The $149.99 HMD Vibe is one of the more affordable phones we’ve tested recently. It has a large screen and splash protection, but it lacks 5G, has mediocre performance and battery life, and runs an outdated version of Android with no promise of updates. We highly recommend spending $50 more on the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G ($199.99) for its better screen, better cameras, better battery life, 5G support, and long-term commitment from Samsung, earning it our Editors’ Choice award for affordable phones.
Design: As Simple as It Gets
The HMD Vibe measures 6.45 by 2.96 by 0.33 inches (HWD) and weighs 6.56 ounces. It’s close in size to the Galaxy A16 (6.47 by 3.07 by 0.31 inches, 7.06 ounces) and the $168 Nokia G310 5G (6.50 by 2.98 by 0.34 inches, 6.88 ounces).
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
The phone’s rounded corners look sleek, as do the thin bezels around the sides and top of the device, though the thicker bottom bezel interrupts the otherwise symmetrical appearance. There is a slot for SIM and microSD cards on the left side of the phone and a volume rocker and power button on the right. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, USB-C port, and speaker grille on the bottom edge. The sides and back panel of the phone are made entirely of plastic, but the buttons still manage to make a satisfying clicking sound when pressed.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
HMD offers the Vibe in one color: Charcoal. The dark gray rear surface is covered in a matte finish that feels cheap but does a good job of preventing fingerprints and dust buildup. A square camera bump sits on the back and is a darker gray than the rest.
Face Unlock via the selfie camera is the only form of biometric security available on the device. It works well, but I would prefer a fingerprint reader for greater security.
The phone has an IP52 rating against dust and water intrusion. This should protect it from light splashes but not from a dunk in the pool. The Galaxy A16 has a slightly higher IP54 rating, though it, too, isn’t fully waterproof.
Display: Big, But Could Be Brighter and Sharper
The Vibe’s 6.56-inch display has a relatively low resolution of 1,612 by 720 pixels with a refresh rate of up to 90Hz. Brightness is rated at 450 nits. The Galaxy A16 has a larger 6.7-inch display with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a much higher brightness rating of 800 nits.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
As expected from the amount of nits, the Vibe’s screen isn’t very bright, and I had a hard time seeing it clearly outside on a cloudy day. It gets completely washed out in direct sunlight, though I could see it perfectly fine inside under any kind of lighting.
Performance: Too Slow
The Vibe has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which can be expanded to 512GB via the microSD slot. It’s powered by the older Snapdragon 680 processor, which has been around since 2021.
Despite a decent amount of RAM, the phone struggles to perform day-to-day tasks. Opening and closing apps takes half a second longer than it should, and the phone stutters when too many apps are open at once.
(Credit: Geekbench/GFXBench/PCMag)
The Vibe performs poorly on the Geekbench 6 CPU testing software, with a single-core score of 412 and a multi-core score of 1,422. The Galaxy A16 beats it handily with scores of 883 and 2,020.
The GFXBench Aztec Ruins test, which gauges GPU performance, further confirms that the phone is limited in speed. It runs the test at 3.2fps, whereas the Galaxy A16 achieves 5.7fps on the same test. These are some of the lowest scores we’ve recorded for this test. High-end devices often score near 80fps.
Playing graphically intensive games, like Genshin Impact, isn’t all that much fun on the Vibe. The game works, but it is laggy and stutters, especially during moments of intense combat. Less demanding games, like Alto’s Odyssey, work well.
Battery Life: Underwhelming
The HMD Vibe has a 4,000mAh battery, which theoretically should deliver decent battery life. Sadly, that’s not the case.
I tested it by playing a YouTube video on loop over Wi-Fi with the screen brightness at the highest setting. The phone lasted 8 hours and 48 minutes on a single charge, which is significantly less time than most recent models. The Galaxy A16 did far better, managing 13 hours and 46 minutes.
The Vibe only supports wired charging at up to 10W, while the Galaxy A16 supports wired charging at up to 25W. The phone doesn’t come with a charger in the box, only a cable.
Using a 10W brick, the Vibe took 2 hours and 21 minutes to fully charge, while the Galaxy A16 required only 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Connectivity: Older, Slower Radios
The HMD Vibe has one physical SIM slot, is unlocked, and is available on the Family Mobile, Simple Mobile, Straight Talk, Total by Verizon, and TracFone networks. It supports LTE 4G, but unlike the Galaxy A16, it doesn’t offer any form of 5G.
I tested the Vibe on Google Fi’s service, which uses T-Mobile’s network. In testing, the phone only managed to record download speeds of 14Mbps and upload speeds of 6.78Mbps. In comparison, an iPhone 14 Pro got 69.8Mbps down and 17.4Mbps up on T-Mobile’s LTE 4G network from the same location.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
The phone supports the older Wi-Fi 5 spec. I tested it on a Wi-Fi 6 router, and it managed to reach download speeds of 173Mbps and upload speeds of 21.6Mbps when close to the router. The iPhone 14 Pro got download speeds of 392Mbps and upload speeds of 22.1Mbps when tested in the same location.
The Vibe also performed poorly at the edge of the Wi-Fi network, where it managed just 12.7Mbps down and 7.37Mbps up. The iPhone got 20.2Mbps down and 11.6Mbps up from the same spot.
The phone doesn’t have NFC for mobile payments.
Audio: Loud Enough for Calls
Phone calls on the Vibe sound crisp and clear. In testing, the earpiece reached 71.3dB, while the speaker reached 83.5dB. The phone is certainly loud enough to hear in just about any environment.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
For music, however, the speakers aren’t very good and have a hard time filling a small room. They also lack definition on the low end. I could barely make out the bass in our test track, “Silent Shout,” by The Knife.
To get the best sound, I recommend plugging in either wired headphones or using wireless earphones via the phone’s Bluetooth 5.0 connection.
Cameras: Uninspiring Results
The HMD Vibe has a 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth camera. It also has a 5MP front camera for selfies. Photos taken with the phone display poor detail and clarity, especially when zoomed in.
Main camera (Credit: Sarah Lord)
The pine needles on the tree in the image above look like one big blurry mess, and it’s impossible to make out individual branches in places.
The camera only offers 1x and 2x zoom. Here’s a look at the progression between the two:
Main camera, 1x (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Main camera, 2x (Credit: Sarah Lord)
Upon inspection, the bare branches of the trees look fuzzy and pixelated, while the steps in the snow appear undefined.
Selfie camera (Credit: Sarah Lord)
The front-facing camera performs slightly better. I was able to get the above photo of my sleeping dog using light from a nearby lamp.
The phone can capture video in resolutions up to 1080p, but the results are noisy and unappealing.
If you value taking good photos and videos, the Galaxy A16 has far superior cameras.
Software: No Upgrades, Too Much Bloat
The Vibe runs Android 14, and HMD isn’t offering any way to upgrade to Android 15. The company also doesn’t mention how many years, if any, the phone will receive security updates. By comparison, Samsung promises six years of OS and security updates for the Galaxy A16.
(Credit: Sarah Lord)
Moreover, the phone is filled with bloatware. Far too many apps and games are preinstalled, taking up storage space. Thankfully, you can remove the apps you don’t want, but it would be much better if they weren’t there in the first place.
Verdict: A Better Phone Doesn’t Cost Much More
The HMD Vibe’s low price is its most attractive feature, but it’s still not worth it. Though we like the big screen and decent build, the phone falls short in most metrics: It’s slow to run apps, it has mediocre cameras, it doesn’t support 5G, and it has shorter battery life than most of the phones we’ve tested in the last year. Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy A16 is better than the Vibe in every way. It’s our Editors’ Choice for affordable phones, and it’s well worth the extra $50.
The Bottom Line
The HMD Vibe is a highly affordable Android phone that’s held back by poor performance, limited battery life, a weak camera, and outdated software.
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About Sarah Lord
Analyst, Mobile
