HMD, the Finnish company behind the Nokia brand, is launching several phones in France. If the range of feature phones is entirely based on Nokia’s heritage, HMD smartphones completely avoid the iconic brand. These smartphones are called Pulse and Pulse Pro. They are sold below 160 euros. And we were able to try them.
Nokia is part of the history of telephony in the world. Like Motorola, Ericsson, Sagem, Alcatel, Siemens or even BlackBerry. Many of these iconic brands have disappeared from the shelves. Moreover, it is no longer possible to buy a recent Nokia smartphone, since the company which designed them until now has decided to no longer offer them, confining the Finnish brand to feature phones. This company is HMD Global. Or more simply HMD.
Read also – Nothing Phone 3 confirmed, release expected this summer
HMD has not abandoned the idea of making smartphones. Simply, Nokia is not part of the equation. Particularly in the “affordable” price segments, between 100 and 400 euros. These segments particularly target Generation Z, those addicted to social networks and other digital natives who have no affection for old brands. Worse, these “next gen” consumers see Nokia as a dusty antique. This is why HMD’s smartphones will not display the iconic brand.
HMD abandons the Nokia brand for its new smartphones
The company prefers to place its own label there. Here are the HMD Pulse, Pulse+ and Pulse Pro, the first three muses of this new strategy. These are three very affordable smartphones since the standard version will be offered in France at 129.90 euros and the Pro version will only cost 159.90 euros. Note that the Pulse+ will be reserved in France for professional customers. You will therefore not find it on the shelves of your favorite distributor.
How will the Pulse stand out from the competition (Redmi, Galaxy A, Realme, etc.)? There are three arguments put forward by HMD. First, the design, particularly the software, with a beautiful interface which is reminiscent of that of the Nothing Phone 2a, for example. On the hardware side, these Pulse could have been a Redmi that would not have shocked us too much. Second argument, the photo, with sensors that can go up to 50 megapixels at the rear, but also at the front for the Pro version. Last argument, and from our point of view, the most important: repairability.
Finally smartphones that are easy to repair?
HMD designed its phones as easily repairable products. The company says it wants these products to last over time and that it is normal that these customers can easily repair it in the event of a problem. Four parts are therefore easy to change: the screen, the battery, the back cover and the USB port. We did the test. And it’s actually quite easy. All it takes is a little method, a little time and a few tools.
Precisely, on the equipment side, HMD has signed a partnership with iFixit. The repair specialist will distribute complete kits including original parts and tools to carry out a part change yourself. HMD is committed to having parts available for a minimum of 5 years for all Pulses. In addition, the brand undertakes to offer two Android updates and 3 years of security patch. It’s a bit short by high-end standards. But it is average for affordable segments.
The technical sheet is clearly not a selling point here. The brand practically does not address it, because it does not really include elements that attract the informed consumer: Unisoc Tiger chipset, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of maximum storage, 4G modem, 720p screen, 5000 mAh battery … The experience is correct, as we will see very soon in our full test. But little more. It’s the complete opposite of a Xiaomi which, for the same price, will multiply the technical arguments to seduce. On the other hand, HMD is banking on the anti-waste and eco-friendly fiber which is growing among consumers. And that, too, attracts attention.
