HMD Global launches the Pulse series: affordable and easily repairable phones

HMD Global, the Finnish company that holds the license to the Nokia brand, today unveiled a new series of affordable smartphones called Pulse. This range includes three models: Pulse, Pulse+ and Pulse Pro, all priced between 100 and 200 euros.

What sets these phones apart from other devices in the same price range is the focus on repairability. HMD Global states that the Pulse series is built according to the principles of “Generation 1 repairability”, allowing users to purchase repair kits from iFixit. Possible repairs include battery and screen replacement, which is an important step towards greater device durability.

All three models are equipped with the Unisoc T606 processor, a 12nm solution with two Cortex-A75 cores and six A55 cores, along with a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU and a 4G modem. The screen is identical for all variants: a 6.65-inch LCD panel with 720p+ resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio and a 90Hz refresh rate. Although not impressive in terms of specifications, the screen offers a maximum brightness of 600 nits and covers 70% of the NTSC color gamut.

HMD Pulse, the base model of the series, is priced at €140 or £100. It is equipped with 4GB or 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, with the possibility of adding a microSD card of up to 256GB. The main camera has a resolution of 13MP with autofocus and dual LED flash, while the selfie camera is 8MP and is placed in a hole in the screen.

Pulse+ it costs €160 or £130 and brings a few improvements over the base model. It offers options of 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, along with support for microSD cards up to 256GB. The main camera has a resolution of 50MP, although HMD Global did not provide details about the sensor or lens.

The top model of the series is HMD Pulse Pro, which has a price of 180 euros. It keeps the same memory configuration as the Pulse+, but brings improvements to the front camera, which now has a 50MP resolution. The Pulse Pro also supports fast charging at 20W, compared to just 10W for the other models.

All three phones have 5,000mAh batteries that can be quickly replaced by users in about 5 minutes using basic tools. This feature, called “QuickFix”, is an important advantage in today’s context, where more and more voices are advocating for greater durability of electronic devices.

The Pulse series comes with Android 14 pre-installed and HMD Global promises 2 major OS updates and 3 years of security updates for all models. Other common features include 4G connectivity, Wi-Fi 5 (ac), Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS/Galileo, 3.5mm headphone jack and a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button.

With a starting price of €140 for the HMD Pulse, €160 for the Pulse+ and €180 for the Pulse Pro, the new series offers solid specs and a welcome focus on repairability, which could appeal to consumers concerned about the environmental impact of electronic devices. The Pulse and Pulse+ models are available starting today on the HMD Global website, while the Pro variant will be launched soon.