Summary

  • HMD Key offers a budget-friendly Android device.
  • The smartphone has a quad-core processor and basic features.
  • Priced at £59, it’s a suitable stopgap device until an upgrade or warranty repair on your daily device is complete.



Nokia wasn’t quick to pivot when Android gained popularity, choosing to stick with Windows OS for smartphones instead. However, the Nokia marque has since licensed hardware production to HMD Global, and this company is releasing a steady stream of budget-friendly Android devices. The newest addition to the lineup, the HMD Key, might surprise you with its price tag.

hmd skyline back cover on a white gravel surface

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Launches from late last year, like the HMD Skyline, make for perfect everyday carry phones. The Skyline’s $403 sticker price is already a far cry from flagship offerings like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 9. However, the divide in real-world performance isn’t as stark. HMD’s latest phone, called the Key, was just unveiled at an even lower price, and this time, you will notice the difference in performance.


On paper, the Key isn’t very different from your average smartphone (via NotebookCheck). HMD has retained software bits like RAM expansion support and Portrait mode, Night mode, and Pro mode for the camera. However, the key differentiator is the execution, because this phone is powered by a quad-core Unisoc 9832E processor, and has only 2GB of LPDDR3 RAM on board. That’s a processor about as powerful as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, but only with 4G radio support.

32GB of storage is the default on the HMD Key, but a dedicated microSD card slot allows expansion of up to 128GB. For photography duties, you get a 8MP rear-facing sensor and a 5MP selfie shooter. Don’t let the dual-ring design on the back fool you, because the second one only houses the flash and what looks like a depth sensor. The screen on the other side is a 1280 x 576 panel measuring 6.52 inches diagonally. It’s capped at the usual 60Hz, but you do get a headphone jack.



All this lightweight hardware is paired with a massive 4,000mAh battery, and as a result, the Nokia… Ahem, HMD Key boasts a 47-hour battery life. However, prepare for longer downtime with 10W wired charging support.


A killer price is the Key

Software does not suffer

While it might all sound like insufferable hardware by today’s standards, the phone boots Android 14 Go, which is designed to go easy on underpowered devices without losing many features. However, HMD’s announcement suggests you will be stuck with this OS version for the foreseeable future, and only two years of security patches will come through as OTAs.



You get all this for a bargain price of £59 (~$73), which makes the phone a great purchase as a stopgap until your new flagship arrives, or if you just need something to get by while your primary device is at the service center. It could be the perfect phone if even our recommended budget Android phones are beyond your reach, and as another benefit, it looks a lot like the slightly costlier HMD Skyline. However, buyers stateside will need to wait because, for now, HMD has only announced plans to release the Key in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.