South Africans will recognise HMD as the company that resurrected (and then buried) Nokia, the latest death-and-rebirth for the Finnish brand. The Nokia brand has since been replaced with the company’s own range of tech, and that range is expanding.
Instead of just smartphones — even the rugged ones — the company is branching out into audio and wearables. The audio isn’t new; HMD has previously launched its Amped earbuds, and it’s following those up with a range of Dub-branded products, with the Dub X50 Pro being the one worthy of your attention.
The HMD will see you now
Why the Dub X50 Pro? Besides the name, which outstrips the headphones’ projected R500 price point, they’re packing a serious number of features. IP54 waterproofing, nearly 16 hours on a charge (60 with the case included), active noise cancellation, and ENC are all part of the package.
The company says that these wireless buds suit “dynamic routines from morning workouts to late-night playlists or back-to-back calls during the workday.” The words “rich, balanced audio” also feature, but we’ll have to experience that from a five-hundred-Rand set of in-ears before we believe it.
Also coming from the European mobile company are its new HMD Watch X1 and Watch P1 products. The X1 is the more premium of the pair, featuring, well… smartwatch features. The Watch X1 opts for a circular 1.43in 466 x 466 AMOLED screen, an IP68 rating, and a claimed five days of uptime between charges. The Watch P1 scales back more than a little, with a 1.83in circular LCD and an IP67 rating. Hint: You wouldn’t want to take the P1 into the pool with you. A shower should be fine, though.
HMD hasn’t said which software powers its new wearables, but they’ll support “over 700 activity modes, remote health monitoring, ICE call assist, and customizable watchfaces.” ‘ICE’, in this case, means ‘in case of emergency’. Not the other one.
A launch is planned this month in the Middle East, including the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Other locations have yet to be announced.
