The HMD Skyline Review: A New & Exciting Direction For HMD’s Smartphone Lineup In?Kenya

Last week, HMD officially launched the HMD Skyline in Kenya. This refreshingly new smartphone marks a significant departure from HMD’s Nokia-branded offerings, as the company establishes its HMD Originals line. Priced at what feels like a princely Kes. 65,000.00, the Skyline is a mid-range smartphone that showcases HMD’s commitment to sustainability and innovative features, including a user-repairable design and the new Qi2 wireless charging standard. However, while the Skyline offers a lot on paper, it’s not without its trade-offs. After using this device extensively, here’s my detailed review of what you can expect from HMD’s latest smartphone in Kenya.?

Design & Build Quality: Modern Aesthetics With Nostalgic Influences

The HMD Skyline channels a unique design language that balances modern aesthetics with nostalgic elements. In my view, in many ways, it feels like the spiritual successor to the Nokia N9, in having a flat, angular body and a durable brushed aluminum frame. I actually wrote about the Nokia N9 approximately 13 years ago on my blog here and at the time felt it was one of the best looking smartphones, ever!

At 210 grams and 8.9mm thick, the Skyline has a substantial if not unwieldy form factor, as well as an almost industrial feel in hand?—?I particularly love the exposed screw at its base that gives it something of a steampunk aesthetic. It’s also clearly NOT the lightest phone in the market, but it feels solid and well-crafted, with materials that speak to a certain premium quality that his highly reminiscent of premium Nokia smartphones of years past.?

One of the standout features of the Skyline is its user-repairable design. HMD has made it so that users can replace essential parts like the battery, back cover, and screen, which is a rare move for most smartphone manufacturers today. This is especially appealing for those who prioritize sustainability, as it reduces electronic waste and extends its lifespan.

However, it’s worth noting that the version currently available in Kenya won’t feature the full repairability capabilities yet. This will be a future enhancement, and if HMD follows through, it’s an exciting prospect for users who value repairability and tinkering around with technology devices they own (sign me up!).?

The Skyline comes in two colours?—?Neon Pink and Twisted Black. The Neon Pink is vibrant and bold, an eye-catching choice for those who want to make a statement. I have to confess that this one aspect of the Skyline I was using always captured the attention of women and girls who quite simply loved it the first time they saw it and I had more than a few admirers asking if I really wanted to keep it all to myself. Men, to be forewarned is to be forearmed if you go the HMD Skyline Neon Pink route!

On the other hand, the Twisted Black Skyline has a matte, almost tactical look that conveys professionalism and ruggedness. Both finishes look fantastic, and they offer users a choice that fits their style and personality. I am personally and easily team Twisted Black and I am waiting with bated breath to possibly acquire one for my long term use, if for nothing else just for the aesthetic appeal that many men out there will favour!

The Skyline also comes with an IP54 rating meaning its resistant to dust and light splashes, which is practical for everyday scenarios. This also means its NOT fully waterproof but this rating is sufficient for Kenya’s variable weather conditions, making it usable in rain and dust-prone environments which are endemic to Kenya.?

Display: Beautiful, But Limited By Brightness & Refresh Rate Settings

The 6.55-inch pOLED display on the Skyline is vibrant and silky smooth, with a 1080 x 2400 resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It really does ‘pop’ with inky blacks and very impressive colour contrast with all the hallmarks of what makes amoled screens so good on any kind of screen. One of the highlights of this display is its 144Hz refresh rate, which ensures a fluid visual experience for tasks like scrolling, gaming, and media consumption. The display also supports HDR10, allowing for richer colours and better contrast in HDR-supported content.

However, the Skyline’s display isn’t without limitations. The 144Hz refresh rate is static, meaning you have to manually activate it to enjoy the full experience, as the phone defaults to an adaptive 120Hz mode. This setup is a bit limiting for those who prefer the smoothness of 144Hz in daily use, and it would benefit from a more seamless adaptive setting. All this being said, do bear in mind that this sort of refresh rate is normally seen in more premium smartphones in the market so it seems like an exceptional feature at the Skyline’s price point. ?

In terms of brightness, the screen maxes out at 1,000 nits. This is adequate for indoor use and moderate lighting conditions but it does struggle under direct sunlight, making outdoor readability a challenge at times in my experience. This might be disappointing for users who rely on their phones frequently while on the go. However, despite these limitations, the screen quality itself is impressive, with vibrant colours and sharp details that make it enjoyable for everything from streaming video to simply accessing visually stunning social media content.?

The Corning? Gorilla? Glass 3 covering the screen adds a layer of durability that is invaluable in protecting it from the inevitable everyday wear and tear of life, not to mention the unintended phone drops that happen to all of us. In a nutshell, the Skyline’s display is great but could benefit from some adjustments in brightness and refresh rate adaptability.?

Performance: Smooth For Daily Use, But Occasionally Lags.?

Powered by the Snapdragon? 7s Gen 2 processor, the Skyline I am using is paired with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. For daily tasks such as browsing, social media, and gaming, the Skyline performs as expected. The storage is also expandable up to 512 GB via a microSD card, which is a valuable feature for users who need additional space for photos, videos, and apps as is typical with content creators.?

The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor at the heart of the Skyline is well-suited for general use but it’s not the most powerful chipset at this price point, which is something to consider if you’re a power user. Occasionally, I noticed slight delays during heavy multitasking, or when switching between heavy apps. Although these moments were infrequent, users expecting a seamless, high-performance experience might find the Skyline slightly lacking given its Kes. 65,000 price point.?

Another thing about the performance is that the Skyline, as far as I can tell, did not come with any Generative AI features that are now all the rage with the latest smartphones coming to the market. These new features and functionalities for smartphones are very much in their first iteration with many smartphones in Kenya, and beyond, but consumers will start expecting these if they are spending a decent amount of money on a smartphone of this calibre and overall quality from HMD.?

Battery Life & Charging: Decent For Moderate To Heavy Use.?

The 4,600 mAh battery in the Skyline is designed to provide a full day of use, although it falls short of the 5,000 mAh batteries that have become common in many mid-range phones available in Kenya. On moderate usage, I typically ended the day with around 10% to 15% battery remaining, though on busier days, I needed to recharge by late evening. If you’re a light user, you might squeeze out an additional half day, but heavy users will likely need a midday top-up.

Charging is where the Skyline takes a step forward with 33W fast charging, 15W Qi2 wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. Qi2, the new wireless charging standard, allows for magnetic alignment, similar to Apple’s MagSafe, which ensures faster and more reliable charging. For those using a compatible charger, the Skyline achieves 57% charge in the first 30 minutes, with a full charge taking just over an hour. While not the fastest, this charging speed is decent for most needs.?

Camera Performance: A Solid Triple-Camera System

The HMD Skyline is equipped with a triple-camera system: a 108 MP main camera, a 50 MP 2x telephoto lens, and a 13 MP ultra-wide camera. This combination provides versatility, covering everything from close-ups to landscapes. The 50 MP front camera is also noteworthy, offering autofocus with Eye-tracking, which is much appreciated for selfies and video calls.

During daylight, the main camera delivers excellent results with good sharpness, detail, and dynamic range. The telephoto lens performs well for 2x zoom shots, capturing sharp, vibrant images. However, pushing it to 3x or 4x zoom results in some loss of detail and introduces noticeable noise. This is a bit disappointing, as the telephoto camera has the potential to be one of the Skyline’s standout features.

In low-light settings, the camera system clearly struggles. Although there is a Night Mode that helps reduce noise and balance exposure. Night Mode improves the photos but can sometimes over-process the details, making images appear slightly unnatural. The ultra-wide camera performs decently in well-lit environments but lacks the detail and sharpness of the main camera.

For video recording, the Skyline supports 4K capture at 30 fps, with the option to switch to 1080p for stabilization. Video quality is good during the day, with accurate colours and impressive contrast. However, low-light video needs some improvement, in my opinion.?

Audio Quality: Enhanced With OZO Spatial Audio & Ideal For Content Creation

The Skyline’s audio capabilities is possibly one of its underrated features. It comes equipped with OZO Spatial Audio capture and wind-noise cancellation, making it ideal for recording high-quality audio. Whether you’re capturing voice memos, podcasts, or music, the OZO technology ensures a rich, immersive audio experience. This makes the Skyline a great choice for content creators who need reliable audio performance on the go. I used it myself to record a couple of audio-only podcasts a few weeks and the results were impressive!

The dual speakers are impressively loud, easily filling a small room with sound. Bass levels are noticeable, and the audio quality remains clear even at higher volumes. For those who prefer Bluetooth headphones, the Skyline supports Qualcomm? aptX? Adaptive audio, which delivers high-resolution, low-latency audio for an immersive listening experience.

Whether you’re using the speakers or Bluetooth, the Skyline ensures a quality audio experience that’s not often seen in this price range. This focus on audio quality?—?particularly the inclusion of OZO Spatial Audio?—?makes it a versatile device for anyone who values sound, from audiophiles to aspiring podcasters.

Software & User Experience: A Clean Android Experience With Useful Extras

The Skyline runs on Android 14, offering a mostly ‘original’ experience that’s clean, intuitive, and free from unnecessary add-ons. HMD has included a few extra features, such as Detox Mode and a Customizable Button, which add to the phone’s functionality. Detox Mode allows users to silence notifications from selected apps for focused periods. It’s a practical addition for anyone looking to limit distractions and improve their productivity or just to maintain a little more of their peace of mind!

The Customizable Button, located on the left side of the phone, can be set to launch frequently used apps or shortcuts, such as the camera or flashlight. This feature is especially useful for users who want quick access to essential tools. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is also efficient, although its flush design can make it slightly challenging to locate by feel alone. It works well for most tasks, with fast and accurate recognition.

One aspect where HMD falls short is the software update policy. The Skyline is guaranteed two years of OS updates and three years of security patches, which is decent but not exceptional. Given the phone’s focus on repairability and durability, a longer support window would align better with HMD’s vision of a device that can last for years. This limited software support may be a concern for users who want their device to stay up-to-date with the latest features and security enhancements.

Final Verdict: A Great Smartphone That Is Unique But Has Room For Improvement

The HMD Skyline is a compelling option for those who appreciate a sustainable, repairable design combined with modern smartphone features. It excels in several areas, such as audio quality, display smoothness, and general usability. The user-repairable approach is particularly appealing in a market where sustainability is increasingly important, and it’s refreshing to see HMD offering something different from this perspective in Kenya and globally.?

However, the Skyline isn’t without its limitations. Its Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor is adequate for everyday tasks, but it lags behind other phones in this price range when it comes to raw power.?

The display brightness could be higher, and low-light camera performance needs improvement to compete with similar mid-range options. Additionally, while the 144Hz refresh rate is a welcome feature, the lack of adaptive settings makes it a bit cumbersome to use at its full potential.

For Kes. 65,000.00, the Skyline offers a well-rounded package with a few unique features that make it stand out. If you’re looking for a phone that prioritizes sustainability, solid build quality, and audio excellence, the Skyline is worth considering.?

Pros:

Premium design with IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance

User-repairable features and functionalities?

Qi2 wireless charging with magnetic alignment and reverse wireless charging

Triple-camera system with versatile shooting options in daylight

Loud speakers with OZO Spatial Audio for enhanced sound quality

MicroSD slot, Customizable Button, and side-mounted fingerprint sensor

Excellent audio experience which is great for content creators

Cons:

Low-light camera performance could be better

Display brightness is lower than some competitors

Battery life is average, and charging speed is decent but not exceptional

Limited software update policy of two years for OS and three for security patches

Lacks Generative AI features and functionalities