HMD Fusion Smartphone Review

HMD Fusion Smartphone Review: The HMD Fusion was announced in September 2024 and will go on sale later that month. Initially, the smartphone will only be available in Europe but will soon be launched in the US and other regions. The HMD Fusion has a new modular design language that allows you to customize its rear panel.

This modular design also allows for quick repairs that are not possible on other phones. The HMD Fusion also comes with some decent specs on the inside, including 5G connectivity. HMD hopes that the new modular design along with 5G connectivity and other features will be enough to attract new customers. So, let’s get started with a detailed review of the HMD Fusion and see if this smartphone is worth buying.

HMD Fusion Smartphone Review

Highlights

1. The HMD Fusion has a 6.56-inch IPS display with 90Hz high refresh rate support.
2. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm SM4450 Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 5G chipset, which is capable of clock speeds of up to 2×2.2 GHz.
3. The HMD Fusion comes with Android 14 with a stock UI for a better user experience.
4. The smartphone has a dual 108MP rear camera system with a 50MP selfie camera.
5. The HMD Fusion is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports a 33W wired fast charger.

Design and exhibition

The HMD Fusion features a modular design that not only allows you to swap out the back panel, but also gives you access to some of the internal components for quick DIY repairs. You can even build your own custom back panel using the HMD Fusion development toolkit provided by the company. You’ll have everything you need to build the back panel using a 3D printer.

The body of the phone is flat, but the corners are rounded for ease of use. Also, the HMD Fusion won’t slip out of your palm as it has a stronger grip. Overall, the build quality of the phone is solid and should last a long time. Sadly, the HMD Fusion will only be available in Noir, which may be a bit disappointing.

On the front of the phone, you’ll find a 6.56-inch IPS display with support for a high 90Hz refresh rate. This panel has an HD resolution, which might be a deal-breaker for some people. However, the panel can reach up to 600 nits of brightness, so it will offer a decent viewing experience. There’s no protection for the display, but the phone is protected against dust and water splashes with an IP54 rating.

Memory and internal

The HMD Fusion comes equipped with the Qualcomm SM4450 Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 5G chipset, which can reach clock speeds of up to 2×2.2 GHz. This is a decent chipset considering the price of the smartphone and can comfortably run everyday apps, such as Facebook, Prime Video, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, and more.

This chipset is also pretty good for gaming. Its Adreno 613 GPU can comfortably run games like PUBG Mobile, Black Desert Mobile, CODm, Summoners War, and even Genshin Impact without any overheating issues. However, it is not a gaming chipset, so don’t expect high-fidelity graphics or high refresh rate gaming capabilities.

The HMD Fusion has 5G connectivity, so you will get fast download speeds and low latency during online gaming. Apart from that, the HMD Fusion can be purchased with up to 4GB/6GB/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of internal storage. The HMD Fusion runs on Android 14 with a stock UI for a better user experience. It even has a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is not available on all smartphones these days.

Camera

The HMD Fusion comes with a 108MP dual rear camera system. The 108MP primary camera can capture great photos with high levels of detail, decent dynamic range, and natural color tone. The image quality is pretty good for the price of the phone, but the same can’t be said for the secondary 2MP camera, which is pretty useless.

There’s also an LED flash if you ever need it. On the front of the phone, there’s a 50MP selfie camera, which honestly surprised us with its image quality. It’s capable of taking some fantastic selfies, and they tend to have a good amount of detail with a natural-looking skin tone. As for video recording, the HMD Fusion can record videos at up to 1080p at 30 FPS from both the rear camera and the selfie camera. Additionally, there’s gyro-EIS when recording videos from the main rear camera, so the footage will be somewhat stable. There’s no such feature for the selfie camera, though.

Battery and others

The HMD Fusion has a 5000mAh battery, which can last around 2 days or more with light usage. So if your usage mainly includes the camera, social media, watching videos, etc., getting a 2-day battery life won’t be a problem. However, if you play a lot of games, the battery will drain faster and may not even last a full day.

As for charging, the HMD Fusion supports 33W wired fast charging, which can fully charge the battery in around 2 hours. Apart from that, the phone also has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, GPS, NFC, OTG, and a USB Type-C port for charging. The smartphone is available for purchase starting at $280 (Rs 23,499 in India) approximately.

Pros and cons of HMD Fusion

HMD Fusion specification details

Below you can see the HMD Fusion Smartphone Full Specifications.

Conclusion

The HMD Fusion was designed with repairability and sustainability in mind, something you’ll rarely find in other smartphones these days. The hardware inside the phone is pretty decent too. The display has accurate colors and can reach a decent brightness. The chipset is pretty good and can run many of the latest mobile games. Even the camera and battery performance are pretty good.

The price is a bit high compared to other smartphones in the market with the same hardware, but none of them have the same repairability as this phone. The closest alternative phone is the Infinix Note 40 Pro Plus, which has much better features inside but costs a bit more. However, the final decision is up to you, so it is better to choose a smartphone based on your requirements and needs.