Home-repairable phone from Nokia announced

The G22 is only a budget device, and bigger than I like, but it's a step in the right direction: a phone that doesn't need you to remove glue to dismantle it, only simple tools to do the commonest repairs (screen, battery, charging port), and where HMD will provide repair guides and commit to keeping the parts available for 5 years. That's actually the most interesting innovation I've seen from a phone manufacturer this year.

It also has a headphone jack .

Sources:

Nokia launches DIY repairable budget Android phone

Nokia G22 has removable back and standard screws allowing battery swap in less than five minutes at home

www.theguardian.com

Nokia G22 is official with focus on repairability and sustainability

Users will be able to change the battery in under 5 minutes with basic tools. Today, HMD announced the 4G Nokia G22 with a key focus on repairability and...

www.gsmarena.com

 

[Deleted member 2157292]

Weird then that they only offer 2 OS updates to Android 14, and 3 years security. Then it's Unisoc is hardly cutting edge unless it's a new chip.
I like the idea but can't see it catching on at this level.
Nokia were good for me in 2019 when they replaced the USB socket assembly within a week in Hungary via DHL.

 

[AugieTN]

Smart move by Nokia getting back into the marketplace. I had a Nokia N8 & 808. They were both great phones before the Microsoft disaster

 

[Davdi]

It's a step in the right direction, but I'd want a higher spec before I was tempted. Otherwise for a more sustainable phone it's a Pinephone or Pinephone pro (Pure Linux with a choice of distros)

 

[Hadron]

Weird then that they only offer 2 OS updates to Android 14, and 3 years security. Then it's Unisoc is hardly cutting edge unless it's a new chip.
I like the idea but can't see it catching on at this level.
Nokia were good for me in 2019 when they replaced the USB socket assembly within a week in Hungary via DHL.

Actually for a £150 budget device 2 OS updates isn't so bad: there are devices that cost more that are lucky to get one.

Yes, personally I'll be more interested if the approach is extended to higher-end devices. But it's a start, and it is new for a fairly mainstream manufacturer (as opposed to smaller niche manufacturers like Fairphone). I hope it catches on.

 

[Windroid]

Weird then that they only offer 2 OS updates to Android 14, and 3 years security.

Yeah. Being repairable doesn't help much, if it will probably stop getting security updates long before it breaks.

 

[Hadron]

That depends on how vital you think the security updates are. Nice to have, sure, but if you are vaguely sensible in how you use your phone they aren't a deal breaker. I certainly don't feel I have to ditch a phone the moment they stop.

But we also have members here who hammer their phone batteries and complain that they wear them out in less than a year. So for them an easy to replace battery would definitely be a plus.

 

[nickdalzell]

to be honest I consider lack of updates a feature not a problem. I hate updates and dealt with enough unnecessary changes that it felt my device was not my own and it reminded me of when stores re-arrange their aisles and it then takes me hours to do what used to take minutes as I hunt around re-learning the layout. That was every UI redesign for me. A phone doesn't become an instant hacker target or turn into a paperweight just because it no longer gets updates. I'm using a S4 Mini which runs Android 4.4. Still works fine. Our planet would benefit far more if we kept what we had instead of replacing stuff that still works. Stop hitting 'update' and your device will never slow down.

I would be more in favor of this device and the hopeful direction it's going if they just put a removable battery in it. One shouldn't need tools to change a stupid battery for crying out loud.

 

[Davdi]

My Android 11 phone no longer gets updates - so what I have all the apps I want and don't use it for any banking or other financial reasons. And my spare phone has a removable battery and is on Android 4.1.1 still going strong.

 

[nickdalzell]

Ah, Android 4.1. The Holo UI era. That was perhaps the best form of design and had perfect balance between skeuomorphism and flat UI design. It was also the only time there was a design consistency with third-party apps.

Then Google had to up and create chaos known as Material.

 

[Rgarner]

As we all well know, I hate googoo with a passion. That said, I would love to have a phone I could actually fix, especially without a computer. Most "fixes" seem to require one. I finally got the spudger set but haven't used it yet. I'm being cautious because I don't really know how. I suppose there are probably some videos that show this in a plain and simple way without being totally useless and/or annoying, though I would prefer an illustrated book that goes step by step. Amen to no updates, and don't forget No Root Firewall, one of the best apps ever.

 

[Davdi]

Have a look at some of SMOOREZ's YouTube videos where he tears down various phones for a good idea of what's involved.

 

[Michael0999]

Exactly, I'm sure you'll understand while watching. Unless it's too bad for you.

 

[nickdalzell]

He often breaks bits of them too (cameras, touch sensors, home buttons, sometimes screens if really unlucky) but of course the things he reviews are often garbage anyway (his infamous Welcome devices!).

Today's phones are not meant to be used long-term. That's why they seal the damned battery inside so it's designed to be tossed in a few years and replaced. It's a design sin that needs to STOP. I'd be happy if people were still taught basic repair skills like I was. It comes in handy. Also would love to see schematics being placed inside the covers like my old radios and TVs.

We need to reduce our needless consumption and return to when we kept things longer. The earth can't sustain our demand of more finite resources much less the carbon emissions from shipping them overseas, and the slave labor as well.

 

[Windroid]

Today's phones are not meant to be used long-term.

My iPhone 6 is still working fine. I use it as my backup phone.

We need to reduce our needless consumption and return to when we kept things longer. The earth can't sustain our demand of more finite resources much less the carbon emissions from shipping them overseas, and the slave labor as well.

Not to mention our pocketbooks! You might like the Fairphone, it's designed to be repaired. But it may not work reliably with US cellular networks.

 

[nickdalzell]

FairPhone doesn't work in the US, and they recently dropped the headphone jack.

You can still use an iPhone 6? It never had VoLTE support so unless you hacked it like I did my S4 Mini it shouldn't be able to call or text now should it?

I got a 6S lying around in-box but I don't like Apple's phones much. If I could find one running iOS 6 and having support for modern networks it'd be neat.

 

[mikedt]

FairPhone doesn't work in the US, and they recently dropped the headphone jack.

You can still use an iPhone 6? It never had VoLTE support so unless you hacked it like I did my S4 Mini it shouldn't be able to call or text now should it?

I got a 6S lying around in-box but I don't like Apple's phones much. If I could find one running iOS 6 and having support for modern networks it'd be neat.

iPhone 6 and 6s are VoLTE capable AFAIK, but it may not be turned on by default.

Does the iPhone 6s support VoLTE?

Answer (1 of 6): Yes. It supports VOLTE, most of my friends are using jio network on their iPhones and it is supporting everything without any issues. Just make sure your iPhone is iPhone 6 or above or else it will not support VOLTE. I have used 5s and it didn’t supported VOLTE. Thanks.

www.quora.com

I've still seen them been used.

 

[nickdalzell]

I know the 6S was, but the 6 isn't supposed to be.

Quora...the Askmefast.com of the modern era. I hate when their 'support' shows up on searches.

 

[Windroid]

You can still use an iPhone 6? It never had VoLTE support so unless you hacked it like I did my S4 Mini it shouldn't be able to call or text now should it?

I can make phone calls and send text messages. But mine is a 6+, if that makes a difference.

 

[nickdalzell]

I'm guessing you're not from the U.S. then? We ditched 3G and non-VoLTE support like last year I think. My S4 isn't supposed to work but I can still text with it (all I need it for) by using a SIM I activated in a flip phone and just swapped into it and put it into 'CDMA/LTE/EVDO' mode vs. Global (Global just went outright no service)

Texting, MMS works but phone calls do not. If I need a phone I go home, where a rotary dial phone lives. If anyone needs me they can wait for me to be home!

From reading MacRumors posts, the iPhone 6/6 Plus (the BendGate specials) not only got less software update support than usual for an Apple device, but also weren't supposedly VoLTE complaint, while the 6S/6S Plus (identical looking) were, and got support up to iOS 14.

 

[Windroid]

I'm guessing you're not from the U.S. then? We ditched 3G and non-VoLTE support like last year I think. My S4 isn't supposed to work but I can still text with it (all I need it for) by using a SIM I activated in a flip phone and just swapped into it and put it into 'CDMA/LTE/EVDO' mode vs. Global (Global just went outright no service)

Texting, MMS works but phone calls do not. If I need a phone I go home, where a rotary dial phone lives. If anyone needs me they can wait for me to be home!

No, I'm from the US. I suppose my iPhone 6+ might have stopped being able to make phone calls without me noticing, I'll check in a day or two. But as far as I know: It's working fine.

 

[nickdalzell]

What carrier are you on? I think T-Mobile might be the last holdout with a functioning non-VoLTE/3G/Edge network still up in places?

 

[Windroid]

What carrier are you on? I think T-Mobile might be the last holdout with a functioning non-VoLTE/3G/Edge network still up in places?

Ultra Mobile, they use T-Mobile's network. But I thought the 6+ was a 4G phone?

 

[nickdalzell]

It's a LTE data device, but having LTE data capability doesn't guarantee Voice over LTE or VoLTE. You can have an LTE phone but VoLTE is a different thing entirely.

4G is actually not related to LTE. 4G goes back to HSPA+ which is actually 3G, and AT&T used to market their fake 4G on the iPhone 4S. They also made LTE into fake 5G that got them into trouble and forced them to use 5Ge as the moniker instead.

Example: The Samsung Galaxy SII Skyrocket AT&T smartphone is '4G LTE' but NOT VoLTE compliant and can not only not call anymore, but won't even text. Trying to place any SIM from another carrier will get you an immediate text notification from AT&T that hotlines the SIM and it won't work at all (requiring SIM replacement). AT&T hates anyone using older tech even if it would at least partially work.

LTE data smartphones and basic phones used the 3G/2G network to make phone calls. Today the mandate is to require all active smartphones to route their calls and SMS over LTE instead of 3G/2G. That takes extra hardware or sometimes just a software switch/update to enable the feature. It's also called HD Voice. I fooled my S4 Mini by pushing a ZIP in recovery to enable the switch by using firmware from a specific S4 variant that supported VoLTE.

 

[Hadron]

4G is actually not related to LTE. 4G goes back to HSPA+ which is actually 3G, and AT&T used to market their fake 4G on the iPhone 4S. They also made LTE into fake 5G that got them into trouble and forced them to use 5Ge as the moniker instead.

I think you mean "The use of the term 4G by US networks is not related to LTE",. Otherwise this sentence contradicts itself immediately .

Marketing departments lying about what standards their phones support is something that should have been stopped (4G does not have to mean LTE, but LTE and its derivatives are the technologies that meet the requirements of 4G, which HSPA+ does not). So I guess it's a small relief that someone actually acted when they tried to pull the same stunt with 5G, but they should not have been allowed to invent a term of their own that still contained "5G", since that's going to be just as misleading as the original lie to the average person.