Nokia’s HMD Skyline is a stylish mid-range mobile smartphone that will cost you around $399, putting it in direct competition with the fresh OnePlus Nord 4, the Nothing Phone 2, and a myriad of other mid-range competitors from brands like Poco and Redmi.
The main selling point of the Skyline is its design, which harkens back to the beloved Lumia phones of yesteryear. However, the Skyline also boasts modern features like repairability, allowing you to disassemble, replace, and repair parts at home. Let’s dive into an in-depth review of the HMD Skyline.
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What’s in the Box?
Unboxing the HMD Skyline is a trip down memory lane for anyone who fondly remembers the Lumia series. The phone comes in a box with minimal accessories: a pinkish USB cable, a SIM pin, and some product and safety information. There’s no charger or earbuds included, so you’ll need to use your existing accessories or buy new ones.
Design
The Skyline’s design is a major nod to the Lumia phones, with a flat top and bottom finish that makes the phone a perfect rectangle. It can even stand upright on its own. The screen is rounded at the corners, adding to its distinctive and iconic look. The Skyline is available in Twisted Black and Neon Pink. The back is made of tempered glass with a matte finish, which can get smudgy but feels premium.
The frame is constructed from 100% recycled aluminum with a subtly curved finish, making it comfortable to hold despite the sharp corners. The front is protected by Gorilla Glass 3, which, although not the latest, is still relatively scratch-resistant. The phone is IP54 rated, providing splash and dust resistance.
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Features and Usability
Unlocking the HMD Skyline is a breeze, thanks to the side-mounted fingerprint sensor built into the power button. It’s fast and responsive, with the option of face unlock for added convenience. The left edge of the phone features a customizable button that can switch between sound profiles or be set to launch various functions like the flashlight, camera, or even ChatGPT and Uber.
The Skyline runs a near-stock version of Android, similar to what you’d find on Google Pixel phones. There’s a Google Discover feed and a clean app layout, although there’s some pre-installed bloatware like Amazon Shopping, Booking.com, Facebook, and LinkedIn. The HMD My Device app provides user guides, support contact options, and device health monitoring. There’s also a new detox mode for mindfulness, helping users avoid burnout.
Software Support
HMD promises two major OS updates for the Skyline – Android 15 and Android 16 – along with three years of security updates. This is slightly below par compared to rivals like OnePlus and Samsung, which often offer longer support periods.
Storage and Performance
The Skyline comes in 128GB and 256GB storage options, with the latter having around 15GB occupied by system files. If you need more space, the phone supports microSD cards up to 512GB. Under the hood, the Skyline is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 platform, paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM. Everyday performance is smooth, though there are occasional pauses, particularly if the screen is slightly damp. The camera processing can also be slow when taking multiple shots in quick succession.
Gaming
Gaming on the Skyline is decent. Games like Genshin Impact run smoothly on lower settings, but there are noticeable jitters on higher settings. Less demanding games like PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile run fine. The phone does get warm after extended gaming sessions but doesn’t overheat.
Battery Life
The Skyline’s 4,600mAh battery provides solid longevity, lasting through a full day of moderate use. Gaming and other intensive tasks drain the battery faster, but with 33W wired charging, it can be topped up relatively quickly. Impressively, the Skyline also supports 15W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, a rare feature in this price range.
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Display and Audio
The 6.55-inch Full HD+ display is crisp, with good color accuracy and wide viewing angles. The refresh rate maxes out at 144Hz, making for smooth scrolling and gaming. The display’s brightness is sufficient to combat glare, though it lacks HDR support.
The Skyline’s stereo speakers are loud but can sound a bit crackly at maximum volume. They provide clear stereo separation, making them adequate for watching videos and casual listening.
Camera
The camera tech slapped on the back end of HMD Skilyne. is a 50-megapixel primary shooter—OIS chucked on there, apparently. Hopefully, that’s not all lies. 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, which is one of those mysterious sensors that smartphone manufacturers think is super essential but we all know it isn’t. You’ve also got a 16-megapixel selfie shooter around the front end of this smartphone, and when you dive into that camera UI, it is, of course, a pretty stock affair.
Certainly not the most feature-packed bit of camera UI. You’ve got a portrait mode if you want to focus on someone’s pretty little mug and blur out the background. Oh, that’s better. If we swap around to that 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle shooter, very standard affair—reasonably fast shutter speed there as well. The good news is that even if your hand isn’t the steadiest, most shots generally come out looking fine.
In more ambient light, it certainly seems like it’s pretty decent at the sharpness and everything. Fairly natural-looking colors, but not particularly vibrant; certainly the same goes for the primary shooter. By default, the HMD Skyline captures at a 12.5-megapixel resolution with pixel binning to capture lots of light and detail. When you’re shooting in strong sunlight, certainly no worries at all. Even with a bit of HDR in effect, it does seem to do the job. You can swap to a full 50-megapixel mode if you want a particularly crisp result, and at night, you can see as well it holds up pretty well, even when conditions are quite tricky, reasonably dim.
The video side of things tops off at 4K resolution. Sadly, no 8K action here, not that I’d really be expecting it. Again, strong results when you’re shooting in nice conditions, with—plenty of detail packed in. And when you’re shooting selfies with that 16-megapixel front-facing camera, again, you get respectable results even with a bit of strong HDR action.
Repairability
One of the standout features of the HMD Skyline is its repairability. HMD has partnered with iFixit to provide guides and parts for repairing the phone at home. You can replace the battery, screen, and other components yourself, which is a fantastic option for those who prefer to fix their devices rather than replace them.
Verdict
The HMD Skyline is a unique mid-range phone that combines modern features with a nostalgic design. Its standout features include wireless charging, a customizable button, and easy repairability. While it falls short in areas like performance, battery life, and software support compared to some rivals, it offers a solid overall package for its price.
If you’re looking for a mid-range phone with a distinctive design and the ability to repair it yourself, the HMD Skyline is worth considering. However, if you prioritize longer software support and slightly better performance, you might want to look at alternatives from OnePlus or Samsung.
Overall, the HMD Skyline is a charming throwback to the Lumia era, with enough modern touches to make it a compelling option in the mid-range market. Cheers, and don’t forget to subscribe and hit that notification bell for more reviews and tech updates!
