Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai.HMD Global, the Finland-based technology company, has introduced a new smartphone named Fuse. The company claims it to be the world’s first smartphone that directly blocks nude content. To achieve this, HMD has integrated Harm Block AI, a model created by British cybersecurity firm SafetyNet, into the device.

The phone is designed to stop children and young users from being exposed to harmful content on the internet. Apart from restricting access to nude material, it also prevents users from recording or sending such content. The device even blocks objectionable movements during live streaming in real time.

Launch in England with Vodafone partnership

The Fuse smartphone has been launched only in England for now. It will be available as part of a bundled offer with Vodafone at a monthly cost of 33 GBP, which is around 3,800 Indian rupees. The offer also includes calling and internet benefits. Importantly, the Harm Block AI feature is inbuilt and cannot be removed from the device.

Designed with school children in mind

HMD has specifically created this phone for school-going children who need smartphones for their studies. Parents can feel more assured as the Harm Block AI cannot be disabled or deleted. The device offers several parental controls to keep track of a child’s digital behavior. Parents can monitor details of phone usage, including screen time and app access. They can also set limits for each application and even track the location of the phone in real time.

Privacy centric and AI powered safety

The Fuse smartphone is equipped with on-device artificial intelligence that works without an internet connection. It constantly monitors mobile apps, the camera, websites, and messages. The phone is designed with a privacy-focused approach, ensuring that photos, videos, and browsing history remain secure. Its AI-based content blocking feature automatically stops any nude content from appearing on the screen. For example, if someone searches for nude images on a search engine, the app will be blocked immediately. The feature also works in live chats by blocking inappropriate photos as soon as they appear.

Additional parental safety features

Parents will be able to lock and unlock apps, and only contacts approved by them can be saved on the phone. Real-time GPS tracking ensures that the child’s location can be monitored easily. These features make the Fuse not only a content-protecting phone but also a strong parental monitoring tool.

Modern and self-repairable design

In terms of design, the HMD Fuse is slim and modern with a textured back that feels comfortable in hand. The phone is self-repairable, allowing users to fix the screen, battery, or charging port at home. It comes in a single Noir color, which is a slate-black shade that gives it a premium look. Two back covers are included: one casual cover for protection against bumps and drops, and another “flash outfit” cover with a foldable LED light ring around the camera for better lighting in selfies and photos. Both covers are made of 100% recycled material, adding to the sustainability focus. The phone also carries an IP54 rating, protecting it against dust and light splashes of water.

Specifications and performance

The HMD Fuse comes with a 6.56-inch HD+ LCD display with a resolution of 720x1612 pixels and supports a 90Hz refresh rate. This ensures smoother scrolling and video playback. It offers peak brightness of 480 nits, which is decent in mild sunlight but less effective in harsh daylight. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass against scratches and drops.

The smartphone runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, built on a 4nm process, with a speed of up to 2.2GHz. It includes an Adreno 613 GPU for basic gaming and app use. The device is supported by 6GB LPDDR4x RAM, expandable virtually by another 6GB, and offers 128GB internal storage expandable up to 1TB with a microSD card. The Fuse runs on Android 15.

Story in a nutshell

• HMD Global launches Fuse smartphone with Harm Block AI to block nude content.
• Developed with SafetyNet's British cybersecurity model.
• Designed for school children with strong parental controls.
• AI works offline, blocking inappropriate photos, videos, and live content.
• Parents can monitor apps, lock contacts, and track phone location.
• Slim self-repairable design with recycled material covers and IP54 rating.
• 6.56-inch display, Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset, 108MP camera, 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging.