Nokia’s budget G22 phone can be repaired easily at home

Nokia continues to focus on durability and longevity with the launch of the budget Nokia G22, which will go on sale in the UK and Europe in March.

The latest G-series phone has a design that allows users to quickly and easily replace parts at home. This is achieved through a variety of methods, including the use of plastic grips for the back of the phone rather than strong glue, and the construction of easy-to-access screws to allow removal and replacement of certain parts.

Many phones these days are very difficult to take apart, and if you try, you risk damaging the internal components. But at a briefing where Tech Advisor was present, a Nokia spokesperson replaced the battery in less than five minutes with tools that could be found around the house, including a pick, SIM tray tool and a screwdriver.

Nokia also estimates that a self-repair screen replacement will take around 20 minutes. We’ll test some of these methods to see how easy they are when we review the G22.

It seems the company is taking inspiration from the book by Fairphone, which was one of the first manufacturers to allow people to replace parts at home.

Customers will be able to use guides on Nokia’s website to help with the process and purchase replacement batteries, displays and charging ports from iFixit, who Nokia has partnered with for this launch. iFixit also sells a self-repair kit for £5.

A new battery will cost you £22.99, a new screen will cost £44.99 and a new charging port will cost £18.99. However, Nokia believes that reducing the cost of manual labor saves customers money. It would also mean that there is no waiting for an appointment or trip to a store: you just have to wait for the part(s) to be delivered.

Although old batteries and damaged screens cannot be recycled directly by Nokia, the company will provide online guides that tell people how to dispose of parts safely and ethically.

Nokia offers a three-year extended warranty for the phone, which should cover any battery faults. However, self-repair will still come in handy in the event of accidental screen damage or if you prefer not to purchase the additional warranty. And, as you might hope, self-repair doesn’t void the warranty.

This is the biggest change for the G22, which is otherwise quite similar to the previous generation phone, the G21. It still runs on the same Unisoc T606 processor and comes with Android 12 instead of 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 colors, Lagoon Blue and Meteor Grey, and it has 4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage.

It also has a 50Mp shooter-led triple camera, 6.5-inch HD+ display, OZO sound and 20W charging. None of these specs are impressive or unusual: 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 that allows customers to sustainably upgrade and earn credits for environmental and humanitarian causes the longer they keep their products.

Along with the Nokia G22, the company has also launched two other budget phones: the Nokia C22 and the Nokia C32. All three offer up to three days of 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 is available in two colors, 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 colors: Charcoal, Beach Pink and Autumn Green.

It also runs Android 13 right out of the box, a 50Mp lens-led dual camera, 3/4GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of storage.

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 Circular monthly subscription service, it will cost you £9 per month with a £30 setup fee.

They will be available from March 8, 2023 on the Nokia website.