Nokia's era ends as HMD unveils wallet-friendly Pulse series

The Nokia brand is stepping away from the mobile phone sector and will be replaced by HMD. This change marks a new era for the company, as it introduces more wallet-friendly products.

Since taking over the production of mobile phones and smartphones under the Nokia brand in 2016, HMD announced at the start of 2024 its shift towards using its own name for smartphones while continuing to offer mobile phones under the Nokia brand.

• HMD Pulse is set at 139 euros (approximately 150 USD),
• HMD Pulse+ is priced at 159 euros (around 172 USD),
• HMD Pulse Pro is available for 179 euros (about 193 USD).

The core of these models is the Unisoc T606, a 12-nanometer chipset based on the older Cortex-A75 and A55 cores. Since its introduction in 2021, it has been aimed at budget-friendly devices.

• a 6.65-inch LCD screen with 1612 x 720 resolution (265 ppi), a 90 Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 600 nits,
• Unisoc T606 processor,
• up to 4 GB RAM (Pulse), 6 GB (Pulse+), and 8 GB (Pulse Pro),
• 128 GB of expandable storage,
• a primary camera of 13 MP (Pulse) or 50 MP (Pulse+ and Pulse Pro),
• a 2-megapixel depth sensor,
• an 8 MP front camera (Pulse and Pulse+) or 50 MP (Pulse Pro),
• connectivity options like 4G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and NFC,
• a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button,
• a 5000 mAh battery with 20 W charging,
• IP52 waterproof certification,
• and it runs on Android 14.

HMD assures these smartphones will benefit from two major Android updates and regular security patches over the next three years.

HMD is continuing its partnership with iFixit, which began during the Nokia years. Through the iFixit online store, users can easily buy spare parts like screens, batteries, back panels, and charging ports. The company highlights that battery replacement can be performed independently in about 5 minutes with basic tools, underscoring the devices' user-friendly design.