The high-end may well be where a lot of the impact is in phones, but HMD has families in mind for phones this year, as well as earbuds, too.
There can be a lot of “me too” in phones, particularly as everyone tries to outshine the competition and come up with the next and best greatest thing.
But what if the next big thing wasn’t in the high-end? What if it was actually focusing on the mid-range, and for families and kids? That could be a sign of what HMD is doing this year, as it reveals plans for phones and earbuds for the year.
Fresh from Mobile World Congress in Spain, the former name behind Nokia’s recent handset — and also last year’s Barbie phone — is focusing on the family dynamic, shifting its HMD phones by making last year’s Fusion phone into something more for teens.
That’ll be the crux of the HMD Fusion X1, a handset boasting a 108 megapixel camera, 5000mAh battery, IP54 water resistance, and support for extra accessories like a gamine controller.
However, it’ll also come with extra features geared at families, such as a way to customise internet access for kids and teens, making it possible for parents to limit social media access, and even provide location tracking, too.
A school mode will even switch apps and features off during school hours, much like how HMD’s Detox Mode works on its other devices.
The Fusion X1 isn’t the only phone we’re seeing from HMD this year. There are also a feature phones (also known as “button phones” or “dumb phones”), arriving in the HMD 2660 Flip phone, as well as two bar phones with Bluetooth 5 support in the HMD 130 and HMD 150. Those last two are focused on music, complete with microSD support to turn them into a music player of sorts.
But HMD’s other push is the “Amped Buds”, a pair of truly wireless earbuds that can be stored in a small case, and include a little active noise cancellation, while also coming in a 1600mAh case that can wirelessly recharge a phone using wireless charging.
There’s no word on pricing for any of these, but HMD has suggested a launch date is on the cards for both the Fusion X1 and the Amped Buds, as well as the 2660 Flip phone.
Meanwhile, HMD has also announced that actress Drew Barrymore is set to collaborate with HMD in the near future, complete with something called “Project Wildflower”. What this is, HMD hasn’t quite said, but we’ll let you know as and when we find out.
