Nokia has released a new smartphone that users can fix themselves.
Designed by Finnish manufacturer HMD Global, the Nokia G22 is a standard smartphone with a 6.5-inch screen and a 50-megapixel main camera. But the outer cover of the phone and the internal details make it special. The phone has a recyclable plastic backing that can be easily removed to replace broken components.
The phone also comes with tools and repair guides from iFixit as the user can remove and replace the phone’s back cover, battery, screen and charging port, according to CNBC and Al Arabiya.net reviewed it.
For his part, Adam Ferguson, head of product marketing at HMD Global, said the process would cost an average of 30% less than replacing an old phone with a new one.
Smartphone companies are increasingly extending the lifespan of phones amid pressure from regulators to make electronic devices more resilient.
Lawmakers in the European Parliament are also calling for a law that would force manufacturers to give users a “right to repair.”
The European Commission’s new green transition plan also aims to see the bloc become a so-called circular economy by 2050, allowing almost all material goods to be repurposed, refurbished, reused or recycled to reduce waste.
This comes after phone repairs, in particular, have become more difficult due to how tightly the battery and other components are sealed with glue.
For its part, Apple, which has long been reluctant to change its repair policy, decided in November 2021 to launch a self-service repair program that allows customers to purchase parts to repair their devices.
In December, the iPhone maker expanded the program to eight European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
“As consumers increasingly demand stronger and more durable devices, the ability to easily and affordably repair smartphones will be a key differentiator in the market,” said Ben Wood, Senior Analyst at CCS Insight.
The Nokia “G22” phone is slated to launch in the UK on March 8 for £149.99 ($179.19). Replacement parts can be purchased individually from iFixit. The battery costs £22.99; The screen is £44.99 and the charging port is £18.99.
Nokia, which once controlled more than two-thirds of the global mobile phone market, sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft in 2014 for 5.4 billion euros ($5.8 billion). Finland for $350 million.
