HMD Global's first smartphone in India: Know all about 'Crest'
Finnish mobile manufacturer HMD Global, the parent company of Nokia brand, is set to introduce its first-ever smartphones in India. The company has announced the forthcoming release of two models, namely the Crest and Crest Max. The names for these new handsets were chosen through a social media contest on X, where users suggested names for HMD's debut smartphones in India. An event scheduled for July 25 is speculated to be tied to the launch of Crest series.
Naming journey: From Arrow to Crest
The initial name chosen for the new series was "Arrow," but it was later discarded due to legal reasons. After careful deliberation, "Crest" was selected as the identifier for this new smartphone series. Currently, HMD Global markets three Nokia-branded smartphones in India: Nokia C32, Nokia C22 and Nokia G42 5G. However, these models do not carry the HMD branding.
Speculations surrounding HMD's upcoming smartphones
There are speculations that one of the upcoming smartphones could be a rebranded version of HMD Pulse, launched in Europe earlier this year. In addition to the Crest series, HMD Global is reportedly developing several other smartphones. These include two mid-range devices and a rugged handset with specifications similar to those of the Pulse series. The upcoming devices are expected to be named HMD Nighthawk, HMD Tomcat and HMD Project Fusion, respectively.
HMD Pulse is an affordable handset with self-repair parts
HMD Pulse's main highlight is that it is affordable (€140) and can be self-repaired. Per the company, owners can "replace a damaged display, bent charging port, scratched back cover or a depleted battery." User can go to ifixit.com for spare parts and step-by-step guides. As for specs, the Pulse has a 6.65-inch HD+ punch-hole display with 90Hz refresh rate, a Unisoc T606 SoC, a 13MP dual rear camera system, an 8MP selfie shooter, and a 5,000mAh battery.
