Technology

Nokia brand owner launches Barbie phone for $130 — with no internet

Published

10 months ago

August 28, 2024

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The HMD Barbie phone is a co-branded product with Mattel, the toymaking giant behind the franchise.

HMD

HMD, the company behind Nokia-branded phones, launched a Barbie-branded phone Wednesday that comes with calls, texts, and a classic “flip” design — but no internet or social media apps.

The HMD Barbie Phone is a hot pink device that flips open and shut and sports a bold “Barbie” logo on the back, harking back to the iconic fashion doll collection.

It is the result of a partnership with Mattel, the toymaking giant behind the Barbie franchise, which has produced and sold Barbie toys and accessories since 1959.

The phone is available for purchase in the U.K. starting Wednesday, retailing at £99 ($130.74). A U.S. launch is planned “soon,” according to HMD, which added that it will reveal exact details of the U.S. launch on social media.

Unlike the internet-connected smartphones of today, which are the most widely-adopted form factor when it comes to mobile devices, HMD’s Barbie phone won’t be connected to the internet.

The firm is seeking to capitalize on an emerging trend in recent years among mainly Gen Z consumers embracing so-called “dumb phones,” which lack internet and offer only basic text, call and camera features.

The concept of taking a “digital detox” has become more popular over the last few years as consumers have sought to limit harmful effects of social media on their daily lives.

“In our fast-paced digital world, it can often feel like the online buzz never stops,” Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer for HMD, said in a statement Wednesday.

“This phone encourages you to ditch your smartphone in times when you just want less browsing and more fun, all with the help of a true cultural icon, Barbie.”

The Barbie phone comes equipped with a 0.3 megapixel camera, along with a flash torch for taking “Y2K style” images, HMD said. When taking a photo, users can add a Barbie camera frame to go around their pictures.

The device will also sell with a hot pink Barbie cover, as well as two interchangeable back covers, including one with colored swirls and another with a shooting heart design. It also comes with Barbie-themed stickers and a pastel beaded phone strap.

HMD and Mattel are hoping to tap into the hype that swirled the Barbie franchise last year off the back of 2023’s “Barbie” movie.

The blockbuster film, which featured stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and Will Ferrell, grossed $1.4 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film of 2023.

For some, there might be a sense that the phone’s launch is arriving a little too late after the film’s release last July.

Despite the phone’s launch arriving more than a year after the film’s release, research firm CCS Insight is forecasting promising sales for the device. It estimates HMD will sell 400,000 units of its Barbie phone in the U.K. this year.

“The Barbie phone taps into the current digital detox trend with a fun design that could have broad appeal,” said Ben Wood, chief analyst of CCS Insight, in emailed comments.

“I’d imagine quite a few people will be tempted to buy it as a bit of fun, but in reality, everyone is so dependent on their smartphones that anything more than the odd day of detox will be a stretch.”

HMD has held the rights to sell Nokia-branded mobile products since 2016 after striking a deal to acquire the Nokia mobile brand from Microsoft in 2016 with electronics industry supplier Foxconn Technology.

The company, which was then known as HMD Global, rebranded earlier this year as Human Mobile Devices. Nokia earns royalty payments on sales of devices with its brand by HMD.

Technology

Reddit stock jumps after company rolls out new AI advertising tools

Published

35 mins ago

June 17, 2025

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Reddit stock jumps after company rolls out new AI advertising tools

Thomas Fuller | Lightrocket | Getty Images

Reddit shares popped about 5% after the social media company debuted new artificial intelligence-powered advertising tools.

The two new features, announced Monday in a post during the Cannes Lions festival, will help brands better leverage discussions on the platform. The company said the tools are powered by an engine called Reddit Community Intelligence that turns “posts and comments into structured intelligence.”

Reddit announced a “listening tool” called Reddit Insights, which shares real-time insights with marketers to help them identify trends and launch campaigns. The other tool, called Conversation Summary Add-ons, allows brands to show “positive” user content under their ads.

“These are tools for a new era of community marketing, one where brands can tap into Reddit’s authenticity and connect meaningfully with high-intent communities around the world,” the company wrote.

Spotify’s Daniel Ek leads $694 million investment in defense startup Helsing

Published

3 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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Spotify's Daniel Ek leads 4 million investment in defense startup Helsing

Helsing uses AI to analyze large amounts of sensor and weapons system data from the battlefield.

Pavlo Gonchar | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

European defense technology startup Helsing on Tuesday said that it’s raised 600 million euros ($693.6 million) in a bumper new round of funding.

The investment was led by Prima Materia, the venture capital firm founded by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek and by Shakil Khan, an early investor in the popular music streaming app. Ek is also chairman of Helsing.

Existing investors Lightspeed Venture Partners, Accel, Plural, General Catalyst and Saab also put money in, alongside new investors BDT & MSD Partners.

Defense and the technology behind it have become a hot area for investors lately, amid major global conflicts, including the Ukraine war to Israel-Gaza. Last week saw a further escalation of war in the Middle East as Israel launched a series of airstrikes against Iran.

In 2024, venture funding in Europe’s defense, security and resilience sector reached an all-time high of $5.2 billion, according to a recent report from the NATO Innovation Fund. The sector grew 30% in the past two years, outperforming the broader VC market, which saw a 45% decline over the same period.

Founded in 2021, Helsing sells software that uses artificial intelligence technology to analyze large amounts of sensor and weapons system data from the battlefield to inform military decisions in real time. Last year, the startup also began manufacturing its own line of military drones, called HX-2.

Helsing, which operates in the U.K., Germany and France, said it would use the fresh cash to invest in Europe’s “technological sovereignty” — which refers to attempts to onshore the development and production of critical technologies, such as AI.

“As Europe rapidly strengthens its defence capabilities in response to evolving geopolitical challenges, there is an urgent need for investments in advanced technologies that ensure its strategic autonomy and security readiness,” Ek said in a statement out Tuesday.

Helsing did not disclose its new valuation following the latest financing round, which is subject to “certain approvals,” according to a statement. The firm was previously valued at around 5 billion euros in a 450 million euro funding round led by General Catalyst last year.

90% of defense executives say the future will be dictated by software-defined products, says Accenture A&D Lead

Technology

Pain management startup Sword Health expands into mental health, raises $40 million

Published

4 hours ago

June 17, 2025

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Pain management startup Sword Health expands into mental health, raises million

Sword Health, a startup focused on helping people deal with pain through digital services, is expanding into mental health and has raised additional capital to fuel its growth.

The 10-year-old company is introducing Mind, which uses a combination of artificial intelligence, hardware and human mental health professionals to treat patients with mild depression and anxiety. Sword said Mind will help users access care whenever they need it, rather than during sporadic, hourlong appointments.

“It’s really a breakthrough in terms of how we address mental health, and this is only possible because we have AI,” Sword CEO Virgílio Bento told CNBC in an interview.

Also on Tuesday, Sword announced a $40 million funding round, led by General Catalyst, in a deal that values the company at $4 billion. The fresh cash will support Sword’s efforts to grow through acquisitions, as well as its global expansion and AI model development, the company said.

The round included participation from Khosla Ventures, Comcast Ventures and other firms. Sword had raised a total of more than $450 million as of September, according to PitchBook.

The financing lands as the digital health market shows signs of recovery following a difficult post-Covid stretch, when rising inflation, higher interest rates and a return to in-person activities led to a dramatic retreat in the industry.

Earlier this month, Omada Health, which offers virtual care programs to supports patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, held its Nasdaq debut, though the stock is trading below its initial public offering price. Weeks before that, digital physical therapy provider Hinge Health hit the New York Stock Exchange. The shares are trading a few dollars above their offer price.

Sword, which was founded in Portugal and is now based in New York, offers tools for digital physical therapy, pelvic health and movement health to help patients manage pain from home and avoid other treatments such as opioids and surgery. Patients can sign up for Sword if it’s supported by their employer or their health plan.

Mind users will receive a wrist wearable called the “M-band” that can measure environmental and physiological signals such as heart rate, sleep and the lighting in a user’s environment. Mind also includes access to an AI Care agent and human mental health professionals, who can deliver services such as traditional talk therapy.

Bento said a human is always involved with a patient’s care, and that AI is not making clinical decisions.

For example, if a patient has an anxiety attack, Sword’s AI will recognize that and could ask a clinician to approve some physical activity for later that day to help with recovery. The clinician would either approve the physical activity that the AI suggested, or override it and propose something else.

“You have an anxiety issue today, and the way you’re going to manage is to talk about it one week from now? That just doesn’t work,” Bento said. “Mental health should be always on, where you have a problem now, and you can have immediate help in the moment.”

Bento said Sword has some clients that have been on a waiting list for Mind, and the startup has been testing the offering with some of its design partners. He said early users have approved of Mind’s personalized approach and convenience.

“We believe that it is really the future of how mental health is going to be delivered in the future, by us and by other companies,” Bento said. “AI plays a very important role, but the use of AI — and I think this is very important — needs to be used in a very smart way.”

Disclosure: Comcast, the parent of Comcast Ventures, is the owner of NBCUniversal, parent company of CNBC.

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