HMD, which now stands for ‘Human Mobile Devices’ has launched a range of ‘Pulse’ branded phones designed to be repairable by consumers.
They are the HMD Pulse Pro, (price to be announced) HMD Pulse+ (£129) and HMD Pulse (£99).
The HMD Pulse range is built so owners can replace a damaged display, fix a bent charging port, or change a depleted battery themselves using a self-repair kit from iFixit starting from £17.99.
Kyle Wiens, CEO of iFixit, said “HMD’s commitment to designing phones with repairability in mind is an encouraging shift in our throwaway culture. We’re keen to collaborate as they work towards making repairable phones the norm, not the exception.”
HMD says its research indicates 41 per cent of Gen Z would be more likely to purchase an electrical device if they could repair it themselves at home
HMD predicts that three out of every four devices it sells in Europe in 2024 will be repairable, up from one in three in 2023, demonstrating a significant shift in consumer purchase habits.
Ben Wood, Chief Analyst CCS Insight, said: “Repairability is a hot topic for consumers. CCS Insight has seen interest in repairing mobile phones increase significantly in both the EU and USA over the last year.
“Approximately 55 per cent of those surveyed in the EU said they would like to have a device that’s outside its warranty period repaired at a reasonable cost rather than replacing it with a new device. In the US interest is also strong, at an impressive 49 per cent. We also note that 47 per cent of EU consumers and 48 per cent of US consumers express readiness to pay slightly more for environmentally friendly products which underlines an appetite for more repairable products.”