HMD's Skyline Phone Prioritizes Repairability, Screentime Controls

Phone manufacturer HMD, known for making Nokia devices, on Thursday unveiled the HMD Skyline, a $500 handset designed to be easy to fix -- and easy to put down, thanks to a new Detox Mode. The phone will be available in the US in August.

Repairability is a key focus for the upcoming handset. During a virtual briefing, a company representative demonstrated how quickly and easily someone could swap out parts; it took about 10 minutes to remove a dozen screws around the device and pop off the screen. 

That DIY spirit echoes HMD's approach to three other phones it unveiled earlier this year: the HMD Pulse, Pulse Pro and Pulse Plus. Those budget-friendly devices are also designed to be easy to fix in just a few minutes. 

This repairability focus comes amid mounting support for the right-to-repair movement, and a push for consumers to be able to fix their own devices at home. Parts retailer iFixit has partnered with companies, including HMD, to make it easier for consumers to access affordable repair kits. Such measures can also help to reduce e-waste, since users won't have to throw out their entire device if one component stops working or is too expensive to replace.

The Skyline's design lets users (or repair centers) fix and swap out screens, charging ports, back covers and batteries.

"Human Mobile Devices (HMD) has set a new bar for repairable design," iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens said in a statement. "This is what happens when a design team considers repair from the start."

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Detox Mode will help you put down your phone

Another feature HMD is touting with its new Skyline phone is Detox Mode, which can block access to certain apps during a specified period. It can also prevent select contacts from reaching you. The function is comparable to features like Focus modes on iPhone and other Android phones. 

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There are two options to choose from: a soft detox that will hide apps and contacts until you enable full use again, and a hard detox mode that won't let you manually turn it off; instead, you'll have to wait until the scheduled time you've set elapses (though a built-in safety feature will give you the option to deactivate Detox Mode if you reboot your phone). The feature will also be available in August.

Triple rear camera system and other specs

The Skyline features a 108-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera with 4x zoom and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. The front sports a 50-megapixel selfie camera.

A Custom Button on the phone's side carries out whatever two functions you set when pressing and double-pressing it, like opening up a game with one push and navigating home with two pushes. This is similar to the iPhone's customizable Action Button, which lets you choose from a set of tasks like turning on the flashlight or launching the camera -- though with the Skyline, you can pack double the action(s).

HMD's Skyline is powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 processor, and has a 4,600-mAh battery, which the company says can last for up to two days before running out. It supports 35-watt USB-C charging and 15-watt magnetic wireless charging, as well as 5-watt reverse wireless charging. It's Qi2 certified. 

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The Full HD Plus display measures 6.5 inches, and is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has a 144Hz refresh rate, with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits.

The phone's frame is made of 100% recycled aluminum. Storage options include 8GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage, or 12GB of RAM with 256GB of internal storage. It also supports up to 1GB of external storage. The Skyline runs Android 14 out of the box. It comes in Neon Pink and Twisted Black.

One of the phone's biggest downsides may be its lack of long-term support for updates. The Skyline offers just two years of OS updates and three years of security updates, which pales in comparison to the seven years of OS and security updates you'll get on a similarly priced budget phone, the Google Pixel 8A. The $400 Samsung Galaxy A35 also offers more years of support than the Skyline, with four years of OS updates and five years of security updates. So even if you're able to swap out parts on the Skyline more easily, your timeline for a phone upgrade may still be quicker than you'd like.

For more HMD Skyline specs, check out the chart below.

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