, but doesn’t have the ability to download apps to access social media services.

Date: 09.08.2024

Sources: PCMag, Wikipedia

Range and number of feature phones sold by each network

Vodafone – six phones, from £8-£99, plus cost of PAYG bundle

Doro 6820, Nokia 105, Nokia 110, TCL OneTouch 4041, TCL OneTouch 4042s

Virgin Media O2 – four phones, from £19-£79, plus cost of PAYG bundle

Doro 6880, Nokia 105, Nokia 2660, Nokia 3210

EE – two phones, from £39.99-£79.99, plus min. £10 top-up

Doro 7030, IMO Dash Plus

Sky Mobile – two phones, starting at £2.50 a month on 24-month contract

Doro 6880, Nokia 110

Three – one phone at £99, plus cost of PAYG bundle

Doro 6820

** The Nation’s Network: Vodafone – nation’s most valuable brand, verified by Kantar BrandZ Most Valuable UK Brands Report 2023, and supporting the nation since 1984 through to 2024’s major summer events. See full verification of the substantiation.

*** Reliable, award-winning network: The UK relies on Vodafone as a network provider as it: i) powers critical national infrastructure and 77% of emergency services, ii) has coverage in 99% of UK homes, iii) covers 96% of the UK and iv) has won numerous awards. See full details and awards on our Network page.

VeryMe Rewards: Terms & eligibility applies, see vodafone.co.uk/rewards or relevant reward terms in My Vodafone app for details.

Finance subject to status and credit checks. 18 +. Direct debit required.

Vodafone Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for consumer credit lending and insurance distribution activity (Financial Services Register No. 712210). Registered in England and Wales. Company No 01471587. Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 2FN.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 693 693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Twitter: @VodafoneUKNews

Website: https://vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/

Vodafone Limited

Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN

Registered in England No: 1471587