Nokia G22 review

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, that means that it’s best to be capable to substitute the battery, show and different elements at house, with out the necessity to go to a specialist store. 

In concept, 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 setting with its merchandise. However how does this finances purchase carry out? Right here’s acquired all the things it’s essential know.  

Design & Construct 

• Repairable construct
• IP52 ranking
• Headphone jack

The Nokia G22 is available in a selection of two colors: Meteor Gray and Lagoon Blue, the model I examined. While the recycled plastic again has a pleasant shine to it, it’s susceptible to choosing up fingerprints fairly simply. It additionally isn’t fairly as premium trying as another Nokia telephones just like the C32 with its shiny glass again, however that’s the trade-off for a repairable construct.

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

There’s a side-mounted energy button with a fingerprint sensor built-in, which I discovered to work fairly constantly. When you want, you may simply depend on face recognition, or a trusty outdated passcode.  

This telephone 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 may also use two bodily SIM playing cards because of the twin SIM slot, or you may as a substitute use one SIM and a microSD card to develop the telephone’s storage.

Now for the most important promoting level of the Nokia G22, the repairable construct. In concept, it’s best to be capable to swap out the battery, show, charging port or rear cowl ought to they grow to be broken or cease working over time.  

Nokia doesn’t embrace a construct package or elements with the telephone. Nevertheless a package solely prices £26.99 after which shopping for the wanted elements on prime ought to nonetheless value lower than if you happen to went to a store. In actual fact, you don’t essentially want a software package – you probably have a Phillips screwdriver, a pair of tweezers and a guitar choose, then it’s best to be capable to do some repairs at house.  

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

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 achieved in beneath 5 minutes.

While I’ve seen the duty accomplished on this time by a Nokia spokesperson, it’s unlikely that the typical consumer will get it achieved this shortly – particularly if you happen to’re extremely cautious like myself. You’ll want the telephone to be turned off first, and the battery to be beneath 25% to scale back the danger of fireplace. 

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

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

The method is a bit bit daunting, however after one go, I did really feel extra assured – and the iFixit guides cowl the steps in a superb stage 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 fee
• One speaker with OZO playback

To maintain the worth within the finances vary, Nokia has made sacrifices with regards to the show. The G22 includes a 6.5in 720p LCD panel. While it’s adequate for shopping the online, movies and images don’t attain their full potential. It’s additionally actually arduous to learn the show in vibrant daylight because of lots of glare.

Rival telephones from manufacturers like Poco provide significantly better screens, so if you happen to spend lots of time streaming in your telephone, I’d advise you to look elsewhere.  

While the telephone has as much as a 90Hz refresh fee, you may solely have the telephone 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 generally is kind of loud for a telephone 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 

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

One of many greatest downsides of the Nokia G22 is that this telephone runs on the Unisoc T606, the identical processor as final 12 months’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 telephone for plenty of duties, particularly when booting it up.

For fundamental internet shopping and social media use, the Nokia G22 will work principally nice, although it does stutter when scrolling at a fast tempo by means of apps like Fb.

The telephone comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. The microSD slot helps as much as 2TB additional storage if you happen to want extra.

The the Nokia G22 is barely outpaced by equally priced telephones on this worth vary with regards to efficiency and velocity. You may see the way it scored in our official benchmarking exams beneath: 

Cameras 

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

The Nokia G22 is made up of a triple digicam set-up. That is led by a 50Mp primary lens with a f/1.8 aperture, together with a 2Mp depth digicam and a 2Mp macro digicam. Like its predecessor, the G21, there may be sadly no ultrawide lens on provide.

Price range smartphone cameras are sometimes fairly combined, and the outcomes on the Nokia G22 comply with this sample. It performs greatest in vibrant daylight, with some colors just like the pink on blossom bushes popping nicely. The AI enhancing kicks in nicely right here.  

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

It could possibly attain as much as 6x digital zoom, however I wouldn’t advocate utilizing this as photos grow 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 digicam has a hotter tinge to it with the HDR mode on and will probably be adequate for video calls and the odd selfie. The bokeh impact on portrait mode is kind of sturdy if left on the automated setting, with many stray items of hair blurring into the background. Nevertheless, the power and form of this may be altered if you happen to want. 

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 telephone can last as long as three days, however I’d say that’s with fairly conservative use – equivalent to simply utilizing it for calls and the odd photograph. 

I discovered myself reaching for the charger each day and a half/two days, relying on how a lot I used the telephone 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 – an identical 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 if you happen to 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 quicker charger I had mendacity round the home, I juiced the telephone from flat to 44% in half-hour. Wi-fi charging isn’t supported, however that’s fairly commonplace on a telephone of this worth.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Software program & Apps 

• Android 12, not 13
• Two years of OS updates
• Three years of safety updates

One massive benefit that this telephone 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.

It does include Android 12 moderately than Android 13, however Nokia has promised two years of OS updates – so will probably be assured to stand up to Android 14. There’s additionally three years of safety updates assured.  

These numbers are on par with the likes of Asus and Realme, however each Google and Samsung provide significantly better longevity. Personally, I’d have anticipated {that a} telephone that’s constructed to final would additionally provide the identical promise within the software program – 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 help.

Hannah Cowton / Foundry

Value & Availability 

The Nokia G22 value £149.99 when it launched and remains to be out there for that worth from the likes of Amazon and Argos within the UK. Nevertheless, Nokia is at the moment promoting it for £169.99, with no choice to hire it by means of its Round subscription scheme. It isn’t out there within the US on the time of writing.  

When you’re shopping for this telephone for its repairable construct, then you definately must also consider the price of elements and gear kits. A alternative battery prices £22.99, a brand new show prices £44.99, a again cowl prices £22.99 and a charging port is priced at £18.99. In the meantime, an iFixit package prices £26.99 – although this isn’t essentially wanted you probably have instruments mendacity round at house.  

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

You could possibly pay a bit extra and go for one thing just like the Fairphone 4, which additionally affords a repairable construct and OS updates all the best way as much as Android 15. Or, you would go for a extra strong however much less repairable finances purchase just like the Moto G62 – 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 telephone just like the Nokia G22 that may be mounted it at house, encouraging clients to carry onto units for longer. Not solely does this telephone save folks cash, however its additionally significantly better for the setting. 

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

The telephone does profit from first rate battery life, and close to inventory Android for a really user-friendly OS – however there is no such thing as a getting spherical the truth that finances telephone rivals provide higher shows and extra highly effective efficiency than the G22 for the same worth.

Specs

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