The HMD Skyline marks a significant milestone for HMD Global, emerging as a standout device in its post-Nokia portfolio. This review delves deep into its features, specifications, and overall value proposition.
Introduction and Design
The HMD Skyline introduces a blend of nostalgia and innovation. Its design echoes the classic Nokia N9, yet it offers modern enhancements that make it a unique offering in today’s competitive smartphone market.
DIY Repairability and Build Quality
One of the standout features of the HMD Skyline is its DIY repairability. HMD has engineered this device with user maintenance in mind. A single screw is all it takes to access the internals, making repairs such as battery or screen replacements straightforward and quick—typically within 10 minutes. For those who prefer to handle repairs themselves, HMD supplies spare parts directly or through iFixit, accompanied by a standard repair toolkit. The cost for these components is also notably reasonable, aligning with HMD’s commitment to user-friendliness.
While the removable back adds to its repairability, it also offers some protection against water and dust. The IP54 certification provides basic resistance to dust and splashes, adding an extra layer of durability in less-than-ideal conditions.
HMD Skyline Specifications
- Dimensions and Build: 159.8 x 76.0 x 8.9 mm, 210g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, glass back; Repair-it-yourself capable, IP54 dust and splash resistant.
- Display: 6.55-inch P-OLED, 144Hz, 1000 nits peak brightness, HDR10, 1080 x 2400 px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 402 ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4 nm); Octa-core (4x2.40 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55); Adreno 710.
- Memory Options: 128GB with 8GB RAM, 256GB with 12GB RAM; expandable via microSDXC.
- Operating System: Android 14 with up to 2 major Android upgrades.
- Rear Camera Setup: Main 108 MP with PDAF and OIS, 50 MP telephoto with 2x optical zoom, 13 MP ultra-wide.
- Front Camera: 50 MP wide with autofocus.
- Video Recording: Rear camera 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps with gyro-EIS; Front camera 1080p@30fps.
- Battery and Charging: 4600mAh capacity, 33W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 5W reverse wireless charging.
- Connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, aptX HD and aptX Adaptive, NFC, 3.5mm jack.
- Additional Features: Side-mounted fingerprint reader, stereo speakers.
Performance and Features
The HMD Skyline’s 6.55-inch 144Hz OLED display offers a crisp, vibrant viewing experience, well-suited for gaming and multimedia consumption. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset ensures smooth performance, handling intensive tasks and multitasking with ease. Its 128GB base storage, expandable via microSD, is a valuable feature in this price range.
The camera system on the Skyline is impressive, featuring a high-resolution 108MP main sensor, a versatile 13MP ultra-wide lens, and a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. The 50MP front camera with autofocus adds another layer of versatility, catering to those who prioritize high-quality selfies.
The 4,600 mAh battery, while not groundbreaking, supports 33W wired charging, which is respectable. The inclusion of 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging is a notable feature, often reserved for premium models.
Unboxing the HMD Skyline
The retail packaging of the HMD Skyline is minimalist, including only a color-matched USB-C to USB-C cable for charging and data transfer. Notably, it does not come with a charger in the European unit, which may be a point of consideration for potential buyers.
HMD Skyline Design and Build: A Unique Fusion of Nostalgia and Practicality
The HMD Skyline represents a blend of classic design elements with a modern focus on repairability. Here's a detailed look at its design and build quality.
Design and Ergonomics
HMD’s design philosophy for the Skyline centers around both aesthetics and functionality. The Skyline is a nod to the iconic Nokia N9, featuring sharp corners, a flat bottom, and top sides, complemented by a rounded side frame. This design choice creates a striking contrast between the screen's rounded corners and the phone's angular frame.
Ergonomics and Handling
The rounded sides of the frame enhance grip comfort, although the sharp corners might be a bit intrusive for some users. These corners can dig into the palm, making it a matter of personal preference whether this design is comfortable or bothersome.
Materials and Finish
The back panel of the HMD Skyline is crafted from frosted glass, which provides a premium feel while minimizing visible fingerprints and smudges. The panel is removable, adding a layer of practicality. Available in Neon Pink and Twisted Black, the glass back not only looks stylish but also feels smooth to the touch, though it can be somewhat slippery.
Build Quality and Functionality
The HMD Skyline's build quality is robust yet user-friendly. Weighing 209 grams and measuring 8.9 mm in thickness, it has a substantial feel. The phone offers modest IP54 protection, safeguarding it against dust and splashes, though the removable back may limit its durability compared to more sealed designs.
Button Layout and Customization
On the left side of the frame, a Custom Button with a textured surface stands out. This button can be assigned to launch specific apps or actions, adding a layer of personalization to the user experience. The right side features the volume rocker and power button. However, both buttons are positioned higher on the frame, which might require stretching to reach. Additionally, the power button sits flush with the frame, making it easy to overlook.
Fingerprint Scanner
The side-mounted fingerprint reader, while practical for right-handed users, may not be the most preferred choice compared to under-display sensors. The lack of a feature to unlock the phone with a simple press of the power button can lead to accidental lockouts. During testing, the fingerprint scanner’s accuracy and reliability were underwhelming, with several misreads noted.
Servicing and Repairability
HMD's focus on repairability is evident in the Skyline’s design. Disassembling the phone is straightforward: the back panel can be removed by loosening a single screw and gently prying it off. Reassembly is equally simple, with the screw used to secure the panel tightly in place without completely detaching it. A T3 Torx screwdriver is required for this process
Display, Battery Life, Charging Speed, and Speakers
Display
The HMD Skyline features a 6.55-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. The screen supports HDR10 content but only displays HDR content on YouTube; it does not support Netflix HDR.
Brightness and Refresh Rate
In manual mode, the screen achieves a brightness of 415 nits, which can boost up to 840 nits in auto mode. This brightness level is adequate for outdoor use but falls short compared to competitors, which often exceed 1,000 nits.
Refresh Rate Options
The HMD Skyline offers four refresh rate modes: Standard, 120Hz, 144Hz, and Auto. The Auto mode prioritizes energy efficiency, adjusting the refresh rate to 120Hz and dropping to 60Hz for static content. The 144Hz mode maintains a constant 144Hz refresh rate across all scenarios.
Battery Life
The HMD Skyline is equipped with a 4,600 mAh battery, which is smaller compared to the 5,000 mAh cells commonly found in current smartphones. The device uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, which is supposed to be energy-efficient. Despite this, the Skyline's battery performance is below average:
- Active Use: 10:47 hours
- Call Time: 25:13 hours
- Web Browsing: 9:25 hours
- Video Playback: 11:24 hours
- Gaming: 7:31 hours
Compared to its peers, like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro and OnePlus Nord 4, the Skyline falls short, especially in web browsing and gaming endurance. Even among Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 devices, it trails behind competitors such as the Realme 13 Pro+ and Xiaomi Poco X6.
Charging Speed
The HMD Skyline supports up to 33W fast charging over Power Delivery 3.0. It does not include a charger in the box, only a cable. The charging speeds are as follows:
- 15-Minute Charge: 57%
- 30-Minute Charge: 57%
- Full Charge (0-100%): 76 minutes
Compared to rivals like the Poco F6 Pro and OnePlus Nord 4, which offer faster charging speeds, the Skyline’s charging performance is relatively slow. It also supports 15W wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging, features that are relatively rare in this price range.
Speakers
The HMD Skyline features a hybrid stereo speaker setup with a bottom-firing main speaker and an earpiece acting as the secondary speaker. This setup can create some imbalance in loudness, though it is not overly pronounced.
Loudness and Quality
The Skyline offers two loudness modes: Standard and Boosted. In Boosted mode, it achieves a loudness score of -21.4 LUFS, which is among the highest tested. However, this mode results in noticeable distortion in the highs and overall quality. In Standard mode, the device scores -24.4 LUFS, providing better audio quality with decent bass and less distortion.
Speaker Performance Comparison
| Model | Loudness Score (Standard) | Loudness Score (Boosted) |
|---|---|---|
| HMD Skyline | -24.4 LUFS | -21.4 LUFS |
| Motorola Edge 50 Pro | -24.6 LUFS | -22.5 LUFS |
| OnePlus Nord 4 | -24.6 LUFS | -22.0 LUFS |
| Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro | -24.8 LUFS | -20.8 LUFS |
Overall, the HMD Skyline’s speakers provide good loudness but are better used in Standard mode to avoid quality degradation.
Software and Performance
HMD Android Experience
The HMD Skyline offers a clean Android 14 experience, free from bloatware and unnecessary modifications. This device is slated to receive two major Android updates and three years of security patches, ensuring a robust software support plan.
The Skyline’s user experience is reminiscent of Google Pixel devices, though it lacks the unique Pixel features. Instead, HMD has introduced its own set of functionalities, including the Custom Button. This feature allows users to assign various actions or launch apps through single press-and-hold or double press actions. Additionally, the Power button can be customized for specific functions.
Another notable feature, Detox Mode, will be introduced in a future software update. This mode aims to minimize distractions by limiting notifications from social media apps, helping users focus or unwind.
Benchmark Performance
The HMD Skyline is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor from Qualcomm. This chipset, built on 4nm technology, offers enhanced performance compared to its predecessor, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, but falls short when compared to the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 and Snapdragon 7 Gen 1.
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 features an octa-core CPU configuration with 4x Cortex-A78 cores running at 2.4 GHz and 4x Cortex-A55 cores at 1.95 GHz. It uses the Adreno 710 GPU, which is also found in the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 and supports FHD+ resolution at 144 Hz.
Memory options for the Skyline include 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB configurations. Benchmark results suggest that the device uses UFS 2.1 storage, as indicated by its typical read speeds.
Benchmark Results:
GeekBench 6:
Multi-core:
- HMD Skyline: 2899
- Motorola Edge 50 Fusion: 2938
- Pixel 8a: 4384
- Realme GT 6T: 4648
- Poco F6 Pro: 5310
Single-core:
- HMD Skyline: 1387
- Motorola Edge 50 Fusion: 1432
- Pixel 8a: 1527
- Realme GT 6T: 2242
- Poco F6 Pro: 2749
AnTuTu 10:
- HMD Skyline: 581311
- Motorola Edge 50 Fusion: 580458
- Pixel 8a: 1193520
- OnePlus Nord 4: 1315847
- Poco F6 Pro: 1584439
3DMark (Offscreen):
- Wild Life (1440p):
- HMD Skyline: 3036
- Motorola Edge 50 Fusion: 3025
- Pixel 8a: 8478
- OnePlus Nord 4: 11597
- Wild Life Extreme (2160p):
- HMD Skyline: Not Tested
- Other devices: Varies based on specifications
- Wild Life (1440p):
While the HMD Skyline's performance benchmarks indicate that it is outpaced by many competitors, it offers respectable performance for its segment. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is efficient but typically found in more budget-friendly devices, which is reflected in the Skyline’s benchmark scores.
Sustained Performance
During extended workloads, the HMD Skyline demonstrates commendable sustained performance. The CPU stress test revealed that the device maintained 71% of its theoretical performance without significant fluctuations, ensuring smooth operation during prolonged use. The GPU stress test achieved a high stability score of 92%, indicating reliable performance during demanding gaming sessions.
Camera
Triple-Camera Setup
The HMD Skyline boasts a sophisticated triple-camera array, comprising:
- Main Camera: 108 MP Samsung ISOCELL HM6 (S5KHM6), f/1.8, 1/1.67", 0.64µm, PDAF; 2160p@30fps
- Telephoto (2x zoom): 50 MP Samsung ISOCELL JN1, f/2.0, 1/2.76", 0.64µm, PDAF; 2160p@30fps
- Ultrawide: 13 MP OmniVision OV13B (OV13B10), f/2.5, 1/3", 1.12µm; 2160p@30fps
- Front Camera: 50 MP, f/2.5, AF; 1080p@60fps
The 50 MP front camera with autofocus stands out, providing high-quality selfies that are increasingly common in mid-range and upper-mid-range smartphones.
Main Camera
The main camera delivers sharp, detailed photos with good color accuracy and dynamic range. While the saturation might be slightly enhanced, overall, the photos are quite impressive.
2x Zoom Camera
The 2x zoom camera excels in detail and clarity, surpassing even the main camera in some aspects. It produces vibrant, sharp images with an excellent dynamic range.
3x and 4x Zoom
The 3x and 4x zoom options are essentially crops from the main camera, resulting in less sharp and more noisy images. These zoom levels could benefit from better cropping algorithms.
Ultrawide Camera
The 13 MP ultrawide camera captures decent photos with acceptable softness and dynamic range, typical for this type of lens. The contrast and color reproduction are commendable.
Main Camera
The Skyline lacks an automatic Night mode, which is now standard on many devices. Although a manual Night mode prompt is available, the results in standard photo mode are often soft with limited dynamic range. The Night mode improves detail and balance but may lead to over-processed images.
2x Zoom Camera
The 2x zoom camera struggles in low-light conditions, producing soft and noisy images even with Night mode.
3x and 4x Zoom
Low-light performance at 3x and 4x zoom is subpar, with the images being fuzzy and noisy. Night mode helps slightly but doesn't significantly improve the quality.
Ultrawide Camera
The ultrawide camera performs surprisingly well in low light. Although Night mode enhances sharpness and reduces noise, the ultrawide camera generally provides above-average results without it.
Selfies
Selfies taken with the 50 MP front camera offer good color reproduction and detail but may lack sharpness. The autofocus and wide dynamic range are beneficial, but sharper results are expected.
Video Recording
The HMD Skyline records 4K video at 30fps using the main, ultrawide, and 2x zoom cameras, with stabilization available only at 1080p or in Steady/Ultra Steady modes. While 4K footage captured with a tripod is impressive in color accuracy and detail, low-light videos from the main camera are less satisfactory, showing clipped highlights and noise. The 2x zoom camera provides similar processing with slightly less sharpness but more vivid colors. The ultrawide camera delivers good video quality with sharp footage, great contrast, and lively colors.
Alternatives, Pros and Cons, Verdict
HMD Android Competition
The HMD Skyline aims to be an all-around contender at around €500, boasting unique features like easy repairability and a Custom Button. It also includes a microSD card slot and supports wireless charging, which are notable bonuses.
Comparison with Competitors
OnePlus Nord 4: The Skyline lags behind the Nord 4 in several areas. The Nord 4 offers a brighter display with superior HDR capabilities and resolution, a faster chipset, better main camera performance, longer battery life, and faster charging. However, the Skyline excels with its ultrawide and 2x zoom cameras, providing a more versatile camera experience. The Nord 4's lower price might attract some buyers, though.
Motorola Edge 50 Pro: For a similar price, the Edge 50 Pro stands out with a comparable camera setup, including a telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a superior 50MP selfie camera. It features a better chipset, display, and faster charging. Despite its weaker battery life, it presents a compelling alternative.
Realme GT 6T: The Skyline's advantages over the Realme GT 6T are limited to its dedicated zoom camera, better ultrawide, and selfie camera with AF. However, the Realme GT 6T excels with superior main camera performance, display quality, fast charging, battery life, and overall performance with a more powerful chip. It also has higher IP65 ingress protection, making it a better-rounded option.
Oppo Reno12 Pro: The Reno12 Pro competes closely with the Skyline's camera system, offering a 2x zoom camera and a selfie unit with AF. It performs better in low-light conditions and provides higher base storage, faster charging, and longer battery life, often at a lower price.
Xiaomi Poco F6 Pro: The Poco F6 Pro fits the price bracket well, outpacing the Skyline in display quality, charging speed, and base storage. Although its camera performance may not be as strong, the F6 Pro offers better overall performance and twice the base storage. The Skyline's battery endurance is superior, though.
Google Pixel 8a: The Pixel 8a, a more affordable option, excels in photography despite lacking a telephoto camera. It features a better Tensor G3 SoC and IP67-rated build, though it has slower charging compared to the Skyline.
Verdict
The HMD Skyline stands out with its unique self-repair program, allowing users to replace key components like the battery, display, and charging port themselves. It also offers ingress protection and an additional Custom Button. Its premium design, 13MP ultrawide camera, and excellent 2x zoom camera enhance its appeal.
However, HMD's focus on these distinctive features may have overshadowed some critical aspects. The display is less impressive compared to industry standards, with only one static 144Hz mode and lower brightness. The chipset underperforms compared to competitors, charging is slower, battery life is mediocre, and low-light photography needs improvement.
Pros
- Premium, unconventional design with a detachable back and IP54 rating
- Three functional rear cameras, excellent 2x zoom, and an AF-equipped selfie camera
- Very loud speakers
- Good performance of all cameras in daylight, including video
Cons
- Subpar low-light camera performance
- No EIS for 4K videos
- Less bright display compared to competitors
- Disappointing battery life
- Slow charging with no charger included in the box
- Inferior chipsets at a similar price point
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