Abstract
- HMD Key affords a budget-friendly Android gadget.
- The smartphone has a quad-core processor and primary options.
- Priced at £59, it is a appropriate stopgap gadget till an improve or guarantee restore in your day by day gadget is full.
Nokia wasn’t fast to pivot when Android gained reputation, selecting to stay with Home windows OS for smartphones as an alternative. Nonetheless, the Nokia marque has since licensed {hardware} manufacturing to HMD International, and this firm is releasing a gradual stream of budget-friendly Android devices. The latest addition to the lineup, the HMD Key, would possibly shock you with its price ticket.
Associated
Review: The HMD Skyline pushes Android phones in the right direction
Repairability and Qi2 assist the Skyline shine
Launches from late final yr, just like the HMD Skyline, make for good on a regular basis carry telephones. The Skyline’s $403 sticker worth is already a far cry from flagship choices just like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 9. Nonetheless, the divide in real-world efficiency is not as stark. HMD’s newest telephone, referred to as the Key, was simply unveiled at a fair cheaper price, and this time, you’ll discover the distinction in efficiency.
On paper, the Key isn’t very different out of your common smartphone (through NotebookCheck). HMD has retained software program bits like RAM growth help and Portrait mode, Evening mode, and Professional mode for the digital camera. Nonetheless, the important thing differentiator is the execution, as a result of this telephone is powered by a quad-core Unisoc 9832E processor, and has solely 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM on board. That is a processor about as highly effective as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, however solely with 4G radio help.
32GB of storage is the default on the HMD Key, however a devoted microSD card slot permits growth of as much as 128GB. For images duties, you get a 8MP rear-facing sensor and a 5MP selfie shooter. Do not let the dual-ring design on the again idiot you, as a result of the second solely homes the flash and what seems like a depth sensor. The display on the opposite facet is a 1280 x 576 panel measuring 6.52 inches diagonally. It is capped on the normal 60Hz, however you do get a headphone jack.
All this light-weight {hardware} is paired with an enormous 4,000mAh battery, and in consequence, the Nokia… Ahem, HMD Key boasts a 47-hour battery life. Nonetheless, put together for longer downtime with 10W wired charging help.
A killer worth is the Key
Software program doesn’t undergo
Whereas it would all sound like unbearable {hardware} by at the moment’s requirements, the telephone boots Android 14 Go, which is designed to go simple on underpowered units with out dropping many options. Nonetheless, HMD’s announcement suggests you may be caught with this OS model for the foreseeable future, and solely two years of safety patches will come by way of as OTAs.
You get all this for a discount worth of £59 (~$73), which makes the telephone an incredible buy as a stopgap till your new flagship arrives, or if you happen to simply want one thing to get by whereas your major gadget is on the service heart. It may very well be the right telephone if even our really helpful price range Android telephones are past your attain, and as one other profit, it seems so much like the marginally costlier HMD Skyline. Nonetheless, patrons stateside might want to wait as a result of, for now, HMD has solely introduced plans to launch the Key within the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
