HMD Pulse Pro
The HMD Pulse Pro is a modern and stylish smartphone that focuses on a seamless user experience, a long-lasting battery, and an impressive camera setup, all wrapped in a repairable design. Launched in April 2024, the HMD Pulse Pro is part of HMD's new line of self-branded devices, building on the legacy of durability and innovation.
How much is the HMD Pulse Pro in Kenya?
The Pulse Pro is available in 1 Variant; 256GB 8GB RAM.
Price for the 256GB Storage + 8GB RAM | KES. 18,000 |
The HMD Pulse Pro is a fantastic option for those seeking a budget-friendly smartphone with a focus on longevity and user convenience. The standout camera system and exceptional battery life make it a great choice for content creators and heavy users alike. Its repairable design and long-term software support are unique selling points that offer excellent value and peace of mind. It's an ideal phone for everyday use, and it's built to last.
The HMD Pulse Pro features and specifications
Brand | HMD |
Model | Pulse Pro |
Operating System | Android 14 |
Chipset | Unisoc T606 |
GPU | Mali-G57 MP1 |
Storage | 256GB |
RAM | 8GB |
Card Slot | microSDXC |
Rear Camera | 50MP + 2MP |
Front Camera | 50MP |
Network | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
Sim Card | Nano-SIM |
Display Type | IPS LCD, 90Hz |
Display Size | 6.65 inches |
3.5mm jack | Yes |
USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Sensor | Fingerprint (side-mounted), proximity, accelerometer, compass, gyro, barometer |
Battery | Li-Po 5000mAh |
Fast Charging | 20W wired |
Colors | Black Ocean, Clacier Creen, Twilight Purple |
HMD Pulse Pro Design and Build
The HMD Pulse Pro stands out in the budget smartphone market not just for its features, but for a deliberate and thoughtful approach to design and build. HMD Global, with its heritage in creating durable and reliable devices, has crafted a phone that is both stylish and surprisingly robust, with a strong focus on sustainability.
- Modern Aesthetics with a Purposeful Build
The HMD Pulse Pro sports a sleek and modern design that belies its affordable price point. Available in eye-catching colors like Glacier Green, Twilight Purple, and Black Ocean, the phone features a smooth, glossy back panel that gives it a premium look. While this finish is a fingerprint magnet, it complements the bold color options and makes the device a true head-turner.
The phone's dimensions and weight are well-balanced for comfortable handling. At 163.2 x 75 x 8.6 mm and weighing 196g, it feels solid and substantial without being overly bulky. The design incorporates smooth curves and a comfortable ergonomic shape, making it easy to grip and use for extended periods. - Durability and Sustainability at the Core
Beyond its good looks, the HMD Pulse Pro is built with longevity in mind. It's a testament to HMD's commitment to creating phones that last.- IP52 Rating: The device is certified with an IP52 rating, providing protection against dust and splashes of water. This means it can withstand everyday wear and tear and is safe from light rain or accidental spills, adding a crucial layer of durability often missing in this price segment.
- “QuickFix" Self-Repairability: A key selling point of the HMD Pulse Pro is its self-repairable design. HMD has partnered with iFixit to provide official parts and guides, allowing users to easily replace common components like the screen, battery, and charging port. This not only empowers users to extend the life of their phone but also promotes sustainability by reducing electronic waste and the need for new device purchases.
- Quality Materials: HMD has also made a conscious effort to use sustainable materials. The device's construction involves a combination of durable plastic and recycled components, and HMD's environmental profile highlights that the phone is free of many harmful substances.
- Other Notable Design Elements
- Display: The front of the phone is dominated by a large 6.65-inch IPS LCD display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. While the resolution is a modest HD+, the panel offers a good viewing experience for a budget device. The display is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i or AGC DT-Star D+, which adds a layer of scratch resistance.
- Ports and Buttons: The HMD Pulse Pro includes a convenient side-mounted fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button for secure and quick unlocking. It also retains a 3.5mm headphone jack, a welcome feature for those who prefer wired audio, and a USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer.
The HMD Pulse Pro’s design and build are a compelling blend of modern aesthetics, practical durability, and a strong focus on sustainability. By prioritizing user repairability and using high-quality materials, HMD has created a phone that not only looks good and feels solid but also provides a more eco-friendly and long-lasting alternative in the competitive budget smartphone market.
HMD Pulse Pro Display
The HMD Pulse Pro, a budget-friendly smartphone from HMD, features a display designed to offer a good balance of size, smooth performance, and decent clarity for its price point. Here is a detailed, SEO-friendly description of its display.
- HMD Pulse Pro Display:
The HMD Pulse Pro stands out with its large and responsive display, providing a great visual experience for everyday tasks, media consumption, and casual gaming. As a core feature of this budget-conscious device, the display specifications are optimized to deliver a compelling user experience without the high cost of premium panels. - Key Display Specifications:
- Size and Technology: The phone boasts a large 6.65-inch IPS LCD display. This screen size is perfect for users who enjoy watching videos, browsing social media, or multitasking with multiple apps. The IPS technology ensures good color reproduction and wide viewing angles, so content remains clear and vibrant even when viewed from the side.
- Smooth 90Hz Refresh Rate: One of the most significant features of the HMD Pulse Pro's display is its 90Hz refresh rate. This higher refresh rate results in noticeably smoother scrolling, more fluid animations, and a more responsive feel when navigating the user interface. While many budget phones are still limited to a standard 60Hz, the 90Hz refresh rate on the Pulse Pro gives it a competitive edge, making the overall user experience feel more premium.
- Resolution and Clarity: The display has an HD+ resolution of 720 x 1612 pixels. While not a Full HD screen, the resolution is sufficient for clear text and sharp images for most users. With a pixel density of approximately 265 ppi, text and icons are generally well-defined, though some minor pixelation may be visible upon close inspection.
- Brightness: The HMD Pulse Pro offers a typical brightness of 480 nits, which is adequate for indoor use and most outdoor scenarios. For bright sunlight, the display has a peak brightness of up to 600 nits in High Brightness Mode (HBM), helping to improve legibility when you're outdoors.
- Modern Design: The screen features a modern design with a small punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera, which maximizes the screen-to-body ratio for an immersive viewing experience. The aspect ratio is 20:9, making it ideal for watching movies and TV shows.
The display on the HMD Pulse Pro is a testament to its focus on value. It successfully combines a large, modern form factor with a smooth refresh rate, all while keeping the cost down. For consumers who prioritize a smooth and spacious screen for their daily activities, the HMD Pulse Pro offers an excellent display that punches above its weight class in the budget smartphone segment.
Camera Specs
The HMD Pulse Pro stands out in the budget smartphone market, not just for its "repair-at-home" design, but for its unique and compelling camera system. While many phones in this price range prioritize a high-megapixel rear camera, the HMD Pulse Pro takes a different approach, putting a strong focus on a powerful front-facing camera for the ultimate selfie experience.
- Dual 50MP Cameras:
The HMD Pulse Pro is equipped with a dual-camera system, both featuring a 50MP sensor. This is a significant move that differentiates it from competitors.- Rear Camera (50MP + 2MP): The main rear camera is a 50MP wide-angle lens with autofocus (AF), capturing bright and detailed photos in good lighting. It's paired with a 2MP depth sensor which is specifically designed to assist in creating professional-looking portrait shots with a blurred background (bokeh effect). While the camera may not be on par with flagship devices, it is capable of taking good quality snapshots and 1080p video at 30fps.
- Front-Facing Camera (50MP): This is where the HMD Pulse Pro truly shines. The 50MP selfie camera is a standout feature, a rarity in this price segment. This high-resolution sensor ensures that your selfies are not only sharp and detailed but also have a high level of clarity, even when cropped or zoomed in. It's an ideal choice for content creators, social media enthusiasts, or anyone who simply loves taking high-quality selfies.
- Innovative Camera Features for a Smarter Experience
The HMD Pulse Pro's camera software is packed with smart features to enhance your photography.- Super Night + Tripod Mode: This feature is designed to improve low-light photography by taking multiple exposures and combining them into a single, brighter image. While some reviews note that low-light performance can be noisy, this mode helps to make a noticeable improvement.
- AI HDR: This function optimizes your photos by automatically adjusting lighting and contrast, ensuring your images have a balanced dynamic range, even in challenging lighting conditions.
- FlashShot: Capture fast-moving moments with this feature, which helps to reduce blur and ensures you get a clear shot.
- Skin Tone Optimization: The camera uses AI to intelligently optimize skin tones, providing a more natural and flattering look in portraits and selfies.
- Selfie Gestures: A truly unique and fun feature, you can take a selfie without touching the screen. Simply wave your hand or make a gesture like a thumbs-up or a two-handed heart sign to snap a photo, giving you more freedom for group shots or creative angles.
- Night Selfie + AI Super Portrait: These modes are specifically tailored for low-light selfies, promising to render a clearer and more detailed portrait even in dimly lit environments.
- Slow-Motion Selfies: Add a creative touch to your videos by recording slow-motion selfies.
The HMD Pulse Pro redefines expectations for a budget-friendly phone by placing a significant emphasis on its camera capabilities, especially the front-facing one. With a 50MP rear camera and an equally impressive 50MP selfie camera, it is a perfect device for those who prioritize high-resolution photos, especially for social media and video calls. The addition of clever AI and gesture-based features makes the HMD Pulse Pro a compelling choice for anyone looking to level up their photography game without a hefty price tag.
HMD Pulse Pro Performance
The HMD Pulse Pro is designed as a budget-friendly smartphone with a key focus on durability and user-repairability. While its core performance is not its main selling point, the device is built to handle everyday tasks reliably and efficiently for its price segment.
- Processor and RAM:
At the heart of the HMD Pulse Pro is the Unisoc T606 (12 nm) chipset, an octa-core processor paired with a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU. This setup is a common choice for entry-level devices. The phone is available in several configurations, with 4GB, 6GB, or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The inclusion of higher RAM options (6GB and 8GB) is a significant plus, as it helps to compensate for the chipset's limitations, ensuring smoother multitasking and a more responsive user experience. - Real-World Performance:
For general use, the HMD Pulse Pro performs well. Navigating the user interface, scrolling through social media, streaming videos, and browsing the web are generally smooth experiences. Apps load and run without major issues, making it a perfectly capable device for the average user who primarily uses their phone for communication, media consumption, and light productivity.
However, it's important to set expectations for its performance. The Unisoc T606 chipset is not designed for demanding tasks. Users may experience noticeable sluggishness or lag when:- Multitasking with multiple heavy apps: While the generous RAM helps, running complex work applications, Bluetooth music, and GPS navigation simultaneously can cause performance to slow down.
- Gaming: The HMD Pulse Pro is not a gaming phone. Demanding titles like Diablo Immortal will struggle to maintain a stable frame rate, and even less intensive games may not run perfectly smoothly. The Unisoc T606 and its Mali-G57 MP1 GPU are better suited for casual games.
- Heavy background processes: Having apps update in the background can significantly impact overall phone speed.
- Software and User Experience
The HMD Pulse Pro runs on Android 14, providing a clean and a relatively bloatware-free software experience. This optimized software, along with a commitment to two major Android OS upgrades and three years of quarterly security updates, ensures the phone remains secure and up-to-date over its lifetime. This level of software support is a notable advantage in the budget smartphone category. - Battery and Charging
The phone is equipped with a large 5000mAh battery, providing excellent endurance. It can easily last a full day of moderate use, with some users reporting it can extend into a second day. The device supports 20W wired charging, which is a decent speed for a phone in this price range, though it's not the fastest available.
The HMD Pulse Pro's performance is best described as reliable and functional for its target audience. It is an ideal device for those who prioritize a long-lasting battery, a modern OS, and most importantly, the ability to self-repair. While its processor may not match competitors with more powerful chipsets, the phone excels at providing a dependable, everyday smartphone experience. It's a great choice for a primary phone for a student or an older relative, or as a reliable backup device.
Payment warranty and delivery options:
You can visit our store Phonetronics Kenya or have this phone delivered to your doorstep.
- Flexible payment options: Choose from cash, card, or M-Pesa for a convenient purchase.
- Nationwide delivery: Get your HMD Pulse Pro delivered right to your doorstep, no matter where you are in Kenya.