The year 2024 is an important one for HMD Devices. It marks the beginning of HMD branded devices, and for now, it looks like the plan is to diverge from Nokia brand association.
Will we see Nokia branded device next year? Will there be a new manufacturer leveraging on the established Nokia brand? Time will tell, but as we approach 2026, we shall get more answers to this.
But, how has HMD fared with its own brand this year? Well, this is my take on key devices launched by HMD this year and my hope for next year.
Return of an Icon
The Nokia 3210 reboot has to be the best feature phone easily. This is a compact, slim and sleek feature phone and it feels every bit premium and the most important upgrade that we all have been waiting for, the Type C charging port!
The buttons are firm with good travel distance, the audio output is decent and the slight curvature of the screen sets this device apart from many other feature phones released by HMD this year.
Wireless FM, Bluetooth connectivity, and 4G LTE and Cloud App support in certain markets allows the Nokia 3210 to do more.
Simply put, the Nokia 3210 is easily the best reboot made by HMD Devices till date!
Come On Barbie!
The Barbie phone might have missed the live action Barbie movie last year, but the craze continues. Multiple sell outs later, you can still own a piece of Barbie merchandize, and I mean a truly working one, and perhaps this would be the best Christmas gift for the girls out there. Every aspect of the packaging and the device is carefully crafted to elevate your experience. Have fun with the cool lanyard or change its back cover to suit your mood. Or, a little touch up for the extra glitter in your selfie with its mirror like front cover!
I am not a fan of Barbie but I believe that this is a must have phone for all the fans of this American classic! While Barbie is mostly targeted for female audience, Mattel also owns the rights for He-Man. And this I can relate to, as a fan of the cartoon series. Imagine, I have the Power as your wake up alarm !
Sky is Not the limit
The Skyline is the defining device by HMD. It checks all the boxes for a true continuation of the Nokia brand with its fabula design and premium offerings. I enjoy this device as my daily driver and it packs a lot more than any other HMD devices till date. A Qi2 magnetic wireless charging capability for fast and efficient wireless charging experience, dual stereo, 144Hz OLED panel and a customizable buttons are among its highlight.
The new camera algorithm makes the imaging system on the Skyline more capable than the most powerful Pureview device, the Nokia X30. While the imaging experience is generally exciting, I do hope HMD irons out the remaining kinks that will allow the device to shine as its meant to be. It seems that the power management is not optimized that occasional stuttering and unresponsive apps are still occurring even after the most recent update. For imaging, the Ultrasteady video capture is much improved but still has significant drop in frame rates which makes it barely passable at this stage. What HMD needs to do at this point is to focus on making the Skyline experience better. A more efficient power management, HDR support for YouTube playback , an improved Ultrasteady capture with better frame rate, a more vivid output with less contrast and better HDR will allow the Skyline to compete with premium devices with ease.
Symbiote
Fusion is the most interesting device, and its the least understood by many. This serves as a reference device for Project Fusion that brings modularity to consumers , so you can continue enjoying your device differently. With HMD setting the stage with its own modular offerings, the Gaming Outfit and the Flashy Outfit, I hope they continue to bring in more Outfits next year. For now, plans for Wireless Outfit is dropped but the Rugged Outfit with Wireless charging capability is on track for release next year!
I do hope that HMD comes with a mechanism that bring out the creators in each of us with a simple and straightforward approach to make the Fusion a truly successful alternative.
But the biggest flex of HMD Fusion is that the device works brilliantly well out of the box. Everything works as intended and the only “flaw” I came across is the ambient lighting sensor which is a tad slower to respond. You will also be surprised that the imaging system on the Fusion is capable and powerful and easily competes with more premium devices like the X30.
My Recap for all the devices here :
A taste of Windows 10 (not really) on Skyline:
My Hope
The new path led by HMD Devices is interesting. Do I miss the Nokia branding? Of course! But to know that HMD carries the same aspiration as Nokia is good enough for me, for now. I like that HMD is not being rigid with the updates, they continue to improve based on users feedback and more importantly, having a wider, global approach for all their key products this year.
I am really excited to see what HMD has to offer for next year, and one thing for sure, we can’t get enough of fabula device with vibrant colour options.
With that said, I wish all of you a blessed holiday and may the new year ushers in peace and prosperity for everyone of us.
P/S : Do follow me on X if you are fan of Nokia or HMD. Together, we can shape a better future! https://x.com/theoriginal086
