“There is a very fine line to walk between a device which does what’s needed, and one that goes to far,” HMD’s global head of product marketing Adam Ferguson told me at MWC 2025. We were talking about HMD’s new Fusion X1 smartphone, and it tackles the problem of keeping kids safe online while not denying them access to a smartphone.
Is that what makes it one of the most important new devices at MWC 2025? Yes, and no, because it’s actually HMD’s holistic approach to solving this thorny issue that intrigues, and positions the Fusion X1 as one of the most powerful tools in the vigilant parent’s arsenal, which kids won’t immediately hate using.
It needs to appeal to parents and kids
The issue of keeping kids safe online when using smartphones isn’t new, but it has been gaining much more attention recently. Perhaps you don’t have kids and are wondering just how much of an issue it is, or if this is all just tabloid fear-mongering. HMD has done its best to illustrate why it’s a problem that needs addressing urgently, with research showing 52% of 8-12 year-olds have been approached by strangers online, and four-in-ten of those kids then prompted to move to an encrypted chat platform.
The knee-jerk reaction to this is for parents to refuse their children a smartphone, or to install intrusive (and often ineffective) content blockers. Or it’s for legislation to ban smartphones for kids under a certain age, or to heavily restrict them in schools and classrooms. Neither are good solutions, and ignore all the positives that come from kids owning a smartphone, and the general necessity of getting to grips with not only tech, but online safety too, from both a work and a social viewpoint.
“At the same time [the hardware] must appeal to the kids,” Ferguson continued, highlighting it knows the solution is not a job solely for software. “We were told by parents and kids [the phone] must be like the phone everyone else has, and if kids are going to accept restrictions, there has to be a trade-off.”
The Fusion X1 is the first step
On the box of the HMD Fusion X1 it says, “A smartphone parents can trust.” HMD expects the X1 to be bought by parents for kids around secondary school age, so between nine and 12 years old. It looks a lot like other Android phones, but is part of HMD’s Fusion range, where modular add-ons like battery packs, ring lights, and game controllers can be attached to the body.
Why will parents trust it? It’s directly linked to the Xplora app installed on your phone, where the X1 can be entirely managed remotely. This includes locking out certain apps, setting app timers, whitelisting contacts, checking the device’s location, making check-in calls, and even allowing access to the Google Play Store or not. Xplora is a subscription service, and it costs five British pounds per month, or about $6.30.
Much of this functionality is already available elsewhere, so what makes the Fusion X1 and Xplora different, and more important? It’s the approach to long-term thinking on HMD’s part. The Xplora app isn’t a straight up content filter. There’s room for growth built into it, just like the Fusion X1, so it can become more than just a basic, heavily restricted phone over time. The two complement each other very well.
Using the Xplora app
I used the Xplora app on an HMD Skyline, which was linked to a Fusion X1. It was fairly easy to choose which apps were available on the X1, and when I removed access they immediately disappeared from the phone. The control center showed the phone’s location, the amount of time it had been used, and a big “Call” button ready to connect directly to the phone. The X1 could be made as simple or as complex as you liked.
But what if I, as a parent, knew very little about online dangers children face outside of what I’d read in tabloid headlines? I’d want to know more before trying to set digital boundaries HMD’s Better Phone Project has a series of videos which help parents better understand kids’ relationship with smartphones, social media, and online behavior. I would have paid less attention to the Fusion X1 if HMD wasn’t so proactive in engaging with parents and kids in both a learning and a teaching capacity. When I was talking to Ferguson about the X1, it was clear this wasn’t just a project for the brand either, it’s a big part of its future plans.
Ferguson explained the Fusion X1 is the “middle” device in a series. In the summer it’s going to bring out a phone aimed at younger owners, which is the result of talks with parents and kids through the Better Phone Project, and then a further device again aimed at older kids graduating from the Fusion X1. There’s a trajectory for the hardware, and this is reflected in the software too.
Using the Xplora app it was obvious just how much granular control you have over the X1, and this means that over time and through conversations with your kids, the phone can change and grow as everyone becomes more knowledgeable and aware. If they want to play Fortnite, parents will understand why because the Xplora app essentially forces a conversation about it. I love that the pairing should prompt talks around the healthy and safe use of tech, and doesn’t just ignore the fact kids want, and need, a smartphone today.
A better way to improve online safety
HMD’s intention is for the Fusion X1 and Xplora app to open up conversations, and teach both kids and adults together about the best way to improve online safety, and then set a clear path for growth over time until a tool like Xplora or a phone like the X1 is no longer needed. Throwing a blanket content lock or filter on a phone is the wrong way to approach the situation, and teaches neither kid nor adult anything. Any kind of ban won’t work either, as history has long showed us, whether its attempts at banning books, films, or games.
HMD has paired an interesting modular phone with software that doesn’t just aim to control kids’ activities on their phones or online, but to provide safe spaces and room to grow through conversations, interaction, and joint understanding. It’s backed up by a seemingly long-term brand strategy too, so it’s not just a one-and-done phone, where those who have got involved now can’t see any progression in the future.
It’s a healthy and refreshing approach to a subject fraught with emotion, where snap decisions can have long-term negative consequences. This is why the Fusion X1 is one of the most important new smartphones at MWC 2025.
