The Nokia G22 has a removable back and has been designed so that components can be easily unscrewed and swapped out including the battery, screen and charging port and a “quick fix” repair guide is to be published. Genuine parts will also be available for five years.
The move is a response to consumers who want more repairable devices while manufacturers are looking to reduce e-waste. Nokia claims that the process of repair has been made far simpler than Apple’s recent DIY repair programme.
With more companies looking to embrace the concept of repairability there are now calls for an official device repair apprenticeship to be introduced. According to repair specialist TMT First, there is currently no industry training standard and its founder, Adam Whitehouse, suggests that if people are taught how to repair devices correctly, they tend to last for much longer.
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, a government agency, currently doesn’t support an apprenticeship that covers this as there hasn’t been sufficient industry interest and the focus is on DIY.
However, now that both Apple and Nokia have embraced the idea of repairability perhaps we may see a relevant scheme in place in the not-too-distant future. The UK government is making £2.7bn available by 2025 for businesses across all sectors to set up their own relevant schemes – so you never know.
