HMD Fusion, with modular design, launched at ₹18,000
What's the story
HMD Global has launched its latest smartphone, Fusion, in the Indian market. It was first previewed at Mobile World Congress earlier this year before debuting at IFA Berlin. Fusion marks HMD's bid to popularize modular smartphones that can be easily customized and repaired by users. The mid-range Android handset is priced at ₹17,999 but will sell at a discounted rate of ₹15,999 starting November 29. The company is also providing "outfits" or interchangeable covers worth ₹5,999 for free.
User-friendly design
Fusion's unique modularity and repairability features
With user-friendly modularity in mind, the Fusion comes with pogo pins on its back to support outfits. These are basically cases capable of transferring both power and data. HMD has already developed some smart outfits for the Fusion, including a light ring around the camera module, a game controller outfit that turns the smartphone into a handheld console, and one that adds wireless charging support.
Enhanced protection
Fusion's advanced rugged outfit and 3rd-party development
Along with the first smart outfits, HMD has also unveiled a rugged outfit for the Fusion. It comes with IP68 water resistance, an SOS button, and a push-to-talk button. The company is also inviting third-party developers to create their own open-source smart outfits for the phone, further enhancing its customization capabilities. HMD has recently moved away from high-end smartphones and has been focusing on more unconventional and experimental mid-range devices.
Tech specs
Fusion's specifications and user-repairable design
The Fusion packs a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, a 90Hz display, a 108MP camera, and a massive 5,000mAh battery. It promises two Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates. The device is also designed to be user-repairable without voiding the warranty. You can easily access its internals by removing screws and replace parts like the display, battery or charging port with just a screwdriver.