HMD just launched the HMD Crest and Crest Max smartphones in India at an event, as it had promised. The phones pack a 6.67″ FHD+ 90Hz OLED display, and the company says that Corning Gorilla glass equivalent glass.
The phones are powered by Unisoc T760 5G 6nm SoC, which the company claims to offer over 5.1 Lakhs AnTuTu SoC. The Crest has 6GB of RAM with 6GB of RAM expansion and the Crest Pro has 8GB of RAM with 8GB of RAM expansion. The phones run Android 14 without any bloatware, and the company has promised 2 years of security updates.
In terms of camera, the Crest has a 50MP main camera along with a 2MP secondary camera, and a 50MP front camera for the first time in the segment. The HMD Crest Max has a 64MP main camera with Sony sensor, 5MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro lens and a 50MP selfie camera.
These offer ‘Hands-Free Selfie’ with gestures along with features like tone control and Beautify, slow-motion, AI Super Portrait mode, Flash shot feature that allows users to capture moving subjects with ease, and Tripod Mode for long-exposure photography.
The phones feature a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and pack a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging with the charger in the box, and the company says that it can maintain good battery health even with 800 charging cycles.
These come with Repairability 1.0, simplifying replacement of Back Panel, Battery, Display or Charging Port. This feature extends device lifespan and reduces e-waste, says the company.
HMD Crest and Crest Max specifications
- 6.67-inch (2400 x 1080 pixels) FHD+ 90Hz OLED screen with 20:9 aspect ratio
- Octa-core 6nm UNISOC T760 processor – Quad Core Cortex A76 and Octa Core Cortex A55 clocked up to 2.21GHz with Mali-G57 MC4 GPU
- 6GB / 8GB LPDDR4x RAM, 128GB / 256GB storage, expandable memory up to 256GB with microSD
- Hybrid Dual SIM (nano + nano / microSD)
- Android 14
- HMD Crest – 50MP rear camera, 2MP depth sensor, LED flash
- HMD Crest Max – 64MP rear camera, Sony sensor, 5MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera, LED flash
- 50MP front camera
- Side-mounted Fingerprint sensor
- 3.5 mm audio jack
- Dimensions: 163.86×76.42mm; Weight: 205g
- 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS + GLONASS, USB Type-C
- 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging
Pricing and availability
The HMD Crest comes in Midnight Blue, Royal Pink and Lush Lilac colours and is priced at Rs. 14,499 for the single 6GB + 128GB version.
The HMD Crest Max comes in Deep Purple, Royal Pink and Aqua Green colours and is priced at Rs. 16,499 for the single 8GB + 256GB version.
Sales starts on Amazon.in during Amazon Great Freedom sale in August, with Midnight Blue & Deep purple colour available for HMD Crest & HMD Crest Max respectively. During the sale, the phones will be available at Rs. 12,999 and Rs. 14,999 as a part of special introductory offer.
Commenting on the new launches, Ravi Kunwar, VP, India & APAC, HMD, said:
With the launch of HMD Crest and HMD Crest Max, we’re not just introducing our first smartphone in India – we’re ushering in a new era of mobile technology that puts creativity, sustainability, and user experience at the forefront. As we look to the future, HMD Crest line up marks a pivotal moment in the company’s mission to provide innovative and expressive mobile experiences to the style-conscious audience across India. The HMD Crest lineup is not only about advanced technology but also about aligning with the values of today’s Gen Z consumers, who prioritize devices that are high on value proposition and have contemporary design. We’re dedicated to continually innovating and delivering devices that not only meet the evolving needs of Indian consumers but also contribute to a more sustainable and connected world.
Mentioning about the new association, Ranjit Babu, Director, Wireless and Home Entertainment, Amazon India, Amazon, said:
We are excited to welcome HMD, Human Mobile Devices on Amazon.in, India’s most trusted smartphone buying destination. HMD is entering the Indian market with hi-quality, feature packed 5G devices with Design & Camera being the key propositions. We are confident that HMD will resonate as a credible alternative for our young discerning customers. We would like to extend our congratulations to the entire HMD team for the launch of the new HMD CREST family of smartphones & many more to come in the near future. This addition to our growing product portfolio reinforces our commitment to offer customers the widest selection of smartphones across various price points, enabling them to seamlessly upgrade to the latest technology.