HMD Skyline pros and cons
Pros
Excellent repairability with dedicated kits and tools.
Impressive 144Hz OLED screen delivers on colour accuracy.
Decent camera setup, versatile and capable for this price range.
Cons
Only two years of Android updates.
Processor performance is serviceable, rather than speedy.
HMD Global - the Finnish company best known for breathing life into the Nokia name - has introduced the Skyline, a mid-range device that seeks to deliver a premium smartphone experience without the price tag.
The novelty comes in its refreshing repairability. Rather than being built for planned obsolescence, the Skyline allows the covers, screen and battery to be replaced, without needing a trip to the local phone shop to do so.
Design and specifications
Lifelong phone fans will immediately spot that the HMD Skyline takes inspiration from the iconic Nokia Lumia range - Microsoft's fondly remembered foray into the smartphone world.
It's a design with an alluring, angular blend of squared-off corners and soft accents to create a both visually striking and comfortable-to-hold device.
Measuring just 8.9mm thick, the phone strikes a balance between sleekness and sturdiness, making it feel substantial without being too bulky.
Weight is a not-insignificant 209.5g...so whilst it's certainly got some heft to it, but not enough to cause strain from prolonged use.
The curved aluminium frame provides added comfort, with a reassuring sense of durability that is relatively rare in non-flagship fare.
Security comes in the form of a side-loaded fingerprint sensor housed within the power button, as well as facial recognition from the selfie camera.
The Skyline's trio of vibrant colour options - a dusky Twisted Black, bold Blue Topaz and our firm (and pictured) favourite in Neon Pink - all evoke an air of personality and playfulness to the design.
That's not to say the phone is afraid of a bit of rough-and-tumble, coming equipped with protection courtesy of Corning's Gorilla Glass 3 on the front.
This offers its expansive 6.55-inch display solid resistance from the scratches of daily operation, whilst an official IP54 rating lends confidence in the form of dust and splash protection.
That's only splashes, mind...this isn't the IP68 rating for submergence in water you might see on other devices, so the Skyline isn't the one for capturing underwater imagery.
Screen and audio quality
The Skyline's 6.55-inch pOLED display shines - literally - with a healthy 2400 x 1080 resolution and silky 144Hz refresh rate, coming together to bring content to life in vivid, fluid detail, and well represented in its 20:9 aspect ratio.
Despite the firmly content creation angle from a marketing perspective, the Skyline is equally as impressive whether you're scrolling through social feeds, gaming, or on a streaming binge - colours pop with natural vibrancy, thanks to deep blacks and a wide colour gamut that keeps visuals looking rich and true to life.
A fairly decent 1000 nits of peak brightness does great work when delivering outdoor legibility - even in direct sunlight - when means it does a fantastic job of being a daily driver both indoors and out.
Admittedly the Skyline is a little outclassed here by some of its mid-tier contemporaries - Google's Pixel 8a boasts 2,000 nits of peak brightness and 1,400 when viewing HDR content, for example - but it's still a confident effort.
By opting for the current trend of a flat display, the Skyline both brings a modern design to bear for precision poking and prodding, but also avoids the issues common to curved screens in terms of image distortion at the edges.
Audio quality matches the screen’s high standards, with dual stereo speakers that create a loud and immersive soundstage, despite being a diminutive device.
Support for Qualcomm's own aptx format is a welcome enhancement to a viewing or aural experience for those using Bluetooth devices, whilst HMD's own OZO audio platform works nicely, especially on a smartphone in this price range.
Camera performance
It's fair to say that the Lumia pedigree continues through to the Skyline's sterling camera set-up.
A triple-camera array on the rear is led by a 108-megapixel primary sensor with both electronic (EIS) and optical image stabilization (OIS).
This high-resolution camera blew us away when it came to capturing extreme detail even at a distance, as well as in a range of lighting conditions.
The device's huge sensor and advanced image processing deliver sharp, vivid photos with a balanced dynamic range, preserving both the bright and shadowed areas in the shot.
OIS comes thorough as the MVP in helping reduce blur, making handheld shots in low-light settings crisper and more usable, even without a flash.
Underneath the main sensor is a 13-megapixel ultrawide effort, which allows for more expansive photos. This mode is great for capturing outdoor footage providing a wide field of view that adds versatility to the camera system. While image quality does drop off slightly in low light, the phone's software helps brighten images to a satisfactory level.
The 50-megapixel telephoto lens rounds out the offering, also packing a 2x optical zoom for capturing far-away subjects without sacrificing detail.
This lens can also pull double duty for close up photography, and is adept at catering to all conditions from a lighting perspective.
The Skyline's no slouch when it comes to moving images too, with support for 4k video recording at 30 frames per second, and the OIS doing great work in keeping action shoots (and shots) stable.
Additionally, various video modes such as slow-motion and time-lapse give users a wealth of options for content creation.
On the front, the Skyline's centred selfie camera is a whopping 50-megapxiel effort, a secret star of the show for content creation.
It comes equipped with autofocus and eye-tracking technology to ensure you're more than ready for any close-up, whilst brilliant bokeh means exquisite portraits. The front camera has megapixels for days to capture great images, and when bolstered by its on-device software algorithms help produce natural-looking skin tones, subjects come out looking fabulous.
All in all, the Skyline's camera credentials do really set it apart in this bracket, with an impressive set of features - both hardware and software - to deliver great images.
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Performance, storage and software
Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, the Skyline offers squarely mid-range performance to match.
Storage comes in the form of either 128GB or 256GB of internal memory, paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM - more than enough for Android's suite of multitasking functionality, with only the odd hitch under extreme usage or trying to power the most intensive gaming experiences.
A gold star for the Skyline supporting expandable memory via microSD cards, meaning up to 512GB of additional space for photos and apps alike.
When it comes to the on-device Android 14 experience on the Skyline, it's refreshingly streamlined with HMD adhering closely to Google's pure vision of the software.
This lack of clutter give users a decent degree of free reign when it comes to customisation - with support for icon, theme and image tailoring, but stopping short of devices like OnePlus' Nord 4 which give truly unfettered access.
This freedom extends to Detox Mode - a fresh set of features firmly in the 'digital switch-off' wheelhouse, delivered in a recent Android update.
An array of tools such as Focus Mode and Digital Wellbeing, effectively make your smartphone a lot less smart...for a while.
Focus Mode allows you to pause notifications from bothersome apps - or people - with a single press, while Bedtime Mode helps you unwind by gradually dimming the screen and reducing distractions in the evening.
Having the flexibility of both a 'soft' and 'hard' level of lockdown at your fingertips - surfaced via a dedicated widget as opposed to nested in menus - ensures constant consideration for what matters most when using the Skyline.
Another novel feature is the inclusion of a fully customisable hardware button, which adds an extra layer of practicality.
This can be assigned to almost any specific function or feature, whether that’s swift access to the camera, turning on the torch, or single-button access to your favourite app.
It’s another subtle nod to user empowerment, offering enough customisation without becoming overwhelming or chaotic.
Throughout, HMD's Skyline strikes a balance between a straightforward, user-friendly experience and just the right amount of personalisation for those who want it.
However, there is a bit of a software wrinkle considering such robust hardware customisation and repairability credentials (more on this later), as HMD pledges just two years of major Android updates, ensuring it stays current through Android 16.
This is slightly shorter duration than many of its stablemates, but should be long enough to keep your phone up to date.
Additionally, the Skyline is set to receive three years of security patches to keep the device safe and protected.
Battery and charging
Whilst not a huge amount to write home about at first glance, the Skyline's 4,600mAh battery capably handles a full day of typical usage.
Things perk up with support for speedy 33W fast charging, 15W magnetic wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging, allowing you to be the person with the juice whilst on the go.
No pack-in charger is fast becoming the norm, but considering the Skyline's sustainability angle, it makes sense here.
More exciting still is the fact that the Skyline's battery - like many of its other bits - is entirely replaceable.
Whilst it shouldn't be something to shout from the rooftops, given your battery often the first thing to start to flag, the modular nature of the device comes into its own when you think about features like battery life...and there's so much more.
Repairability and sustainability
The Skyline’s approach to repairability is a refreshing step forward in an age where many smartphones are sealed up tight, as if durability and accessibility are mutually exclusive.
In collaboration with iFixit, HMD's effort is hands-down one of the most user-friendly smartphones in terms of maintenance - no sealed units and fiddly bits here.
Awarding the device a repairability score of 9/10, iFixit's recognition is a badge that demonstrates that it is possible to have devices that can go the distance...and easily have the equipment to prolong their lifespan should the worst happen.
This collaboration means that everyday users can perform tasks like swapping out a cracked screen or a worn-out battery without the need for specialised equipment or technical know-how.
It’s a small but incredibly important statement of empowerment, putting the ability - and tools - to extend a device’s life directly into the hands of the owner.
When it comes to DIY repairs, the Skyline isn't just looking for column inches by stating its repairability, it delivers genuine solutions to user problems.
iFixit provides comprehensive repair guides for the phone, detailing step-by-step instructions with pristine images for every facet of phone repair.
The Skyline’s design is intentionally crafted to facilitate easy disassembly. For instance, the rear cover can be safely removed with a basic opening tool rather than heat guns or suction cups.
Internal components are secured with standard screws (as in the below image) rather than the weird and wonderful proprietary efforts found in many other devices, meaning that most repairs are achievable with tools you’d find in a basic toolkit.
HMD has taken things to their logical limits when it comes to a truly modular device - if any individual part gives up, the device is constructed in such a way that you don't have to destroy it the device to reach it.
This level of repairability does more than just give owners peace of mind; it actively contributes to reducing e-waste by encouraging users to repair rather than replace.
In this way, the Skyline deserves extra kudos for not just being another 'cool' smartphone - it's actively a symbol of the tide turning against our disposable culture, and ensuring that those occasional accidents don’t have to spell curtains for your precious personal device.
UK pricing and availability
The Skyline offers keen pricing in the UK on the HMD store, starting at £349 for the 8GB RAM / 128GB storage model, making it an attractive, affordable option.
For users needing a bit more space and power, the 12GB RAM/ 256GB storage variant is available for £449 at the time of writing.
HMD has positioned the Skyline squarely at value-conscious buyers who still appreciate a touch of flair with their functionality, while the option of a three-year warranty adds extra peace of mind.
HMD's partnership with iFixit means there's all manner of replaceable parts on their store to be able to keep your Skyline ticking.
Final verdict
The HMD Skyline truly sets itself apart in the mid-range market for its combination of repairability, a sleek styling reminiscent of Nokia’s past, and capable hardware.
It delivers - but doesn't overdeliver - on key aspects like display quality, camera performance, and usability, making it a strong contender for anyone seeking an affordable, repair-friendly smartphone.
While it may not reach flagship-level speed or durability, the Skyline offers excellent value for users who appreciate sustainable design, great build quality and capable all-around performance.
