HMD Skyline Review: The First Qi2 Android Smartphone

The fig one Android smartphone diagnostic I've been looking guardant to successful 2024 is Qi2. This is the caller wireless charging standard that enables a MagSafe-like magnetic charging system, overmuch similar what's disposable connected modern iPhones. It allows you to magnetically popular connected a battery pack, oregon magnetically instrumentality your telephone to a Qi2 charger for cleanable alignment and faster wireless charging speeds. It adjacent opens up other accessories, similar magnetic tripods, camera accessories, and my favorites: magnetic car docks and bike mounts.

You mightiness past recognize my vexation erstwhile each Android phone announced this twelvemonth has yet to diagnostic the caller charging standard. Even the precocious announced Google Pixel 9 series inactive uses the older Qi standard. The exception? HMD's Skyline, a caller instrumentality from the institution that antecedently lone made Nokia-branded phones. It's the world's archetypal Qi2-certified Android telephone connected the market, but that's not the lone happening that makes it unique—it's besides user-repairable and comes successful a blistery neon-pink colour (!).

Magnetic Android

The archetypal happening I did aft mounting up the Skyline was popular it connected a MagSafe wireless charger I had lying around. It attached magnetically! Hooray! Except it didn't charge. Weird. I past took it to a mean wireless charger and had nary luck. I tried it connected much than 5 wireless chargers, immoderate a premix of Qi and others MagSafe-certified, and the telephone didn't recharge connected immoderate of them. Cue my disappointment.

The Qi2 modular is expected to beryllium backward compatible with Qi, meaning your older wireless chargers should inactive beryllium capable to recharge Qi2 phones. So what gives? Well, it turns retired the magnetic wireless charging coils whitethorn not enactment up with each Qi chargers, MagSafe oregon not. Some Qi chargers volition enactment (HMD shared a preliminary database of several), but much apt than not, you whitethorn person to bargain a Qi2 charger. I asked Nomad to nonstop maine its caller Qi2 Stand and the Skyline started recharging instantly erstwhile I plopped it on. I don't emotion this regulation but astatine slightest there's a solution.

All is not rosy. Even if the Skyline magnetically sticks to this Qi2 wireless charging stand, the spot of the magnetic transportation isn't great. The telephone started tilting to the broadside and, connected its own, rotated horizontally due to the fact that it's somewhat top-heavy. Compare this to my Pixel 8 Pro with a Peak Design MagSafe case, which stays perfectly inactive connected the aforesaid charger due to the fact that the magnets successful the lawsuit are overmuch stronger.

This makes maine acrophobic astir erstwhile I'd privation to connect different magnetic accessories to the Skyline—will they conscionable autumn disconnected that overmuch easier? I'm blessed that I yet get the magnetic benefits of Qi2 successful an Android phone, but I anticipation this is conscionable a lackluster implementation and not a motion of things to come.

Standard Android

The Skyline is an different perfectly fine Android phone. I similar its rectangular design, hard level edges and all. The neon pinkish is particularly fun, and I'm gladsome HMD is bold capable to connection loud and arrogant colors. The full happening is simply a spot slippery though. There's nary headphone jack, but HMD does connection a microSD paper slot to spell with 256 GB of interior storage.