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Doom-scrolling and baked-in AI assistants you didn’t ask for are two big, potential issues with modern smartphones. But one phone combats both, while drawing on a wave of 90s and 2000s nostalgia. The Commodore Callback 8020 is, the company says, ‘The Future of Flip Phones’. It’s a Callback by name and by nature, and it’s hard to ignore the charm.
Wave goodbye to doom-scrolling #
Currently available for pre-order starting at $399, and produced by the Commodore International Corporation, the Callback 8020 is an Android phone with far less distracting modern clutter. That means no social media apps and no web browsers. Both are blocked at a system level, so you cannot install them via Commodore’s ‘Commostore’ app store.
That’s a huge plus for anyone who finds themselves mindlessly doom-scrolling a variety of social media apps. And it means web browsing can be kept to more focused periods on larger, less distraction-inducing devices…like a laptop or your home PC. But this isn’t a dumb phone. The Callback 8020 runs Sailfish OS, a ‘de-Googled’, Linux-based OS that supports around 99% of Android’s apps within a secure Android sandbox.
That means that crucial modern messaging apps like Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger, WeChat (potentially iMessage, with one-time access to a Mac), and standard SMS & MMS are supported. So too are maps, music, rideshare, camera, voice notes, podcasts, and more. But any app that overly demands attention – work-related apps like Slack, Teams, Zoom, or even email – is out of bounds. The idea is to leave both work and content-pushing algorithms at home. The included tools?
- Camera
- Gallery
- QR code reader
- Voice Notes
- Podcasts
- Calendar
- Calculator
- Clock
- Contacts
- Weather
- Notes
- Documents
- Hotspot
- SID tunes
- Music Player
- FM Radio
- Commodore & Sailfish Games
- Commodore 64 Ultimate remote control.
Take care AI #
The kicker? The Callback has absolutely no need for AI and has zero AI apps installed by default. Commodore states that “carefully vetted” AI apps may be available to ‘optionally download’ via Commostore. But no needless virtual assistants or access to AI tools that, frankly, this writer wishes he could disable altogether. The phone’s FAQ section offers: “We like apps that explicitly vow not to scrape and train on copyrighted creators’ work without permission.” Which is fair enough.
The key is that the Callback 8020 is a specific choice. That’s more than obvious from its flip phone design and style options. But it’s also a choice to experience a non-AI, non-social-media alternate phone experience. One where useful tools and apps are still available, but alongside what may be a calmer and less attention-heavy way to use smartphones.
The Callback 8020 is a choice #
Naturally, if you depend on AI for specific tools or services that are beneficial to your daily life, that may not be ideal. But if you’re not, this device may be a welcome relief. As may be the removable battery, which could potentially last days without social media video use – and in part thanks to the 1.7-inch VFD-style screen and 3.25-inch 480×640 main display.
There are a couple of compromises to note, though. First, the Callback 8020 supports 4G VoLTE + Wi-Fi, but not 5G. Commodore states that 5G was built for heavy content (and it’s an additional power drain). Second, you can sideload APK files for blocked apps if you want to. Naturally, that would be to undo this phone’s intentions. But, like the phone overall, it also offers a considered choice.