Does the HMD Skyline offer enough value at Rs 35,999 ?

The HMD Skyline, initially launched in July as a lookalike to the Lumia, is now available on Amazon for Rs 35,999. Currently, only the Neon Pink variant is in stock. For that price, the phone features a 6.55-inch 1080x2400 P-OLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1,000-nit peak brightness.

HMD Skyline Key Features

It runs on the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset, includes 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 108 MP main camera with OIS, complemented by a 50 MP telephoto lens (2x optical zoom), a 13 MP ultrawide camera, and a 50 MP front-facing camera. 

The 4,600 mAh battery supports 33W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. It comes with Android 14 and will receive two major OS updates, reaching Android 16 by the end of its lifecycle.

While the HMD Skyline is praised for its design and repairability, it struggles to stand out in areas such as display quality, software support, and overall performance when compared to other smartphones in this price range. The value proposition depends on how much importance you place on its repairability and camera features over pure performance and display quality.

Pros

Repairability: One of its key strengths is the ease of repair. Users can replace components like the battery, display, and back cover, thanks to a partnership with iFixit, making it an appealing choice for those focused on sustainability.

Design and Camera Quality: The premium design is paired with a solid camera system, especially excelling in ultrawide and 2x zoom capabilities, along with a high-quality selfie camera with autofocus.

Daily Performance: The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 allows smooth performance for everyday tasks like browsing and social media, with the ability to handle light gaming. However, it tends to heat up during more intense gaming sessions.

Cons

Display and Brightness: Although the 6.55-inch P-OLED display is acceptable, it lags behind competitors in terms of brightness and adaptive refresh rate, which could be an issue in outdoor settings.

Battery and Charging: The 4,600 mAh battery provides average endurance, and the charging speeds are slower than expected. Additionally, no charger is included in the box.

Software Support: The phone offers just two Android updates and three years of security patches, which feels insufficient considering its focus on long-term hardware durability.