Why Nokia made an Android smartphone that wants you to smash it

HMD Global makes it easy to repair your smartphone. announced Nokia G22 as the first to qualify under its new “QuickFix” program, which aims to minimize the effort, knowledge, and expense that typically goes into replacing a cracked screen or a battery that has failed.

The company also has a couple of other new Android phones aimed at buyers on a budget, all part of a large launch lineup of smartphones. Mobile World Congress 2023 companies. Here’s a look at everything new.

Nokia G22

For the Nokia G22, HMD Global has partnered with iFixit to provide official parts and essential tools to get the job done. While it may seem like a daunting task at first to take the phone apart and start extracting the components, HMD Global has actually made things easier than you might expect.

During the presentation of the Nokia G22 ahead of its announcement, a representative from HMD Global dismantled the Nokia G22 and replaced the battery with a new one in a matter of seconds in less than five minutes, all during the presentation. The job was done using three tools: the included SIM tray eject tool, a 00 screwdriver, and a guitar pick to help separate the back cover from the case. A screwdriver and a lockpick can be purchased from iFixit along with a new battery.

The cost is reasonable: €30/$31 for a battery or €50/$52 for a new screen, with the toolbox adding an extra five euros/$5. Although it took five minutes to replace the battery, replacing the screen is more difficult and pricey. take 20 minutes. These costs are about 30% cheaper than paying the company for it, and HMD Global says there are 50% fewer steps in the process than before. It takes about 45 minutes for professional companies to change the battery in a competing phone, according to HMD Global.

All this extends the life of the Nokia G22, but is it worth buying this phone and keeping it for a long time? It’s not a flagship phone, and it only costs 179 euros or about $180. For that, you get a 6.5-inch screen, a 100% recycled plastic body, a 5050 mAh battery with an estimated usage time of three days, and a Unisoc processor. T606. It comes in two colors: Lagoon Blue and Meteor Grey. It has an IP52 dust and water resistance rating that is not affected by repairs if the instructions are followed correctly.

Unfortunately, it comes with Android 12 installed, which HMD Global says is due to the phone’s long development time, and moving to Android 13 will eat up one of its two guaranteed major updates. It also comes with 3 years of security updates, which is good for a smartphone at this price point. It’s also a 4G-only phone, again impacting durability. The main camera on the back is 50MP and sits alongside a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth camera.

It’s not the specs that make the Nokia G22 exciting; It’s the relative ease of repair at a low price from a brand already associated with durability. Outside of Fairphone, this level of maintainability is rare, and is another addition to HMD Global’s ever-growing list of environmentally conscious initiatives. We hope that it will appear in other models soon.

Nokia S22

The Nokia G22 and QuickFix are HMD Global’s most interesting announcements for MWC 2023, but the company also has a couple of other phones to show off. The Nokia C22 is a simple 4G smartphone running Android 13 Go Edition, a 1.6GHz octa-core Unisoc processor, and a 5,000mAh battery that lasts for three days of use. There is a choice between 2GB or 3GB of RAM, and each has 64GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot.

There is a 13-megapixel main camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera on the back, along with an 8-megapixel selfie camera at the top of the screen, as well as a fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone. The polycarbonate body is IP52 waterproof, and there is 2.5D tempered glass above the screen and even a 3.5mm headphone jack on the body. It comes in Midnight Black or Sand and will cost just €109, which works out to about $115.

nokia s32

The Nokia C32 is another 4G phone, but this time it’s made from tempered glass with a premium finish, which is unusual given its €129 (roughly $136) price tag. It runs the full version of Android 13 and is available in Charcoal, Autumn Green, or Beach Pink.

This is another 1.6 GHz Unisoc processor with 3 GB or 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB or 128 GB of internal storage. The 5000 mAh battery should last for three days without recharging. There is an IP52 dust and water resistance rating, a 6.5-inch screen, and a 50-megapixel main rear camera.