HMD Global began releasing smartphones under its own brand name this year and I have been keeping an eye on things. Up till now, the company had announced nothing that really triggered my interest. Every model that has been announced has been pretty mundane entry-level Android smartphones. But the upcoming HMD Skyline has some interesting specs and features that place it higher up in mid-range territory.
Take the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset used in the Skyline, for example. It isn’t among the most powerful midrange chipsets around, but it offers decent performance in the territory and includes 5G connectivity. There is also a 120Hz refresh rate OLED display, under-display fingerprint scanner, IP67 certification for dust and water resistance, 8GB RAM, stereo speakers, a 32MP selfie camera, and a 108-megapixel rear camera. It will run Android 14 out of the box, and there is also 33W fast charging.
What is no surprise to me is that HMD Skyline has a fabula design familiar from Lumia phones. I saw indications of this from the images that HMD Global released ehen announcing that they would make phones under their own brand name.
HMD Skyline is a dual-SIM device and reports say it will cost around €520 when it hits the market in June 2024.
Earlier, HMD had announced the Pulse, Pulse+, Pulse Pro, Aura, and XR21 (a rebrand of the Nokia XR21). The Skyline is the most high-end device in the portfolio so far, and what is known of the specs makes it an exciting phone to look forward to.
I hope to see more higher end devices from HMD Global. Or at least some devices with interesting features that excite. Every brand needs something exciting to develop mindshare in today’s competitive market. The post-Microsoft Nokia phones failed at that. Nothing Technologies is nailing it. Even hitherto small Chinese phone brands like TECNO and Infinix used the same approach to grow. I hope that HMD does not drop the ball this time. Give the market phones that excite users in some way.
