You said that no charger in the box is a normal thing these days, no it's not, it's just Samsung, Apple, Google, Sony and HMD, the rest still comes with a charger and case
I love the fact that theres' a micro SD card slot. The frame kind of reminds me of my old Lumia 830 which is one of my favorite visual designs from phones I've had.
I would love to see a flagship with these repairability features. I know it would cost more, but if the hardware is better then it'll be more worth repairing for longer
Oh man that desing is indeed nostalgic. Although full modern Lumia 920 would be my dream. With that curved back they could get rid of the camera bump(s) 😁 IP 54 rating isn't nececcarily _that_ bad at least for me. IP 5x - Partial protection against dust and other particulates, such that any ingress will not damage or impede the satisfactory performance of internal components IP x4 - Protection against splashing water from any direction, tested for a minimum of 10 minutes with an oscillating spray (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects) So it should survive rain. That partial dust protection though. A bit more tricky, but I guess you can pop the back off and give it a blow with an airduster once a month 😅 The repairability is _great_ but it would be so much more awesome with longer system/security update path. Can you root it? That could help a lot. But I know most people aren't willing to do that anyway, but all this is my personal preferences. Battery life would probably be absolutely fine for me. On an average day I probably watch 5-10 minutes of cat videos on YT, stream 2-3hrs of music and read ArsTechnica 2hrs dark mode on. I think the resolution is pretty much the sweet spot and OLED is always nice. Power button/fingerprint reader is a very good solution. Can you make it pull down notification menu if you swipe down on it? One of my earlier phones had that setting and it was really nice. Rear camera(s).. Really hard to tell without trying myself. Optical zoom is good to have and OIS at least on the main camera. And I don't like camera bumps 🙄 I don't like the "tear drop selfie camera". I know there are very few phones out there without it or the "apple frown", but my current Sony has a tiny bezel for camera, speaker and notification LED and I really like it that way. All in all.. probably wouldn't buy this phone for that price, but it's close.
I find modularity a plus on a phone. Something very difficult to come by these days... I heard about this phone and I am very interested in it. But I feel like the deal breaker is it's update life. Other phones get support for more than 4 years at the least... for a phone championing being eco-friendly it seems mitigated by the life it has.... bummer
Smartphones, tablets, laptops and many other devices are using USB-C chargers now days, so for most people they probably will not need a charger brick. If every phone came with one you would end up with a drawer full for no reason. Producing electronics like chargers take a lot of resources, and since most people have a charger brick it does save resources to exclude it.
@@jamina792 Still doesn't mean they shouldn't include charger brick in the box. Brands like samsung does this just to follow apple's trend so they can maximise profit..No eco-saving is going on here cuz they are making charging bricks seperately which is already another box of waste. Meanwhile, companies like xiaomi, vivo and oppo still provides charging bricks in some countries. So how's that possible then?
Its pros are nostalgia, repairable, Qi2 charging, in depth detox mode. The cons are small battery, uncomfortable to hold long term, inconsistent software performance. You really have to have loved Lumia to want this phone.
Repairability is huge for me. It is a bit of a bummer they are only promising 2 years of updates but there is a chance this could change. I ordered one just to support the right to repair. Also I'll add parts are very reasonably priced at less than half of what Samsung or Apple would charge for most parts. What would be really cool is it they would release update kits for the hardware so you could add the newest processor or camera. That's probably wishful thinking though
The battery is optimal trade off. I use my smartphones for about 4-6 years. 2-3 last years are always suffering from weak battery, and i dont want to spend half of phone price for replacing battery in service shop. This is ideal. I can replace it by myself without losing guarantee. Heck i can even replace screen when i crack this shi..t. For me its a win. I can now have the same phone for about 5-7 years and dont worry for battery life etc..
This is my big thing. I'm currently on a Samsung, but I would HATE to have to repair this device. I work in the tech field and I'm sure I could "technically" replace it myself, but by the time I find parts and take the time to try it I would fear either breaking something worse or ultimately having to take it to a repair service. At that point, based on the cost of a repair service or the time to learn to do and acquire parts, HMD Skyline makes a compelling case for a replacement phone. I'm hopeful by the time I need to replace my current one, they have an even further improved Skyline model.
Considering that the average life of a mobile is 3 years an average of security upgrades for 2 to 3 years is standard because some manufacturers do more or less or not at all even if they claim to
HMD Devices are pretty expensive not to lie. The competition is offering similar specs for affordable prices...these guys should figure something out to capture our attention in price.
are you blind or dumb? do any of them offer self repair with warranty? or cheap replacement parts? plus... HMD-, is made by the same company who makes Nokia phones. proven track record of quality. |im a LG fan, and this reminds me of the stuff LG, was doing a decade ago.
I love the phone design, and i think the spec is well balanced. My last 3 phones have been made by HMD and all have had exceptional buold and design quality. I would have hoped for the 5000MaH battery, and would prefer a better IP rating. The Skyline is currently £329 in the UK, but i think im going ro order the 12GM RAM/256 storage option at £399. I honestky dont think this is unreasonable for a pretty solid midrange phone. I alread know HMD phones are built well, and perform well but i think the topaz colour has swayed me into ordering it 🙂
@minukarodrigo it's been brilliant. I've had it for about 6 weeks now. Nice and smooth, great battery life. Great screen and speakers. It looks great too. I couldn't be happier with the phone and it's worth the price I paid (£399 for the 256GB/12GB) I had the Nokia 8 myself when I first came out of windows phone. It was a great phone. Had the 8.3 and X30 in between. You will notice the size difference between the 8 and the skyline. I certainly did when I went from the 8 to the 8.3, so that's the one thing you need to consider, but you should notice a much better performance 8 years on 🙂
They should actually get off their high horse and put a lower price tag on their phones with minimum profit margin if they actually want to come back and become as big as Nokia used to be
4:54 Since it's promised two years of updates and that Android 16 will be ready around next May rather than in the autumn, we might get to Android 17. Nokia, which was owned by HMD, delivered 3 OS updates.
Oscar, I want to get a new device but I'm stuck deciding between the Samsung Galaxy S10 4G, Samsung Galaxy S20 and the Redmi Note 13 4G. Pls which do you think is the better option?
If this model were made in Europe I’d buy it. Information security and economic security is important to me. A lot of HMDs other phones are but not this. Hopefully the skyline2 will be.
I need a phone with a very good signal reception (yes, I need a phone, not a toy for gaming), eSIM and clean Android. For that price a Motorola would work, except it is very bad in poor signal environment (my wife got the edge 40); One Plus Nord 4 is great ...but it does not have eSIM. This HMD got it but no data to show its capability to receive poor GSM signal
I agree but at that price point not many Would care about being able to swap the battery, they Would just buy a New Phone with a fresh battery instead. The real problem is the software is only 2 Android and first one comes next spring it seems so maybe really only 1,5 years from now they Will stop software updating.
theres no point in lying to us about this phone having a 100mp camera. Just tell the truth and the buyers will buy this phone regardless but with less resentment. The fixability drew me to this review but the washed out ass looking camera results do not make sense. Thats an embarrassment to the "100MP" label.
@@CrystalDabber truly a weak camera by hmd. I remember when smartphone companies would boast about superior picture quality due to higher megapixels. My phone has a 12MP camera, and it takes better pictures than this one.
repairable is going to be the only way to go. GREEDY corporate. So tired of the worthless curved screens and non replaceable batteries that can't last 2 years due to the simple laws of physics.
That's bull***t, 500 dollars for 7s Gen2 when OnePlus 12R came with 8 Gen2 10 months ago, that too $500 for 16+256 GB variant! And OnePlus is much better than HMD!
@Lost_soul_0021 The only brand that provides lifetime warranty for Display is OnePlus, and I did receive greenline on my old phone and it was repaired for free, hassle-free! Good luck trying to get warranty on your stupid HMD!
@@Lost_soul_0021don't forget oneplus is the only brand who are offering free display replacement for latest devices or vouchers for older devices as well for greenline issue ... At least they are doing there best which even samsung is not doing.
@@Lost_soul_0021 With lifetime free replacement warranty too, I have claimed it 2 times once for my mom's phone and one time for my Dad's phone, they replaced the screen for free without any issues, and both the phones got green lines atleast after they were 3-4 years old. One was OnePlus 7T and another OnePlus 9 Pro! Happy with my OnePlus 12R now!
The problem is HMD is a relatively small and unknown company in the smartphone space. They don’t have the luxury of Samsung Moto and Google to subsidize. So in order to meet their budget for design and production etc they have to play in the firmly super budget space. If they venture out into a true midrange area like they are here the phones will have to cost much more than the competition. So who’s HMD targeting here? My guess is a very small niche of people who want a cool smartphone but don’t want the same Samsung Apple Samsung Apple Samsung Apple that everyone else has.
@@leylandlynxvlog yeah, I am considering it. I currently have a 4 or 5 year old phone because I have a tendency to break it and can pick up a replacement on eBay for a bit over $100. The current model I'm using, I have had to replace 3 or 4 times and I also had to repair the charge port a couple times. A phone like this would save me from starting over when I break my screen.
No everyone can accept the Samsung pre-insatlled crap. I personally cannot and will not use Samsung (or any company preinstalling crap, w/o ability for uninstallation). It is personal preference only. It may still work for you.
Thanks Oscar, lovely review. This phone is terrible. Hmd is confused and desperate. In trying to be different and steal some market share. All they're doing is producing rubbish against the norm😂😂😂
disgusting performance, disgusting camera, disgusting screen, disgusting software support, disgusting battery wth you can get 14t pro with LECIA AND 5 YEARS OF OS UPDATES FOR GOODNESS SAKE IN MY COUNTRY
Do you agree with me? Is the Skyline a HIT or MISS?
Hit
Hit
Big MISS! At that same price, you can get the Vivo v40 with over 100k less and that smartphone would serve you better
Miss
You said that no charger in the box is a normal thing these days, no it's not, it's just Samsung, Apple, Google, Sony and HMD, the rest still comes with a charger and case
I love the fact that theres' a micro SD card slot. The frame kind of reminds me of my old Lumia 830 which is one of my favorite visual designs from phones I've had.
The front design is closer to the Lumia 925 and 920
I would love to see a flagship with these repairability features. I know it would cost more, but if the hardware is better then it'll be more worth repairing for longer
If they had more software support I'd be considering it, but the 2 OS updates just kills it for me
Oh man that desing is indeed nostalgic. Although full modern Lumia 920 would be my dream. With that curved back they could get rid of the camera bump(s) 😁
IP 54 rating isn't nececcarily _that_ bad at least for me.
IP 5x - Partial protection against dust and other particulates, such that any ingress will not damage or impede the satisfactory performance of internal components
IP x4 - Protection against splashing water from any direction, tested for a minimum of 10 minutes with an oscillating spray (limited ingress permitted with no harmful effects)
So it should survive rain. That partial dust protection though. A bit more tricky, but I guess you can pop the back off and give it a blow with an airduster once a month 😅
The repairability is _great_ but it would be so much more awesome with longer system/security update path.
Can you root it? That could help a lot. But I know most people aren't willing to do that anyway, but all this is my personal preferences.
Battery life would probably be absolutely fine for me. On an average day I probably watch 5-10 minutes of cat videos on YT, stream 2-3hrs of music and read ArsTechnica 2hrs dark mode on.
I think the resolution is pretty much the sweet spot and OLED is always nice.
Power button/fingerprint reader is a very good solution. Can you make it pull down notification menu if you swipe down on it? One of my earlier phones had that setting and it was really nice.
Rear camera(s).. Really hard to tell without trying myself. Optical zoom is good to have and OIS at least on the main camera. And I don't like camera bumps 🙄
I don't like the "tear drop selfie camera". I know there are very few phones out there without it or the "apple frown", but my current Sony has a tiny bezel for camera, speaker and notification LED and I really like it that way.
All in all.. probably wouldn't buy this phone for that price, but it's close.
Where is it made?
Eco friendly Or cheaping out on a charger?
I find modularity a plus on a phone. Something very difficult to come by these days... I heard about this phone and I am very interested in it. But I feel like the deal breaker is it's update life. Other phones get support for more than 4 years at the least... for a phone championing being eco-friendly it seems mitigated by the life it has.... bummer
0:43 That's not eco friendly. Quite the opposite because you need to order an extra package actually. Please stop saying that.
Smartphones, tablets, laptops and many other devices are using USB-C chargers now days, so for most people they probably will not need a charger brick. If every phone came with one you would end up with a drawer full for no reason. Producing electronics like chargers take a lot of resources, and since most people have a charger brick it does save resources to exclude it.
@@jamina792 Still doesn't mean they shouldn't include charger brick in the box. Brands like samsung does this just to follow apple's trend so they can maximise profit..No eco-saving is going on here cuz they are making charging bricks seperately which is already another box of waste.
Meanwhile, companies like xiaomi, vivo and oppo still provides charging bricks in some countries. So how's that possible then?
Feels like a budget Mrwhosetheboss here 👀
Packs, rocks, dive deep, trippily same feeling videography lol
$349 at Best Buy right now. It's not a bad deal at that price point.
Its pros are nostalgia, repairable, Qi2 charging, in depth detox mode.
The cons are small battery, uncomfortable to hold long term, inconsistent software performance.
You really have to have loved Lumia to want this phone.
Repairability is huge for me. It is a bit of a bummer they are only promising 2 years of updates but there is a chance this could change. I ordered one just to support the right to repair. Also I'll add parts are very reasonably priced at less than half of what Samsung or Apple would charge for most parts. What would be really cool is it they would release update kits for the hardware so you could add the newest processor or camera. That's probably wishful thinking though
@@pamaconsI really hope they increase software support later on, because this fills the gap between the current and future fairphone.
The battery is optimal trade off. I use my smartphones for about 4-6 years. 2-3 last years are always suffering from weak battery, and i dont want to spend half of phone price for replacing battery in service shop. This is ideal. I can replace it by myself without losing guarantee. Heck i can even replace screen when i crack this shi..t. For me its a win. I can now have the same phone for about 5-7 years and dont worry for battery life etc..
This is my big thing. I'm currently on a Samsung, but I would HATE to have to repair this device. I work in the tech field and I'm sure I could "technically" replace it myself, but by the time I find parts and take the time to try it I would fear either breaking something worse or ultimately having to take it to a repair service. At that point, based on the cost of a repair service or the time to learn to do and acquire parts, HMD Skyline makes a compelling case for a replacement phone. I'm hopeful by the time I need to replace my current one, they have an even further improved Skyline model.
Considering that the average life of a mobile is 3 years an average of security upgrades for 2 to 3 years is standard because some manufacturers do more or less or not at all even if they claim to
This is a really cool phone for sure with some quite clever solutions, but for me this is rather a 300$ phone than a 500$ phone.
It's around $400 on Amazon right now.
It's around $349 USD now on Amazon for 8GB RAM/256GB Storage, which to me is an acceptable price range for this device.
350 usd
yes it's 350 usd on amazon
HMD Devices are pretty expensive not to lie. The competition is offering similar specs for affordable prices...these guys should figure something out to capture our attention in price.
are you blind or dumb? do any of them offer self repair with warranty?
or cheap replacement parts?
plus... HMD-, is made by the same company who makes Nokia phones. proven track record of quality.
|im a LG fan, and this reminds me of the stuff LG, was doing a decade ago.
The device is so expensive considering other device at the market.
Everything else aside, I really like the design of the device
I love the phone design, and i think the spec is well balanced. My last 3 phones have been made by HMD and all have had exceptional buold and design quality. I would have hoped for the 5000MaH battery, and would prefer a better IP rating. The Skyline is currently £329 in the UK, but i think im going ro order the 12GM RAM/256 storage option at £399. I honestky dont think this is unreasonable for a pretty solid midrange phone. I alread know HMD phones are built well, and perform well but i think the topaz colour has swayed me into ordering it 🙂
How's your experience with the phone? My nearly 8-year-old Nokia 8 is never giving up on me lol
@minukarodrigo it's been brilliant. I've had it for about 6 weeks now. Nice and smooth, great battery life. Great screen and speakers. It looks great too. I couldn't be happier with the phone and it's worth the price I paid (£399 for the 256GB/12GB)
I had the Nokia 8 myself when I first came out of windows phone. It was a great phone. Had the 8.3 and X30 in between. You will notice the size difference between the 8 and the skyline. I certainly did when I went from the 8 to the 8.3, so that's the one thing you need to consider, but you should notice a much better performance 8 years on 🙂
They should actually get off their high horse and put a lower price tag on their phones with minimum profit margin if they actually want to come back and become as big as Nokia used to be
4:54 Since it's promised two years of updates and that Android 16 will be ready around next May rather than in the autumn, we might get to Android 17. Nokia, which was owned by HMD, delivered 3 OS updates.
Call recording available ?
Oscar, I want to get a new device but I'm stuck deciding between the Samsung Galaxy S10 4G, Samsung Galaxy S20 and the Redmi Note 13 4G. Pls which do you think is the better option?
S20
I actually went to buy one but didn't realize that none of my local providers support hmd : (
Thanks for showing me the cool android stuff. Hope you get big
This phone is expensive to be honest for $500, what am I getting from this device that will push me to buy it. None !!
Remember when 500$ phones were flagships not midranges?
@@XbeforeYZlmao true but that was a very long time ago
Times change sadly @@XbeforeYZ
@@XbeforeYZCool story Grandpa.
@@bernielomax4702 Thanks kiddo🧓
If this model were made in Europe I’d buy it. Information security and economic security is important to me. A lot of HMDs other phones are but not this. Hopefully the skyline2 will be.
Ive seen Hmd Skyline advertised on their ebay (Uk) website.
@JohnDoe-n1y3f you've seen it advertised as MADE IN Europe/UK?!
Is this available in India and how many stolen gift cards to buy?
love the upgradability on this for the price
I need a phone with a very good signal reception (yes, I need a phone, not a toy for gaming), eSIM and clean Android.
For that price a Motorola would work, except it is very bad in poor signal environment (my wife got the edge 40); One Plus Nord 4 is great ...but it does not have eSIM.
This HMD got it but no data to show its capability to receive poor GSM signal
Repairability shouldn't count towards the durability of a phone. Software updates should heavily be considered when it comes to a phone's durability.
And not even updates guarantee the durability of an equipment, but the quality of the components, most updates bring programmed absolescence
My last phone was a huawei, I got an update and the battery started dying from just after that, are you sure you want updates?
skyline is 350$ and the S23FE is 500$. no thanks I'll take the skyline 🙂
HMD Skyline should be priced $200 at MAXIMUM
I agree but at that price point not many Would care about being able to swap the battery, they Would just buy a New Phone with a fresh battery instead.
The real problem is the software is only 2 Android and first one comes next spring it seems so maybe really only 1,5 years from now they Will stop software updating.
no
There are sales on their website, starting at 350, for this phone.
Its not "nokia lumia days", its what meant to be "nokia N9 days"
its on sale for £100 off in the uk right now
theres no point in lying to us about this phone having a 100mp camera. Just tell the truth and the buyers will buy this phone regardless but with less resentment. The fixability drew me to this review but the washed out ass looking camera results do not make sense. Thats an embarrassment to the "100MP" label.
For real..My galaxy a71 with 64MP cam looks wayy better than whatever the heck HMD skyline does. It looks so washed-out for a 100mp cam..
@@CrystalDabber truly a weak camera by hmd. I remember when smartphone companies would boast about superior picture quality due to higher megapixels. My phone has a 12MP camera, and it takes better pictures than this one.
I think that we all have the same feeling - it's a cool phone but it's overpriced.
repairable is going to be the only way to go. GREEDY corporate. So tired of the worthless curved screens and non replaceable batteries that can't last 2 years due to the simple laws of physics.
$500 sounds like daylight robbery
Please bring back Nokia C series for affordable segment.
Interesting review sir
Glad you liked it!
$200 Motorola makes way more sense than this
They, definitely trying something different.
Charging more for less😅
They have it on sale on Amazon for 360 dollars
The back is beautiful
Can you review vivo x100s?😢
Repairable is good but yet they don't make parts available mind you all.
God awful update policy like terrible
Why should I buy a repairable phone if it doesn't get uppdates enough for even one life cycle? that's just bullshit
I love the color & the design (really 4eminds me of my old lumia 800) but 7s Gen 2 at 500 bucks is just pure ass
what about macro shots?
do ppl realy care about software updates? i personaly cant give less a f... about that
Same..its just a bait so that people think having the latest update is "Safer"
That's bull***t, 500 dollars for 7s Gen2 when OnePlus 12R came with 8 Gen2 10 months ago, that too $500 for 16+256 GB variant!
And OnePlus is much better than HMD!
I agree it's overpriced but don't forget 1+ comes with green lines display too
@Lost_soul_0021 The only brand that provides lifetime warranty for Display is OnePlus, and I did receive greenline on my old phone and it was repaired for free, hassle-free!
Good luck trying to get warranty on your stupid HMD!
@@Lost_soul_0021don't forget oneplus is the only brand who are offering free display replacement for latest devices or vouchers for older devices as well for greenline issue ... At least they are doing there best which even samsung is not doing.
skyline = 350$
@@Lost_soul_0021 With lifetime free replacement warranty too, I have claimed it 2 times once for my mom's phone and one time for my Dad's phone, they replaced the screen for free without any issues, and both the phones got green lines atleast after they were 3-4 years old.
One was OnePlus 7T and another OnePlus 9 Pro!
Happy with my OnePlus 12R now!
Better to just get the Nothing Phone 2a+
Nokia has not learned a thing from their past
The problem is HMD is a relatively small and unknown company in the smartphone space. They don’t have the luxury of Samsung Moto and Google to subsidize. So in order to meet their budget for design and production etc they have to play in the firmly super budget space. If they venture out into a true midrange area like they are here the phones will have to cost much more than the competition. So who’s HMD targeting here? My guess is a very small niche of people who want a cool smartphone but don’t want the same Samsung Apple Samsung Apple Samsung Apple that everyone else has.
HMD is Nokia
@@normanm.rabinoph4385 no they are not.They worked with Nokia under a licensing agreement to build there phones.
They are targetting people who want a phone they a repair themselves.
@@leylandlynxvlog yeah, I am considering it. I currently have a 4 or 5 year old phone because I have a tendency to break it and can pick up a replacement on eBay for a bit over $100. The current model I'm using, I have had to replace 3 or 4 times and I also had to repair the charge port a couple times. A phone like this would save me from starting over when I break my screen.
Bro make a video about honor x9c it's the real build mobile phone
This phone is a no no...
La traducción de tu video es buena
It's doesn't look like Lumia rebooted. HMD never get leadgnd back with cheapest Chinese phones & overpriced too
$500 will be better spent on an Samsung flagship than this
No everyone can accept the Samsung pre-insatlled crap. I personally cannot and will not use Samsung (or any company preinstalling crap, w/o ability for uninstallation). It is personal preference only. It may still work for you.
Too expensive 😔🫰
its overpriced thats what it is 500$ for that is 200 more than its worth, so no thank you
The S22ultra is a better deal
No cares for cameras except to receive pics gift card codes.
D producer of dis phone dey mad... Period
Im pretty sure ukuthi injabulo njalo if you have uBrother Enigma siyabonga ngeEpisode
The design is already a turn off
At The Price, I will get zenfone 11 😂.
This company continues to bury itself its such a pathetic
For $500, I would want a proper phone not some third rate crap like that. You’re better off getting last year’s Samsung Galaxy secondhand.
Only con is front side😄
Overpriced
Why does it speak another language
Kindly change your audio to English from the Settings -> Audio Track.
Ridiculous phone. Also flop.
First
Thanks Oscar, lovely review.
This phone is terrible. Hmd is confused and desperate. In trying to be different and steal some market share. All they're doing is producing rubbish against the norm😂😂😂
disgusting performance, disgusting camera, disgusting screen, disgusting software support, disgusting battery
wth you can get 14t pro with LECIA AND 5 YEARS OF OS UPDATES FOR GOODNESS SAKE IN MY COUNTRY