2 min readOff the back of a more budget-friendly opening salvo by the brand earlier this year, HMD is looking to move up in the world with the HMD Skyline.
Priced at $899, the new handset has a lot going for it. There’s a 6.5-inch pOLED screen, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of on-board storage, an IP54 rating for water and dust resistance, a triple-lens rear camera and more.
For some, the most interesting inclusion here is going to be the Qi 2 wireless charging. While this upgraded form of wireless charging (which blends the existing Qi standard with the magnetic alignment technology popularized by Apple’s MagSafe feature for iPhone) has been around since early 2023, the HMD Skyline is the first Android device to feature it.
Like the HMD Pulse and Pulse Pro released earlier this year, the HMD Skyline is also shipping with an emphasis on repairability. As with those more affordable alternatives, broken screens and the like can be quickly and easily repaired using kits available through iFixit.
The camera setup on the device here is another highlight. If you’re a fan of front-facing cameras, the HMD Skyline will give you a whopping 50 MP to work with. There’s even a dedicated gesture shortcut for selfie takers. Meanwhile, the back of the HMD Skyline is armed with a 108MP main lens, a 50MP telephoto lens and a 13MP ultrawide lens.
This setup isn't exactly going to give the Pixel 9 Pro XL a run for its money, but it's a fairly capable load-out given the price.
Last not not necessarily least, there’s a dedicated "Digital Detox" mode. There aren’t a lot of details on this one. The bespoke app won’t be available at launch. Instead, it'll roll out until a software update due in late September.
According to HMD’s GM of Australia and Oceania Brenden Folitarik, this interest in balancing the relationship that consumers have with their smartphones is something that he hopes will set the Skyline apart from its competition.
