The Commodore Callback 8020 might be one of the strangest phones of the year so far. The company now calling itself Commodore is leaning into the nostalgia of its name with a handset designed to look like a 20-year old flip phone. But while it has a small screen on top and number pad on the button, it is a modern smartphone that runs the Linux-based Sailfish OS and supports many Android apps... just not web browsers or social media apps, both of which "are blocked at the system level" in order to make this a device that's…

The Light Flip is an upcoming cellphone that looks like an artifact from an alternate timeline where smartphones never took off. It has a class flip-phone design with a small screen on top and a number pad on bottom. And there's a notification light on the cover, but no cover screen to distract you when the phone is folded closed. But this is a modern device with support for 5G and 4G LTE networks, WiFi hotspot functionality, a USB Type-C port, and voice-to-text support. It comes with a handful of simple apps.

The Commodore Callback 8020 is a new phone that's up for pre-order for $500 and which is expected to ship before the end of 2026. But it looks like a flip-phone from the early 2000s, and that's intentional. Positioned as a distraction-free phone with a retro-inspired design that evokes Nokia handsets from the turn of the century, the phone also has some features inspired by classic Commodore computers and other devices (like calculators). It's clear that the new owner of the Commodore brand is looking to capitalize on the nostalgia factor.

Several smartphones with small square (or 4:3) screens have been introduced recently, but most have also had features like keyboards or gamepads that may limit their appeal. The Meadow phone doesn't have a keyboard. It's just a simple phone with a 3 inch display. And when I say simple, I mean so simple that... this is also a phone that will likely have limited appeal.

Most modern phones have big displays and access to millions of apps. But there are a growing number of niche phones aimed at folks looking for mobile devices that are a little less capable. The idea is that a phone without social media apps or maybe even a web browser will be a little less addictive, while still letting you talk, text, and stream music on the go.

More than a decade after launching and quickly cancelling its first smartphone, Amazon is reportedly working on a new phone. According to a new report from Reuters, several people familiar with the initiative say Amazon is developing a new phone that's code-named "Transformer." But it's unclear if or when you'll actually be able to buy a new Amazon-branded smartphone.