With an ever-changing digital landscape, it can be hard for parents to keep on top of what their kids are doing online. While parental control features and apps are nothing new in the smartphone space, HMD is taking child protection features to a whole new level with its new HMD Fuse phone.
Research conducted globally by HMD (which included Australian families) found that one in three children had been pressured into unsafe online chats. In Australia, a third of children had received inappropriate images via messaging apps.
HMD has created the HMD Fuse under a Co-Design initiative — in conjunction with online safety company SafeToNet — by consulting with 37,000 parents and kids during the phone’s development.
“When you give your child a smartphone, you bring a stranger and unknown dangers into your home. You can’t always watch them online, but now you have peace of mind that there’s protection in place even when you can’t be there, all while keeping their privacy in place. That’s why we believe this is a huge step forward in making a safer phone,” James Robinson, Vice President for HMD Family said.
“This is the first step in rewriting the rulebook on family tech. We’re not just giving kids access to technology; we’re teaching them how to navigate it safely. This is more than a product. It’s a safety net, a statement of intent, and a response, because no child should be put in danger because of their device, and no parent should have to choose between connection and protection.”
The HMD Fuse doesn’t just have protective features included in the form of an app or on the cloud — they’ve been embedded into the operating system.
Using HarmBlock+ to drive these features, this world-first AI system is touted as being ‘pornography incompatible’. It operates on the screen to stop kids from seeing, saving or sending nude content, and it also works through the phone’s camera to prevent kids from filming or taking inappropriate photos or videos.
Because HarmBlock+ is built into the device, not only does this mean that these security measures can’t be disabled or bypassed, but it operates locally and even offline. It also works across all functions of the phone — websites, apps, messages and the camera. Additionally, there is no data collection and user’s data, including photos, videos and browsing history, are all stored locally for privacy.
The HMD Fuse grows with your child’s needs
Another stand-out for the HMD fuse is that apps are opt-in — rather than disabling apps and access to the app store on the phone, you have to choose to enable them. This gives parents and guardians the choice as to which apps they want to unlock for their child and when.
In addition to HarmBlock+ protections, there are additional safety features included. Location tracking allows for parents and guardians to set geographical safe zones, while the contact whitelist limits calls and texts to only the approved contacts. While location tracking can be a battery drain, you can set up live tracking to check in 30 minute intervals to help save battery on both the HMD Fuse and the parent’s/guardian’s device.
Parents and guardians can access these controls on the parent app — which is compatible across non-HMD phones (including other Android devices and iPhones).
Another way HMD has ensured this phone can grow with your child’s needs is that you can self-repair the HMD Fuse. This can help parents save on repair costs if a child doesn’t take the best care of their phone, or for when accidents happen. The Gen2 repairability works on the display, back cover, battery and charging port, using iFixit self repair (repair kits will cost extra).
HMD Fuse pricing and availability
The HMD Fuse is available for $799 AUD RRP. While this may seem like a bigger price tag than some parents or guardians are willing to pay for a kid’s smartphone, HMD has included a 12-month subscription to HarmBlock+ by default. This subscription costs $26.95 per month, and while you’ll have to start paying the monthly subscription after those first 12 months, that is over $300 of subscription value built into the upfront device cost. HMD has also bundled in two phone covers, including one cover with a foldable LED light for improved photo lighting.
The HMD Fuse is available to buy outright from August 28, 2025, from both Harvey Norman and Officeworks.
As this device is only available to buy outright, you’ll need to bundle it with a SIM-only phone plan. Comparing a range of cheap SIM-only plans can help you find the one that best suits your child’s needs. Most mobile plans on the market include unlimited standard national calls and SMS by default.
HMD Fuse features and specs
- $799 AUD RRP
- 5G connectivity
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 Octa-core processor
- 6.56-inch HD+ display
- Up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Rear camera (108MP main + 2MP depth sensor)
- 50MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 33W fast charging
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage + up to 1TB Micro SD storage
- IP54 water and dust resistance
- Android 15 operating system
- Side-mounted fingerprint and face unlocking
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- Available in Noir colour
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