HMD Global, the company best known for manufacturing Nokia-branded phones, has officially entered the smartwatch market with the unveiling of two new wearables: the Watch X1 and Watch P1. Alongside the watches, the company announced six new true wireless earbuds in its Dub audio series, marking an aggressive expansion into wearables and audio accessories.
The Watch X1 positions itself as HMD's premium offering, featuring a 1.43-inch AMOLED display with 466x466 pixel resolution and 600 nits peak brightness. The always-on display functionality and animated watch faces come standard with the OLED panel. The more affordable Watch P1 takes a different approach with a larger 1.83-inch LCD screen at 240x284 resolution and 550 nits brightness.
Specifications and Features
Both smartwatches run on a proprietary real-time operating system controlled through the HMD Watch App, available for Android and iOS devices. The watches share identical sensor suites including heart rate monitoring and blood oxygen measurement, with the ability to track over 700 different activities. Sleep and stress monitoring round out the health features.
The Watch X1 carries an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance, while the P1 receives an IP67 certification. Battery life differs between models, with the X1 lasting up to five days on a single charge with always-on display enabled, compared to four days for the P1. Both watches use proprietary magnetic chargers and come with standard 22mm straps.
Color options for the Watch X1 include Gray Green, Black, Gray Metallic, and Silver Leather. The Watch P1 comes in Black and Silver. HMD has not yet announced pricing for the smartwatches, though reports indicate the P1 was already on sale in Southeast Asian markets last week for approximately $30.
Dub Audio Series Expansion
The wearable launch coincides with six new TWS earbuds in HMD's Dub series. The flagship Dub X50 Pro features Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, active noise cancellation, quad microphones, IPX4 splash resistance, and up to 60 hours of total playtime with 15.8 hours from the buds alone.
Other models in the lineup include the Dub X50 with 70 hours of playback, the Dolby Audio-equipped Dub S60, the ANC-featuring Dub P70, and the entry-level Dub P60 and P50. Pricing in the Philippines puts the Dub X50 at approximately $30, the S60 at $28, and the P60 at $20.
Strategic Shift
The announcements represent HMD's first foray into the smartwatch segment, a notable absence that has been expected for some time. The Dub audio products and smartwatches are rolling out across multiple markets, with the Middle East launch beginning in January through major retailers in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.