HMD Fusion tested: Good idea fails because of the hardware
24/1/2025
Translation: machine translated
The HMD Fusion is supposed to adapt to different needs with its covers. Unfortunately, however, the smartphone core is so poor that the entire concept becomes unattractive.
I have a soft spot for modular smartphones and the idea of being able to easily replace individual components. However, no concept in this direction has been really successful so far. HMD is making the next attempt.
The manufacturer relies on a smartphone core that can be fitted with different covers as required. Thanks to the open source toolkit, you can even design your own covers. However, this is more interesting for companies and even they would have to be satisfied with a below-average smartphone.
Smart outfits could make the HMD Fusion versatile - if they were good
In theory, the idea sounds good. However, the cases would also have to offer real added value - and so far I don't see that in the Smart Outfits offered by HMD.
The core housing of the HMD Fusion is protected against splash water to IP54, but is not comfortable to hold. This is why the Casual Outfit is included with the smartphone. Behind this designation lies a plain, transparent cover.
Source: Jan Johannsen
HMD provided me with two additional outfits for the test. The Flashy Outfit adds a movable ring light to the smartphone and the Gaming Outfit is a controller for playing games.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The Rugged Outfit is the only case so far that HMD can hope to sell the Fusion to business customers. It makes the smartphone more robust and expands its range of functions, but is not yet available.
- Waterproof to IP68
- a second USB-C port
- Wireless charging with up to 10 watts
- two additional buttons: a push-to-talk button for walkie-talkie functions and an emergency button to call for help
More light with Flashy Outfit
The outfits fit very tightly, which makes changing them a little time-consuming and annoying. For me, that doesn't speak in favour of constantly changing the cover
The ring light of the Flashy Outfit is located on the back of the smartphone and frames the camera of the HMD Fusion. I can flip it up 180 degrees to illuminate my face while looking into the front camera.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The ring light has a short range of around one metre. Anything further away is not better illuminated by the Flashy Outfit. At short distances, it does provide more brightness than the integrated flash light, but I'm not convinced by the colour of either selfie.
I like the colour reproduction in the video better. Here, the automatic system copes better with the light and ensures a natural skin tone. However, only my face can be recognised.
Gaming only in a roundabout way
For the gaming outfit, I have to take the HMD Fusion out of its case. In terms of its dimensions, it would fit into the extendable controller, but then it wouldn't reach the "Smart Pins" connectors on the back of the smartphone core.
Despite the weak hardware - see below - an amazing number of Android games can be played on the Fusion. The buttons and joysticks of the gaming outfit make a solid impression.
Source: Jan Johannsen
There's one big catch, however, that speaks against spending 70 euros or francs on the gaming outfit. It only works with games from "Blacknut". A cloud gaming platform with a manageable range of games that I had never heard of before this test. The gaming outfit does not yet support Android games and other cloud gaming services. I'd rather spend a little more money on gaming on my smartphone, for example on the Backbone One.
A little more performance would have been good
The hardware of the HMD Fusion is poorly equipped, even in its price range. The 6.56-inch display has a refresh rate of 90 hertz and the low resolution of 1612 × 720 pixels is sufficient for a sharp display. However, the colours are not particularly vivid and at 600 nits, the display is not suitable for use in sunlight.
Source: Jan Johannsen
The built-in Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 does not perform as poorly in the benchmark comparison as the smartphone sometimes feels. Although all apps can be started and used, the user interface sometimes feels slow and laggy to me. There are enough devices in this price range that run smoothly. I can't recommend anyone to build their own smart outfits on a smartphone with so little performance.
The gain over the miserable HMD Pulse Pro is obvious. The HMD Fusion also performs better overall than the Galaxy A16 5Glink with title in Geekbench's CPU test. Nevertheless, Samsung's smartphone feels better in reality. This is also underpinned by the gap in the PCMark 10 Office test. There are no measured values for the GPU. The tests always terminate prematurely on the Fusion.
Depending on the memory variant, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is supported by different amounts of RAM. My test device has 8 gigabytes of RAM and 256 gigabytes of data storage. HMD also offers a variant with 6 and 128 gigabytes. The chipset provides the Fusion with Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6, which is not the latest standard for wireless networks, but is not a disadvantage in everyday use.
Two cameras for recording in daylight
The HMD Fusion only has two cameras. The main camera on the back has a resolution of 108 megapixels and the front camera has a resolution of 50 megapixels. They deliver good snapshots in daylight. I am satisfied with the contrast compensation provided by the software and the level of detail, but only partially satisfied with the colour reproduction.
Source: Jan Johannsen
Source: Jan Johannsen
The following three images demonstrate the effects of the built-in flash and the Flashy Outfit on colour reproduction:
Source: Jan Johannsen
Source: Jan Johannsen
Source: Jan Johannsen
On my colourful test wall, the HMD Fusion remains bland even in daylight. At night, the shot with the integrated flash is too dark and the Flashy Outfit brings too much blue into the picture.
Usable battery life
The battery of the HMD Fusion has a capacity of 5000 mAh. It is charged with up to 33 watts. This is okay, but is now slow among fast-charging technologies. The PC Mark 3.0 battery test determines a battery life of 10:20 hours. This puts the smartphone in a good position in comparison. The Pulse Pro manages 8:12 hours, while the Galaxy A16 5G manages 9:57 hours.
Shorter update period, easier repair
HMD delivers the Fusion with Android 14 and only makes a few adjustments to Google's operating system. Six third-party apps have found their way onto the device, but can be removed with just a few clicks. Visually, I like the monochrome look of the start page. I am not satisfied with only two operating system updates. Nothing comes after Android 16. Three years of security updates is also too short - especially when a company develops its own smart outfits for the device.
Source: Jan Johannsen
In contrast to the short update periods for the software is the repairability of the HMD Fusion. The display, back, battery and charging port should be comparatively easy to replace. HMD cooperates with iFixit, which keeps instructions, spare parts and the necessary tools in stock for several years. However, I counted 15 screws on the back. This makes opening the smartphone a lengthy process.
Source: Jan Johannsen
In a nutshell
HMD proves what is possible and goes in search of customers
I think the idea behind the HMD Fusion is a good one. However, the implementation is a disaster. With its weak hardware, the smartphone cannot be used satisfactorily either privately or professionally and the cases available so far do not add any value.
A slow chip, a dark display and a camera that only delivers beautiful photos under ideal conditions: The HMD Fusion is no fun. It doesn't help that it is easier to repair than other smartphones. In combination with the short update period, it may also be difficult to convince companies to design their own smart outfits.
For my private everyday life, I would rather go for another device in the price range between 200 and 250 euros/francs. Spontaneously, I can think of the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G or the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G from Xiaomi. They offer better features and longer software updates at a similar price.
Pro
- Customise with Smart Outfit for unusual needs
- Good battery life
- Easy repairability of display, battery, charging port and rear panel
Contra
- weak performance
- Short update period
- Cameras only good under ideal conditions
- Dark display
Header image: Jan Johannsen
As a primary school pupil, I used to sit in a friend's living room with many of my classmates to play the Super NES. Now I get my hands on the latest technology and test it for you. In recent years at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, now at Digitec and Galaxus.
