HMD has expanded its range of child-friendly smartphones by launching the HMD Fuse. The handset follows on from the HMD Fusion X1, the first in a series of devices designed for online safety, which the brand introduced at MWC 2025 in March. While the HMD Fusion X1 comes with the Xplora device management app, the HMD Fuse sports HarmBlock+, an AI-backed system created by SafeToNet.
HMD Fuse features on-device AI protection against explicit content
Unlike app-based child-safety features, the HMD Fuse integrates HarmBlock+ directly into the handset’s operating system. The company says that this makes the protection tool tamper-proof and impossible for users to circumvent.
The firm claims that the HMD Fuse is the world’s first handset that prevents children from capturing or sending nude content. Furthermore, the system-level AI prevents kids from seeing or saving nude and explicit images, even within a livestream. HMD claims to have trained this AI on over 22 million harmful images.
HMD says the Fuse starts as a brick phone, as it doesn’t have any socials and no access to an app store at first boot. Parents can set or block specific apps, set daily time limits on each app, and schedule screen-free times. Additionally, they can enable real-time location tracking, location history viewing, and alerts if a child goes out of the pre-defined safe zones.
There’s also a contact whitelist functionality onboard the phone, allowing parents to limit calls and messages to a list of approved contacts. HMD has designed the device to evolve with a child’s needs, as parents can unlock more features gradually over time.
Hardware-wise, the Fuse is a mid-range offering, ideal as someone’s first device
The hardware specs of the HMD Fuse are quite similar to the HMD Fusion. The device boasts a 6.56-inch HD+ LCD screen panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, powered by a Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 SoC. There’s 6GB of RAM onboard, coupled with 128GB of expandable storage. The device features a 108MP primary shooter and a 2MP depth sensor at the rear, and a 50MP selfie camera. A 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support keeps the 5G handset alive.
The HMD Fuse is currently available exclusively in the UK from Vodafone and Three telecom operators. Interested consumers can pay £498 at once or get the phone for £23 per month with a contract. HMD hasn’t yet announced when and if it plans to sell the Fuse in the US.
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