Commodore returns as a 5.5-inch, nostalgia-powered smartphone
It hasn't been a legitimate name in computing for over 20 years, but somehow the Commodore brand always manages to find a way back into our lives. In 2004, it came back as a simple TV-Game joystick. In 2011, Commodore USA sold gaming PCs stuffed into retro-styled keyboard chassis. Today, the brand is back again--as a nostalgia-stamped 5.5-inch Android smartphone.
Putting its super-obvious nostalgia-grab aside, the Commodore PET (yes, named after that computer) actually sounds like a pretty decent midrange phone--complete with a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek processor, a 13-megapixel rear facing camera with a dedicated shutter button and a hefty, 3000 mAh battery. Nothing too special, but there are a few features baked in for fans of the brand, namely a pair of customized emulators for the Commodore 64 and Amiga games.
The phone will be available in Italy, France, Poland and Germany later this month to the tune of about $300, which buys 16GB of storage with an included 32GB micro SD card, and a 32GB version will sell for about $60 more. Live on the wrong side of the world and need a new Commodore in your life? Don't worry--the company says it plans to expand to international markets soon.
Update: Of course, there's another way to get it if you don't mind missing out on some of that Commodore re-branding: direct from China. Android Police did a little legwork and found (surprise!) the Commodore Pet is a Orgtec WaPhone with a new logo. The original version of the phone doesn't come with Commodore and Amiga emulators, but it does cost about half as much, minus international shipping.
