The HMD Crest 5G is an exciting new budget-friendly smartphone from HMD Global, the company behind Nokia. This phone aims to stand out in the competitive budget segment with a focus on repairability, allowing users to fix it themselves.
Priced under $149, the Crest 5G promises a solid build, a decent OLED display, and a user-friendly experience. But with so many phones in this price range, is the HMD Crest 5G enough to make a mark? In this review, we’ll take a closer look at its design, display, cameras, and performance to help you decide if this phone is the right one for you.
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Design and Build
The HMD Crest 5G adopts a minimalist yet functional design, offering a simple and clean look. The back panel, available in a sleek Midnight Blue color, features a large, blacked-out camera island housing two sensors and an LED flash. It’s not flashy, but the design is elegant and subtle, with metallic flakes that catch the light and add a premium feel to this budget phone. While the overall design may not be groundbreaking, its simplicity is appealing.
The phone’s build quality stands out in its category. The frame is plastic, and the back panel is thin glass, but it doesn’t feel flimsy. HMD has managed to deliver a solid feel, with durability in mind, especially with its IP52 rating for dust and water resistance. It’s not the highest rating, but it ensures that the phone can survive light splashes of water.
In terms of ergonomics, the HMD Crest 5G has a large 6.67-inch screen but maintains a reasonable weight of 205g. The phone is 8.4mm thick, which is standard for budget smartphones, though it may feel a bit hefty compared to lighter models. For ease of use, the right side of the phone houses the volume rocker and the power button, which also functions as a fingerprint sensor. On the left, you’ll find the SIM card tray, and at the bottom, the phone has a USB-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a mono loudspeaker. The design choices are simple but functional, making the phone easy to handle.
Display, Multimedia and Biometrics
The HMD Crest 5G boasts a 6.67-inch OLED display, which is a standout feature for a budget phone. OLED displays are rare in this price range, offering vibrant colors and deep blacks. With Full HD+ resolution, the display is sharp and provides a solid visual experience, although it’s not the highest-quality OLED out there. The screen has a 90Hz refresh rate, which feels smooth during navigation and general use. While 90Hz is good, it’s a step down from the 120Hz refresh rate found on some competitors, but still satisfactory for most users.
The phone’s display is equipped with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support, which enhances multimedia content for a more immersive viewing experience. When watching movies and videos, colors pop, and blacks are deep, making it enjoyable for casual video streaming. However, the screen is not particularly bright in direct sunlight, as it lacks the ultra-high peak brightness of flagship devices. In bright environments, the screen can become difficult to read, but it still performs reasonably well indoors.
For audio, the HMD Crest 5G has stereo speakers, though they tend to distort at higher volumes. The speaker placement is a bit awkward, as it’s easy to cover the speaker with your fingers while holding the device, especially when watching videos or gaming. To address this, users can take advantage of the 3.5mm headphone jack to plug in their preferred audio gear, ensuring an improved audio experience.
In terms of biometrics, the phone offers two options: the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is fast and reliable, and Face Unlock, which works well but isn’t as secure as the fingerprint option. The fingerprint sensor is the more secure choice, especially for those concerned about privacy and protection.
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OS, Apps, and UI
The HMD Crest 5G runs on Android 14, offering a clean and stock-like Android experience. There’s no heavy custom skin or bloatware here, which is a breath of fresh air for users who prefer a straightforward interface. The phone is free from unnecessary apps, apart from Google’s suite of apps, making the overall experience more streamlined and easy to navigate.
Customization options are limited compared to other Android phones, but you do get some features that make the experience a bit more personalized, like the ability to change the theme, icons, and some quick settings. The UI is simple, with no major surprises or hidden features. While this might appeal to users who prefer a minimalist experience, others may find the lack of customizations limiting.
Additionally, the phone comes with HMD’s My Device app, which offers some basic device management features, including checking for updates, managing storage, and performing basic maintenance tasks. The phone doesn’t have any AI-driven features or heavy customizability like some of the competition, but this might be an advantage for users who prefer a more basic setup.
Overall, the software experience is pleasant but feels a little barebones. There’s potential for HMD to improve on this, especially with future updates or a more personalized skin.
Performance and Benchmarks
Powering the HMD Crest 5G is the MediaTek Dimensity 760 chipset, which is a mid-range processor for 5G connectivity. Paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, the phone performs adequately for everyday tasks such as browsing, social media, and light multitasking. The device handles apps and videos smoothly, but heavy multitasking can cause slight stutters.
When it comes to gaming, the phone can handle light games such as Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile at low settings, but more demanding games like Genshin Impact result in noticeable frame drops and lag. The 90Hz refresh rate is a nice touch, but it doesn’t fully compensate for the phone’s limited graphics performance.
Synthetic benchmark scores, as expected, show that the phone performs at the lower end of the spectrum for its class. It won’t break any records, but it should meet the needs of casual users who don’t mind lower graphic settings in games or occasional stutters during intensive tasks.
Battery Life
The HMD Crest 5G features a 5,000mAh battery, which is standard for this price segment. In our tests, it managed to last a full day with moderate use, including browsing, social media, and light gaming. The phone’s power-efficient chipset helps extend battery life, and the screen isn’t particularly bright, which also contributes to better endurance.
The phone supports 33W fast charging, which is decent but not the fastest. Charging from 0% to 100% took around 90 minutes, which is acceptable given the battery size. While wireless charging isn’t available, the wired charging speeds are competitive for a budget device.
Connectivity
The HMD Crest 5G supports a full range of connectivity options, including 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and GPS. The 5G connectivity ensures fast speeds for browsing, streaming, and gaming, and the phone provides stable call quality and fast data connections.
The device also supports NFC, which is a welcome feature in this price range, allowing for convenient contactless payments. The dual SIM support with a dedicated microSD card slot adds more flexibility for users who want to expand storage or use multiple SIM cards.
Cameras
The camera setup on the HMD Crest 5G is relatively basic, considering its price point. It features a dual rear camera system: a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor, which is typical for budget smartphones. The rear camera captures decent images in good lighting conditions, offering sharp focus, decent contrast, and natural-looking colors. However, in low-light situations, the performance drops considerably, with grainy results and a lack of detail. The AI HDR mode helps improve the photos somewhat, but the output often appears overprocessed.
The 50MP main camera excels in well-lit environments, with good clarity and vibrant colors. However, it struggles with fine details when zooming in or shooting in less-than-ideal lighting. The 2MP depth sensor adds some shallow depth-of-field effects for portrait shots, but its overall impact is minimal. While it does enhance the images, it’s not a game-changer by any means.
At night, the camera performance declines rapidly. The lack of optical image stabilization (OIS) or electronic image stabilization (EIS) becomes noticeable, as the images tend to be blurry and shaky without a steady hand. Low-light shots are riddled with noise, and the details are often smoothed out to the point where the image loses definition. Thankfully, the phone does include a Super Night Mode, but even this doesn’t fully solve the issue.
The front camera on the HMD Crest 5G is a 50MP sensor, which is impressive for a budget phone. It delivers relatively decent selfies with natural colors and good detail. However, like the rear camera, the performance drops in low light, producing softer images with noticeable noise. The camera also struggles with autofocus in certain conditions, which can lead to some blurry selfies.
For video recording, the rear camera can shoot 1080p at 30 FPS, but there’s no stabilization, which makes handheld videos shaky and less smooth. The quality of the videos is acceptable in good lighting, but it suffers significantly in low-light conditions. The front camera is limited to 1080p at 30 FPS, so don’t expect high-end video quality, especially for vlogging or streaming.
Price
The HMD Crest 5G is priced under $149, making it an affordable option in the competitive budget smartphone market. With 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, it offers a good value for money, especially considering its 5G connectivity and OLED display. The price point puts it in competition with other budget-friendly options that offer similar specs, but the repairable design feature makes it unique.
HMD Crest 5G Pros And Cons:
6 Pros
- Affordable Price: Priced under $149, making it an excellent budget option for 5G connectivity and an OLED display.
- Repairable Design: A unique DIY repairable feature, allowing users to replace components like the back panel and USB-C port.
- OLED Display: Offers a sharp OLED display with deep blacks and vibrant colors, rare for a budget device in this price range.
- 5G Connectivity: Provides 5G support, ensuring faster internet speeds for browsing, gaming, and streaming.
- Good Battery Life: A 5,000mAh battery that can last a full day of moderate use, ensuring reliable performance throughout the day.
- Expandable Storage: Comes with 256GB of internal storage, and has a dedicated microSD card slot for further expansion.
3 Cons
- Limited Performance: Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 760 chipset, which struggles with demanding apps and high-end gaming.
- Camera Quality: The rear camera performs decently in daylight but struggles in low-light situations and lacks stabilization for video.
- Lack of Customization: The software is simple but lacks the extensive customizations found in other Android devices, which may be a downside for some users.
Conclusion
The HMD Crest 5G offers a solid entry in the budget smartphone market. With its 5G connectivity, OLED display, and repairable design, it stands out in a crowded field of affordable smartphones. While the performance isn’t the best in its class, the phone still handles everyday tasks well and offers good battery life.
The camera system, while decent, could be better, especially in low-light conditions. The lack of stabilization for video recording is a downside, but the phone performs well in bright environments. The software is simple and bloat-free, which some users will appreciate, but others may find it lacking in customization.
At under $149, the HMD Crest 5G offers excellent value for money for users looking for a budget-friendly 5G device. Its standout feature—the ability to repair the phone yourself—adds a unique value proposition, making it an ideal choice for DIY enthusiasts. However, if you’re after higher-end performance and a more polished camera system, you may want to look elsewhere.
(FAQ) Questions About HMD Crest 5G:
Does the HMD Crest 5G have a good display?
- Yes, the HMD Crest 5G features a 6.67-inch OLED display with Full HD+ resolution. It offers vibrant colors and deep blacks, but the 90Hz refresh rate may feel limiting for some.
Can I repair the HMD Crest 5G myself?
- Yes, one of the unique features of the HMD Crest 5G is its DIY repairable design. You can replace parts like the back panel, USB-C port, and buttons yourself, which is a big plus for those who like to fix their phones.
How does the camera perform on the HMD Crest 5G?
- The camera setup on the HMD Crest 5G is decent for its price range, offering a 50MP main sensor. It performs well in daylight but struggles in low-light conditions, and video recording is limited to 1080p at 30FPS without stabilization.
Is the HMD Crest 5G good for gaming?
- The HMD Crest 5G can handle light gaming, like Mobile Legends or casual games, but struggles with more demanding titles like Genshin Impact. Expect frame rate drops and limited gaming performance.
How is the battery life on the HMD Crest 5G?
- The HMD Crest 5G has a 5,000mAh battery, which lasts a full day with moderate use. It offers good battery life for its price range and supports 33W fast charging, though it lacks wireless charging.
Does the HMD Crest 5G have 5G support?
- Yes, the HMD Crest 5G supports 5G connectivity, allowing for faster internet speeds and a better overall experience when browsing or streaming content on the go.
