Technology

Nokia has launched a new smartphone that allows users to repair themselves.

Developed 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 and internal parts of the phone make it stand out. The phone has a recyclable plastic backing that can be easily removed to replace broken components.

The phone 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, CNBC reported, and Al Arabiya.net reviewed it.

For his part, Adam Ferguson, head of product marketing at HMD Global, said the process costs an average of 30% less than replacing an old phone with a new one.

Smartphone companies are increasingly making phones more durable amid pressure from regulators to make electronic devices more sustainable.

Lawmakers in the European Parliament are calling for legislation to force manufacturers to offer users a “right to repair”.

The European Commission’s new Green Transition Plan seeks to create a so-called circular economy by 2050, whereby almost all material products can be regenerated, repaired, reused or recycled to reduce waste.

This comes after repairing phones, in particular, has become more complicated 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 policies, decided to introduce a self-service repair program in November 2021, allowing customers to purchase spare parts to repair their own 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 demand more durable and long-lasting devices, the ability to easily and affordably repair smartphones will become a key differentiator in the market,” said Ben Wood, senior analyst at CCS Insight.

The launch of the Nokia “G22” phone is scheduled to begin on March 8 in the United Kingdom at a price of 149.99 pounds ($179.19). Replaceable parts can be purchased separately from iFixit. The battery costs £22.99; £44.99 for the screen and £18.99 for the charging port.

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 ($5.8 billion). The unit was later acquired by his developer HMD. Nokia Executives Finland, $350 million.

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