Commodore defends price of Callback 8020 retro flip phone, lowers it just days later
The Commodore Callback 8020 was announced in mid-June. While the retro design appealed to Commodore’s target audience, customers have criticized the price. At $499, the flip phone costs more than a modern mid-range smartphone like the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion ($392 on Amazon).
And that’s despite being equipped with a MediaTek Helio G81, a 3.25-inch display, 4 GB of RAM, and 64 GB of flash storage – specs more reminiscent of an entry-level smartphone from the last decade. A few days after the announcement, Commodore responded to the criticism and defended the high price in a blog post . According to the post, "nobody" could offer a device like the Commodore Callback 8020 at a lower price. Commodore claims that the company developed the design and even the motherboard from scratch itself, and also made significant modifications to the software based on Sailfish OS.
Given the rising costs of RAM and flash memory, and the fact that Commodore will produce "only" tens of thousands rather than hundreds of thousands of units, the high price is said to have been unavoidable. However, pre-orders likely did not meet the manufacturer’s expectations, as the price is now being reduced after all. All models except the gold version can be pre-ordered starting June 30 for $399.
To make the lower price possible, Commodore is making two changes. First, the wired earbuds are no longer included but will be sold separately as optional accessories. And second, Commodore is charging a premium for "premium memory" – the most affordable version of the Callback 8020 now uses recycled memory chips salvaged from the motherboards of old devices. Anyone who pre-orders the flip phone by June 30 will receive an additional $50 discount, effectively lowering the price to $349.
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