Nokia G22 Review: Repair It Yourself

Worth When Reviewed

199 €

Greatest Costs At this time: Nokia G22

€178.25

€179

142,78 €

Nokia has a spread of finances smartphones to select from. Nevertheless, the G22 has a really distinctive promoting level above others within the vary – and available in the market extra typically.

The G22’s construct is designed with repairability in thoughts, which means that you must have the ability to exchange the battery, show and different components at dwelling, with out the necessity to go to a specialist store. 

In principle, this could save each money and time – plus, it’s in-keeping with HMD World’s promise (as the present maker of Nokia-branded telephones) to be friendlier to the atmosphere with its merchandise. However how does this finances purchase carry out? Right here’s acquired every part it is advisable know.  

Design & Construct 

• Repairable construct
• IP52 ranking
• Headphone jack

At launch, the Nokia G22 was obtainable in two colors: Meteor Gray or Lagoon Blue, the model I examined. Nevertheless, it’s since been joined by So Peach, the Pantone Color of the Yr for 2024.

HMD World

While the recycled plastic again on the Lagoon Blue mannequin has a pleasant shine to it, it’s vulnerable to selecting up fingerprints fairly simply. It additionally isn’t fairly as premium wanting as another Nokia telephones like the C32 with its shiny glass again, however that’s the trade-off for a repairable construct.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

The cellphone is sort of light-weight at 195g, although it isn’t the slimmest I’ve used. Nonetheless, its straightforward to make use of one-handed and can slot in bigger pockets. There’s a clear case included within the field, and the cellphone has an IP52 ranking, so it’s protected in opposition to some mild water spray but it surely gained’t survive a dunk within the pool (or rest room).

There’s a side-mounted energy button with a fingerprint sensor built-in, which I discovered to work fairly constantly. If you happen to choose, you’ll be able to simply depend on face recognition, or a trusty outdated passcode.  

This cellphone fortunately has a headphone jack, a welcome inclusion when many different smartphones are ditching them in favour of USB-C earphones and wi-fi bud connections. You can too use two bodily SIM playing cards because of the twin SIM slot, or you’ll be able to as a substitute use one SIM and a microSD card to increase the cellphone’s storage.

Now for the largest promoting level of the Nokia G22, the repairable construct. In principle, you must have the ability to swap out the battery, show, charging port or rear cowl ought to they turn out to be broken or cease working over time.  

Nokia doesn’t embrace a construct equipment or components with the cellphone. Nevertheless a equipment solely prices £26.99 after which shopping for the wanted parts on prime ought to nonetheless value lower than in case you went to a store. In reality, you don’t essentially want a software equipment – when you’ve got a Phillips screwdriver, a pair of tweezers and a guitar choose, then you must have the ability to do some repairs at dwelling.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

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I made a decision to comply with the steps of ‘changing’ the battery (i.e., taking it out after which placing it in once more, in lieu of not having a alternative half). I used the iFixit information, which claims that this may be accomplished in below 5 minutes.

While I’ve seen the duty accomplished on this time by a Nokia spokesperson, it’s unlikely that the typical person will get it accomplished this rapidly – particularly in case you’re extremely cautious like myself. You’ll want the cellphone to be turned off first, and the battery to be under 25% to scale back the chance of fireside. 

Undoing the clips that launched the again cowl was fairly difficult, particularly on the corners. Then, after eradicating the fingerprint sensor and the motherboard cowl, taking out the battery from the very sturdy adhesive required practically extra muscle than my noodle arms may deal with.

After a quick panic assault the place I assumed I’d damaged the cellphone after not reattaching the battery cable correctly, I reassembled the cellphone and had a working G22 – good as new.  

The method is just a little bit daunting, however after one go, I did really feel extra assured – and the iFixit guides cowl the steps in a great degree of element. Nevertheless, this isn’t a fast five-minute job for newbies. It took me over half an hour with all of the fiddling and faults and will take others longer relying on how sturdy the adhesive is on the battery.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Display screen & Audio system 

• Unimpressive 720p show
• As much as 90Hz refresh price
• One speaker with OZO playback

To maintain the value within the finances vary, Nokia has made sacrifices in relation to the show. The G22 includes a 6.5in 720p LCD panel. While it’s adequate for searching the online, movies and images don’t attain their full potential. It’s additionally actually onerous to learn the show in vivid daylight because of loads of glare.

Rival telephones from manufacturers like Poco supply a lot better screens, so in case you spend loads of time streaming in your cellphone, I’d advise you to look elsewhere.  

While the cellphone has as much as a 90Hz refresh price, you’ll be able to solely have the cellphone set to adaptive (which switches between completely different refresh charges), or at 60Hz. There is no such thing as a choice to have it on excessive as commonplace.  

The G22 has one bottom-firing speaker with OZO playback, a Nokia-built tech that’s designed to create spatial audio. While audio on the whole is sort of loud for a cellphone with out stereo audio system, it doesn’t carry the identical depth or color as extra premium fashions, and has fairly a tinny really feel. Nonetheless, it was completely nice for podcasts and Twitch streams.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Specs & Efficiency 

• Identical processor because the G21
• 4GB RAM/128GB storage
• Laggy efficiency

One of many greatest downsides of the Nokia G22 is that this cellphone runs on the Unisoc T606, the identical processor as final yr’s mannequin, the Nokia G21. We weren’t followers of this chip then, and that sentiment hasn’t modified. Efficiency is fairly laggy on this cellphone for plenty of duties, particularly when booting it up.

For primary internet searching and social media use, the Nokia G22 will work largely nice, although it does stutter when scrolling at a fast tempo via apps like Fb.

The cellphone comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The microSD slot helps as much as 2TB additional storage in case you want extra.

The the Nokia G22 is barely outpaced by equally priced telephones on this value vary in relation to efficiency and velocity. You possibly can see the way it scored in our official benchmarking exams under: 

Cameras 

• First rate photographs below vivid daylight
• Struggles in dimmer situations
• Bokeh impact on selfie mode too sturdy

The Nokia G22 is made up of a triple digital camera set-up. That is led by a 50Mp predominant lens with a f/1.8 aperture, together with a 2Mp depth digital camera and a 2Mp macro digital camera. Like its predecessor, the G21, there’s sadly no ultrawide lens on supply.

Finances smartphone cameras are sometimes fairly blended, and the outcomes on the Nokia G22 comply with this sample. It performs greatest in vivid daylight, with some colors just like the pink on blossom timber popping effectively. The AI enhancing kicks in effectively right here.  

Nevertheless, even a cloudy day is sufficient to suck among the life out of pictures, with tones wanting washed out. Indoors, images shine greatest with a lot of pure mild, or synthetic lighting. Dimmer situations create fuzzy or blurred particulars, and the night time mode isn’t something to actually shout about.   

It will possibly attain as much as 6x digital zoom, however I wouldn’t advocate utilizing this as pictures turn out to be extraordinarily noisy and blurred. The 2x zoom additionally has some fuzziness, however can nonetheless be helpful for close-ups of scenic photographs.

The 8Mp selfie digital camera has a hotter tinge to it with the HDR mode on and shall be adequate for video calls and the odd selfie. The bokeh impact on portrait mode is sort of sturdy if left on the automated setting, with many stray items of hair blurring into the background. Nevertheless, the energy and form of this may be altered in case you need. 

The G22 is able to filming video in both 1080p or 720p at 30fps. There is no such thing as a stabilisation modes, however the built-in mics choose up a good quantity of sound.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Battery Life & Charging 

• As much as two days of common use
• 20W fast-charging, however no brick included
• No wi-fi charging

Nokia claims that the 5050mAh battery on this cellphone can last as long as three days, however I’d say that’s with fairly conservative use – resembling simply utilizing it for calls and the odd picture. 

I discovered myself reaching for the charger daily and a half/two days, relying on how a lot I used the cellphone for streaming, video calls, taking images and extra. This was additionally making the most of the battery saver modes.

In our benchmarking utilizing the PC Mark battery take a look at, it lasted 12 hours and 6 minutes – the same time to the G21.

While the G22 helps as much as 20W fast-charging, there isn’t a charging brick included within the field – solely a USB-C cable. Nokia’s reasoning behind that is to scale back waste, however that does imply that in case you cost from a PC, then it’ll take a very long time – I solely managed to cost it by a pitiful 10% in quarter-hour from my laptop computer.

Utilizing a sooner charger I had mendacity round the home, I juiced the cellphone from flat to 44% in half-hour. Wi-fi charging isn’t supported, however that’s fairly commonplace on a cellphone of this value.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Software program & Apps 

• Replace to Android 13 obtainable
• Just one extra OS replace
• Safety updates till 2026

One huge benefit that this cellphone has over different rivals from the likes of Poco and Honor is that it comes with a clear Android interface. This implies it’s extraordinarily user-friendly, and there’s no extreme app bloat.

The G22 ran Android 12 out of the field, however has since been up to date to Android 13. Nevertheless, this nonetheless isn’t the most recent Android 14, and Nokia’s dedication to simply two OS updates implies that’ll be it’s final.

It’s barely extra beneficiant with safety patches, so the cellphone shall be secure to make use of till 2026 – three years from its authentic launch.

These numbers are on par with the likes of Asus and Realme, however each Google and Samsung supply a lot better longevity, even on cheaper telephones.

Personally, I’d have anticipated {that a} cellphone that’s constructed to final would additionally supply the identical promise within the software program assist – so it is a disgrace.  

It’s value noting that the G22 solely helps WiFi 5 moderately than WiFi 6. It additionally doesn’t have 5G assist.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Worth & Availability 

The Nokia G22 value £149.99 when it launched and is at present obtainable through Nokia, Amazon and Argos within the UK.

Nevertheless, there’s no choice to lease it via its Circular subscription scheme. With no retailers or carriers promoting it on contract, your greatest guess is to pair it with a SIM-only deal.

The cellphone isn’t obtainable within the US on the time of writing, although you could possibly import it.

If you happen to’re shopping for this cellphone for its repairable construct, then you definately must also remember the price of components and power kits. A alternative battery prices £27.99, a brand new show prices £44.99, a again cowl prices £22.99 and a charging port is priced at £18.99. Combining it with a equipment prices extra, whereas the complete iFixit equipment prices £26.99 – although this isn’t essentially wanted when you’ve got instruments mendacity round at dwelling.  

In the long term, these components are most certainly cheaper than what it could value to take the cellphone to a store, and there isn’t actually a finances cellphone available on the market that gives the identical sort of construct. Nevertheless, the gradual efficiency of this cellphone and lack of updates previous three years imply that it’s onerous to advocate for lengthy, prolonged use.  

You can pay a bit extra and go for one thing just like the Fairphone 5, which additionally affords a repairable construct however eight years of software program updates following its 2023 launch.

Or, you would go for a extra well-rounded however much less repairable finances purchase just like the Moto G23 – check out our record of the most effective finances telephones for extra choices.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Verdict 

It’s nice to see a serious producer produce a cellphone just like the Nokia G22 that may be fastened it at dwelling, encouraging clients to carry onto units for longer. Not solely does this cellphone save folks cash, however its additionally a lot better for the atmosphere. 

Nevertheless, the processor and short-term OS and safety replace promise on the G22 imply that irrespective of what number of instances you exchange the battery or show, this cellphone will nonetheless decelerate over time and never be supported previous three years. It’d be nice if Nokia introduced this construct type to some extra premium and longer-supported handsets.  

The cellphone does profit from first rate battery life, and close to inventory Android for a really user-friendly OS – however there isn’t a getting spherical the truth that finances cellphone rivals supply higher shows and extra highly effective efficiency than the G22 for the same value.

Specs

• Android 12 (could be up to date to Android 13)
• 6.5in, LCD, 720p, 20:9 side ratio
• Unisoc T606
• 4GB RAM
• 128GB storage
• microSD card slot
• 50Mp Principal digital camera, f/1.8
• 2Mp Depth sensor
• 2Mp Macro lens
• 8Mp Entrance digital camera
• WiFi 5
• Bluetooth 5.0
• 4G/3G supported
• Twin SIM
• 5050mAh
• 165x76x19.48mm
• 195g
• Launch colors: Meteor Gray and Lagoon Blue