You can repair Nokia’s latest phone by yourself

As activists everywhere fight for the right to repair, mobile icon Nokia releases a handset that users can fix themselves.

This is according to a post on Nokia's site detailing the many features of the new handset.

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 that looks no different than any other phone.

Replacing broken pieces

However, its outer shell and insides are quite unique. The handset comes with a recyclable plastic back which can be easily removed to replace broken pieces.

Using repair guides from hardware repair advocacy firm iFixit and a few tools, users can now replace several of the phone's features, including its back cover, battery, screen, and charging port.

Adam Ferguson, head of product marketing at HMD Global, told CNBC that fixing the new phone when it breaks would cost o,n average, 30 percent less than purchasing a new one.

In February of 2022, two long-awaited laws introduced into the House of Representatives finally let ordinary citizens fix their pricey tech items, instead of having to pay the manufacturer to do so or buy new ones.

One of the bills emphasized cars, but the other one focused on copyright restrictions for electronics, like iPhones. Until then, digital rights activists were forced to petition the Library of Congress several times per decade so people could repair their own equipment under exempted pretexts to the current law. 

@NokiaMobile 🤝 @iFixitDE

We are super excited to announce our partnership with iFixit which allows you to fix your phone at home when you need to and keep your device for longer 🛠️

Learn more about our collaboration, here: https://t.co/GSmtdWysKO pic.twitter.com/wg5dl82FD2

— Nokia Mobile (@NokiaMobile) February 25, 2023

Meanwhile, smartphone companies everywhere are striving to make phones last for longer as complaints about a lack of sustainability have emerged with more prominence.

“As consumers increasingly demand more sustainable and longer-lasting devices, the ability to repair smartphones easily and affordably will become a key differentiator in the market,” told CNBC Ben Wood, lead analyst at CCS Insight.

There is one drawback with the new phone: it is not immune to water damage. Ferguson explained that Nokia couldn’t achieve this feature and keep the phone’s price at a reasonable rate.

The G22 starts at a price of $179.19, while replaceable parts can be bought individually from iFixit. 

Nokia has witnessed quite a few changes in the past decade. It sold its mobile business to Microsoft in 2014 and was later bought by HMD, which was formed by Nokia executives in Finland.

HMD has said it plans to produce more of its phones in Europe, stating in a press release that it was “developing capabilities and processes to bring 5G Nokia device production to Europe in 2023.”