While the Nokia/HMD partnership still has a way to go, HMD Global is forging its own path with the launch of the Pulse phones – there are three models that fall in the €100-€200 price range.
HMD is betting that consumers are moving towards more environmentally conscious products and emphasizing reparability. HMD says the Pulse series is built for “Gen 1 repairability” and that users can pick up self-repair kits from iFixit. Repairs include changing the battery, but also replacing the screen.
HMD Pulse
The HMD Pulse is the base model, but we should note that all three use the same chipset – the Unisoc T606. We’ll get to details, for now, keep in mind that this model retails for €140 / £100.
The 6.65” LCD, a 720p+ panel (20:9) with 90Hz refresh rate, is also shared between the three models. It’s nothing special, with 600 nits peak brightness and 70% NTSC coverage.
The cameras are what differentiates the three models (at least it’s the biggest difference between them). As the base model, the Pulse has a primary 13MP rear (with autofocus and dual LED flash). The second module appears to be a depth sensor. The selfie camera has an 8MP sensor but at least it’s in a punch hole – in this price range, it might have been in a notch.
The battery has a 5,000 mAh capacity and is listed as “QuickFix replaceable”. This doesn’t mean you can remove the back panel and swap out the battery, but it does mean you can do a battery replacement at home in about 5 minutes with only basic tools.
The battery is rated for 800 full charge cycles, and the phone easily goes to that with only 10W charging. The phone is rated IP52 for dust and water resistance, which is more than we expected given the price and ease of disassembly. But maintaining that rating after replacing the battery will require you to follow the instructions carefully.
HMD Pulse in: Dreamy Pink • Meteor Black
Let’s go back to the Unisoc T606 for a moment. It’s an old 12nm part with two Cortex-A75 cores and six A55 cores, plus a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU and a 4G modem. On the Pulse, it’s paired with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, plus up to 256GB more in the form of a microSD card.
The HMD Pulse comes with Android 14 out of the box, and the company promises 2 OS updates and 3 years of security fixes. The same goes for the other two models.
HMD Pulse+
The HMD Pulse + ups the price to €160 / £130. It uses the same 6.65” 90Hz 720p+ LCD and Unisoc T606 as its sibling. It comes with an 8GB option for RAM (in addition to 4GB and 6GB) and has 128GB of inbuilt storage with support for microSD cards up to 256GB.
What sets the plus model apart is the 50 MP main camera on the back. Unfortunately, HMD didn’t give sensor or lens details, not even video recording specs. The chipset can’t do more than 1080p, so don’t expect 4K. The front camera remains at 8MP.
HMD Pulse+ with 50 MP rear camera
Like its siblings, the HMD Pulse + has a 5,000 mAh battery with 10 W charging over USB-C (USB 2.0). The three phones also have 3.5mm headphone jacks. Wireless connectivity features include 4G, Wi-Fi 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC, plus GPS/Galileo.
HMD Pulse+ in: Apricot Crush • Midnight Blue
HMD Pulse Pro
The HMD Pulse Pro is the top dog of the trio but isn’t much more expensive at €180. Despite its “pro” moniker, it’s not much more capable either. You get the same 720p+ screen, the same Unisoc T606.
While the rear camera is the same as on the plus – 50MP plus a 2MP depth sensor – the front camera is upgraded to 50MP. Again, no further details are given, but the difference in selfies should be noticeable.
HMD Pulse Pro with 50 MP selfie camera
Connectivity remains the same, except that the USB-C now charges the 5,000mAh battery at 20W instead of just 10W.
Like the plus, this one comes with 4/6/8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, plus a microSD slot (up to 256GB). The phone is in line for 2 OS updates and 3 years of security patches like the others. All three have a fingerprint reader built into the power button.
HMD Pulse Pro in: Glacier Green • Black Ocean • Twilight Purple.
The HMD Pulse and Pulse+ are available from today at HMD.com, the Pro model will be available soon. You can find details about the self-repair kits for these phones here.
The company is not bringing the trio to the US, just one model, and it will be called ‘HMD Vibe’. It will carry a price tag of $150, although it’s not a different device – HMD isn’t saying anything, but it looks like it’s based on the Pulse.