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The HMD Skyline is AMAZING but Has 2 Fatal Flaws…

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

I’ve had a lot of smartphones over the years, ranging from back when HTC was an awesome brand, to basic phones, to iPhones, and even Windows Phones. I’ve lost count, but it has given me a reasonable amount of experience (plus those years that I sold phones for a living) in the phone space! A big part of my experience, though, was back when smartphones were interesting, for example, the HTC Evo 3D (that took 3D pictures), to the Samsung Galaxy S3 that offered an IR reader, and you could turn off every TV in Best Buy at the push of a button.

Regardless, that made me extremely excited to see that HMD (who builds Nokia’s phones) came out with a phone that actually looked and felt different than the black boxes that are phone nowadays. This HMD Skyline, so let’s get into my review of this funky, mid-range Android Smartphone (which is also the first to offer QI2 charging).

What is the HMD Skyline?

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4.4
$349.99
Pros:
  • I very much enjoy the unique, body design of the phone
  • The detox mode is an awesome way to get a full fledged phone, with some ways to “detox”
  • The screen is smooth at a 144Hz refresh rate.
  • The repairability is awesome.
  • I had no issues with speed on the device
Cons:
  • The speakers are nearly unusable
  • The cameras are definitely lacking
  • Detox mode doesn’t quite take it far enough
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
02/16/2025 01:40 am GMT

The HMD Skyline is a mid-range smartphone from the brand behind Nokia. It pulls plenty of design cues from back when Nokia was making phones like the Nokia 920; however, it swaps out the Windows Phone operating system (I miss that OS) with a lightly skinned Android 14 and an aluminum body. While this may be HMD’s flagship device, it sits in the mid-range segment at $499.

While these may all be things that do set it apart, the three things that made the biggest splash are the ability to repair the device, with parts you can purchase directly from iFixit (although the repairability leaves it with an IP54 rating) along with Detox Mode (which is kind of a minimalist mode), and of course Qi2 charging (with a 4600mah battery).

The camera system features a 108mp main camera, a 50mp secondary camera, and a 13mp ultra-wide camera.

What do I like about it?

1. I very much enjoy the unique, body design of the phone

If there was nothing else unique about this device, other than the design of the exterior of the phone, that would be enough for me! I always very much enjoyed the quirky Nokia smartphones back in the days of Windows Phones, and I was extremely glad to see them bring it back in this device (Paid Link). I also appreciate the fact that even though it is a repairable device, they were able to keep the metal body and a high-quality rear of the device to keep that premium feel.

The phone feels the right amount of substantial in the hands, and the funky squared off corners (with a rounded front screen), means you can still see the pink hue of the device, even when you are looking at the front.

It really annoys me that every other phone manufacturer (its really only Samsung and Apple in the USA anymore) has gone to the standard black or white slab phone design that everyone “wants”. It’s refreshing to see a brand try something new (yet also kinda old), harkening back to when smartphones were fun, and brands were trying interesting things.

2. The detox mode is an awesome way to get a full fledged phone, with some ways to “detox”

If you read my article right here about my review of the Light Phone 2, you’ll know that I’ve been on the hunt for a way to remove myself a bit from my smartphone. Sure, having all of the information known to man at your fingertips is amazing, but it also causes an unhealthy need to be on your phone all the time. While the Light Phone 2 did this by restricting just about everything permanently, HMD is doing something a bit different by offering a “Detox” mode.

You can fully customize this mode to essentially remove time-wasting apps like social media, or even apps that keep you concentrated on work things. A couple quick pushes of that button results in a predefined amount of time that that application is hidden from your device, only to return after your “detox” time has expired.

It’s a very cool feature, and I think it is the way a lot of brands are going to start addressing this issue. The ONLY issue I have with this is that you can still get it all back a bit too easily, but we’ll talk about that later in the article.

3. The screen is smooth at a 144Hz refresh rate.

After switching over to my iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve struggled to use any device that has anything less than the 120hz refresh rate that it offers. That’s why it was so nice to see that the HMD Skyline offered a 144hz refresh rate! Sure, you can downgrade all the way to 60hz to save on battery life, but I ran it at 144hz full-time without any hiccups or issues in relation to that.

For a phone at this price point (it also goes on sale a lot), that high refresh rate is, well, refreshing, to say the least.

4. The repairability is awesome.

With the advent of ultra-water-resistant phones, we lost something important! That would be repairability. We used to be able to swap out batteries in moments, screens were easier to replace, and backs were normally made of bendable plastic, all easily changed for a low price.

However, as manufacturers have tried to make their phones feel nicer in your hands, this resulted in using glass or metal panels on the back, and everything has to be super tight, to keep water from penetrating into the phone causing damage.

Now, while the HMD Skyline may not have great water resistance, it allows for the complete repairability of the device! You pop the back of the phone off by unscrewing a quick bolt, peeling off the back of the phone, and you have access to everything you need underneath it. As for the parts themselves, you can purchase things like screens, batteries, and back covers straight from iFixit, and their kits come with everything you need to complete the repair at home.

5. I had no issues with speed on the device

A BIG issue I have with most non-high-end phones is their speed. Sure, I’ve seen a lot of people complain about the internals of this device, but I had absolutely no complaints about everything I threw at this phone (at least from a speed perspective). If you are looking for a phone at a reasonable price, without speed issues, I can’t complain about this one.

It’s not often I find myself enjoying using a device that isn’t a true flagship phone ($700+ range). This one is different!

What do I not like about the HMD Skyline?

1. The speakers are nearly unusable

If you are someone who likes to use the speakers on their phone to listen to things like podcasts or music, don’t get this phone. Seriously, just don’t. The speakers were nearly unusable and were annoying at best. They are extremely tinny, and only come from one place on the device (at the base of the phone), and turning up the volume doesn’t make it any better. Now, I have a hard time telling if I’ve just been spoiled by my iPhone 15 Pro or if there is a possibility that this device may have some serious issues, but they just aren’t good.

2. The cameras are definitely lacking

The HMD Skyline is a great example of why specs don’t mean a thing. Don’t get me wrong, I VERY much like the HMD Skyline, but its camera system is a bit of a mess. Sure, you have a 108mp camera, but I was hard-pressed to get a sharp image out of the phone.

If there was any movement at all in the frame, it started getting fuzzy. Again, I’m coming from the 15 Pro as my daily driver, so I might be spoiled, but between this issue and the speakers, it made me go back to my iPhone (even though I actually want to switch back to Android as my daily phone).

3. Detox mode doesn’t quite take it far enough

I appreciate that HMD added the Detox Mode to this phone! I think its a great way to get people to use their phone so much, but in all reality, it doesn’t restrict it quite as much as needed. If you are someone that feels like they have to look at their screen every couple of minutes, you will find yourself just not pressing the detox button.

Or if you DO turn on Detox Mode, you can easily turn the mode back off if you want to use your apps (that are technically still there) with the least amount of willpower. The only real way to stop using your phone so much (if this is an issue for you), is to switch out to a true minimalist phone like the Light Phone 2, or the Wisephone 2 (I’ll have a review of that coming out soon). The Detox Mode is a nice feature, but don’t buy it thinking it’s going to truly change your life; just know it’s a good added feature.

Who is this phone for?

The HMD Skyline may be on the higher-end price wise of what its worth (at an MSRP of $499), but I actually do think its well worth the price (Paid Link). That is, if camera and external speakers are not important to you. If you are looking for a solid phone, that feels nice in the hands (I’d say better than a Samsung S25 or 16 Pro), actually looks different, and has a high screen refresh rate, this is an amazing value.

The only people I would say to steer clear of this, is if you DO use the external speakers a lot, and if you have to have a high quality camera on your phone all the time. Otherwise, I would have no problem recommending this phone!

Where should you buy this phone?

I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

HMD Skyline
4.4
$349.99
Pros:
  • I very much enjoy the unique, body design of the phone
  • The detox mode is an awesome way to get a full fledged phone, with some ways to “detox”
  • The screen is smooth at a 144Hz refresh rate.
  • The repairability is awesome.
  • I had no issues with speed on the device
Cons:
  • The speakers are nearly unusable
  • The cameras are definitely lacking
  • Detox mode doesn’t quite take it far enough
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
02/16/2025 01:40 am GMT
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