Nokia launches sustainability subscription service and four new devices

Nokia has launched an innovative subscription service encouraging consumers to hold onto their phones for longer, along with three new phones and a tablet.

In a bid to improve the sustainability of the lifecycle of its smartphones, Nokia has announced the launch of its Circular subscription service. The purpose of this service is to encourage consumers to keep their phones for longer than they may do otherwise with the motivation of environmentally-friendly incentives, known as ‘Seeds of Tomorrow’, and at the end of the phone’s lifecycle the devices can undergo “recycling, refurbishing and re-subscribing or… go to a charitable cause that needs it the most.”

Seeds of Tomorrow points are earned on a six-monthly basis, and increase over time; you’re set to receive one bi-annually for the first year, two bi-annually for the second year, and so on. Each seed can be redeemed for an environmental or humanitarian cause, such as planting trees, or removing carbon from the air.

Florian Seche, the CEO of HMD Global (Nokia’s parent company), stated: “Most people have a drawer full of old phones at home. This is something we hope to change by providing a way for people and businesses to get the most from Nokia devices while leaving the smallest possible footprint on the planet. To do that, and to be truly circular, we are taking full responsibility for the entire lifecycle of our phones – not just making sure they last longer in the hands of our fans, which has always been a core part of our product design process, but also through manufacture, reuse and recycling.”

There will be four smartphones on the programme to begin with, including two newly-launched devices, and the price plans are as follows:

• Nokia G60 5G (£249): £12.50 per month, £30 set-up fee
• Nokia X30 5G (£399): £25 per month, £30 set-up fee
• Nokia Nokia XR20 (£449): £20 per month, £30 set-up fee
• Nokia T10 (£149): £10 per month, £30 set-up fee

Along with this significant announcement, Nokia also released four new devices (including two of those listed above), and the details follow below.

Nokia X30

The X30 is said to be Nokia’s most eco-friendly phone to date, and that’s due to its 100% recycled aluminium chassis, and 65% recycled rear cover. Its packaging size has also been reduced, with the box being 100% FSE certified and made of 75% recycled materials.

The phone itself runs on a Snapdragon 695 5G processor, has a dual 50-megapixel and 13-megapixel rear camera system, and an AMOLED display that measures 6.43 inches. It’s durable too, with an IP67 rating and a Gorilla Glass Victus screen, and it will receive three years of monthly security updates.

Starting Price: £399

Nokia G60

The G60 also has a sustainability focus, with a 100% recycled plastic back cover and a 60% recycled plastic frame, and it is also due three years of monthly security updates.

This handset has a triple camera consisting of a 50-megapixel main lens, a 5-megapixel ultrawide, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The display spans 6.58-inches and is made of Gorilla Glass 5, while the battery clocks in at 4500mAh. Like the X30, it also runs on the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset.

Starting Price: £249.99

Nokia C31

The Nokia C31 has a large 6.7-inch display, while its triple camera array is led by a 13-megapixel sensor that’s joined by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel macro snapper. It’s also got a degree of resilience, with an IP52 rating against water and dust ingress, while its battery is larger at 5050mAh.

Starting Price: “around £109”

Nokia T21

The T21 tablet has a 10.36-inch screen with a 2000x1200p resolution, and runs on a UniSoc T612 chipset. Its large 8200mAh cell supports 18W fast-charging, and it is guaranteed to receive 2 operating system upgrades during its lifetime.

Price (Wi-Fi only): £189

Price (LTE): £209