The Nokia G22 smartphone was introduced by HMD Global, the company that created Nokia. As the right-to-repair movement continues to gain ground, this is the brand’s first attempt at a smartphone that supports at-home repairs.
The G22 competes with today’s popular smartphones thanks to its large 6.2-inch Gorilla Glass screen, four cameras, 90Hz refresh rate, and long three-day battery life. Nevertheless, its attraction goes beyond its hardware and extends to what users may do with the phone’s casing. Users can swap out the G22’s 5050mAh battery in roughly five minutes, as shown by HMD Global product marketing head Adam Ferguson during a press briefing. In less than twenty minutes, they can also swap out the smartphone’s screen, back case, and USB-C charging connector.
In the past, users of smartphones had to take their damaged devices to authorized repair facilities.
This is not only inconvenient—users are left without a phone while it is being repaired—but also costly:
For instance, replacing the screen on an iPhone 14 will run you about $279.
When a manufacturer makes it difficult for customers to fix their cellphones themselves, it also lends an air of exclusivity and secrecy to a device’s internal workings.
Thanks to the expanding right-to-repair campaign, this is becoming a little less often. Owners of everything from John Deere farm equipment to US Marine Corps vehicles have emphasized how crucial it is to be able to restore their equipment in order to prevent exorbitant maintenance costs and lengthy repair timetables. In response, some smartphone makers, including Google, Samsung, and Apple, have reluctantly rolled out DIY repair options in collaboration with iFixit, a company that sells inexpensive tool and hardware kits and posts online lessons.
Nokia’s introduction of the G22 signifies a more fervent, cooperative reaction to the right-to-repair movement. The G22 is affordable, starting at just $189, and its iFixIt repair kits range from $25 to $55. According to Nokia, the G22 contains some recyclable plastic components as well.
Notwithstanding the reluctance of major manufacturers, there is a market for DIY and environmentally friendly cellphones. Using recycled plastic and aluminum casings, Fairphone creates net-zero e-waste phones with the latest iteration of the same-named gadget. It received a perfect score on iFixIt’s repairability grade sheet because it is simple to fix at home. In smartphone years, which is (sadly) an eon, it is also guaranteed to survive at least five years. It’s difficult to determine whether Nokia intends to long-term compete with Fairphone, but the G22’s release is encouraging.
