Render of new hybrid HMD phone gives off BlackBerry vibe
HMD Global appears to be working on a new hybrid phone running the RTOS Touch operating system.
HMD's new phone has a BlackBerry vibe | Image by PhoneArena
HMD Global, the company that kept the Nokia smartphone alive when it bought the name from Microsoft in 2016, started to phase out such handsets in 2024 and last year it started to commit to producing HMD-branded phones. Renders of a new device, based on design sketches from leaker smashx_60, show a hybrid phone with an old-school T9 keyboard.
HMD Global is working on a new hybrid phone that includes a touchscreen flip cover
The device also seems to have a clamshell flip that turns the phone into a touchscreen device while covering up the T9 keyboard with a touchpad. The phone will run on the lightweight RTOS Touch operating system, considered to be smarter than a feature phone, but not as complex to run as a smartphone. It supports the use of cloud-hosted web apps running on remote servers, and streamed to a phone, which keeps the hardware requirements low.
With the cloud-hosted web apps, users of a phone running RTOS Touch can access browser-based apps for messaging (via HMD's Express Chat app), news, weather, streaming videos, and other content, all without having to own an Android-powered smartphone.
Design sketch and renders of HMD's hybrid phone. | Image by @smashx_60
Where the BlackBerry vibe comes from
The leaked design resembles the old BlackBerry handsets with the keypad under the display. Those who like to use a physical keyboard can employ the T9 buttons to type. When the urge to use a touchscreen hits, they can pull the flip screen cover down to have their fingers navigate and type via the virtual keyboard.
If BlackBerry agreed to update one model, which one would you want?
There really isn't much information available about the new phone, such as a name, possible release date, and rumored specs. One thing that we do know is to expect great battery life. The HMD Touch 4G, powered by the RTOS Touch platform, is a compact phone launched by HMD last year and gets up to 2.5 days of battery life with a removable 1,950mAh cell.
Closer look at this hybrid HMD phone. | Image by @smashx_60
Who can use a phone like this
This might be a good phone for those who don't want or need a full-powered smartphone, want a phone that can go without charging for a couple of days, or want a backup handset that will be reliable. This could also be a fit for those who miss old-style feature phones, but don't want to give up all of the advantages of having a touchscreen phone.
We will keep an eye out for more information about this phone and as soon as more info is available, we will pass it on to you.
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