HMD puts the human back in mobile devices

Focusing on family, football, fantastic feature phones, magnetic power, and more, Human Mobile Devices (HMD) celebrates better technology at Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025

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Start-up Human Mobile Devices, just over a year into its bold rebrand, welcomed acclaimed entrepreneur, actress, and mother of two, Drew Barrymore, to the stage at MWC 2025 to share her passionate views on screen time.

Mum, entrepreneur and actress exclaimed: “Technology has taken advantage of the tired parent. It’s time to redefine how we live. Patience from the past meets future-forward technology. I started this for my children, but I also truly want it for myself, and for you.”

Barrymore also teased an upcoming collaboration set to disrupt the status quo by tackling the ‘status scroll.’ She hinted at the code name of this new initiative; ‘Project Wildflower’.

HMD debuts new family portfolio demonstrating better technology for families with the aim to solve a global mental health crisis that is being caused by excessive screen time, and to support online safety for minors. The first device to launch under the new family umbrella, HMD Fusion X1, is announced following new research unveiled today from HMD which surveyed 25,000 children and adults from around the world1 – the findings reveal more than half of children have been contacted by strangers online.

The HMD Fusion X1, in partnership with Xplora is set to lay the foundation for teen’s healthy digital habits with parental controls and no social media and or internet unless enabled by the teen’s guardian. MWC 2025 also sees the first HMD x FC Barcelona devices launched: HMD Barça 3210, and HMD Barça Fusion, with fan-focused highlights and surprises throughout each experience including a note from Lewandowski and other Barca players. Not forgetting its feature phone heritage, HMD also announces HMD 130 and HMD 150 Music, two speaker-centric phones packed with booming sound, FM radios, durable designs and superb battery life, and HMD 2660 Flip, combining chic flip phone styling with digital detox simplicity.

From phones to audio; HMD Amped Buds are the first wireless earbuds with a charging case that can magnetically power up your phone, so you’re never caught out without music or power.

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Jean-Francois Baril, CEO and Chairman of Human Mobile Devices said: “Our first year creating devices under the Human Mobile Devices brand has been full of highlights, with world-class phones launched, investment in socially responsible initiatives both at home in Europe and abroad, and double-digit volume growth of our feature phones, plus 2024 is our highest ever operating profit.”

“We have made great strides with M-KOPA, a leading African Fintech platform providing affordable finance, unlocking smart experiences and putting HMD devices in 2.5 million customers’ hands, made possible by our leading financing and security services. Our Better Phone project also worked with teens, parents and experts to understand how to introduce smart devices to families, and we’re excited to launch our first device built on its foundations, the HMD Fusion X1.”

“At the same time, security is non-negotiable. We’ve been listening closely to our enterprise customers, and in 2025, we’re taking our security commitment to the next level. This year, we’re introducing an ultra-secure solution in collaboration with our most trusted partners, ensuring customers benefit from the highest standards of protection

“With this renewed focus on human experiences, a new focus on the family segment and a continued focus on security and financing, HMD looks forward to meaningful growth in 2025 and a better technology experience for all”.

HMD Family and HMD Fusion X1

HMD Fusion X1 is the ‘first smartphone for teens’ from Human Mobile Devices in partnership with Xplora. It gives parents full control over their teen’s smartphone experience with the Xplora subscription – starting from €4.99 per month – while still offering a device teens can be excited about. The subscription features a customizable app and internet access, allowing parents to choose no social media and internet browsing or limiting them.

It also includes continuous location tracking at 20 second intervals with safe zones, emergency SOS calling, low battery alerts, and remote device access for parents. The School Mode function ensures distractions are minimized during school hours by locking specific apps and features when needed. All of these settings can be managed remotely through the Xplora app, on the parents’ own device, enabling them to adjust controls in real-time based on their teen’s needs and environment.

But the reality is that no single device can fully protect children from the challenges of growing up in a digital world. That’s why HMD is going further with its plan of integrating real-time protection against harmful content with SafeToNet. Planned to launch this summer on HMD phones, HMD will be the first mobile provider to use this technology, developed in partnership with SafeToNet, which provides on-device AI-powered protection—automatically detecting and blocking harmful content before it reaches the user, without relying on external apps that can be bypassed

The new family arm of the business comes off the back of HMD’s Better Phone Project in 2024 which saw HMD work together with families and experts to co-create a suite of devices better suited for children. In doing so, the Finnish manufacturers identified three key touchpoints for a child’s mobile journey:

• 8-12-year-olds: First Safe Connection: Building healthy digital habits early.

• 13-16-year-olds: Beginning smart journey: Gradually introducing features in a way that isn’t overwhelming.

• 16+: Adulthood Readiness: Preparing kids for open-ended tech use with years of thoughtful guidance.

With insights from real families and experts, HMD is developing solutions for each step.

Global research of almost 25,000 children and adults from around the world backs this movement as the HMD Better Phone Project Report reveals that over half of kids aged 8-12 years old (52%) think they’re suffering from phone addiction in 20251. The findings also cement the fact that when you give your child a phone, it brings strangers into your home – as four in ten kids report being asked to move to a private chat by strangers from the comfort of their phone,

Lars Silberbauer, CMO at HMD, on why this matters said, “Smartphones aren’t just tech—they shape childhoods, family dynamics, and society itself. Few companies are building solutions with children and parents in mind. We are working with parents to do exactly that. The Better Phone Project is proof that change is possible when families—not corporations—lead the conversation.

This is about giving parents real choices. The HMD Fusion X1 with Xplora and technology planned with SafeToNet are just the start. Together, we’re pushing for a future where kids are empowered to use technology in a safer way, and parents have the tools for added protection and peace of mind.”

Sten Kirkbak, Founder and CEO of Xplora Technologies AS said, “At Xplora, our mission is to onboard kids safely into the digital world. As the market leader in kids’ smartwatches, we’ve long worked to extend our trusted parental controls to smartphones.

Partnering with HMD is the perfect match, ensuring teens get enhanced safety from their first smartphone experience. With growing concerns about early exposure to social media and inappropriate content, we believe it’s crucial to provide secure solutions that put teens’ well-being and safety first.”