HMD’s new Skyline smartphone promises easy repairs and the ability to disconnect

Detox Mode can even stop contacts from messaging you

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HMD has pulled back the curtain on a pretty unique mid-range smartphone calledthe Skyline. Besides its bright pink color, two headlining features allow the model to stand out from the sea of similar devices.

The more notable of the pair is Detox Mode, which blocks all notifications and disables apps, effectively turning yoursmartphoneinto a dumbphone.

The company states that Detox Mode offers users a way to take “a break from the digital world,” letting them take a breather from all notifications they receive on a given day. HMD goes on to say they wanted to set themselves apart from competitors whose “detox functions… only silence apps and notifications.”

Users will have the option to configure the feature to their liking.

You can choose “which apps or app categories will be disabled.” For example, the Skyline can block all social media platforms and dating apps from notifying you but allow messages from mobile games and streaming services to go through. HMD even allows you to mute individual contacts through the menu.

Detox Mode has two levels: Soft Lock and Hard Lock. The former lets you disable notifications, as we’ve explained thus far. It lets you set a four-hour time limit on the blocking tool. Or, if you prefer, you can set a custom limit.

It’s unknown what Hard Lock does yet, as theproduct listingdoesn’t elaborate, so we’ve reached out to HMD to ask for more information.

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Next-gen repairability

HMD designed the Skyline to be easily fixed, existing in a state the company calls “Gen2 repairability.” It’s an aspect they feel so strongly about that it appears prominently in marketing material and the official announcement.

A brief description of how to repair the device can be found on the company’s official blog. The phone’s cover is held in place by a single screw and a rotatingarm, and removing these gives you full access to the model’s internal hardware.

Thanks to the Gen2’s repairability, HMD says owners can replace bent charging ports, displays, and depleted batteries. iFixit will provide the tools and spare parts for the Skyline, so consumers have an easy place to score it. While how-to guides are already present oniFixit’s website,the components are not yet available for purchase.

Specs

Under the hood, the Skyline runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset and a 4,600 mAh battery that lasts up to 48 hours on a single charge. Storage capacity is rather limited, peaking at 512GB with a MicroSD card.

Its camera array is impressive, sporting a 108MP primary lens with OIS (optical image stabilization), a 13MP ultrawide, and a 50MP telephoto option. The last two lenses support HMD’s Capture Fusion tech, ensuring highly detailed zoomed-in photographs.

On the front is a 6.55-inch pOLED touchscreen, which outputs a FullHD Plus image resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels) at a refresh rate of 144Hz.

The HMD Skyline is set to launch in August and will be available in Neon Pink and Twisted Black. There is no word on its cost as of yet, butGSMArenaclaims it will retail for $499/€499/£399. The publication goes on to say it won’t come with a wall charger in the box, either.

Be sure to check out TechRadar’s list of thebest cheap smartphones for 2024.

Update 7-24-2024:A company representative confirmed that the HMD Skyline will cost $499 in the United States, although they couldn’t tell us the Australian price. Additionally, the price for spare parts in the US starts at $19.99 for the charging port and peaks at $94.99 for a replacement display.

When asked about Hard Lock, the same representative told us it functions almost identically to Soft Lock. The main difference between the two is that Soft Lock can be deactivated at any time while Hard Lock is active for the entire “selected period of time.” However, it is possible to turn off Hard Lock in emergencies by rebooting it.

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Cesar Cadenas has been writing about the tech industry for several years now specializing in consumer electronics, entertainment devices, Windows, and the gaming industry. But he’s also passionate about smartphones, GPUs, and cybersecurity.

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