The Nokia G22 smartphone has parts that you can easily disassemble and offers a repair manual from iFixit.
At the Mobile World Congress 2023 event in Barcelona, HMD Global, a Finnish company that manufactures and distributes Nokia phones, announced the launch of its first Nokia phone with repair capabilities. The new smartphone, Nokia G22, has a removable plastic back and other features that will allow easy disassembly of its components.
HMD Global said it is working with iFixit, a US e-commerce site, to provide guides and tools on how Nokia G22 users can do things like replace damaged screens, dead batteries and bad charging ports. There is now a Nokia G22 repair portal on the iFixit website, which gives potential buyers a way to look up how they could repair the device.
According to HMD, the Nokia G22 and the two Nokia C series, the Nokia C32 and the Nokia C22, have been built for long-term purposes, ensuring that the devices can fulfill their green technology goals.
“People appreciate long-lasting, quality appliances and shouldn’t have to compromise on price to get them. The new Nokia G22 has been purpose-built with a repairable design so you can keep it even longer, and with advanced imaging in the Nokia C32 and improved durability in the Nokia C22, we’re bringing even more value to the C Series,” said Adam Ferguson. , head of product marketing at HMD Global, in a press release.
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Nokia G22: Specifications and Cons
Diopter
- Operating system: Android 12
- Display: 6.52 inch 720 x 1200 display
- Weight: 195g–196g approx
- Colors: meteor gray and lagoon blue
- RAM support: 4 gigabytes
- Virtual RAM: 2GB
- Internal storage: 64 GB or 128 GB
- MicroSD Cards: 2 TB
- Battery: 5,050mAH battery, 20W fast charging support and estimated battery life of three days.
Buyers get two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates.
Two major drawbacks
The Nokia G22 is not protected from water damage, which means it only meets the IP52 standard for resistance to harmful substances.
Additionally, the Nokia G22 lacks 5G network support, which may be a concern for many smartphone users who are ready to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities of 5G connectivity to run their daily business. The lack of 5G support is surprising, especially when you consider that Statista predicts steady growth in 5G adoption for the foreseeable future and an estimated 5 billion subscriptions by 2026, including an astronomical increase of 700 million adoptions from 2022 to 2023.
Right to Repair Regulations and Nokia G22 Competitors
According to a European Parliament report, around 77% of EU citizens would rather repair a device than buy a new one. This development informed the “right to repair” regulations that force phone manufacturers in Europe to build devices that are not only durable and sustainable, but also allow users to easily repair them. HMD’s Nokia G22 is therefore one way to meet this new regulatory requirement.
“As consumers increasingly demand durable and longer-lasting devices, the ability to repair smartphones easily and affordably will become a key differentiator in the market,” said Ben Wood, principal analyst at CCS Insight, a London-based IT analyst firm. “CCS Insight’s end-user survey reflects this, with around half of mobile phone users in Western Europe saying they would like to have their device repaired at a reasonable cost if it breaks outside of the warranty period.”
With these regulations, HMD hopes to follow in the footsteps of other phone makers that have joined the “right to repair” movement.
Fairphone
Dutch phone maker Fairphone launched the Fairphone 4 device in September 2021 with repairability and sustainability at its core.
apple
Apple has followed the “right to repair” trend by launching self-service repair programs in Europe. Apple’s self-service repair shop provides consumers with over 200 tools, parts and repair manuals. Apple’s self-service initiative is currently available in eight European countries, including the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Italy.
When and where will the Nokia G22 be available?
The Nokia G22 will be available for the UK market on March 8 for £149.99 ($179.19 USD). Many will understand why the device lacks 5G support and water protection features. Other Nokia G22 parts can be purchased from the Nokia Phones Repair Hub hosted on the iFixit website. Changing the battery will cost £22.99 ($27.70 USD), while changing the charging port and screen will cost £18.99 ($22.88 USD) and £44.99 ($54.20 USD), respectively.
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