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ZDNET’s key takeaways
The HMD Skyline is the primary Android telephone to help Qi2 wi-fi charging, which implies it may be magnetically hooked up to appropriate equipment.
It is also user-repairable, with the corporate providing spare shows, batteries, and different elements for at the least seven years.
At $500, tradeoffs are to be anticipated, such because the middling digital camera and graphical efficiency and buzzy vibration motor.
extra shopping for selections
In between testing the Google Pixel 9 Professional and Apple iPhone 16, I have been utilizing the $500 HMD Skyline. At a fraction of the price of mentioned flagships, I anticipated the expertise of the Skyline to be bare-bones, middling, and admittedly, not have a lot to jot down residence about. It wasn’t lengthy into testing once I realized how fallacious I used to be.
Headlining the Skyline are three options: self-repairability, an motion button, and Qi2 wi-fi charging. That is proper, I mentioned the Q phrase. After what’s already been two years because the Wireless Power Consortium first introduced the Qi2 normal, the function has lastly come to an Android telephone. Did anybody guess that HMD could be the primary producer to supply it?
Qi2 permits units to magnetically snap onto supported equipment, from charging stations to automotive mounts to grip attachments. In easiest phrases, it is MagSafe for Android. Beforehand, you’d want a magnetic ring accessory to present an Android telephone such capabilities, however Qi2 is constructed proper into the handset. So, the very first thing I did after unboxing the Skyline was prop it onto the charging stand I had from Belkin — and it simply clicked!
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In fact, the attachment bit is barely half of the Qi2 story; the usual additionally permits handsets to cost at 15W (versus 5W), nearing the speeds of some telephones’ wired charging. You will simply have to make sure your wi-fi charger is Qi2-certified to reap the advantages.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
The Skyline’s industrial design jogs my memory of outdated Nokia Lumia telephones, with sharp edges, rounded show corners, and a smooth aluminum end. In HMD’s pink tone, the Skyline completely pops. However whereas the telephone appears to be like nice in photos, it is slippery to carry, and the corners typically dig into my palm, making for a not-so-comfortable one-handed expertise. Luckily, a case would remedy each of these issues, so I extremely advise choosing one up.
Additionally: Why I’m recommending the standard iPhone 16 over the Pro this year (and I’m not alone)
Alongside the edges of the telephones lies a recessed energy button that doubles as a fingerprint scanner. The scanner works nice, typically registering my thumb or index finger at first faucet, however I simply want HMD gave me the choice to “unlock at press.” At present, the scanner is lively even when the telephone show is turned off, which means you could get some unintentional presses when it is tucked in a pocket.
I am extra enthused by the Skyline’s Customized Button on the left aspect of the telephone. I might say it is an iPhone Action Button dupe, however HMD gives a way more practical and intuitive software program expertise. For instance, you’ll be able to register capabilities for a protracted press and a double press, with the vertically stacked listing together with system settings (i.e., turning on the flashlight, opening the digital camera app, and altering sound profiles) and app-based shortcuts (i.e., beginning ChatGPT voice mode, navigating residence on Google Maps, and opening YouTube).
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
The Skyline is powered by a mid-range Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM, a duo that I’ve discovered to be simply sufficient to deal with my each day actions. That features loading photographs and movies whereas scrolling via Reddit and Threads, responding to emails, and streaming NFL video games throughout breaks. Except the telephone simply booted or I downloaded a number of apps within the background, any stuttering and slow-downs had been simple to ignore.
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I might wish to assume that the 144Hz refresh price show, which I stored locked all through testing, has one thing to do with the telephone’s snappiness. Going from 120Hz on flagship telephones to 144Hz on the Skyline shouldn’t be as massive of a revelation because it appears, however I’ve doom-scrolled sufficient telephones to inform the distinction, and the additional frames make internet looking and enjoying video games that a lot smoother.
Of the telephone’s three cameras, I’ve discovered the 108MP major lens essentially the most dependable, with an in depth output that does not go overboard with the saturation. It will not be everybody’s cup of tea, particularly in the event you desire to have photos that look “Instaworthy” at seize, and the shortage of optical picture stabilization within the telephoto lens means zoomed-in movies can look shakier than desired.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
There’s one final facet of the Skyline that is price contemplating when shopping for the telephone, and that is repairability. In partnership with iFixit, HMD has constructed the telephone in order that customers can simply take away the again cowl (by loosening the lock screw on the underside and carving out the backing seals with a guitar decide) and exchange any faulty or growing old elements, together with the battery, charging board, audio system, and extra. This initiative, in keeping with HMD, will run for seven years, which means you’ll purchase spare elements and swap them in till 2031. Nonetheless, it is very commendable to see a telephone maker aspect with self-repairability, and I might wish to see others observe swimsuit.
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Whereas it is true that customers now spend extra time with their phones before upgrading, my concern with the Skyline’s longevity has extra to do with HMD’s software program help. The corporate is committing to solely two years of Android OS updates and three years of safety patches, which means the Skyline, which remains to be on Android 14, will not obtain extra options after Android 16.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
At $500, the HMD Skyline is likely one of the most fascinating mid-range telephones I’ve examined this 12 months. Whether or not you should purchase one or not relies on what options you worth in a handset. If quick wi-fi charging, compatibility with magnet-based equipment, and the flexibility to simply restore your telephone are excessive in your precedence listing, then the Skyline is your greatest Android choice.
In any other case, I might take into account competing units just like the Google Pixel 8a, Samsung Galaxy S24 FE<!–>, and OnePlus 12R–>, all of that are priced equally however supply higher efficiency, digital camera high quality, and software program help.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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Nermeen Nabil Khear