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Making a phone call shouldn’t feel like learning a new piece of software. The HMD 2660 Flip Senior Edition responds to that familiar frustration with big buttons, a folding body, and an unexpected addition called Mary. This AI companion from inTouch brings conversation to a basic phone, letting older adults try the technology without trading their keypad for a touchscreen full of apps.

The hardware doesn’t stray far from the regular HMD 2660 Flip introduced in 2025. Open the clamshell, and there’s a 2.8-inch screen above a generously sized number pad, with a navigation control separating the two. Answering or ending a call can be tied to opening or closing the phone, giving those actions a physical beginning and end that a touchscreen doesn’t quite offer.

Designer: HMD Global

The outside gets its own smaller display, so checking the time doesn’t require unfolding the whole thing. Its dark body and rounded corners stick to the recognizable flip-phone formula rather than dressing the device up as medical equipment. That restraint matters here. The phone offers an alternative way to stay in touch, without announcing that its owner needs an entirely different category of gadget.

Mary adds a different kind of contact to the phone, one that’s available for a casual conversation around the clock. HMD says the companion speaks slowly, leaves room for replies, and remembers earlier conversations. A chat might involve history, a favorite memory, or a game. The interesting choice is delivering those interactions through speech, instead of asking someone to type their thoughts.

Of course, an AI feature can easily complicate a supposedly simple phone. Here, Mary appears in the main menu, and selecting her icon before pressing the call button starts the conversation. There’s no separate app to install or number to memorize. Activation still involves a website or QR code, though, so the simplest experience comes after someone has handled that initial setup.

The less glamorous details haven’t disappeared beneath the AI pitch. A removable 1,450mAh battery and USB-C charging keep the basics familiar, while HMD rates the body IP54 for protection against dust and splashes. A replaceable battery also means you can swap a worn component, rather than treating the whole phone as something that has reached retirement age.

The UK listing puts the phone at £79.99 (about $107), including a five-hour trial of Mary. Continuing the service costs £16.90 (about $23) monthly, with carrier charges potentially adding to that. The trial doesn’t automatically become a paid plan, but inTouch’s general terms say paid subscriptions renew automatically. It can be canceled, but ongoing conversations introduce another expense alongside ordinary phone service.

There’s an important distinction between making conversation easier to access and replacing human company. Mary is software, and her availability shouldn’t be confused with evidence that she reduces loneliness. The change here is how someone reaches that software. They can keep the familiar ritual of opening a phone and making a call, and still use their handset after the AI subscription ends.

The post HMD 2660 Flip Senior Edition Brings AI Conversations to an Old-School Phone first appeared on Yanko Design.

Apple's first foldable iPhone reaches stores Oct. 23, with some deliveries delayed until 2027. Here's what buyers and IT teams should know.

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