I spent the last few days to explore more on HMD’s first smartphone for the masses and this is my take on this entry level Android device.
The HMD Pulse Pro is definitely designed to look and feel bold. Having it next to the G21 and even the Nokia G42, the HMD Pulse Pro stands out easily, thanks to its glossy black and premium looks. Looks aside, the HMD Pulse Pro also has a very good battery life, which would easily last 2 days under moderate use. The Android 14 on this device is well optimized and the general interaction with the device is smooth and snappy. Games like Asphalt 9 loads fast, runs smoothly and is very much enjoyable.
Audio is certainly good with the added Audio boost feature, and with OZO Playback, you get to enjoy superior sound quality optimized for any hardware the device is connected to, be it a headphone or Bluetooth earbuds. The display is also surprisingly good, with deep level of blacks and vibrant output.
The imaging is perhaps where it is more interesting. By default, the camera output is often brighter than the other devices that I compared here. The focus lock is fast, daytime shoots are a breeze but the nightmode takes a good 2 seconds to process between shots. Colors are more often than not accurate but is muted as I have been spoiled by the more vibrant outputs of the Nokia X30 and G42. HDR is one area that HMD has to improve as the dynamic range on the Pulse Pro is underwhelming. When it comes to low light, the images are brighter in general but also noisy. Colours are slightly more vibrant but it is no where close to what the G42 has to offer. Moving on to video, it seems that HMD is yet to solve the audio output issue that has plagued their previous devices where the ambient noise are amplified leading to a very noisy video capture. Lack of stabilization means you either need an ultra-steady hand or gimbal for a more stable capture.
Here are some samples of photos taken
Display comparison, Gaming experience and more imaging samples here:
I have reached out to HMD for the audio bug issues and they will be taking a closer look into this and offer a fix soon.
The HMD Pulse Pro is an interesting entry level Android device that offers more for its targeted audience. The self repairability aspect of this device makes it unique at this price point. It is an ideal device for the youngsters ,the elderly consumers and even for the general users out there who needs a reliable backup device.
For the rest out there, the coming months will be interesting as HMD Global introduces their far more powerful offerings which will definitely be interesting especially in the imaging segment.
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