HMD Pearl Spotted on Geekbench

A new, unannounced smartphone from HMD Global has appeared in the Geekbench database, offering an early glimpse at the company’s next move in the budget segment. Bearing the codename “Pearl,” the device was tested running Android 15, but its hardware specifications raise interesting questions about its identity and its long-term software viability.

The Silicon Detective Work

At first glance, the benchmark listing identifies the motherboard as “ums9230_6h10,” a designation typically associated with Unisoc’s entry-level T606, T615, or T616 chipsets. However, a closer inspection of the CPU clock speeds tells a different story.

The “Pearl” device was clocked with two performance cores at 1.82GHz and six efficiency cores at 1.61GHz. This specific configuration does not align with the T6xx series (which generally tops out at 1.6GHz), but it matches the specifications of the Unisoc T7250 perfectly. Both chips utilize the Mali-G57 GPU, but the T7250 offers a slight, yet distinct, performance edge over the silicon found in the current HMD Pulse trio.

In raw numbers, the device posted a single-core score of 392 and a multi-core score of 1,385. While these numbers won’t threaten flagship devices, they represent a marginal improvement over the HMD Pulse, suggesting this new device is a direct evolution of that lineup.

Is HMD Pearl the Pulse 2 Pro?

The timing of this appearance suggests that “Pearl” may be the internal codename for the rumored HMD Pulse 2 Pro.

Recent retailer leaks hinted that the Pulse 2 Pro would arrive with a Unisoc T615 and 6GB of RAM. It is highly plausible that early retailer listings may have misidentified the T7250 as the T615, given their similarities. The fact that the Pulse 2 Pro is rumored to ship with Android 15 out of the box—matching the Geekbench data for “Pearl”—further strengthens the theory that these are the same device.

The RAM Conundrum and Android 16

Perhaps the most notable detail in the benchmark is the memory configuration: the test unit possessed only 4GB of RAM. While the original Pulse series offered both 4GB and 6GB variants, this lower capacity could prove problematic in the near future.

Industry reports indicate that Google may set the minimum hardware requirement for Android 16 at 6GB of RAM. If these requirements hold true, a 4GB device launching with Android 15 would find itself in a difficult position when it comes time to upgrade. It would technically be ineligible for the standard version of Android 16, potentially forcing a switch to the stripped-down “Go Edition,” or leaving the device stranded on Android 15.

However, market dynamics may force Google’s hand. With the recent surge in memory component pricing, manufacturers may be forced to keep 4GB devices in their portfolios longer than expected. Consequently, Google might reconsider or delay its strict RAM minimums to accommodate the reality of the budget smartphone market.

For now, the HMD “Pearl” looks to be a capable, if modest, update to HMD’s entry-level portfolio—provided the memory limitations don’t cut its lifespan short.