The HMD Pulse is the base model, but we should note that all three use the same chipset – the Unisoc T606. We’ll get to specifics, for now keep in mind that this model sells for € 140/£ 100. Also shared between the three models is the 6.65” LCD, a 720p+ panel (20:9) with 90Hz refresh rate. It’s nothing special with 600 nits peak brightness and 70% NTSC coverage.
The cameras are what set the three models
apart (at least they are the biggest difference between them). As the base
model, the Pulse has a 13MP primary on the back (with autofocus and dual-LED
flash). The second module appears to be a depth sensor. The selfie camera has
an 8MP sensor, but at least it’s in a punch hole – in this price class it might
have been in a notch.
The battery has 5,000mAh capacity and is
listed as “QuickFix replaceable”. This doesn’t mean you can pop the back panel
off and swap the battery, but it does mean that you can do a battery
replacement at home in about 5 minutes with only basic tools.
The battery is rated for 800 full charge
cycles and the phone goes easy on it with only 10W charging. The phone is rated
IP52 for dust and water resistance, which is more than we expected given the
price and ease of disassembly. But maintaining that rating after replacing the
battery will require that you follow the instructions carefully.
Let’s go back to the Unisoc T606 for a
moment. It’s an ancient 12nm part with two Cortex-A75 cores and six A55 cores,
plus a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU and a 4G modem. On the Pulse, it is paired with 4GB or
6GB of RAM and 64GB storage, plus up to 256GB more in the form of a microSD
card. The HMD Pulse comes with Android 14 out of the box and the company
promises 2 OS updates and 3 years of security patches. The same goes for the
other two models.
