HMD is entering new territory by launching its first smartphone line under an original name. It will no longer be known only as a manufacturer of Nokia phones. There are a total of three mid-range devices in the series: the HMD Pulse, Pulse Plus and Pulse Pro. The third model is intended to be the leader of the pack, but if you look at their respective specs you’ll notice that they’re all very similar, with a few differences.
The HMD Pulse Pro houses a Unisoc T606 processor that runs on a 5,000mAh battery that can last up to 59 hours on a single charge. Buyers can equip the phone with up to 8 GB of RAM. Storage capacity peaks at 128GB, although you can expand it up to 256GB with an SD card. At the front you have a 6.65-inch HD Plus touchscreen with an image resolution of 1,612 x 720 pixels. At the top there is a 50 MP selfie camera that is supported by multiple features. For example, with Gesture Navigation you can use hand gestures such as a finger heart or a thumbs up to tell the selfie lens to take a photo. And photos taken at night are, the company claims, “clear as day” thanks to AI Super Portrait that boosts clarity.
On the back there is a dual camera setup consisting of another 50MP lens and a 2MP depth option. They also have their own support functions. Skin tone optimization ensures that people with different skin tones look good in photos no matter what. You also have Flash Shot to take multiple photos in quick succession.
Performance gap
When it comes to the other two models, they have almost identical configurations. Same chipset, same battery, same screen, and so on. The differences between the trio center around their camera system. HMD states the Pulse Plus has a 50 MP camera on the rear (even though you see two lenses) and an 8 MP selfie. The standard pulse phone bumps the rear lens down to just 13 MP. Some of the Pulse Pro’s image-enhancing software can be found on the pair, such as skin color optimization, but not the hand gestures.
It is also important to mention that all three can be repaired. HMD collaborates with iFixit in supplying spare parts. Users can replace cracked screens, bent charging ports, or a completely dead battery. No word on when the repair kits and parts will be launched. They are not available on iFixit’s website at the time of writing.
Availability
The standard Pulse phone is available for sale in the UK £99.99 on the HMD website in Meteor Black. The Dreamy Pink variant is currently out of stock. Both the Pulse Plus and Pulse Pro will be rolled out in the UK soon, but an exact date has not been given.
There are plans to launch a standalone phone known as the HMD Vibe in the United States. It will be similar to the others in that it will have a two-day battery life, 4GB of memory and a dual camera setup. However, the Vibe will feature a Snapdragon chipset instead of the Unisoc processor.
There are also plans to release the trio in the EU. But if you try to buy any of these products on the international page, you will encounter an error message. We reached out to the brand for more information.
Check out Ny Breaking’s roundup of the best cheap phones for 2024 if you want recommendations.