HMD’s Skyline is user-serviceable, but its Qi2 compatibility raises some concerns

The number one The Android smartphone feature I’ve been waiting for in 2024 is Qi2. This is the new wireless charging standard that allows for a MagSafe-like magnetic charging system, much like what’s available on modern iPhones. It allows you to magnetically attach a battery pack or magnetically stick your phone to a Qi2 charger for perfect alignment and faster wireless charging speeds. It even opens the door to other accessories, like magnetic tripods, camera accessories, and my favorite: magnetic chargers. car springs and bike racks.

So maybe you can understand my frustration that all of the Android phones announced this year still don’t feature the new charging standard. Even the recently announced Google Pixel 9 series still uses the older Qi standard. The exception? HMD’s horizona new device from the company that previously only manufactured Nokia brand phonesIt’s the world’s first Qi2-certified Android phone on the market, but that’s not the only thing that makes it unique: it’s also user-repairable and comes in an attractive neon pink color (!).

Magnetic Android

The first thing I did after setting up the Skyline was to place it on a MagSafe wireless charger I had lying around. It attached magnetically! Hooray! Except it didn’t charge. Weird. Then I took it to a regular wireless charger and had no luck. I tried it on over five wireless chargers, some a mix of Qi and some MagSafe-certified, and the phone wouldn’t charge on any of them. That’s where I was disappointed.

The Qi2 standard is supposed to be backwards compatible with previous versions of Qi, meaning older wireless chargers should still be able to recharge Qi2 phones. So what gives? Well, it turns out that magnetic wireless charging coils may not align with all Qi chargers, MagSafe or not. Some Qi chargers will work (HMD shared a preliminary list of several), but you’ll most likely have to buy a Qi2 charger. I asked Nomad to send me their new Qi2 support And the Skyline started recharging instantly when I put it in. I don’t like this limitation, but at least there’s a workaround.

It’s not all rosy. While the Skyline does magnetically attach to this Qi2 wireless charging stand, the strength of the magnetic connection isn’t great. The phone started to tilt to one side and, on its own, turned horizontally because it’s a bit top-heavy. Compare this to my Pixel 8 Pro with a Peak Design MagSafe case, which stays perfectly still on the same charger because the case’s magnets are much stronger.

This does worry me when I want to attach other magnetic accessories to the Skyline. Will they fall off more easily? I’m glad to finally be able to enjoy the magnetic benefits of Qi2 on an Android phone, but I hope this is just a lackluster implementation and not a sign of things to come.

Standard Android

The Skyline is otherwise a perfect place. good Android phone. I like the rectangular design, with flat, hard edges. The neon pink is especially fun, and I’m glad HMD is bold enough to offer bright, eye-catching colors. The whole package is a bit slippery, though. There’s no headphone jack, but HMD does offer a microSD card slot, which is paired with 256GB of internal storage.