Affordable 5G smartphones HMD Crest and Crest Max with 50-megapixel front cameras presented

HMD introduced the Crest and Crest Max smartphones in India – the first models for the country under its own brand after abandoning the Nokia brand. Interestingly, the new products are manufactured in India. The devices boast 50-megapixel front cameras and 5G support.

HMD Crest. Image source: HMD Global

The smartphones run on the same 6nm Unisoc T760 chip with four Arm Cortex-A76 CPU cores, four Cortex-A55 cores, Mali-G57 graphics and a 5G modem. Both are equipped with 6.67-inch OLED displays with FHD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 90 Hz – the screen has protective glass, the back cover of the phone is also made of glass, and the body is protected according to the IP52 standard from dust and water drops.

The junior HMD Crest offers 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, front and main 50-megapixel cameras, as well as a 2-megapixel depth sensor on the rear panel. The older HMD Crest Max has an 8/256 GB configuration, the same 50-megapixel front camera, and on the rear panel it already has a 64-megapixel main, 5-megapixel wide-angle and 2-megapixel macro camera.

HMD Crest Max. Image source: HMD Global

The smartphones come with 5000 mAh batteries that are rated for 800 charging cycles, and the included charger has a power of 33 W. The case has a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a USB Type-C port; Wireless protocols include 5G for both SIM cards, Wi-Fi 5 (ac) and Bluetooth 5.0. HMD Crest and Crest Max run Android 14 – without pre-installed malware, the manufacturer promises. Improved repairability is also promised: with tools and a quick guide, you can replace the screen, battery, charging port and back panel at home.

The recommended price for the HMD Crest is INR 14,500 ($175), while the HMD Crest Max costs INR 16,500 ($195). The phones will go on sale in August.