HMD made waves recently with the launch of an important piece of family tech, the HMD Fuse. This device is the fruit of HMD’s “Better Phone Project,” and it’s being hailed as the world’s first child-focused smartphone that is essentially “pornography incompatible.”
To recap, the HMD Fuse is a co-design initiative following consultation with 37,000 parents and children and developed in partnership with online safety experts SafeToNet (creators of HarmBlock AI).
Unlike a third-party app running on top of a base operating system, the HarmBlock+ technology is baked into the phone’s operating system that leverages AI to stop nude content from being filmed, seen, shared, or stored across every single app and the camera itself.
Under the hood, the Fuse is powered by the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of expandable storage.
The HD+ display is 6.56-inch with a 90Hz refresh rate, a massive 5,000mAh battery and a surprisingly high-resolution camera setup with a 108MP main camera and a 50MP front-facing camera.
While the price point might seem a bit high for these particular specs, what you’re really paying for is that unique, un-bypassable HarmBlock+ security integration.
In a world where online risks are soaring, HMD is doing something genuinely different and essential. Stick around as we take a closer look at the HMD Fuse and see if this device is the safety net that modern families have been waiting for. Let’s get into the review!
Being a parent of 10 year old Archie, let’s see what Lee (and Sime’s) take is on it. There is no magic bullet solutions, but Lee and Sime explores what it means when parents are facing children of different ages and development, and how to best protect them.
Availability & Pricing
HMD Fuse protected by HarmBlock+ is available from Harvey Norman and Officeworks, with a recommended retail price of $799 outright including a 12 month HarmBlock+ subscription (thereafter $26.95 per month).
DRN would like to thank HMD for providing the review unit.
