HMD Skyline vs Pulse Pro tested: which fix-it-yourself Android smartphone is best for you?
Company which relaunched the Nokia brand is now selling its own handsets with unique feature that Apple and Samsung can’t offer
by Mark Kavanagh · Irish MirrorIf you are eco-conscious or cost-conscious and want a smartphone you can fix yourself so you can make it last longer for less expense, then HMD is the brand for you.
In recent years, the Finnish firm released devices under the Nokia brand but now it has launched its own HMD range which specialises in Gen-2 repairability that makes fixing the handsets even easier.
There are four repairable HMD devices so far and I’ve been testing two of them, the entry-level €139.99 HMD Pulse Pro and the sleek looking HMD Skyline which has been reduced by €100 to €399.99.
I’ve tested both of these smartphones extensively and here are the pros and cons of both units which you can buy directly from HMD…
HMD Skyline
The mid-range Android 14 device HMD Skyline gives you the ability to replace its back cover, battery and screen with an iFixit kit that costs just €39.95. So this phone won’t cost much to keep going for a few years.
The phone is available in two colours, neon pink or twisted black. It measures 159.84mm x 75.66mm x 8.9mm and weighs 209.5g, which is heavier than Apple’s iPhone 16 Plus. However, it does not feel heavy in the hand or cause discomfort when holding it for long periods. The heft comes from the stylish metal casing. The phone feels robustly made. It has an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance.
The bottom of the HMD Skyline houses a tray for nano SIM and microSD cards, a USB-C 2.0 port and a speaker grille. The right side houses the volume control and power button which doubles up as the fingerprint sensor to unlock the phone. It’s fast and reliable. On the left side is a customisable action button. By default, press-and-hold mutes the handset, while pressing it twice turns on the torch. You can also customise what happens when you press the power button twice, such as launching the camera app.
The device offers impressive two-day battery stamina, 33W wired charging and decent performance from a Snapdragon Gen 7s Gen 2 chip. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. I didn't experience any performance issues in everyday use. Apps load quickly, multitasking was seamless and everything was swiftly responsive. You can even enjoy a bit of Genshin Impact without any setbacks. There are some removable preloaded apps but in general this is almost pure Android.
The cameras deliver pleasing images in decent lighting conditions. On the rear is a 108MP main camera with electronic and optical image stabilisation, a 13MP ultrawide camera and a 50MP telephoto camera with 4x hybrid zoom. The 50MP front camera can track your eyes for fast focusing in 0.5x to 4x focal lengths and while not the sharpest lens on the block it does a decent job. There is very little AI on board in the photo tools, other than Google’s AI Blur feature.
A HMD Skyline plus point is the 6.5in pOLED display with a resolution of 2,400 by 1,080 pixels, 144Hz adaptive refresh rate and peak brightness of 1,000 nits. It looks sharp indoors and is readable outside in bright conditions. A thin bezel surrounds the screen's rounded corners, and a selfie camera is at the top in the centre. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 which isn’t the latest iteration by any means but it does at least offer some protection.
You also get WiFi 6e, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, support for the higher quality aptX Adaptive audio codec.
Software support is two years of OS upgrades (to Android 16) and three years of security updates.
Overall, HMD Skyline is mid-range device that competes well but its main standout feature is repairability.
HMD Pulse Pro
Pulse Pro was one of the first devices launched under HMD’s name. It’s an entry-level Android 14 4G device with a budget price as outlined above.
You can buy it in glacier green, black ocean and twilight purple. My review unit was the striking green model which has a design that belies the budget price. It is a solid build but only has an IP52 rating for dust and water resistance. So don’t drop it in the bath.
While Pulse Pro is dubbed a selfie-lover’s dream, its 50MP front-facing camera is not actually one of the device’s strong points in terms of its image quality. But you can have fun triggering it using gesture control. And the image quality will suffice for social media posts just like those produced by the main 50MP rear camera. They are both acceptable for the budget price point.
Pulse Pro also features a 6.56in LCD screen with a relatively low resolution of 1612x720 pixels and 90Hz refresh rate (faster than iPhone 16).
It has a 5000mAh power pack that delivers up to two days of battery endurance. Wired charging is capped at a modest but acceptable 20W.
Under the hood is 128GB of zippy UFS 2.2 storage and 6GB of RAM. The chip used is a Unisoc T606 and it’s acceptable for the type of consumer who will be buying a budget priced device. This is not a phone for multitasking or gaming
Pulse Pro supports the wireless audio codecs SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC and LC3.
Other features include Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi5, NFC for contactless payments, a mono speaker, a headphone jack, and the promise of two OS upgrades and three years of security upgrades which is not always the case on budget phones.
A fast and reliable fingerprint sensor is built into the power button on the right side of the unit.
The real sweetener is the iFixit full-screen repair kit, including the display, costs just €39.95. So this phone won’t cost much to keep going for a few years.
Overall, this budget device is a solid start for the HMD brand.
Final thoughts
Overall, both HMD Skyline and Pulse Pro should appeal to cost-conscious consumers who prioritise repairability and sustainability, so it’s job done from HMD’s point of view.
Going forward, I’d love to see HMD repairability on a more flagship-level device.
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