The HMD Skyline is a mid-range flagship with a high-spec camera
An upcoming digital detox mode will also help you switch off on your terms.
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HMD may have only started selling brands with its own brand on the box this year, the Skyline looks to be a great example of why it's a brand not to be ignored.
Priced as a mid-range device, the Skyline is packed with premium camera specifications, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor and is the first Qi2-compatible Android device to launch in Australia.
Like other HMD phones, the Skyline is designed so you can repair it yourself should something go wrong. Plus, HMD is planning to release a digital detox function in September, that will allow you to easily block those social app notifications to make it easier to detach your finger from the endless scroll
The cameras sound solid
Probably the most important part of a smartphone for most people is the camera. Capturing your life, either for social media or for yourself, requires the best camera you can afford or carry with you, and smartphones fit the bill for most people.
The Skyline boasts a main 108 MP Hybrid OIS camera, backed up by a 13MP Ultrawide camera and a 50MP telephoto lens. That gives you a range of 0.5x to 4x zoom, 4K video capture and a 50mm Portrait mode.
The front camera is also a 50MP lens, which offers Autofocus with eye-tracking focus. A bit of on-board AI tech should help sharpen the details in your zoomed images as well.
Plenty of power
One of the most interesting claims is that the Skyline is capable odf 48 hour battery life from its 4,600 mAh replaceable battery.
I'm not sure how much I trust that spec, but I'm hoping to test it in a product review.
Notably, the phone does boast Qi2 wireless charging support. We've seen Qi2 accessories on shelves for a while, but so far no manufacturer has launched the technology in its phone.
Even without the Qi2 support, the phone offers 33W fast charging, plus 5W reverse wireless charging, to give your headphones a bit of juice if you need it, for example.
Digital detox
On the software front, the phone ships with Android 14, with the promise of two OS updates and three years of security updates.
HMD is also promoting its upcoming Digital Detox mode, which will arrive as a software update in September. It effectively just blocks social media and other selected apps for a period of time until you turn it off, which should help you evoid doom-scrolling.
Pricing and availability
The HMD Skyline is set to launch on August 28, and will be available from JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks (online), Amazon, and Big W (online).
It will launch in two colours: Pink and Black, and have an RRP of $899.
HMD Skyline Specs
Category | Specification |
---|---|
Colours | Neon Pink Twisted Black |
Display |
Size: 6.55 in Cover glass: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 Features: pOLED, 144Hz refresh rate, 1000 nits peak brightness, Miracast Aspect ratio: 20:9 Resolution: FHD+ 1080 x 2400 |
Imaging |
Features: Hybrid OIS+EIS, 50mm Portrait mode, Night mode 3.0, 0.5x to 4x zoom, AI Portrait, UW and Tele Capture Fusion, Selfie Gestures, Selfie Slo-mo, 4K video capture, OZO Spatial Audio capture with wind-noise cancellation Front camera: 50 MP Autofocus with Eye-tracking focus Rear camera: 108 MP Main AF with OIS + 13 MP Ultrawide with Capture Fusion technology + 50 MP Tele with Capture Fusion technology Rear flash: LED |
Connectivity |
Bluetooth: Bluetooth® 5.2 with LE Audio Location: GPS/A-GPS, Galileo L1/L5 dual band, GLONASS, BDS USB connection: USB Type-C™ (USB 2.0), Analog audio output, OTG WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n/ac/ax/6e (2x2 MiMo) NFC Supported |
Battery & charging |
Battery: 4600 mAh replaceable battery Battery life: Up to 48 hours Charging: 33W charging support (QC4.0 and PD3.0 PPS compatible), 15W magnetic wireless charging, 5W reverse wireless charging, Qi2 certified Wattage: 33 W |
Memory & storage |
Cloud storage: Google Drive Internal storage: 256 GB MicroSD card support up to: 512 GB RAM: 12 GB |
Platform |
CPU: Snapdragon® 7s Gen 2 Operating System: Android™ 14 OS upgrades: 2 |
Audio |
Features: Qualcomm® aptX™ Adaptive audio supports low-latency, robust and high resolution Bluetooth wireless audio. OZO Audio Playback and recording Microphones: 2 Speakers: 2 |
Networks |
Max network speed: 5G Network bands (5G NR): 5G SA+NSA: n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78 Network bands (GSM): 2G: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 Network bands (LTE): 4G: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71 Network bands (WCDMA): 3G: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8 Networks: 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G Sim size: Nano SIM, eSIM |
Security |
Fingerprint sensor: Side Power key Security updates: 3 years Face Unlock |
Buttons | Customisable power button with Fingerprint sensor, Volume up/down, Side Custom Button |
Materials |
Back: Tempered glass Features: Gen2 repairability with easy display, back cover, battery and charging port repairs through iFixit Frame: 100% recycled aluminium Front: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 IP Rating: IP54 |
Dimensions | Length (closed): 159.84 mm |
Sensors |
Features: 6-axis G-sensor Accelerometer (G-sensor) Ambient light sensor Barometer e-Compass Proximity sensor |
In the box |
Safety Booklet Sim Pin USB Type C™ Cable Quick Start Guide User Guide |
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