For the unversed, the Fusion is unlike any other device in the market at the moment. The idea is not new, and in fact, one of the earliest concept of a modular enhancement to a phone was introduced by Jolla with their Jolla Phone 1. With Jolla being sporadically available and more community driven with a less mainstream OS, it did not get the attention and acceptance to become successful.
With HMD attempting something different this time, I am still skeptical if it will be any different this time. But, I feel that HMD has its ground covered. HMD Fusion uses the latest Android 14,with capable hardware and more importantly brilliant pricing. The Fusion is aiming for a true global release in the coming weeks and schematics to design your own modular component is already available at their website for months.
Outfits!
I like how HMD has categorized their modular offering by simply calling them Outfits! Casual Outfits are just covers that you can change to have a different look without any additional enhancement to the device other than purely visual. One was included with the Fusion box package.
The Smart Outfits is where things gets interesting with HMD showing ways that the Fusion can be tailored to your needs. While the Flashy Outfit is indeed their first official Smart Outfit for global markets, I have had the opportunity to test the their Gaming Outfit a few weeks back and that is another article coming up very soon!
Flashy Outfit!
As the name suggests, the Flashy is related to the camera lighting. Think of it as an additional lighting for the camera but for a more professional experience. Flashy Outfit is available in Indigo or Pink and is made to be paired with HMD Fusion only. It is made of 100% recycled TPU + 50 % PCR material .
Once the Flashy Outfit is connected to HMD Fusion device, the Flashy button will appear and enable features to control the color and brightness. With the RGB color options, you can select the preferred color and brightness and keep it as a favorite that will be very useful to the creators out there. With the settings stored, you can easily select it for future use and have different settings saved for different scenarios so you can be assured that you get the best spotlight that you need to shine!
With HMD Fusion Flashy Outfit and Gaming Outfit releasing globally, the Wireless and Rugged Outfit might be available officially early next year. HMD Fusion is certainly the most interesting device that I have tested till date. And while the camera setup is not meant to compete with Skyline, the 108MP primary sensor delivers equally good images. In fact, the images are often identical with Skyline, with the Skyline having a more vibrant output.
And videography on the Fusion is surprisingly good , with EIS being available on both the 30FPS and 60FPS mode !
Full experience on the Flashy Outfit here:
I still feel that there is one critical final piece in this puzzle that is yet to be solved. With everything laid out to the consumers and perhaps third party manufacturers, how do we get the modular concept to be executed for the mass. It cannot remain as a niche concept device for it to be successful. HMD needs to create a special website that allows people from all over the world to collaborate and pitch in ideas and design. Maybe even have a competition for the best modular design in each key market. Designs can be voted and crowdfunded with a dedicated manufacturer designated to produce and deliver the Outfits worldwide. And most importantly, back compatibility with future Fusion devices.
Stay tuned for more interesting updates from me, and join me on X for more updates on the go and to build a strong community to share everything related to Nokia and HMD at https://x.com/theoriginal086
