HMD’s Touch 4G: The Smartphone That Keeps It Simple
▼ Summary
– The HMD Touch 4G is a new device blending smartphone and feature phone elements, currently exclusive to India and not expected in the US.
– It features a 3.2-inch touchscreen, weighs 100g, and is priced at approximately $55, making it compact and affordable.
– The phone runs on a custom RTOS Touch operating system instead of Android, preventing access to standard Android apps.
– It supports group chats and video calls through the Express Chat app, which requires smartphone users to download the same app for compatibility.
– Key hardware features include a headphone jack, USB-C charging, and minimal 128MB internal storage that may necessitate a microSD card.
The HMD Touch 4G carves out a unique space in the mobile market by blending smartphone features with the simplicity and affordability of traditional feature phones. Currently available exclusively in India with no plans for a US release, this device aims to provide essential modern functions without overwhelming users with complexity or high costs.
Priced at just ₹4,999 (approximately $55), the HMD Touch 4G was unveiled yesterday and presents a compact alternative to today’s larger smartphones. Its design resembles a standard smartphone, yet it feels noticeably condensed, featuring a 3.2-inch touchscreen and an overall weight of only 100 grams. While its small form factor may appeal to those seeking a minimalist device, its capabilities come with significant limitations.
Rather than operating on Android, the phone utilizes a custom RTOS Touch operating system. This choice means users cannot install typical Android applications. Instead, the device provides access to Cloud Phone Service, a platform offering basic browser-based apps developed by HMD. Messaging and video calling are supported, but only through a dedicated application named Express Chat. Although Express Chat is also available for Android and iOS, convincing friends to download it becomes necessary for cross-platform communication.
On the hardware side, the HMD Touch 4G includes a headphone jack and uses a USB-C port for charging, a welcome modern convenience. However, with a mere 128MB of internal storage, users will likely need to expand capacity using a microSD card. This minimal storage underscores the device’s focus on fundamental tasks rather than media-rich or app-heavy usage.
Who said the small phone was dead? This model challenges the trend toward ever-larger screens, though it clearly prioritizes basic communication and affordability over advanced smartphone capabilities.
(Source: The Verge)
