The HMD Key is the cheapest big-brand smartphone Ive ever seen

Date:
Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:01:15 +0000

Description:
HMD, which owns the Nokia brand, has released its new Key smartphone for the equivalent of $74.

FULL STORY ======================================================================HMD has revealed its new Key smartphone at an ultra-low price of 59 (equivalent to around $75 / AU$120) The UK, Australia, and New Zealand are the first territories to see the phone released No word of a US release yet

HMD, the company behind the Nokia phone brand, has released its new Key smartphone for possibly the lowest price Ive ever seen a big-brand handset launch at.

The Key punches in at 59 in the UK, and at equivalent prices in Australia and New Zealand (as per an official press release ). Theres no suggestion of a US release at the minute, though the UK price works out to about $75.

As users might expect, that low price tag means the HMD Key cant exactly
offer much in the specs department. Its one of the least powerful phones on the market, even by budget phone standards, and is clearly intended to be an ultra-low-cost way to access smartphone apps and services.

The Key comes equipped with a 6.52-inch display, with a peak brightness of
460 nits and a 60Hz refresh rate. At a resolution of just 576 x 1280, pixels are likely to be visible at typical viewing distances.

Internally, youre looking at a Unisoc 9832E chipset with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a slot for a microSD card of up to 128GB. A 4,000mAh battery is impressive at this price, though it only supports slow 10W charging. HMD claims a possible battery life of 47h, and though we havent tested this ourselves, its a plausible claim given the phones low-powered chipset and low-brightness low-resolution display. The HMD Key in Midnight Black (left) and Icy Blue (right) (Image credit: HMD)

As for cameras, there's a single 8MP rear camera and 5MP selfie camera, with various photo and video modes like portrait mode, night mode, and even slow-motion recording.

Even calling the Key an entry point to Android feels disingenuous, as the phone only runs the stripped-down Android 14 Go operating system. HMD has promised security updates for two years, but no operating system updates probably a good thing considering this phones bare minimum hardware. The handset is rated at IP52 against dust and water, meaning the phone is protected against moderately fine dust but only splashes of water.

All this said, its genuinely encouraging to see that a smartphone with access to apps like WhatsApp and YouTube can be made available at this price point. The HMD Key is sure to be a valuable option for those looking to spend next
to nothing on a smartphone that at least comes from a reputable brand.

And though the Key is understandably one of the least powerful phones on the market, there is a saving grace in the form of a 3.5mm headphone jack; a rare sight on even the most expensive handsets.

HMD has made a name for itself in recent years by pushing the limits of affordable smartphone hardware; see its Fusion modular phone and repairable Skyline flagship. The Key seems to carry this experimental ethos too, only this time pushing the price as low as possible.

For more news about Nokias quirky successor, be sure to keep up with our phones coverage. You might also like The latest Samsung Galaxy S25 leak promises lots of brand-new AI features Here's what the iPhone SE 4 could look like, based on all the rumors so far I want the iPhone 17 to get rid of the Dynamic Island but not for the reason you think



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/the-hmd-key-is-the-cheapest-big-brand-smartph one-ive-ever-seen


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