HMD Skyline review - Easily repairable mid-range phone with an iconic look
Possible competitors in comparison
Bewertung | Datum | Modell | Gewicht | Laufwerk | Groesse | Aufloesung | Preis ab | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75.7 % | v8 | 08 / 2024 | HMD Skyline SD 7s Gen 2, Adreno 710 | 209.5 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 75.4 % | v8 | 07 / 2024 | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion SD 7s Gen 2, Adreno 710 | 175 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.8 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 01 / 2024 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G SD 7s Gen 2, Adreno 710 | 187 g | 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.67" | 2712x1220 | |
| 81.9 % | v8 | 07 / 2024 | Google Pixel 8a Tensor G3, Mali-G715 MP7 | 188 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.10" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.4 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Exynos 1480, Xclipse 530 | 213 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.60" | 2340x1080 |
Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 available here.
Case and equipment - Metal body in two colors
The design of the HMD Skyline should be familiar to Nokia fans, Windows Phone nostalgics, and smartphone historians: With its angular frame but rounded screen, it is reminiscent of the Nokia Lumia 900 models, especially the Lumia 920 which appeared in 2012.
This certainly makes the HMD Skyline one of the most unusual mid-range phones on the market in terms of its appearance. The angular corners are familiar from the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, where they can be distracting, especially when watching videos in widescreen mode and holding the phone in your hand for a longer time. Overall, however, the HMD Skyline is ergonomically designed and sits comfortably in the hand.
At 209.5 grams, it is not a light phone, especially when you take into account the slightly smaller screen and the lower-capacity battery than many comparable devices. The frame is made of metal and the back is made of tempered glass. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
The Lumia 920 was available in many colors, including yellow and red. There are not quite as many options with the HMD Skyline: a pink and a black variant will have to suffice.
The phone is IP54-protected, but this does not cover immersion in water.
There are a total of 3 memory variants of the HMD Skyline:
- 128 GB mass storage / 8 GB RAM: 499 euros
- 256 GB mass storage / 8 GB RAM: 549 euros
- 256 GB mass storage / 12 GB RAM: 599 euros
Unfortunately, the USB-C port is only connected internally at USB 2.0 speed and therefore does not enable image output to external monitors. NFC is on board, as are 2 nano-SIM slots and support for an eSIM profile. However, you can only use 2 SIM cards at a time.
The microSD reader shares the space with one of the SIM slots. In the test with our Angelbird V60 reference microSD card, it was comparatively slow.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G (Angelbird AV Pro V60) | |
| HMD Skyline (Angelbird V60) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (7.7 - 77, n=76, last 2 years) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Communication, software and operation - Fast WLAN
The HMD Skyline supports WiFi 6E, which means it can also use the less busy 6 GHz band for Wi-Fi networks. This brings advantages in our test with the Asus ROG Rapture AXE 11000 reference router, as up to 939 MBit/s are possible in the receiving direction. This means that a Gigabit Internet line is already being utilized quite well.
Many 4G and 5G frequencies are supported so that the HMD Skyline can also be used internationally. During our test, we repeatedly checked the reception on a random basis and compared it with high-end smartphones in the same location and on the same mobile network. The result: The HMD Skyline occasionally offers slightly less signal strength, but performs well overall.
Android 14 is pre-installed, HMD also changes little in the system overall. However, all icons on the home screen are displayed in black and white by default, which is intended to encourage users not to start apps constantly and generally reduce their phone usage. Keyword "digital detox". The phone can also be completely locked so that it can only be used in an emergency for a certain period.
Unfortunately, the manufacturer is only promising 2 operating system upgrades, which doesn't quite fit in with HMD's sustainable concept. Security updates are supposed to be available for 3 years. At the time of testing, the security patches were up to date as of June 2024, so we assume a 3-month update cycle.
The touchscreen is very sensitive and responds very quickly and smoothly to our inputs. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the standby button on the right. It unlocks the phone very quickly and reliably. There is a freely assignable button on the left of the casing, which can also be assigned a double press or longer press.
| Networking | |
| HMD Skyline | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Motorola Edge 50 Fusion | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Google Pixel 8a | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
Sustainability - Self-repair is possible
The manufacturer is committed to sustainability: HMD uses 100% recycled aluminum for the frame; the packaging is plastic-free. However, we cannot find a CO2 analysis for the phone's production and life cycle.
A charger is not included, which is supposed to minimize electronic waste. We think it's cool that HMD doesn't want to earn anything from the additional chargers sold as a result: the proceeds are donated.
With the Gen2 repairability, HMD wants to ensure that the Skyline can be used for a long time: there are relatively inexpensive spare parts, exploded views, and repair guides, created in cooperation with iFixit.
The HMD Skyline is designed from the ground up for easy repair, you only have to loosen one screw and then lever off the back.
However, this screw could not have been designed as a Torx screw to make the repair even more effective. The back cover is also glued on, which makes things a little more difficult. But at least HMD goes quite far in terms of ease of repair compared to other manufacturers.
Camera - Three full-fledged lenses on the back
The main camera of the HMD Skyline uses a 108-megapixel sensor, which produces images with a resolution of 12 megapixels as standard (9-pixel binning). At zoom levels above 2x, the telephoto camera takes over with 50 megapixels for more detail.
The photos taken with the main camera show a mixed picture: The image of the plant offers natural colors, but is hardly usable in terms of sharpness. The image of the surroundings, on the other hand, shows good details even when enlarged.
In low light and high contrasts, there is a decent level of sharpness, but the dynamic range is low in very bright and very dark areas. In the test laboratory, the main camera displays our test chart quite sharply and with high contrast. However, the camera only produces a black image at an illumination level of just 1 lux.
The sensor also enables video recording in 4K and at 30 fps. The general quality of the images is pleasing, although the autofocus does drag a little from time to time. The exposure compensation works reliably.
For even more flexibility, the smartphone also has an ultra-wide-angle lens with a resolution of 13 megapixels. The resulting images are decent, but you should not enlarge them too much, as details are barely recognizable. The lens is also activated for close-up shots but produces relatively blurred and less accurate images.
There is a 50-megapixel camera on the front, which also usually only uses 1/4 of its possible resolution. The resulting selfies look a little coarse and could be brightened up better.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow LightUltra wide-angle5x zoom
Display - OLED screen with low color fidelity
The screen of the HMD Skyline is a P-OLED screen with 2400 x 1080 pixels. With a diameter of 6.55 inches, it is slightly smaller than many comparable devices.
Unfortunately, the brightness is not exactly exhilarating: We measured around 500 cd/m² in normal operation. On smaller surfaces, the brightness can reach up to 976 cd/m², but that is still less than most comparable devices offer in full-screen mode.
The color reproduction is also not really convincing: While grayscales are still reproduced reasonably accurately, strong colors are displayed too intensely.
In terms of PWM flickering, the display is problematic at 100 Hz and can cause problems for sensitive people.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 497 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.24 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 1.4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
147.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.219
| HMD Skyline P-OLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion P-OLED, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G AMOLED, 2712x1220, 6.7" | Google Pixel 8a AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.1" | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G Super AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 140% | 245% | 47% | 46% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 9.4 ? | 1.7 ? 82% | 1.49 ? 84% | 2.83 ? 70% | 1.53 ? 84% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 2.2 ? | 1.1 ? 50% | 1.33 ? 40% | 1.05 ? 52% | 1.47 ? 33% |
| PWM Frequency | 100.22 | 389 288% | 713.5 612% | 120 20% | 120 20% |
| Screen | 76% | 54% | 83% | 55% | |
| Brightness middle | 497 | 1213 144% | 1205 142% | 1518 205% | 962 94% |
| Brightness | 481 | 1190 147% | 1177 145% | 1466 205% | 967 101% |
| Brightness Distribution | 92 | 93 1% | 90 -2% | 88 -4% | 99 8% |
| Black Level * | |||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.24 | 1.36 68% | 1.51 64% | 1.2 72% | 1.6 62% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.37 | 2.3 73% | 4.07 51% | 3.3 61% | 2.6 69% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.4 | 1.1 21% | 2.5 -79% | 2 -43% | 1.5 -7% |
| Gamma | 2.219 99% | 2.254 98% | 2.175 101% | 2.2 100% | 2.13 103% |
| CCT | 6579 99% | 6624 98% | 6407 101% | 6786 96% | 6382 102% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 108% /
97% | 150% /
117% | 65% /
71% | 51% /
52% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 9.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 4.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 4.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 19 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 100.22 Hz Amplitude: 12 % |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 100.22 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 100.22 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings
Performance, emissions and battery life - Comparatively slow
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is installed in many mid-range smartphones, but these are usually another 100 euros cheaper than the HMD Skyline. In addition, our test device only achieved lower rankings in most benchmarks. In everyday use, it is sufficient for reasonably smooth operation and achieves 30 fps in simple games. But you shouldn't expect more.
The memory in the HMD Skyline is not really fast either: smartphones like the Google Pixel 8a offer faster memory chips. However, the HMD Skyline's UFS 2.2 storage is sufficient for reasonably fast data transfers and also shortens loading times a little compared to even cheaper phones.
We measured a maximum temperature rise of 45.3 °C under prolonged load, which is quite noticeable, but not yet problematic. Slight performance losses of around 5% are possible after prolonged high loads.
The HMD Skyline has a small speaker on the bottom edge, which is supported by the earpiece as a second speaker. This makes slight stereo effects possible. The overall sound quality is average: voices are easy to understand and the speakers do not overdrive even at maximum volume. However, the reproduction is not really clear and many voices and instruments tend to blur into a mash of sound.
If you want better sound, you can connect speakers or headphones via USB-C or Bluetooth. Both work without any problems and there is a large selection of wireless audio codecs available: From SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, Adaptive, and Wireless to LDAC, LC3, and Opus.
The battery can be replaced by the user with a little effort if the capacity decreases. However, it is also somewhat smaller than many comparable devices: it has 4,600 mAh, and this is noticeable in the runtimes: 14:27 hours is not an embarrassment and is suitable for everyday use, but other smartphones in this price range sometimes offer 2-3 hours more runtime in our WLAN test.
A charger is not included, but the battery can be recharged with a maximum of 33 watts, which takes around 1:30 hours. The phone can also be charged wirelessly with up to 15 watts.
| HMD Skyline | Motorola Edge 50 Fusion | Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G | Google Pixel 8a | Samsung Galaxy A55 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 3% | -3% | -12% | 19% | -8% | 56% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 921 | 967.8 5% | 946.8 3% | 1509.65 64% | 1688.53 83% | 887 ? -4% | 1867 ? 103% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 730.6 | 800.5 10% | 808.2 11% | 255.31 -65% | 831.44 14% | 694 ? -5% | 1451 ? 99% |
| Random Read 4KB | 275.2 | 281.5 2% | 239.2 -13% | 165.98 -40% | 351.47 28% | 228 ? -17% | 279 ? 1% |
| Random Write 4KB | 255.4 | 241.4 -5% | 220.5 -14% | 243.82 -5% | 132.11 -48% | 238 ? -7% | 311 ? 22% |
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.1 °C / 111 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life
Speaker
HMD Skyline audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 43% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 61% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy A55 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.4% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.4% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 11% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 82% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 31% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Reparability has its price
The HMD Skyline has turned out really pretty, especially if you can still remember the Lumia phones and the nostalgia factor kicks in. Apart from pink, HMD could have dared to go for another bold color like green or yellow.
The chassis is solidly built and the good repairability is another step in the right direction. However, it is still not that easy for absolute amateurs, so there is still room for improvement for a possible successor.
It is a pity that HMD only provides very short software updates in view of the numerous promises of sustainability.
The screen could definitely be brighter, and there is also room for improvement in terms of the accuracy of color reproduction. And the performance is very low for the price range of the HMD Skyline.
The HMD Skyline looks cool and is relatively easy to repair yourself. It offers wireless charging and fast Wi-Fi but is also quite heavy and expensive.
The price of 499 euros for the cheapest version is set quite confidently considering that the competitors, such as Motorola Edge 50 Fusion or Xiaomi Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, are 100 euros cheaper. These also offer significantly brighter screens and longer battery life. If you value repairability, you should take a look at the Fairphone 5.
Price and availability
The HMD Skyline is available directly from the manufacturer at for 499 euros with 128 GB mass storage and 8 GB RAM and 599 euros for the 256 GB version with 12 GB RAM.
The 256 GB storage version with 8 GB RAM is mainly available from independent retailers, but with a significant discount: For example, at amazon.de for 529 euros.
The phone is also available at amazon.com starting from US$499.
Note: We have updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7 available here .
HMD Skyline
- 08/16/2024 v8
Florian Schmitt
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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