hen buying a phone starts to feel like mastering an unfamiliar spacecraft, a clunky button-based clamshell looks like a welcome escape from the tyranny of touchscreens. HMD decided to give this classic format a modern twist by packing artificial intelligence into a basic model, letting older users chat with a voice companion without having to trade their familiar buttons for a smartphone.
For a UK price tag of £79.99 (about $107), buyers get more than just a dust- and splash-resistant device with oversized keys: they get a permanent conversational partner named Mary. Stripping away the marketing gloss, it is an attempt to sell a chatty software package to users who find it far easier to press a physical button than to hunt through apps.
What the Body Hides and What It Costs
Underneath the new software, the hardware builds directly on the HMD 2660 Flip released in 2025. Flipping the phone open reveals a 2.8-inch screen sitting above a large numeric keypad, separated by a dedicated navigation cluster. Answering calls or hanging up is as simple as snapping the lid shut—a reassuring motion for anyone who remembers the golden age of dumbphones.
An external display on the cover lets users check the time without opening the device. The dark, rounded plastic chassis avoids looking like a medical alert gadget. Keeping the internals practical, a removable 1,450mAh battery charges over USB-C, meaning owners can swap out a dead cell down the road instead of binning the entire handset.
"A removable 1,450mAh battery and USB-C charging keep the basics familiar"
Built by inTouch, the AI companion is designed to chat about anything from memories to simple games. According to the creators, the software speaks at a deliberate pace, leaves pauses for replies, and remembers past conversations. Launching it requires no side-loading or remembering shortcodes: Mary sits right in the main menu, ready at the press of a call button.
Pitfalls and Real Utility
Behind the clever pitch lie a few catches worth noting before checkout. Setting up the feature for the first time relies on a web browser or a QR code, meaning tech-phobic buyers will likely need a relative to step in for the initial configuration. Furthermore, while a five-day trial comes bundled with the phone, keeping the AI running costs an extra £16.90 (about $23) every month, on top of normal carrier fees.
"Continuing the service costs £16.90 (about $23) monthly"
It is worth remembering that a synthetic voice cannot replace actual human contact or magically cure loneliness. The phone retains its core redeeming quality: it still works just fine for regular calls long after the AI subscription lapses and the monthly bills for a virtual buddy wear thin.
The launch happened to coincide with the arrival of monthly fees for dumbphones—quite the coincidence, no doubt.
Editorial analysis
We have written about this before: August 31 — the company has introduced the 105 4G School Edition feature phone, whose standout quality is what has been stripped away. Buyers will spend over one hundred dollars on a simple handset for the sake of a built-in voice companion: the HMD AI Flip Phone arrives in the UK for £79.99. Late this summer the company took a strictly minimalist route when we reported on the 105 4G School Edition, a device defined by the removal of games and internet access. Upcoming retail availability in the UK will test whether basic phone buyers actually want voice subscriptions.
We covered this: August 31