The HMD Pulse Pro Could Get Two Upgrades That Matter Every Day

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Buying an affordable Android smartphone often means choosing between performance, display quality, and storage. A phone might handle calls, messaging, and browsing without difficulty but become less responsive when switching between applications or playing demanding games. Spending more on a flagship isn’t always necessary when a better-equipped budget model can meet everyday needs.

The HMD Pulse Pro is reportedly getting a hardware refresh that addresses two limitations of the original. The updated phone replaces the Unisoc T606 processor with MediaTek’s Helio G99 and increases the screen refresh rate from 90Hz to 120Hz. A Thai retailer has listed the revised handset for 4,990 baht, approximately $150, although international availability remains unconfirmed.

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The Helio G99 Could Replace the Unisoc T606

The original Pulse Pro launched in April 2024 on Unisoc’s T606. That chip was the ceiling. If the leak is accurate, the refresh would move to MediaTek’s Helio G99, an eight-core part built on a 6nm process, with two Cortex-A76 cores for demanding work, six Cortex-A55 cores to absorb background tasks, and Mali-G57 MC2 graphics alongside them.

The Helio G99 wouldn’t be new silicon, but the reported switch would give the refresh a different performance platform from the original T606.

No 5G, and that’s the trade the leak describes. The G99 tops out at 4G LTE. Buyers whose reason for upgrading is faster mobile data should look elsewhere, because no amount of processing headroom makes up for a missing radio band.

Paper throughput rarely survives a warm chassis. Thermal headroom, software throttling, and how long the phone holds its clocks all shape sustained performance, and none of that appears in a leaked spec sheet.

A 120Hz Panel That Stays at HD+

The leak points to a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display with a 120Hz refresh rate, up from the original model’s 90Hz. That could make scrolling and animations look smoother, although the actual experience would depend on software, frame rates, and the phone’s refresh-rate settings.

Resolution would stay at HD+. A 120Hz refresh smooths motion without sharpening text, so a 6.56-inch panel at HD+ still shows soft edges the moment you zoom out on a web page or settle into a long email thread.

LCD gives up the black levels an OLED would bring. Night use is where that hurts. Between the two changes, the refresh rate alters how motion looks rather than how sharp text looks, which is the strongest argument for this panel in this bracket.

256GB of Storage and a 50MP Selfie Camera

The leaked configuration carries 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Storage decides how long it lasts. Apps, photos, and offline video fill whatever capacity a phone ships with, and no processor upgrade rescues a handset that has run out of room.

Nothing there is new. The original Pulse Pro shipped in a 256GB configuration in some markets, so anyone coming from that model gets the same ceiling and nothing more for their money. The storage is generous for the class, and it isn’t an upgrade.

Cameras read as 50 megapixels on the back, a 2MP secondary sensor beside it, and 50 megapixels up front. Fifty up front is unusual.

Megapixels don’t predict photographs. Sensor size, lens quality, and the processing pipeline decide whether a 50MP sensor produces anything usable at dusk, and a high pixel count on a small sensor mostly buys cropping room in good light.

The reported rear camera setup pairs a 50MP main camera with a 2MP secondary sensor. HMD lists the original model’s secondary camera as a depth sensor, so its presence alone shouldn’t be treated as evidence of better image quality.

Battery, Repairs, and What HMD Hasn’t Said

Battery capacity would stay at 5,000mAh. Charging would stay at 20W wired. Capacity alone doesn’t settle endurance, because the processor, the display, and the software all draw on the same cell.

Twenty watts is slow in 2026. That rate suits an overnight charge better than a quick top-up, which is the trade a budget phone makes.

Repairability is the open question. The original Pulse Pro used HMD’s QuickFix design, which let owners replace selected components with compatible parts and published instructions, and it made the phone a reasonable pick for people who’d rather repair than replace.

Support outlasts specs. Software support matters more than any figure on a spec sheet for anyone planning to keep the phone three years. HMD hasn’t confirmed the Android version or the update window for the refresh, and a budget handset with a short promise ages badly the moment the security patches stop.

Pricing and a launch date remain unconfirmed. Until those details are available, it’s difficult to judge how competitive the reported processor and display upgrades would make the refreshed Pulse Pro.

The leak points to a European refresh focused on processing power and display refresh rate. If those changes are confirmed, the updated Pulse Pro could be worth comparing with the current model, but pricing, availability, and software support will determine whether it’s the better buy.

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