Affordable, repairable, incredible: HMD Skyline phone review

HMD have been quietly making themselves known the last few months, and though their new HMD Pulse was recently announced, the HMD Skyline still deserves its time in the spotlight. At What's the Best, repairable tech holds a special place in our hearts, especially when it comes to smartphones. Tech waste contributes massively to climate change, and so heads turned in our office when we heard about the Skyline.

The company is associated with Nokia, who have had skin in the mobile phone game for decades, so it's safe to say the Skyline comes from good stock. Is it blue skies ahead or are there clouds in the way of the Skyline's success?

We got into it with the HMD Skyline to help give you an informed choice, with writer Olivia (who is already known for her love of disassembling things) taking a deep dive above and below the screen to see what all the fuss is about. It's billed as the "repair-it-yourself phone for creators", What's the Best puts it to the test.

Digital (and human) sustainability

First impressions with the phone were great, because I'm a big fan of the blue colour, but also because the first thing I felt was metal. Typically, when you need something to be easily repairable, making it sturdy tends to negate all repairability, so I was expecting a plastic housing at best. To feel the chassis around the screen was a pleasant surprise, even if I wasn't a big fan of the design of the corners where the screen and the chassis meet. Though the edges on the bottom curved, the top-down visuals weren't the most appealing in the world. I believe this was to help facilitate the camshaft screw to open the back more easily and facilitate repairs, but I was hoping there was a better way for it to be implemented. It may be an ode to the Nokia Lumia. If so, I'd have preferred a different approach to honouring what came before.

Despite my bezel blues, there isn't anything else negative I can say about the construction. While the user can remove the back of the phone with ease, it retains an impressive IP54 dust and water resistance rating. In addition, a feature boasted on the new line of iPhones is already here with the Skyline, as the button on the left side can be customised for a number of functions with specific presses. If that wasn't impressive enough, it keeps with the great cost-saving design of putting the fingerprint scanner on the power button. Not only is this ergonomic, but because it doesn't need ultrasonic sensors like those under the screen, it keeps the price of the phone nice and low without compromising security or functionality.

The rest of the phone construction continues to use high-quality materials, for a mid-range device this was a good thing to see and, with a fast and responsive gorilla glass touch screen, set-up was a breeze. It took no time at all for me to get my Google accounts onto the phone, Android integration being as easy as going into the Play Store and importing my apps from there. Utilising Android 14, the software does a lot to help the onboarding process, but personally that's where my fondness ends. I found the software a little clunky, which is no fault of HMD, but things like the back and app history button gestures were reduced to vague finger swipes, a particular gripe when I was already coming from an Android phone where they were much better defined in older software. It also limited a fair amount of customisation options, like putting apps in the app list into folders to find them easily.

The cameras are impressive for a mid-range phone, though there were some grumbles. When I was getting ready to take my photo, the screen wasn't very responsive to my movements, often showing the image a few noticable milliseconds after I'd moved my hand to stabilize the shot. This was distracting, but once I was aligned and pressed the shutter, it took it's time to collect as much visual data, but it was worth it in the end. I took the Skyline on a trip to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow, and got some spectacular pictures of the organ inside the building as the organist was getting ready for the daily recital. It handled the detail of the chandeliers and stonework well even from a distance, as for the light response it was able to capture both the bright sunlight outside and the low purple light inside without over-exposing either.

Speaking of getting out the house, part of HMD's ethos of putting the Human in Human Mobile Devices, was to reduce screentime. Ironic from a phone company, but they have some smart tech behind it. Nearly half of 16–24-year-olds worry they're spending too much time on social media, which was part of HMD's eagerness to create a healthier relationship between the consumer and their new phone. Able to control exactly what you need and when, the detox mode helps prioritise the things you really need your phone for in certain hours of the day. By categorising the apps, it allows you a fully custom and relaxed phone experience. This is also what makes the Skyline so suited to younger people, particularly if its their first phone.

The sum of the (repairable) parts

Arguably, the main feature of the phone is the repairability factor. Outside of the Fairphone 5, I've never seen a phone that is more user-friendly to repair and mend than this one. An additional benefit is that compared to the Fairphone, which relies on modules, the Skyline asks you to get familiar with the components you're replacing, leading to a more informative (if slightly more intense) repair experience. This works to the benefit of the phone, as it can help increase confidence in the user that they would be able to perform such a repair themselves on a different device in future. I'll stop dallying in the psychology and actually get onto the methods of repair, and how I found it to be.

Getting the back off is a little tricky without pry tools. However, it's still possible with the right screwdriver bit along with something as simple as an old plastic gift card. Compare this to other major brands where the process would involve heating the phone on a hot table and then trying to carefully peel the back off while also adding in pry tools along the way. After, you'd need to reapply the adhesive along the back to maintain a good seal, whereas, with the Skyline, you just press the back on again once you're finished. The clips line up well, and the camera acts as a helpful guide to getting it in the right spot. Just squeezing with your hands is enough to get it back on again. I went through this process twice and found it easier the second time around, though I wouldn't advise taking the back off regularly.

What remains impressive about the ease with which you can remove the back is the water and dust-proof rating. At a decently high IP54, the phone is safe from water splashes and protected (but not proof) from dust. However, compared to most other flagships, the number is low (many reaching up to IP68). Though, for a seal that can be maintained by the user with no additional adhesive, it's still astoundingly good.

Now you've managed to get the back open, the help for your repair doesn't stop there. As you'll notice in the photos, some of the screws are a very fetching blue. That isn't just for aesthetics; it marks which screws are needed to be removed for a specific part and is built into the repair guides HMD offer on their website and through iFixit. HMD took some lessons from their similarly repairable Nokia G22, especially when it comes to the method for removing and replacing the battery. Though they are still in the early days of official HMD development, they are keen to look back on previous models and take inspiration when needed. The Skyline feels like a big step forward, with their Fusion model keeping the repairability and adding on a modular smartphone function.

In an age of technology, where companies seek to make things as hard as possible for the end user to repair, despite big steps in the right-to-repair scene, it's refreshing to see a company dedicated not only to the user but also to the environment. E-waste is a constantly evolving issue that is not going away any time soon despite the plethora of tech recycling schemes out there. HMD offers a cleaner and more cost-efficient solution, and with the price they charge for their flagships, you are questioning why other companies won't follow suit. Fairphone was the first company to be founded on the belief of user repair. HMD is one of the oldest dogs in the race, but it shows that it can still learn new tricks.

Price and competition

At £400, the Skyline is half the cost of flagship phones from brands like Samsung but about twice the price of what would be considered a budget phone. There aren't many phones that fit into this price bracket. Mid-tier phones tend to be more of a bridge between budget and high-end rather than offering anything as new as the Skyline does. As a phone with repairability in mind, the closest comparison would probably be the Fairphone 5, which uses modules to fix it rather than individual parts. The Skyline offers OEM parts from iFixit at competitive prices, on par with those from Fairphone, though the process of fixing the device may be somewhat more complex. But I think that's a good thing.

If someone wants to learn how to repair technology or even just investigate how their tech works, the HMD Skyline is perfect. I wish I had access to a phone like this when I was younger, then I think it would have been easier for me to learn how to repair my own devices in future. It's a lot of money for something that ultimately inconveniences the end user with the repair experience, but I think it's just right. The colour-coded screws help, and the rest of the repair poses enough of a challenge to learn something from.

If you look outside repairability and to other phones around this price point, it still holds its own. It has a great selection of components, all coming together in a solid phone that 2-3 years ago would have rivalled a flagship in spec. For the everyday user who isn't interested in running their entire life from their phone, this is more than enough.

Who is it for?

Given the price, it's a really accessible phone for most people. Not too expensive, but not so cheap that you'll notice performance issues from less-than-stellar parts. The construction is solid enough not to weigh you down, but is still able to take a drop or two – perfect for those who find themselves in more rugged terrain. The Android 14 software can take some getting used to, especially as I usually use a Samsung and found the experience to reflect the uncanny valley of non-Apple software. The Detox mode was a welcome addition to the other more standard software perks and is another reason why this is a good choice of first phone for a teenager. I'm not sure about it's suitability for those who are less technologically inclined, as they may find the software too complex.

Would we recommend it?

For the right consumer, in a heartbeat. Though I had my own grumbles with it, it was only upon reflection that I realised that the phone is built for change. Therefore, if I didn't like a certain aspect, I could just change it. I've done this with apps like GoodLock where I'm able to remap the navigation gestures to their old positions, instead of the vague gesturing employed by the latest edition of Android.

The Skyline is built to last, not just in construction but in nature. Who knows, maybe you'd even be able to get some micro-circuitry going and will be able to change things like the CPU in future. Until then, this repairable, remarkable device is here to stay, and the tech community is better for it.

More to consider

Who tested it?

Olivia Sheed is a tech writer for What’s the Best, specialising in gaming technology, computers and portable audio. An avid advocate on behalf of the Android phone as well as repairability in smart devices, as soon as this phone came up on her radar, she was very eager to get hands-on.

How we tested

For the duration of testing, the HMD Skyline took the place of my Samsung S22 Ultra. This meant it was out and roaming with me for plenty of situational testing, including watching movies on streaming services, taking photographs, browsing social media and playing mobile games. It was used without a case to get the best feel for the device itself. I had the back open multiple times, assessing its repairability and ease of access.

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Olivia Sheed is a Tech Writer and Reviewer at What's The Best. Here she writes reviews, how-to guides and articles across all things technology.

Her interests align with "anything nerdy". Olivia is an avid fan of TTRPGs, board games, miniature painting, and video games. Outside of that, she loves to discuss horror films, campy classics such as those from Hammer Film Productions in the 70s are her favourite for a comfy watch. An avid hiker, she visits the Lake District often, for both walking and wild swimming.