HMD Skyline Review

HMD launched the Skyline in July 2024 at $499 in the US and €499 in Europe, the first phone the former Nokia licensee sold under its own name that tried to be desirable rather than cheap. The shape is Nokia's old Lumia, flat sides and a pillowed back, and it was the first Android phone with Qi2 magnets, so it snaps onto MagSafe chargers at 15W. The Gen2 repairability program, run with iFixit, lets an owner swap the battery behind a single Torx screw and replace the display, back cover and charging port with a guide, which is rarer than it should be.

The 6.55-inch 1080 x 2400 pOLED runs at 144Hz but is dim next to rivals. The 108MP stabilized main camera, 13MP ultrawide and 50MP 2x telephoto are competent, the 50MP autofocus selfie camera is good, low light is weak and 4K video has no stabilization. The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is a Snapdragon 6-class chip at a $499 price, the 4600 mAh battery underperformed in GSMArena's endurance test, 33W charging is slow and there is no charger in the box.

Android 14 is nearly stock, with a Custom Button and a Detox mode promised in an update, but HMD committed to only two OS upgrades and three years of patches. In July 2025 HMD scaled back its US business and stopped selling phones there, honoring warranties. A good idea priced like a better phone.