Customer Ratings & Reviews

I think the first thing to understand here is where this phone fits in the market. It is not flagship, but definitely more towards the mid-range in the space. With that context, I do think this phone has quite a bit to offer and can work for someone doesn’t want or need the newest bleeding edge phone. Additionally, for those same people, one of the main draws of this phone is its repairability, and by extension, its ability to last for some time (more on that later). The hardware is solid, albeit a bit behind the most recent specs out there, and while it has a somewhat unique look (note the square but rounded corners), I like the overall appearance. The inclusion of a freely assignable button, expandable storage, and wireless charging (Qi2) are nice adds. The display, while responsive and a nice size, could be brighter as well as better in color reproduction. As for build, it is well-built, and maybe a “bit” heavy, so I would say no worries on the construction side. Overall performance of the phone is good. I am pleased with my connection speeds, although the 5G seemed to outperform my WLAN, although I am not really sure why and I need more time to see if this holds. In terms of apps, in day-to-day things, it may be a bit slower than my current daily driver (Pixel 9 Pro), but nothing really noticeable. The cameras? Well, this is bit of a mixed bag for me. The specs are OK, and 4K/30 recording is nice, but I just think the images it outputs are sometimes lacking and inconsistent. The main camera does the best overall job, which is good, but even there, sometimes there are consistency issues with sharpness or color. The telephoto and front cameras are more of the same, but perhaps even a tick below in performance. The cameras work, and the images are “good,” but do not expect the best and if photography is important to you, maybe look in another direction. Battery life is more or less good and should not be an issue for most people. Charging is also quick at 33W wired (cable, but no brick included) and 15W wireless. Sure, I would like to see quicker and more watts here, but it does have Qi2 compatibility which I found very surprising. I have not been able to test this yet, but I am excited to see what is out there. Lastly, is repairability. As I mentioned earlier, it is one of the main things HMD are pushing with this phone. Frankly, I love it. Based on what I saw when I looked around, iFixIt has parts/kits for screen, back cover, battery, SIM tray, speaker, and charging ports. The prices are very reasonable, to me, and while it is self-repair, I think this really enhances the value of this phone. All of that said, I do think they truly hinder all of this good by only promising 2 OS updates. I suppose it depends on what your use case is, but being able to extend a phone physically but not software-wise sends a conflicting message. Ultimately, though, I do like this phone. I think for the person with the right use case, this phone can work very well and is a good value. As I type this, it is an even better value. I do have some reservations, however, as there are some other more mainstream options out there that offer similar value (with different feature sets and different prices) that could also be worth a look. Regardless, more options are good for everyone, I love the repairability, and as a whole I like what they did here.

The HMD Skyline is a visually striking device that draws attention due to its striking resemblance to the Nokia Lumia 920, released a decade ago. Despite HMD’s efforts to make the phone easily repairable, its build quality remains solid, even with a removable back. However, its protection against water is limited to IP54, which means it can only withstand water sprays from all directions, not submersion in water like the IP67 standard. The display is bright enough for outdoor use, thanks to its OLED technology, which delivers vibrant colors and deep black levels. The refresh rate is set to 60Hz out of the box. I recommend adjusting it to adaptive mode so the refresh rate can go from 60Hz to 120Hz. There’s also an option to keep the refresh rate at 144Hz, but this will significantly drain the battery. Another issue I encountered is the auto brightness sensor, which tends to keep the brightness low. After a day of manual adjustments, it adapted to my preferences. The phone offers stereo sound, and the speakers are surprisingly loud. There’s even an audio boost feature that allows you to increase the volume beyond the maximum limit, which is limited to the phone speakers only. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset provides solid midrange performance, but the software could benefit from optimization. There were times when the phone would lag, but these were not frequent. Performance is generally good, although it occasionally lags when switching between apps. These instances were rare, but they did occur. The camera quality is decent, especially during the day. However, it struggles in low-light environments. Daytime photos are sharp and well-lit, but nighttime photos tend to have a slight blur due to overexposure. Video capture results are similar, with daytime videos looking great and nighttime videos being decent. If camera quality is your top priority, there are other options available that offer better results. In terms of signal strength, I had a solid experience with cellular and Wi-Fi. The Bluetooth signal was also reliable when streaming music to wireless headphones. Furthermore, it supports Qualcomm aptX adaptive audio for high-resolution music streaming, which quickly became my preferred method for streaming music to my Bose QC Ultra headphones. The battery life is decent, considering I’m not a heavy user. I managed to get a solid day out of it. However, open-world games like Genshin Impact and recording 4K video will drain the battery much quicker. I believe this is the first Android phone to be Qi2 certified, which means wireless charging speeds up to 15W, and reverse wireless charging is up to 5W. Additionally, it has magnets that hold it in place. Wired charging is still the fastest, reaching a maximum of 33W. Overall, if you can find the HMD Skyline on sale, it’s a solid option to consider. At its retail price, it competes with phones like the Samsung Galaxy series and the Pixel A series. In my opinion, there’s no better phone that offers comparable value when it’s on sale.

Its great to still see new mid range phones coming out. Not everyone needs or can afford a $1000 phone. When done right this can drive other companies to lower their prices when lesser known companies release phones with these type of features at this price range. Im an Android guy through and through and have never owned anything Apple. So this was an easy transition. It has a lot of the same features and specs of much more expensive phones where you are basically paying a name tax. Set up was easy if you have set up an Android device before. A few steps and your in. I back most of my data up via drop box so transferring stuff from there is a breeze. The device itself if very well made and really looks sharp. The 1080p OLED screen pops and is the perfect resolution. Ive never seen any reason to go over that on small screen. The cameras are OK if you just want to shoot quick regular photos. But if you use the other lenses a sharp pic is a little harder to get and might require some after editing. Its a bit of a disappointment because having an amazing camera on a phone can be a huge factor for someone shopping. I suppose there is only so much you can squeeze into a phone at this price. One thing I really appreciate is the replaceable battery. This use to be a common feature. And I wish it still was. But Im afraid thats a thing of the past for the bigger companies. The battery life is pretty good here and has 15W wireless but does not come with an adapter. Which is pretty normal now. Data, calls, texts, and overall performance has been great. With a few changes in their next version this could be a real competitor in the mid range phone market. For now if you want a cheap, unlocked, solid performing device that takes decent standard snaps this is a great option.

An all-around excellent Android smartphone with great features and specs at a comparably affordable price point. The first glance hardware looks: sleek, slim, thin; in a fun neon pink metallic glow color. Not too heavy to hold, but certainly slippery (I ordered a silicone case right away). Has physical SIM card tray but also can take eSIM. USB-C charging port, rocker volume button, fingerprint power key (which was not very reliable for me; most of the time it diverted me to put in my PIN instead for “extra security”)—also has face unlock feature but that was also not very reliable for me and was also warned that it was not as secure as PIN. Note—when I was setting up both the fingerprint and face unlock, there was a warning that popped up saying that they were not secure and to rely on the PIN for full security! There is a customizable side button with several options—a great feature. Lastly, there is of course the infamous camera bump on the back. But it is worth it, because it does take excellent pictures and video, good selfies as well. Good plus-sized screen at 6.55 inches diagonal. Software wise: The usual suspects of the Android life…many, many pre-downloaded apps most of which I have no interest in, but can only uninstall some of them; others are not permitted to be uninstalled and you just have to live with them permanently. The screen quality is definitely on-point; an OLED screen with a high 144Hz refresh rate, nice and bright, crisp and clean and clear, highly defined. One of the best aspects of this smartphone! Also has generous 256gb storage. The (replaceable!) battery lasts a solid day for me, and that includes extensive internet usage, watching videos, emails, texts, the works. Wireless charging is supported—very convenient. Phone calls and video calls come through well. Connectivity to WiFi and 5G is solid. For the price, it can’t be beat.

Let’s start by getting a few things out of the way, my normal phone is a Galaxy Fold 6, there are a lot of reasons I love the folding screen, however, if it wasn’t for work there would be no reason to have such an expensive phone. I also have a pixel 9, surface duo 2, and an iPhone to compare it to, all of which I use when I don’t need to work (I just swap the sim over, or in the case of the iPhone it has a sim too). Now that you know how and which phones I use. Is this the best phone I have or have used, no, do I keep going back to it, yes. I love the design, it fits my hand much better than the pixel 9 and to be completely honest, I know I can repair it myself if I do accidently throw it while I’m running (or slip out of my hands while my hand is going forward I should say). Toward the end of a 10 mile run my grip sometimes isn’t the strongest apparently. I did that once to my fold and a $200 insurance claim later (thank goodness I had insurance) plus a month of waiting convinced me maybe I should try and find a different method such as using a cheaper traditional phone for my runs with a tablet sim and beeper, blue bubbles, and digits to get my normal sims calls and texts. This also has the advantage that when I want to use a different phone, unless I am switching for a longer term (week plus on vacation) I can just grab the phone and go. All that to say, I tend to grab this phone over any other phone when I just want a regular phone. The material feels nice and is a little grippy which I appreciate, other phones feel like they will slip out of your hand at any second. I love the square design with the rounded edges and to mention again, I love that I can fix it myself if I do do something stupid with it, though it has held up well to a few tumbles it has already had (I slipped while running over an icy bridge that send it flying pretty good and all it had was a very cheap silicone case). So, build quality I’ve been very happy with. HMD’s launcher is the same as the Pixels with all the limitations there of so using something like Nova can be better approach if you’re into customizing your screens even more so or switch phones a bit. The same can be said for the calculator app and calendar app, these are the standard Google ones which have always been inferior apps in my opinion. Though they get the job done. A few special features include Detox mode and an action button, the Detox mode I don’t really see the purpose for myself, maybe you will, it limits notifications, people and apps. The feature I really like is the action button; it is customizable but the configuration it came as is perfect for me, long press switches it between silent, vibrate, and sound while a double click turns on the flashlight. I use the flashlight feature a ton, and the sound mode as well but not as often. One feature that is missing from the Duo and Samsungs is profiles. I love this feature. I have a profile set up for each kid that is tailored to their age, when I know I will need to distract them I can switch profiles and give them a phone that is safe for them to do whatever they want in it and has all their apps. Because I have the 256GB version and it supports an SD card I don’t have to worry about storage constraints either. This is a highly underrated feature in my mind that every parent should be using if they have the right phone, and this would be the right phone. Also, this would be an amazing kid’s phone as kids can be hard on screens and replacing this screen is doable at home. The camera is pretty good to great, the hardware is excellent from the specs, but if you want the absolute best photos of your kids in action this may not be the best one, that is where I found it lacking the most is fast moving kids, though it does a good enough job if you can get them to stand still for half a second. The night mode worked great for me; unless the camera is the most important aspect of a phone (including more important that the price) this camera should get the job done. The phone runs smoothly, there is a hiccup now and then like the keyboard not coming up that is annoying but every android and even my iPhone has done that forever. The screen is smooth for scrolling and for me excellent quality. The screen resolution at FHD+ is more than enough for me, I personally can’t really tell the difference between a 4k display on a phone and a 1080p one, it’s more of the brightness that can destroy how a screen looks for me. This one is visible outside, I have had zero issues using it, granted I am in the PNW and the sun this time of year is pretty weak even when it is shining. Overall, this phone has just been fantastic to use, I have been extremely happy with the size, feel, and operation of it. To me this is the perfect phone for someone that isn’t obsessed with technology and doesn’t want to break the bank. The other person this is perfect for is a kid. I absolutely love the repairability factor, from teaching my kids what the inside of the phone is like to replacing a screen they are sure to break.

The Skyline HMD TA-1600 is a very solid phone that has a large clear 6.55 inch screen. I really loved the balanced feel of the phone and the smooth edges. At its price-point, it is a very competitive value and has some features that do certainly make it standout. My first testing was to make phone calls and receive calls and messages. I did use a sim card from a major carrier this phone is unlocked so there were no compatibility problems. Everything worked great. Android 14 was running, I also noticed photos had outstanding color and clarity (I’m not too good at photos so the cameras really helped me). It has 4 cameras with one of the three rear facing ones at 108 meg pixels – wow. It has broad capilities for photos as it is nicely engineered for all types of photos including telephoto and ultrawide. Tip of the cap to the designers. This phone uses Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is much more scratch resistant than Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for example, and is cheaper than Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, so that helps the price point as well. The screen is p-OLED which has advantages since the substrate is not glass (like OLED) but is polymer based. The plastic substrate allows p-OLED displays to be more shock-resistant and more flexible. I need the scratch resistance since sometimes I get butter-fingered. A very unique design point is the user-capable screen replacement. This feature is nothing short of amazing. Basically, the back cover which is aluminum, can easily be removed. There is a small Torx headed screw to turn that will lift/push an edge of the back cover away from the phone so that you can use a tool (I use a guitar pick) to get the back off a phone. Follow the procedure and voila, you have replaced the screen yourself; for clumsy folks like me this is a great feature if needed. The system chip is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 which has a smaller semiconductor size than most chips; this will reduce power needs. So that is another advantage from the design of the HMD Skyline phone. Battery capacity is fine at 4600 mAh which is very nice. It does have wireless charging; which I tested and that works very well. There is a fingerprint detector on the back of the phone, it is nicely positioned to make it intuitive to place your finger, another tip of the cap to the designers. RAM is smaller at 8GB; I would prefer 12 GB or larger (larger RAM is available as options for this phone). The phone has a 256GB GB internal storage and is expandable. A MicroSD card is included which is housed with the SIM card - tip of the cap for the engineers using this dual design point. The Skyline has a higher refresh rate than even more expensive phones that I considered. The high refresh rate will make the screen visuals smoother. I played around with some color generators and the phone colors and images really popped, images were very crisp and clear. This screen would be great for games and other animations. I would highly recommend this excellent cell phone. It works with all major carriers and I successfully tested all functions with one of the major carriers. It is a great value at its price point.

Until recently I had never heard of this phone maker but I have to say I've been impressed so far with the HMD-Skyline. Unlike most "cheap" Android phones this one has a most impressive feel to it. Nothing in its construction feels cheap or budget brand. If there was one weakness to it I would have to say the CPU is a couple of years out of date (Snspdragon 7) instead of something newer like the 8. However with thst being said the 7 still delivers plenty of performance for just about all cases. If you are into high end gaming onit gets pleny you phone then this is not for you. If you're like me and use you phone as a tool to get work done then you will be more than happy. Battery life is impressive an I've been able to get through a day and a half with a lot of screen on time. Call quality is acceptable with people on the other side of a call saying they can hear me just fine. The screen is the star here though. It gets plenty bright with great color saturation and no perceivable screen lag. For the price you are paying you are getting a great all around workhorse of a phone.

On the whole, HMD has created a solid Android handset here. First, for that haven't followed all the corporate transformations, HMD or "Human Mobile Devices" is an evolution of the original Nokia mobile division that went through multiple hands over the last number of years. So while it's a newer name in the field, it's a company with strong and deep roots on how to create high quality mobile devices that people love. What they've created here is a device that's really easy to live with. When you unbox it, you're greeted by a handset that's fairly long and narrow - and quite slim in profile. It's not heavy but does have a solid heft in the hand - you can tell it's made with quality components and isn't just a "throwaway" device. This fits with some of the branding that highlights the ability to repair and replace various components if you need to instead of replacing the whole phone (though I do wish they promised additional years of Android updates to really extend the life of the handset, but maybe that will change in the future). The setup process is pretty stock Android and will be very familiar to anyone that's set up such a phone before. Overall the device is responsive and feels very snappy in use, and it was able to handle all the apps that I tried along with playing both local and streaming media. Memory isn't expandable, so think about that when you buy. The screen is clear and bright with good colors - compared next to the latest iPhone, it falls a bit short, but it's also not quite as pricey and is at least in the same ballpark. The cameras are a strong point here, particularly for a mid-range phone with solid detail, pixel density and even good night shots. The front camera is servicable for selfies and video conferening but won't be the primary shooter here. Signal seemed good on cellular and wifi with clear speakers both when held at the ear and on speaker phone (and listening to media on the speakers), the microphone picks up well and people on the other end could hear me clearly. Bluetooth worked just fine and was easy to connect (which is mostly an Android feature). I DO wish that the USB-C connection (which is good for charging and enabled reasonably fast charging here) was more than USB 2.0 - you can't use it for video and only for very limited data speeds - but that's not required in a midrange device and you can wirelessly cast videos to any castable device. So all in all, you have a really nicely built midrange Android handset with the features you'd expect at a solid pricepoint. It's a great entry from HMD and I look forward to seeing more in the future. If you're in the market for a solid phone that won't let you down, give this one a try today!

I have owned my share of cell phones over the years. I usually upgrade every couple years or so to keep up with the latest technologies. I was due for an upgrade so I chose this phone when it became available. So, the design is nothing special when compared to other phones with similar specifications. It's pretty much what you would expect for an android phone. I received the twisted black color. It looks good and has a smooth finish, which is good to me. The screen is very large, with slim bezels. The thickness and overall dimensions are similar to most phones nowadays. Setting it up was fairly straightforward and I was able to activate it, with my carrier, without any issues. Once the set up was finished, I downloaded all my favorite apps, imported my contacts, photos and stuff from my old phone. It installed everything easily. I tested my main apps, like my banking app, social media apps and stuff. They all worked as they should and loaded surprisingly fast when compared to my last phone. I then tried out a couple mobile games and each one played perfectly. I had no issues with lag, freezing up or anything else. The screen is great. It is very crisp and shows great color and detail. The camera is good. It does the job but I don't feel it is better than others with the same specifications. The battery is great and lasts quite a while. Overall, it's a great phone at a great price point.

I received the HMD Skyline 5G unlocked phone in neon pink and it is not only beautiful, but it's also fast and full of features. Right out of the box the beauty of the neon pink is eye catching. Setup is easy following the on screen walkthrough, including syncing data. The large screen is easy to see and very receptive to touch. The fingerprint reader is a side button and hasn't failed to read my print yet. The camera takes sharp, clear, colorful pictures and has many options in the settings including ultra stead video, Astro photo, speed warp, dual sight, slow motion time lapse and more. On screen one tap 1,2 and 3 time zoom for quick easy zooming. I like the selfie gesture feature, very convenient and works great. Most popular apps are already downloaded and ready to go with a sign in and easy enough to delete if not wanted or needed. The battery was quick to charge and large enough to last for days. The distinctive feature of this phone is the ability to do repairs at home. I can order a screen, battery or port replacement package with all the needed tools included online. That really makes this phone stand out from others.

This is HMD Skyline in Blue Topaz colorway. It’s unlocked as well which is great. This is a mid range phone so don’t expect too specs Specs: 8GB of RAM 256GB storage Micro SD card slot IP54 rating Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s gen 2 Qi2 wireless charging 1080p POLED screen with 1000 nits of peak brightness The biggest selling factor for this phone is the fact you can easily upgrade it. All you need to do is use a screw driver to open the screw on the bottom to get to unlock the back which shows you the battery and the Qi2 pad. A few more screws and you get access to the screen which you can replace yourself. You can buy it on ifixit website. That’s also why the phone is only rated for IP54 I assume since they don’t have the glue and gaskets like most phones. You also get almost stock version of Android 14 as well. The screen while 1080p it’s fine especially for a phone under $600 these days. I used this on US mobile but you can probably use it on any network that uses AT&T or T-Mobile for sure. I tried using this with an eSIM on visible but it wouldn’t let me but it’s iffy in general with Verizon network in general.

First, the bad news. I could not get hotspot functionality to work at all. As it turns out, Verizon is not officially supported. I could make calls and use data, but could not get the hotspot to work. As this is critical for me, this is a deal-breaker. But if you are NOT on Verizon, then there is a lot to like here. It is just unfortunate as Verizion is the single largest cellular carrier in the US. First, the initial impressions are that the device looks a little bit strange. The case itself is quite boxy, with rather sharp corners. The glass screen is inset into the case, and has rounded edges, so the corners look a bit weird. It is also a little on the larger size, which I like as I have larger fingers, so appreciate a larger keyboard and larger buttons. But the screen is REPLACEABLE, as is the battery. The screen can be had for $100 (including tools) and the battery is under $30. Both good deals, and VERY nice to see. However, the replacement process seems like it could be fiddly, as the parts are small. So you do need a steady hand and good eyesight to attempt this. Also nice is that it has space for either a 2nd nano-SIM card, or a micro-SD card. Yes, this comes with a spacious 256 GB of storage, but you can expand it further with an inexpensive storage card. I LOVE this feature, and wish that more phones had it. The only thing that is missing is a real headphone jack, but that seems to be the trend these days, so I can’t complain too much. So, the phone is repairable, which means that it should last quite a while. Unfortunately, the manufacturer only promises three years of updates, which is unfortunate since the hardware should be usable for far longer. At the time writing this, Android 15 is out, but the Skyline is still sporting the older Android 14. The screen is a big and bright OLED and features a high refresh rate. Since I don’t find phones to be the best for FPS games, I leave the refresh rate low to save battery, but the option to boost it is there if you want it. The speaker quality is fine. It is not exceptional, but it is functional. The power button on the right side also has a sliver of a fingerprint reader. It only reads a slim strip of your fingerprint, but seems to work well enough. It is better than the “under glass” fingerprint readers that I often have problems with. There is also a programmable button on the left side that can be configured for various tasks. There is wireless charging, but you have to know where it is. It is in the middle of the case area under the camera bump, centered about an inch below the logo. Finally, there is the software side. It is a fairly generic Android build, but the launcher needs improvement. The app screen (swipe up from home) shows all installed apps, but they are in order of when they were installed. This makes setting up a new phone difficult, since adding all apps to your home screen is tedious since you can’t sort them alphabetically. Also, the “at a glance” widget is supposed to show the current temperature, but it doesn’t work, proudly saying the weather outside is “-- degrees”. But other than a slightly subpar launcher, the interface is what you would expect and I have no complaints at all. So, the summary is that this is a good phone if you are NOT on Verizon or any NVMO that uses the Verizon network. It is repairable, and has plenty of memory and can be expanded via micro-SD card or a 2nd physical SIM card for frequent travelers, which is great. But the repairability makes it slightly chunkier than other phones in the price range.

This was gifted to me by my girlfriend last month and I have to say that my Galaxy A54 feels so outdated and too hard to hold with one hand after using this beauty. The color of topaz blue is sweet. The camera is very good and close to high end competition especially in good lighting and the screen and processor are like butter, silky smooth. HMD is making nice phones that run on a clean version of Android. I am so glad my girlfriend didn't get me another boring phone. This time it's unique and standa out from a crowd of lookalike slabs.

Swing and a miss... I really wanted to like this HMD Skyline, and it did have some unique and kind of cool features, it had one fatal flaw. For whatever reason, my unit would ONLY show my screen apps in grey-scale. I tried factory reset several times, I did a software update, I looked at all the usual things that a techie guy would look at and nothing. Next I went to their tech support team and we sahred several e-mails back and forth (the tech support was timely and relatively, for what that's worth) but after multiple setting changes, still only showing in grey-scale. End of the day, they had me fill out a form and agreed to repair/replace. While that was a decent resolution, it was not a good way to start our relationship. As for a phone, it does what you expect from a phone. Nothing outstanding but no complaints. I mentioned it had a couple cool features... One was the fingerprint sensor was on the power button on the side. It worked well and was convenient. Another cool feature was the customizeable button on the side. In the software, you can easily configure to to do two different things. One with a long press and one with a double press. I thnk it would be a decent phone if I can get one that works, but not a good experience with the phone so far.