Last month, HMD Global launched its newest feature phones – HMD 105 and HMD 110 under its HMD brand name for the first time in India. The HMD 105 feature phone is priced at ₹999 while the HMD 110 which is the upper variant is priced at ₹1,199. The smartphone comes with built-in UPI, a 1,000 mAh battery that delivers up to 18 days of standby time, an IP52 water-resistant design, an MP3 player, FM Radio, call recording, multilingual support, and more. Here’s what we have to say about the feature phone in our HMD 105 review.
Design, Display, & Build Quality
In terms of design, the HMD 105 looks pretty much classic and offers decent build quality overall. It’s quite handy weighing about 77.5 grams and sports a 2-inch QQVGA screen with a keypad and HMD branding at the center as you can see in the images. The back is made from polycarbonate material with nano textures and the phone supports IP52 water-resistant rating.
The buttons are large and clear for easier typing. It has a torch at the top while the bottom has a 3.5 mm jack for wired earphones, a micro USB port, and a lanyard hole. The textured back gives you a grip while it can also be removed to insert the battery, SIMs, and a microSD card. Unfortunately, it uses 2G connectivity which means you won’t be able to connect at faster speeds, but this doesn’t make sense due to the lack of a web browser on it.
Software, Performance, & Features
The HMD 105 uses a customized interface that offers a few in-built apps like Music Player, FM Radio (wired & wireless), Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Alarm, Voice Recorder, Snake game, GS Pay, and Files Manager. We didn’t find any web browser on the phone. It packs 4 MB RAM and 4 MB internal storage that expands up to 32 GB microSD card support and the performance is suitable for a feature phone.
You can quickly dial numbers with the quick dialer, send messages, and access the apps using the shortcut button. You can save up to 2,000 contacts on the phone. In our experience, some keys were buggy responding to even a slight touch. This could be some issue with the keypad or a manufacturing defect.
What’s good is the louder volumes, the audio output is extremely high and the call quality is loud and clear which helps you to talk in noisy places. The overall call and audio experience was impressive on this phone. Another feature is the UPI transactions on the phone via the GS Pay app allowing users to make payments either via mobile number or UPI ID.
To make a UPI payment, the user needs to enter the mobile number or UPI ID of the payee, the amount that needs to be sent, and the UPI PIN. Upon confirmation, the payment is successfully completed and the user gets a notification.
Battery Life & Charging
For battery life, the HMD 105 offers a 1,000 mAh battery that lasts up to 18 days on standby according to the company, expect the battery to last longer at least a week or even more on a single charge depending on your usage patterns. The feature phones usually last more compared to smartphones.
Verdict – HMD 105 Feature Phone Review
For a feature phone, the HMD 105 has several handy features such as an MP3 player, built-in UPI, FM Radio, call recording, built-in torch, IP52 rating, dual SIM, microSD card support, removable battery, multilingual support, and a 1,000 mAh battery that delivers up to 18 days of standby time. It also has louder volumes and clear call quality. However, you don’t get 3G/4G connectivity, a web browser, and a camera to scan UPI codes. In our experience, some keys were buggy responding on a slight touch. Otherwise, the phone is good for its ₹999 price. If you are looking for a feature phone for calling, long battery life, and for listening to music and FM radio, the HMD 105 is one of the few suitable options in this budget. The HMD 105 is available in retail stores, e-commerce sites, and the HMD official website.
