HMD launches Nokia phone that is actually designed to be repaired by the owner
- Reference: 1677511811
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2023/02/27/nokia_g22_repairs/
- Source link:
The [1]Nokia G22 is one of three handsets launched by HMD at this week's MWC in Barcelona. It is claimed to be the first Nokia smartphone to come with repairability at its core, enabling owners to replace a damaged display, bent charging port or dead battery.
HMD's link up with iFixit means that some online guides are already available to help with repairing parts of the G22, while replacement parts for the same are also available from the site, with the G22 getting a dedicated [2]Repair Hub area on iFixit.com.
[3]
The Nokia G22 was designed in collaboration with iFixit
As far as specifications go, the G22 is an Android 12 smartphone with a 6.52in 720 x 1200 display that weighs in at about 195g. It runs a 1.6GHz Unisoc T606 processor with 4GB of memory and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, plus support for up to 2TB MicroSD cards.
However, the G22 lacks 5G network support, which may or may not matter to buyers, especially as the device has a starting price of just £149.99 ($180).
[4]
The handset features a 5,050mAh battery with an estimated three-day battery life and 20W fast charging support. Buyers can expect two years of OS upgrades and three years of monthly security updates.
[5]
[6]
It comes with a 50MP main camera plus 2MP Depth + 2MP Macro at the rear of the device, with an 8MP front camera. Punting its sustainability credentials, HMD confirmed the back cover of the new phone, which is actually fused with the frame, is made from 100 percent recycled plastic.
HMD said the G22 will also be available from [7]Circular , its smartphone subscription service, for £9/month plus a one-time £30 setup fee.
[8]Half of environmental claims about products are full of crap, says EU
[9]Second-hand and refurbished phone market takes flight amid inflation hike
[10]John Deere signs right to repair agreement with US ag lobbyists
[11]Junk cellphones on Earth would stack higher than the International Space Station
According to CCS Insight chief analyst Ben Wood, the ability to repair a smartphone without too much difficulty could become a key differentiator in the market.
"CCS Insight's end user research reflects this with approximately half of mobile phone users in Western Europe saying they would like to be able to have their device repaired at a reasonable cost if they break outside of the warranty period," he said.
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The other two HMD handsets announced at MWC are the Nokia C22 and Nokia C32, both of which run Android 13.
The C22 is described as a "durability champion" due to a rigid metal chassis inside its polycarbonate unibody design. It will be available in the UK "from Spring" with 2GB or 3GB memory and 64 GB storage, and prices starting at £109.99.
Meanwhile, the C32 is claimed to "bring advanced imaging to an even more affordable price point" and will likewise be available in the UK "from Spring" with 2GB or 3GB memory and 64 GB storage from £129.99.
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HMD also said it is taking steps to bring 5G Nokia device production to Europe in 2023 as a "continuation of its commitment to conducting secure and transparent operations" in the region."
The British Computer Society reckons right-to-repair leigslation in Europe should make it easier for consumers and businesses to fix old devices, with around a [14]third of its members worried about cutting electronic waste .
There is a problem Stateside too: hundreds of thousands of smartphones are said to be [15]discarded each day in the US alone, according to Public Internet Research Group. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_gb/nokia-g-22
[2] https://www.ifixit.com/collaborations/nokia-phones
[3] https://regmedia.co.uk/2023/02/27/nokiag22ifixit.jpg
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y-zhtpuUBKRVigTypAQ9jQAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-zhtpuUBKRVigTypAQ9jQAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-zhtpuUBKRVigTypAQ9jQAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.nokia.com/phones/en_gb/subscription
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/13/environmental_claims_eu/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/10/idc_secondhand_phones_sales_bright_spot_in_crappy_phone_market/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/01/09/john_deere_repair_mou/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/14/international_e_waste_day/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y-zhtpuUBKRVigTypAQ9jQAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y-zhtpuUBKRVigTypAQ9jQAAAIA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2021/10/27/product_release_cycles/
[15] https://pirg.org/campaigns/right-to-repair/
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Be nice if the "spirit' of this could be extended to the OS so we could remove all the Google apps we don't want.....
the perfect phone for my son
whose phone has a cracked front screen, a shattered (and superglued) glass back, bent in the middle!
Seriously good idea and I hope more devices will be built like this going forward.
Re: the perfect phone for my son
Blackview and Ulefone, among others, make reasonable Androids that are pretty much indestructable.
Re: the perfect phone for my son
Had an Ulefone armor X10 when it was released and thought it was great, until I realised that it was *never* going to get a single software security update. Then, just over a year after I bought it, the touch screen stopped working one day without the phone being dropped or abused. The complete lack of repairablity of the Ulefone, and previous experience of broken phones meant I bought a far more expensive Fairphone as a replacement, which gets regular software updates and easy to replace spare parts.
Re: the perfect phone for my son
Don't buy your son an overpriced glas house phone and this might not be such an issue...
"As far as specifications go, the G22 is an Android 12 smartphone with a 6.52in 720 x 1200 display that weighs in at about 195g. It runs a 1.6GHz Unisoc T606 processor with 4GB of memory and 64GB or 128GB of internal storage, plus support for up to 2TB MicroSD cards.
However, the G22 lacks 5G network support, which may or may not matter to buyers, especially as the device has a starting price of just £149.99 ($180)."
So rather knobbled specs for a modern phone. I for one am not interested in a phone this size anyway (why can't we have sub 6 inch phones anymore?) and I can't really see this do too well. Unfortunately that also likely leads to them pointing to it and saying: "See, nobody cares about repairability" in future when people complain. When the truth is that people might be willing to compromise to a point to gain repairability, but won't buy a phone just because it's repairable.
Wireless Charge
Make one with wireless charging and I'm all in. I don't need 5G, but I do require wireless. USB ports get dirty and clogged and eventually stop working. Yes, I could repair it under this model, but not having to use it in the first place would be good.
Lasts 3 years
3 years before it has to be binned because it no longer gets security updates? And that's probably from the date of release, not from when you buy it. Quite a few phones do that.
I recently had a battery replaced in a phone that supposedly has a non-replaceable battery. My local corner phone shop did it in 40 minutes, the total cost was about the same as a replacement battery will be for this phone, and the replacement runs for least a long before needing a rercharge as the original one did when the phone was new. The phone is over 4 years old and I can't get enthusiastic about buying a new one that will have the same short intended life, however convenient it is to replace the hardware. There has to be a better way, and indeed there is: Apple. Only problem is, I hate their phone OS more than I do even Android.
Re: Lasts 3 years
A phone is not dead just because it no longer gets security updates. Don't put evil apps on it and you'll be just fine. Mine is about 8 years old now, and hasn't had an update in years. But, since I don't have any social media nonsense or fancy games on it, it should be just fine. The only thing I have to worry about is the Play Store - Google updates that separately. Might also do the GMail app that way. I've had the phone go a year or more without needing a reboot - and then it is usually because something has decided to start sucking battery.
Re: Lasts 3 years
The "official" battery replacement seems to be €29.95 - about half (or less) what a reputable chain 'round here advertises relatively modern Samsungs' battery replacements.
(link I found was https://eustore.ifixit.com/products/nokia-g22-battery ). YMMV, but this is a big selling point for me. You are not going to need to buy the tool kit more than once, I assume.
As for security updates, my old Galaxy S9 certainly doesn't get any any more either, which is why I am looking for something relatively inexpensive to switch to, and then play with updated custom firmwares on the old phone to keep as backup / pretty decent camera.
Lacks 5G support
This would have concerned me until a few weeks ago when we lost our wired internet and had to cobble together a mobile backbone. Seems 3 and EE 4G can deliver 300MB/s+
It was this way our CEO discovered he had been paying for 5G he hadn't been getting for a year. But that's another story for EE to explain.