Fisher-Price has a different approach to retro toys. The iconic Chatter Telephone, beloved by toddlers for 60+ years, has been transformed by Mattel into a smartphone accessory that can be used to make or receive phone calls.
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This isn't the Chatter Telephone 2.0. The toy has been through many revisions and updates over the past 60 years. These were both to make it safer to use and to improve its appearance. However, the play pattern has remained largely the same for the past 60 years. It can roll, it can move its eyes, and the numbered dial of rotation can spin. It has always been powered by imagination. This new version replaces imagination with Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries.
Chatter Telephones can be connected to smartphones via Bluetooth. The rotary dial can then be used to make calls by dialing the person's phone number, digit-by-digit (which most people will have to search for in their phones contacts list). You can answer incoming calls by picking up the Chatter Telephones' red handset and speaking into it or pressing the speakerphone button. This is the only indication that the Chatter Telephones version is different.
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The red handset can also be used to terminate a call. This is something many smartphone-only users miss out on. Chatter Telephone can also be used as a fidget toy while on a call. Its wheels make it easy to roll back and forth across a desk. The Chatter Telephone is also powered by a battery, offering nine hours talk time and 72 hours standby. It can also be charged via microUSB port.
There is one downside to toys upgrades: a new price tag, which can cause sticker shock. The imagination-powered Chatter Telephone can still be purchased for $10. However, the Bluetooth model will go on sale at BestBuy.com for $60. The Chatter Telephone is a cheaper option than the Chatter Telephone, which doesn't make phone calls.
