Commodore’s new flip phone blocks social media and browsers
▼ Summary
– Christian “Peri Fractic” Simpson acquired the Commodore Corporation and all its original trademarks in July 2025 for a low seven-figure sum.
– The new Commodore brand is releasing a flip phone called the Callback 8020 in a “BASIC Beige” colorway.
– The Callback 8020 is a “dumb phone” that blocks web browsers and social media at the system level using patent-pending technology.
– The phone supports other internet features like maps and QR codes, and has an app store called Commostore that uses a whitelisting principle.
– Users can sideload most apps except social media and browsers, and DNS-level blocking prevents access to those servers even if installed.
The latest product carrying the legendary Commodore name is a flip phone designed to cut users off from the digital noise. Following a high-profile trademark acquisition last year, the brand is taking a bold step into the dumb phone revival with a device that actively blocks social media and web browsers.
Christian “Peri Fractic” Simpson, the YouTuber behind Retro Recipes (now Retro Recipes x Commodore), purchased the Commodore Corporation and all original trademarks dating back to 1983 for a price he described as “in the low seven figures.” Since closing the deal in July 2025, the revived company launched the Commodore 64 Ultimate and the Commodore 64X PC, a mini PC styled after the iconic Commodore 64 chassis. Now, the company is pivoting to a retro form factor that prioritizes disconnection over distraction.
The Commodore Call Back 8020, available in a “BASIC Beige” colorway, taps into growing consumer demand for simplified mobile devices. While it includes internet connectivity for features like maps and QR codes, the phone blocks social media platforms and browsers “at the system level using patent pending technology,” according to the official announcement.
Simpson explained to Ars Technica that the company’s app store, Commostore, operates on a strict whitelist. “Social media and browsers will never get that whitelisting,” he said. He detailed additional safeguards: “We’ve also developed patent pending technology that will prevent these apps,and only these apps,from being sideloaded on the device. Users can sideload nearly anything else they want if it isn’t available on the Commostore, but we’ve drawn a firm line in the sand around any apps that drive doomscrolling. On the off-chance somebody finds a way around that, we’ve also blocked access at the DNS level. So even if you manage to get TikTok installed, you’re not going to be able to reach its servers.”
When asked whether community forums would also be restricted, Simpson clarified that old school bulletin board systems are welcome, but modern platforms like Reddit are not. The Commodore Call Back 8020 represents a clear attempt to carve out a niche for users seeking a phone that enables essential functions while deliberately excluding the attention-grabbing features that define modern smartphones.
(Source: Ars Technica)
