Adventures in technophobia – the Nokia G42 5G reviewed
Self-repair is the new buzzword in phone tech, and it’s a kind of DIY that even the most technically challenged can handle
According to 2021 statistics, 5,761 smartphone screens crack every hour, which adds up to a sizeable 50 million phone screens that need replacing every year. At a minimum of €60 a go, it’s not only expensive but highly wasteful too. It’s a welcome development, then, that the more eco-conscious smartphone makers are looking for sustainable approaches to a perpetual problem.
HMD Global, home of Nokia phones, has just released a brand-new repairable phone, the Nokia G42 5G in grey and a cool purple. It comes built with what they call a QuickFix repairability so you can not only replace cracked screens, but you can even mend bent charging ports and old batteries, all by yourself.
A collaboration between Nokia and iFixit – founded in 2003 by Kyle Wiens and Luke Soules, who began harvesting parts from partially broken laptops and selling them online, making repair manuals and sharing them for free. A global community of people helping each other repair things was born, providing the knowledge and the tools to mend everything from bicycles to electronics.
iFixit has partnered with Nokia G42 5G so it can be repaired with a step-by-step guide and at-home Fit Kits in sets all available from iFixit.com, starting at €19.95.
As well as its repairability, this newest edition to Nokia G-Series has a 5G1 connectivity powered by the Qualcomm®Snapdragon 480+ 5G Mobile Platform (roughly translated: a suite of systems on a mobile phone chip), which means it is fast, with plenty of memory, storage space and smart background optimisation.
There is a 50-megapixel camera which has been paired with some of Nokia’s newest AI imaging to help capture clear images, even if you are falling over while taking them. There is a Portrait Mode, which brings your focus point into the limelight, while Night Mode helps boost the quality of shots after dark which can all be viewed on the 6.56-inch HD+ display.
Each device comes with OZO 3D audio capture – a spatial audio technology that allows you to zoom into the finer sound details and add finesse to your content after the event.
Durable, with a tough case, it is made with a 65 per cent recycled back cover and boxed in FSC®-certified mixed packaging. The clear case, meanwhile, is made from 100 per cent recycled materials with fully recyclable packaging, while each device comes with three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrades. The software is an Android 13 system, so you have three years of monthly security updates too.
Channelling one of 2023’s key shades, it comes in what Nokia have termed So Purple – a nice twist on the Digital Lavender trend – as well as the more functional grey.
But possibly most importantly of all, as Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer of HMD Global, says the G42 5G “is a continuation of our repairability journey which is now a fundamental part of the way we design smartphones”.
And while a fix-it-yourself approach to digital technology may be a technophobe’s nightmare, what doesn’t kill you, Kyle Wiens, chief executive of iFixit, promises, will make you stronger. “This is not just about providing parts; it’s about seeding the DIY ethos among consumers and signalling that the era of self-service repairs is truly upon us.”
The Nokia G42 5G is available in 6/128GB storage and memory configurations from €249 in Ireland from nokia.com/phones/en_ie. It will also be available in 4/128GB storage and memory configurations via Vodafone and Eir for €199.
