HMD Global, the Finnish company behind the development of Nokia phones, has unveiled in Kenya a new mid-range smartphone known as the HMD Skyline. The phone's launch was done at an event held at Alta Towers in Kilimani. As touted, the new device aims to offer premium features at a great price with respect to the Kenyan market.

Key Features of the HMD Skyline

Display and Design

The HMD Skyline comes with a 6.55-inch P-OLED screen and a 20:9 aspect ratio. It offers 1080 pixels of on-screen resolution, further combined with a fluid 144Hz refresh rate, apt for everything from casual usage to media consumption. The display can also attain up to 1000 nits of brightness, and hence one can easily work on this screen under the bright sun.

More important for some consumers, perhaps, is that HMD has also made the device very repair friendly. The Skyline adopts the company's 'Gen 2 repairability' ethos, meaning owners can simply swap out a screen or another component with the aid of self-repair kits from iFixit. Thus, one's device will live longer and support the company's aim to reduce electronic waste.

Performance and Storage

Under the hood, it fits a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, adequately complemented by up to 12GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Of course, users who require extra space will be able to expand it further by an additional 512GB using a MicroSD card. Those are pretty great specs to ensure that the phone manages multitasking, gaming, and productivity tasks effectively.

Battery and Charging

Equipped with a 4,600mAh battery, the Skyline sports phenomenal battery life: up to 48-hour battery life. It also comes with 33W Type-C fast charging, which can fully charge the phone in just 76 minutes. Besides, 5W reverse wireless charging and up to 15W magnetic wireless charging with Qi2 certification is supported by the device.

Cameras

The rear triple-camera setup of the Skyline features:

  • It features a 108-megapixel main camera with OIS, 
  • a 50-megapixel telephoto lens that supports 2X zoom and up to 4X lossless zoom,
  • a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens for broad scenery shots.

In the front, it houses a 50-megapixel in-display selfie camera capable of capturing 1080p videos. The back camera can record up to 4K at 30fps.

From the photo feature perspective, the phone supports AI Capture Fusion Technology: Photo details have become clearer, especially under low light conditions or in complex environments.

Software and Security

Operating on Android 14, the HMD Skyline is promised to receive 2 years of OS upgrades and up to 3 years of security patches. It also features a digital detox mode that aims at reducing the impact of social media and notifications so that the user can focus on doing something else offline.

In terms of security, it has an onside-mounted fingerprint sensor and face unlock for convenience.

Connectivity and Build

It is fitted with dual SIM, Nano + eSIM, 5G, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.2, along with IP54 ingress protection resistant to dust and light splashes. It also houses dual speakers and two microphones for better audio quality and recording.

The screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which makes it scratch-resistant and even resistant to any accidental drops.

Price and Availability

The HMD Skyline is available in main attractive colors like Blue Topaz, Neon Pink, and Twisted Black, with a retail price of KSh. 60,000. In regard to value for money, considering the premium features, durability, and strong focus on user repairability, this device is very reasonably priced, and no doubt will tempt users who want a powerful yet sustainable option in a smartphone.

Conclusion:

With its innovative features, strong performance capabilities, and commitment to environmental sustainability, the HMD Skyline is bound to turn heads in Kenya's smartphone market. With the Skyline, a more-than-good-enough mid-range phone with high-end specifications, particularly for those users who are technology enthusiasts and look towards repairable devices, has much to offer.