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Easy for anyone to fix, Nokia's new G22 phone offers repairability as key feature

HMD Global, which creates phones under the Nokia brand, just announced the arrival of three new smartphones. The one that caught our eye is the Nokia G22. It's the Finnish brand's first phone purposefully designed with repairability at its core, enabling users to easily access repair guides, tools and affordable replacements for damaged or worn-out parts.

To achieve this, HMD is collaborating with global repair community iFixit. When a battery dies, a screen breaks or a charging port is bent out of shape, that’s where users can find guides and purchase FixKits that contain the tools and parts they need to fix their phone. iFixit offers similar services for brands like Samsung and Google Pixel, but Nokia specifically constructed the G22 to make it easy for anyone to repair. During the press launch, Adam Ferguson, HMD's Head of Product Marketing, replaced a battery in less than five minutes.

Notably, any consumer repairs conducted with care and according to iFixit guidelines will be treated by HMD as authorized repairs, with no impact on the manufacturer's limited warranty. Nokia's G22 will be available from March 2023 with a suggested retail price of EUR 179.

Trend Bite

E-waste is the world's fastest-growing waste stream, and much of it is handled unsafely, causing pollution, human health hazards, and the loss of valuable resources.

No wonder, then, that people are increasingly invested in the right to repair the electronics they own. Repair cafes and other peer-to-peer gatherings build communities around prolonging the life of products, while online forums and YouTube channels get nitty-gritty about DIY fixing. 

Right-to-repair legislation and strong demand for replacement parts and repair services further illustrate a growing shift in collective awareness. Brands like Nokia, Fairphone and Framework are responding by turning repairability into a desirable feature that reduces environmental harm and saves people money. How can your company empower customers to extend the lifespan of your products?

Related: Google's repair program for schools trains students to fix their own Chromebooks

Innovation of the day

Spotted by: Robbie Hodges