Nokia adds to right to repair sentiments with new G22 handset

Launched just before Mobile World Conference in Barcelona, the move signals a trend of major mobile manufacturers trying to add longevity to their devices as sentiments of sustainability bubble among consumer and their purchasing choices.

The Nokia G22, as it’s dubbed, has a 6.53” screen, ‘large-capacity’ battery, 50MP camera and a fingerprint scanner. It runs Android 12 and will be supported for three years of monthly security updates and two major Android version upgrades. It also has a removable back and internal design that allows components to be easily unscrewed and swapped out including the battery, screen and charging port. And it’s not just the repair aspect that makes this model more sustainable than other handsets on the market. The G22 is partially made of recycled plastic.

The company’s phones manufacturer HMD Global will also make “quick fix” repair guides and genuine parts available for five years via iFixit and promise to offer affordable professional repair options.

“People value long-lasting, quality devices and they shouldn’t have to compromise on price to get them. The new Nokia G22 is purposefully built with a repairable design so you can keep it even longer,” said Adam Ferguson, Head of Product Marketing for HMD Global said

This handset marks another notch in the ‘right to repair’ campaign as mobile manufactuers begin offering repair guides. Previously, companies like Apple had been slow to adopt any out of store repairs, with iFixit having found there was not even an instruction manual on how to repair its iBook. Yet, Apple’s announcement in 2021 of ‘Self Service Repair’ mere weeks after the update of the ‘most ethical and repairable smartphone’ Fairphone 4 and now Nokia’s G22 indicate the direction of industry sentiments.

The Nokia G22 released on 8^th March retails for £149.99 shipping, with replacement parts costing £18.99 for a charging port, £22.99 for a battery and £44.99 for a screen.

HMD also announced it would begin the first steps of manufacturing 5G devices in Europe in 2023, with aims to reduce the carbon footprint of locally sold devices and to enhance security, starting with a device for security-conscious industry before progressing to consumer devices.