The gaming version would probably be called “Skyline GT-R”.
Rumors previously stated that HMD will start manufacturing phones under its own brand name, rather than Nokia. In those same rumors, repairability and “Lumia-inspired” designs were also mentioned. Looks like the rumor mill has this accurate once again. HMD announces the Skyline, a phone with a colorful design and easy repairability as its main motifs.
The design is reminiscent of the early Nokia N9 but with a modern touch. HMD promises of “Gen 2” repairability which means you can replace that broken screen and back panel even without a technician’s experience, all within a span of 10 minutes. Now that’s what you call user-friendly!
Speaking of repairability, iFixit will supply the necessary tools and parts to repair your phone (which is sadly not available in the Philippines) and the phone comes with basic screws so you can easily remove them to replace said parts, such as a cracked screen.
We noticed that the phone appears to have a sharp square cutout in its corners, as if someone forgot to remove the bezels. We find this honestly appealing and looks unique in the sea of over-the-top smartphones. It comes in Neon Pink and Twisted Black. Also, yes HMD, it does look good, either colour.
The phone is intended for those who want a simple, cozy, and relaxing phone in mind without being overwhelmed by various notifications and gimmicks, such as bloatware and game boosters. Literally the first thing you see when you scroll down HMD’s website is Detox mode, which is basically an enhanced version of DnD.
Let’s get this out of the way first. The HMD Skyline uses a custom Android skin instead of stock Android. Though, unlike many Android skins, such as MIUI/HyperOS or ColorOS, HMD has kept the profile to a minimum, almost like Material You.
The phone has surprisingly decent specs, especially with HMD standards. It’s almost flagship level with its pOLED 144Hz screen (a name we haven’t heard in years), a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, a triple camera setup consisting of a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL main camera with OIS, a 50MP telephoto with 2x zoom, and a 13MP ultrawide. The selfie camera is also just as good, a 50MP sensor is packed on the screen. There is also a customizable button for different actions, such as opening apps with one press, or opening Google Gemini with a double press. HMD is going full aggressive with this one, as if it’s a flagship. Might as well be.
It has a “48-hour” battery life, equating to 4600mAh capacity. It also has 33W fast charging with 15W fast wireless Qi2 charging. This battery lasts for 800 cycles according to lab tests. The phone will not come with a charger in the box. You can purchase a separate 33W wall charger for GBP 20 (~PHP 1.5K) or a dual-port adapter for GBP 30 (~PHP 2.3K). Balanced, as all things should be with its environmentally friendliness.
The phone will retail first in Europe for GBP 399 (~PHP 30K) which frankly sounds a lot when you compare it with a slew of smartphones released here, such as the realme GT6, Honor 200 Pro, and the Samsung Galaxy A55. Though it is quite packing, retailing the phone for the same price here in the Philippines might be challenging. You can’t even purchase the iFixit kits needed to repair the phone casually.
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