Nokia is continuing to focus on sustainability and longevity with the launch of the budget Nokia G22, which will go on sale in the UK and Europe in March.
The latest phone in the G-series has a design that allows users to quickly and easily replace parts at home. This is achieved through various methods, including using plastic grips for the back of the phone rather than strong glue, and building in easy-to-access screws to allow certain parts to be removed and replaced.
Many phones are very difficult to take apart these days, and if you attempt it you risk damaging the internals. But in a briefing where Tech Advisor was present, a spokesperson for Nokia replaced the battery in under five minutes with tools that could be found around the house, including a guitar pick, a SIM-tray tool and a screwdriver.
Nokia also estimates that a self-repair screen replacement will take around 20 minutes. We will be testing out some of these methods to see how easy they are when we review the G22.
It seems the company is taking a leaf out of Fairphone‘s book, which was one of the first manufacturers to make it possible for people to replace parts at home.
Customers will be able to use guides from the Nokia website to aid the process, and buy replacement batteries, screens and charging ports from iFixit, who Nokia has partnered with for this launch. iFixit also sells a self-repair kit for £5.
Nokia
A new battery will set you back £22.99, a fresh display will cost £44.99, and a new charging port is priced at £18.99. However, Nokia believes that cutting out the cost of manual labour ensures that customers make a saving. It would also mean no waiting for an appointment or making a trip to a store: you only have to wait for the part(s) to be delivered.
Although old batteries and damaged screens can’t be recycled directly through Nokia, the company will provide guides online which tell people how to safely and ethically dispose of parts.
Nokia offers an extended three-year warranty for the phone, which should cover any faults with a battery. However, self-repair will still come in useful for accidental screen damage, or if you prefer not to take out the extra warranty. And, as you might hope, self-repair does not void the warranty.
This is the biggest change for the G22, which otherwise is pretty similar to the previous generation phone, the G21. It still runs on the same Unisoc T606 processor and comes with Android 12 rather than 13.
However, the back is made from recycled plastic, and Nokia promises two years of Android OS updates and three years of monthly security updates. You can get the phone in a choice of two colours, Lagoon Blue and Meteor Grey, and it has 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB worth of storage.
It also has a triple camera led by a 50Mp shooter, a 6.5in HD+ display, OZO audio and 20W charging. None of these are impressive or unusual specs: the big deal here is Nokia’s commitment to reducing waste by encouraging buyers to extend the life cycle of their gadgets.
The Nokia G22 will also be available through Circular, Nokia’s subscription model for its products which allows customers to sustainably upgrade and earn credits towards environmental and humanitarian causes the longer that they hold onto their products.
Nokia
Alongside the Nokia G22, the company also launched two other budget phones: the Nokia C22 and the Nokia C32. All three offer up to three days’ battery life, according to Nokia.
The C22 is Nokia’s latest entry-level smartphone and has a polycarbonate body, Android Go, 2 or 3GB of RAM, 64GB of storage and a dual 13Mp camera. It comes in two colours, Sand and Midnight Black.
The C32 is the next step up and offers an attractive glass back (a rarity in the affordable phone space) in a choice of three colours: Charcoal, Beach Pink and Autumn Green.
It also runs Android 13 straight out of the box, a dual camera led by a 50Mp lens, 3/4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage.
Nokia
The phones start from the following prices: £149.99 for the Nokia G22, £129.99 for the Nokia C32 and £109.99 for the Nokia C22. If you want to pay for the G22 via the monthly subscription service Circular, then it will cost £9 per month with a £30 set-up fee.
They will be available from 8 March 2023 on Nokia’s website.
