The fact that Nokia has finally released its first truly rugged smartphone doesn’t make us very happy. Not at all. It took years for HMD Global, which owns the Nokia brand, to see the value of the small but growing outdoor market. It came just a few weeks after the relaunch of the Motorola Defy range. Because the XR20 is made by Qualcomm, it can run on 5G and has a lot of other features that make it more than just a “ruggedized” phone.
Those who want a business smartphone that can withstand more than just a few bumps will like this one. It has good after-sale support and comes with a good warranty. Don’t be shocked by the hardware at first. There’s a lot more to it than just the specs. We just wish it had a little less of a price tag. Read more; Nokia T20 Tablet With 2K Display
Nokia XR20 Release Date and Price
In the UK, the XR20 will come in two different configurations (4GB RAM/64GB storage and 6GB RAM/128GB storage), as well as two different color schemes (Ultra Blue and Granite). In this case, the first model will set you back £399 (about US$548, AU$749). The second will set you back $449 (AU$839, and 499 Euros). The phone will go on sale in the US on August 24th for $550. The phone comes with a three-year warranty in Europe and New Zealand, but not in the United States.
Nokia XR20 design
The XR20 doesn’t look as strong as some of the bigger phones we’ve seen in the last few months. It has a slim 10.6mm profile, which is the thinnest in its class, and a footprint of 171.6 x 81.5mm. It weighs just 248g. Compare that to the Oukitel WP10, which is a rugged 5G smartphone that is 50 percent heavier and 70 percent thicker than the Oukitel WP10.
The front of the phone is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, which Nokia says is the toughest screen they’ve ever used on a phone. Camera: There is a small pinhole camera on the top of the phone, near where a red emergency button and the SIM card slot are. Other than the lanyard attachment loop, the other side of the phone has a Type-C connector, a Type-C port, a microphone, and a speaker with a grill.
It has a dedicated, non-customizable button on the left that you can’t change. The right side has a rocker volume control and a power button that can be slightly depressed to be used as a fingerprint reader. The back of the phone has a raised bump where two camera sensors (48-megapixel and 13-megapixel UW) and two LED flashes are.
The XR20 is a rugged smartphone that meets MIL-STD-810 standards. It has a thick rubber bumper and a metal frame that should keep it working in most places. It’s an IP68 phone, so you can even wash it with soap and water.
Nokia XR20 specs
The XR20 is a different version of the Nokia X20, and it has a different name. Their screen is 6.67 inches wide and has 1080 x 2400 pixels. They also both have an octa-core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G). The next one is made with an 8nm process, which makes it run cooler and use less power. Qualcomm’s Adreno 619 GPU, Kyro 460 CPU cores, and Wi-Fi 6/Bluetooth 5.1 are inside the chip.
Device: Even though it isn’t explicitly said that it has wind-noise cancelation, 2×2 MIMO antennas (for better Wi-Fi reception), 15W wireless charging, and 18W fast charge for the 4.63Ah battery, it also has these other features:
There isn’t a charger that comes with the phone, but you get a SIM tray tool, a quick start paper guide, and a Type-C USB cable. A charity called ClearRivers will get money for every XR20 that is sold. This is what Nokia said.
Nokia XR20 in use
People can see an Android One logo in the middle of the screen when they start the XR20, and it’s very big. As Andrew Williams and James Rogerson say, this is “the feature to look for if you want a phone with Android designed the way Google meant.” It has a mostly unaltered core interface, but there’s room for a few little hardware extras. Read also; Nokia XR20 India Launch Confirmed
But there’s more: Nokia will provide up to four years of monthly security updates for its rugged phones. This is the most comprehensive upgrade schedule we found among rugged phones. Besides the three OS upgrades that Android One promises, this is on top of that, too. This means that Android 14, which is expected to be released in 2023, will be the last version that can run on the XR20, which was released in 2014.
When it comes to sheer performance, don’t expect miracles. We did, however, notice that our browser-based tests gave the best results yet for 5G rugged devices, beating even the Dimension 800 phones. Yes, it could be because of Android One, but I don’t know for sure. Storage performance was not very good, with random/sustained writes being the best.
In terms of consumer batteries, this one is big. In terms of ruggedized ones, 8Ah batteries, which are almost twice as big, are more common. The fact that a phone has a lot of space doesn’t always mean that it has long battery life. Android One promises to make the most of every mAh through clever battery optimization techniques.
Nokia says that the “3D nanotextured” back of the phone will make it easier to grip, but this one looks more like a marketing ploy than a real feature. The screen was able to be used in bright sunlight because it had a brightness rating of 450 nits.
Nokia XR20 Review: Verdict
In most ways, the Nokia XR20 is just another smartphone. If you’re not already looking for a tough-as-nails phone, the Nokia XR20 won’t be for you. For the same amount of money, you can get a lot more in terms of specs, but you’ll miss out on the Nokia XR20’s near-indestructible qualities.
A decision about whether or not to pay extra for a smartphone that is stronger, more durable, and has rubber bumpers comes down to how you use your phone. If you live an active life or work in a physical job, you’ll know more than most how easy it is to break your phone. That’s where the Nokia XR20 really shines, though.
In order to make up for this, though, you’ll have to give up fast performance and a strong camera, but this doesn’t mean they aren’t good enough. Over the next few years, you might be more annoyed by the Nokia XR20’s slow speeds, but at least you won’t have to worry about it getting broken. The 5G connectivity will also help the Nokia XR20 stay relevant for years to come.
