Would you be more likely to buy a mobile phone if you knew you could repair it at home if you cracked the screen? Finland-based mobile phone manufacturer HMD has designed a mobile phone based on the concept of repairability. We are meeting everyone's expectations by announcing our first private brand mobile phone series.
HMD is best known for manufacturing Nokia phones (both smart and dumb), but they're now expanding into the field by manufacturing phones with their name stamped on the back. is expanding. On Wednesday, the company announced its first three home-branded devices: HMD Pulse, Pulse Pro, and Pulse Plus. The $124 (£100) Pulse and $162 (£130) Pulse Plus are available for immediate purchase, while the Pulse Pro is currently listed as 'coming soon'.
The most exciting of the three devices, the HMD Pulse Pro features 50-megapixel cameras on both the back and front, making selfies the same quality as photos taken with the main camera. The three phones also share many features and characteristics, including Unisoc T606 processors and a focus on affordability and repairability. All three devices allow you to replace a broken display, bent charging port, or dead battery in just minutes using simple tools.
The ability to repair your own devices at home is an increasingly desirable feature in new technologies coming to the market. Extending the lifespan of products means we need to pay less to replace technology that would otherwise be discarded, resulting in less e-waste and less negative environmental impact. Masu. It's a win-win for consumers and the planet.
While some tech companies like Apple and Samsung have their own repair programs, there is a growing movement to allow individuals to repair their own devices. iFixit, an online community, advocacy group, and parts retailer, has been an avid supporter of the right-to-repair movement, and over the past few years has begun partnering with technology companies, including HMD, to help people find personalized and affordable products for their products. We have made affordable repair kits available for purchase. technology.
“HMD's continued commitment to designing mobile phones with repairability in mind is an encouraging shift in our throwaway culture, and HMD's continued commitment to the innovations needed to drive progress in repairability “We have proven that we have a strong culture,” iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens said in a statement. “We are eager to work together as they work to make repairable mobile phones the norm rather than the exception.”
In 2023, one in four mobile phones sold by HMD could be repaired. The company aims to reach three-quarters of that goal this year. For HMD Pulse, Pulse Pro and Pulse Plus, owners can purchase self-repair kits and spare parts from iFixit starting at $22 (£18). This is a continuation of the partnership between the two companies, which will also include repair kits for HMD's Nokia smartphones.
The big difference between HMD's own brand phones and Nokia devices seems to be in the design. The Pulse phone is more angular and has a more prominent camera module. It also comes in fun and calming colors such as “twilight purple.''
“There is an audience that is willing to buy any mobile phone just because it is repairable,” said Lars Silberbauer, HMD's chief marketing officer, at the MWC in Barcelona in February. He told me when he announced that he would be manufacturing his own mobile phones. “But if you want to appeal to the masses, you also need something appealing.”
The Pulse series is HMD's first attempt at creating attractive and serviceable phones aimed at appealing to Gen Z as it begins its journey as an emerging phone brand. Although it's a crowded market, being one step ahead in terms of repairability could give HMDs a competitive advantage.