The HMD Skyline is one of the first phones made by HMD under its own name . The party has been better known until now as the forcebehind the Nokia nameon New mobile devices .
While the pinkish , Lumia - inspired design catch up with your eye , HMD is offering a unique feature not see on any of its competitors — gentle repairability — to make the Skyline desirable . Is it enough to sell you on this speech sound ?
HMD Skyline: design
The HMD Skyline is a stunner . borrow peck from the oldNokia Lumia 920 , it looks nothing like any other headphone on sales event today with its squared - off corners , light curves , and ever - so - somewhat raise screen door . I ’ve been using the Neon Pink model , and it ’s not a color for shrink violets , as it win plenty of attention . The Twisted Black version live for those who desire to stay out of the spotlight .
It ’s astonishingly comfy to entertain , mostly due to the 8.9 millimetre heaviness and pronounced curve of the Al chassis , but the abrupt quoin do dig into your laurel wreath finally . It is quite slippy because the phone is pretty wide , and although the IP54 dust and water resistor are welcome , I ’m not trusted how the very exposed projection screen would handle a drop . It ’s a good affair the sieve is easy replaced at home .
If you ’re look for a small and light smartphone , the Skyline is n’t it . The 210 - gram weight unit is substantial , and the twist is sized similarly to theiPhone 15 Pro Max . It ’s always detectable in your pocket . The striking design is sure to please those who miss the old Nokia Windows Phone days , and the dazzle Neon Pink colour reflect HMD ’s obvious desire to make a strong opinion with its first ravel of non - Nokia branded gadget . It ’s up there with theNothing Phone 2a Plusand theRealme 13 Pro Plusas one of 2024 ’s comfortably - looking , most reasonably priced phone .
HMD Skyline: camera
call back the highly honor PureView name attached to the best Nokia phones ? Given its similar overall design , you ’d be forgiven for expecting some of the old magic to return inside the HMD Skyline . And while it ’s definitely not a PureView phone for the modern eld , there are flare of magnificence here .
There are three camera on the back — a 108 - megapixel main television camera with optical image stabilization ( OIS ) , a 13MP wide - angle television camera , and a 50MP telephoto camera . The selfie photographic camera has 50 megapixels and a ready to hand autofocus feature with eye - trailing . lease ’s babble about the practiced character first . It has a very pleasing color visibility that ’s raw , yet still vibrant enough that photos bulge . It can show off some nice particular when getting close to a theme , the wide - slant ’s colouration are close to the main camera ’s feeling , and lowlight images are decent for a phone at this toll .
The main camera is the real winner here , but the trouble is that the camera ’s public presentation is not consistent . I learn some photos where detail was unexpectedly obscured in haze and blur , simple close - ups go to centre on the subject field correctly , and other wider shots had a lot of smoothen around the edges . The camera app has 2x , 3x , and 4x soar shortcuts , and all return very similar stage of detail . And because they ’re all only average , they ’re not all that advance to apply . For a midrange phone , the Skyline ’s tv camera has good specifications , and the calibre of its independent camera photos reflects this , but the software grapple the residue needs refinement to ensure consistency and reliability .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: screen
The HMD Skyline ’s projection screen is a evenhandedly standard 6.55 - inch pOLED with a maximum 144Hz refresh rate , a 2400 x 1080 pixel result , and 1,000 nits peak cleverness . However , it ’s notable for a few understanding , and not all of them are good . The Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is a piffling behind the breaking ball when liken to theSamsung Galaxy A55’sGorilla Glass Victus+ screen security . It could be important as the screen is highly exposed due to the design .
There are some options - based peculiarity , too . For example , the always - on screen is off by default , and to change it , the mise en scene is hidden away under the Display menu , where you have to take theAlways show time and infooption despite it having a toggle that ’s throw on . Only then do you encounter the selection to keep the display active . The screen is colored , and I like the way the curved corners frame videos . I ’ve enjoyed take in video and playing game on the screen , plus the speakers are excellent .
During my clip with the HMD Skyline , the ambient wanton sensing element was unreliable , peculiarly during the first week , when it default on to almost its dimmest setting and made the phone irritating to use . I turned the setting off and leave the phone at mid - brightness to stop it , turning it down at regular intervals . I also discovered the default setting is for 60Hz , and I had to manually exchange it to Adaptive , where it spend most of its prison term at 120Hz , with 144Hz reserved for specific situations . These problem apart , the screen is responsive , and once the Adaptive mount is active , it ’s smooth and pleasurable to utilize .
Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: software
HMD is very close to getting its software just right , as it has leave Android 14 mostly alone on the Skyline , making it light , fast , and very substance abuser - friendly . It does n’t trouble you with interruption about features it wants you to taste , there are barely any pre - installed supererogatory apps , and there ’s a configurable hardware Custom Button on the side of the telephone , too . This can be go under to perform many unlike actions with either a press and restrain or a double pressing , from open apps to starting a ChatGPT conversation if it ’s installed .
The package get off to a good get-go , but it ’s not without problems . The phone comes with USB mise en scene disabled , so when you secure it into a data processor , it does not leave you to explore files . That can be quickly vary in the Developer Options bill of fare , but a batch of the great unwashed are n’t go to roll in the hay this is the way to fix the issue . I ’ve find it does n’t always show notice picture for apps like WhatsApp , making it easy to miss substance , and you ca n’t seem to remove the Google hunt bar from the bottom of the menage screen either .
HMD will provide two class of major software updates and three age of security updates , falling short of the rivalry . However , it make a adept guinea pig for why this does n’t matter , and it comes down to the twist ’s repairability . The company enounce people manage more about repairing a speech sound tattily and easily than they do about having software package updates five years down the line , as they are less probable to keep the phone for this long . last , if you ’re look for detail on theDetox Mode — a boastful part of the original furtherance around the Skyline — where apps and services can be deactivate for a hardened period of time to fend off interruption , it is not available yet . HMD look it to be part of a software update coming at the end of August 2024 .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: performance
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 runs the HMD Skyline , with the option of either 8 GB or 12 GB of RAM and 128 GB or 256 GB interior storage space . There ’s space for a MicroSD card , which is courteous to see . This is the first speech sound with the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 that I ’ve live with , and while initial impression in phones like the Realme 13 Pro Plus were expert , the chip shot has n’t impressed here when labor it hard . It ’s open enough for casual gaming , but anything more thanAsphalt 9 Unitedoes put it under melodic line .
Calls fathom very good , with the loud and percipient speaker being a exceptional highlight , but another aspect of connectivity has really been frustrating . The Skyline has refuse to reconnect automatically to my Wi - Fi router , claiming it ’s “ unavailable with current surety configurations . ” I have not experienced this problem with any other machine ( and I use a band of them ) , and have not change the options on the phone or router . It remains a problem despite taking the canonical step a non - tech person would to try and heal it . I could delve deeper , but I do n’t think I shouldhaveto when it seems to be an payoff with the phone .
The other issue I have is with the side - mounted fingerprint sensor . It ’s moneyed with the typeface and supersensitised , and it ’s always accidentally activating . A fooling brushwood with your fingerbreadth or thenar ( remember , it ’s on the side of the phone , so this take place often ) sets it off , and I commonly end up using my PIN to unlock the phone because the fingerprint detector has been mesh due to too many failed endeavour .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: battery and charging
There ’s better news program on the charging , as the HMD Skyline is one of the first Android phones with Qi2 wireless charging at 15 Watt . It also work really well withmy MagSafe Anker dock . It does not come with a courser in the box but support 33W USB - C charging . Using an Anker GaN wall charger with PD 3.0 PPS support and a compatible cable , the battery take 30 minutes to attain 50 % charge and an time of day to to the full recharge . The phone also has 5W vacate charging .
If long battery life story from a single fast burster is authoritative to you , then theOnePlus Nord 4and theOnePlus 12Rshould be at the top of your inclination , and even theSamsung Galaxy A35and A55 all perform better than the HMD Skyline . However , you wo n’t get fast tuner appoint from any of them , which is a considerable benefit here . The Skyline ’s decent pumped up charging also helps you survive in an emergency .
HMD Skyline: repairing the phone
If the screenland on the HMD Skyline happy chance or the assault and battery does n’t last as long as it did when it was new , you may replace both yourself , at home , with a basic specialist toolkit . you’re able to also replace the charging card , the speaker , and the back shroud itself . The Skyline is the first telephone with HMD ’s “ Gen2 ” repairability , which makes the process even faster than it was on thefirst series of repairable HMD devices .
How easy is it ? There ’s a undivided security jailor on the bottom of the telephone set , which , when twisted , pop the corner of the rear panel up , and all you want is a pick or spudger pecker to cabbage the rest . Careful , though , as the first time you do this , it ’s a tough job , mostly due to the IP54 sealskin around the border . Once it ’s unfastened , there are just a few jailer to undo and connexion to disconnect before the screen drops out . HMD demonstrated a screen replacement on the Skyline , and it study less than 10 minute — and the battery is even profligate to replace .
allow for you use approved tools and division from HMD married person iFixit to repair the Skyline , the warranty is not affect , and although parts prices are not uncommitted at the time of writing , doing it yourself will always be cheaper than give someone else to do it . Accidents happen , and screens break , but the Skyline is one of the few headphone where you could do something about it yourself , and it ’s a considerable benefit if you regularly have one of those mishap .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: price and availability
HMD has not officially announced a U.S. release yet but did supply , a $ 499 starting price , propose that , at some distributor point , it will get a spillage in the U.S. Right now , it ’s available to buy in the U.K. for 399 British pounds and in Europe for 499 euro , provided you choose the canonic 8GB/128 GB translation . You ’ll have to spend 499 pounds to get the top 12GB/256 GB version .
Based on the cheapest selection , it puts the Skyline up against theOnePlus Nord 4with its desirable all - alloy trunk , plus theSamsung Galaxy A35 , theNothing Phone 2a , and theMotorola Edge ( 2024)or boundary 50 spinal fusion depending on where you live . It ’s potential to bump theGoogle Pixel 8afor around the same price too , so look out for flock on it . If you contrive on getting the 12GB/256 GB model , then also look at theSamsung Galaxy A55 , theOnePlus 12R , and even theSamsung Galaxy S23 FEorNothing Phone 2if you’re able to line up a good price on either .
That ’s some very serious and very capable competition . The one affair none of these phones provide that the HMD Skyline does is gentle , at - home repairability . The power to mend a broken screen or dead battery yourself in a very short time makes the Skyline almost unique among its peer , with only the more expensiveFairphone 5coming close to offer the same level of repairability .
4x zoomAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
HMD Skyline: verdict
The ease of repairability make the Skyline quite unusual , and peace treaty of minddoes sell , but it ’s not “ aphrodisiacal . ” You ’re going to have to be virtual and have sex the costs involve in repairing earphone , and perhaps also be cognizant of your own likelihood of breaking a screen at least once during your possession to put it above a brilliant television camera or long bombardment life . When you put the repairability away , what else does the Skyline offer ?
There ’s plenty to like about the HMD Skyline .
The excogitation is superb , and I do like the in - hand comfort , but there are some problems that have stopped me from wanting to go forward using the telephone set . The weird Wi - Fi joining issue is baffling , and the fingermark sensing element is very plaguy , but these may be “ me ” progeny and do not ruin the phone . Not have the Detox Mode ready for launch is unfortunate , though . More positively , the stamp battery living is doable if you do n’t take on games and the television camera can take in force picture , plus Qi2 wireless charging is a welcome plus .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
It is well - price , and it ’s great to see a unexampled midrange phone with some features not useable on any other competing phone . A few software updates may solve several of the outlet I have with the equipment . At the mo , though , you really call for to be sell on the repairability the and promise of the Digital Detox mode to hasten out and purchase the Skyline , but even those who have never broken a phone screen will find plenty to like about it .
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Wide-angleAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
Night modeAndy Boxall / Digital Trends
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
