Fusion X1 is the first smartphone designed for teens that requires a subscription
When it comes to hardware, HMD Fusion X1 is a very basic Android smartphone | Image credit: HMD
Fusion X1 is the first smartphone that’s been specifically designed for teens, which requires a subscription. We’re not talking about hardware, looks or features, we’re talking about a completely new type of UI that puts teen’s healthy digital habits and parental controls front and center.This is very important because Xplora is what makes the Fusion X1 rather unique even among other phones that are supposed to be designed for teens. Xplora is a relatively new European company that was founded “with the mission to give children a safe onboarding to digital life and a better screen time and physical activity.”
I think it’s safe to say that every parent wants this for their kids. But that doesn’t come for free, so if you’d like a Xplora’s platform to be active on the Fusion X1, you’ll have to pay at least €4.99 per month.
Xplora's subscription-based app is what makes the Fusion X1 interesting | Image credit: HMD
An active subscription to Xplora gives you access to a customizable app and internet access. In addition, it includes continuous location tracking at 20 second intervals with safe zone, emergency SOS calling, low battery alerts, and remote device access for parents.
There’s also a School Mode that’s making sure your kid is focusing on what matters and distractions are minimized during school hours. Basically, access to select apps and features is restricted during certain hours.
All these features can be tailored to fit your needs. In fact, all the management can be done remotely through the Xplora app, on the parents’ own device.
At Xplora, our mission is to onboard kids safely into the digital world. As the market leader in kids’ smartwatches, we’ve long worked to extend our trusted parental controls to smartphones. Partnering with HMD is the perfect match, ensuring teens get enhanced safety from their first smartphone experience. With growing concerns about early exposure to social media and inappropriate content, we believe it’s crucial to provide secure solutions that put teen’s well-being and safety first.
— Sten Kirkbak, founder and CEO of Xplora Technologies AS, March 2025
While these parental controls seem pretty solid, HMD wants to do even more by integrating real-time protection against harmful content. In this regard, the Finnish company plans to launch on-device AI-powered protection, automatically detecting and blocking harmful content before it reaches the user, without relying on external apps that can be bypassed.
The Fusion X1 features a customizable School Mode | Image credit: HMD
The hardware side of the Fusion X1 isn’t as exciting as the software part. This is purely an affordable smartphone with basic features. For starters, it sports a 6.56-inch HD+ display with 90 Hz refresh rate and packs a 5,000 mAh battery with 33W charging support.
Under the hood, the Fusion X1 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 chipset and either 6/128 GB or 8/256 GB (expandable via microSD). The phone features a dual camera (108 MP main + 2 MP macro) and a 50-megapixel selfie snapper. Unfortunately, the phone ships with Android 14 and will only get two years of major OS updates.
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