Checking out our Nokia XR20 review will help you determine the best purchase for a tough smartphone that can stand the test of time.
The Nokia XR20 smartphone was released in August 2021. 5G connectivity is all the rage in the smartphone world. 5G smartphones like the Nokia XR20 don’t just boast speedy connection, but also high-quality features.
The Nokia XR20 is one of the latest inventions developed by the iconic brand. Designed to meet the current trends of the market, the device has state-of-the-art qualities.
From its ZEISS quality cameras to 6GB RAM, the stylish phone guarantees to withstand the roughest conditions. But with its incredibly high price point, is buying the phone worth the risk?
With our Nokia XR20 review, you wouldn’t have to worry about these things. Skip the extensive research, and check out our review to make a confident purchase.
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Key Specs
Nokia XR20 specifications:
| Weight | 248g |
| Dimensions | 171.6 x 81.5 x 10.6mm |
| OS | Android 11 |
| Screen size | 6.67-inch |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 |
| CPU | 2GHz Octa-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Battery | 4,630mAh, Non-Removable |
| Rear camera | 48MP + 13MP |
| Front camera | 8MP |
Design
The Nokia XR20 is built with a durable design that’s made to withstand long years of usage. It might not have a typical ultra-rugged appearance, but this device packs a punch. For starters, the phone comes with an ultra-solid case. It boasts drop-resistant, water-resistant, temperature-resistant, as well as kid-and-pet-resistant qualities. That’s more than enough to keep the device intact.
Protective qualities aside, we’d want something that’s beautifully crafted as well. The Nokia XR20 does a great job at this. On the front, we have the display screen that encompasses almost the entire phone. Because of its slim bezels, it doesn’t have that edge-to-edge screen look, but it’s enough for a widescreen experience. The phone camera doesn’t have a bezel of its own, but it’s a part of the display screen instead.
Moving onto the back, we have the phone’s two rear cameras, accompanied by its respective flashlights. It’s a fuss-free, simplistic design that makes it easy for us to graph onto the device. The back cover is non-removable, so the phone’s insides are covered well. The side frames are made of aluminum and polymer composite for that extra sturdiness.
Available only in Ultra Blue and Granite, we’re not complaining too much about its design. Design-wise, the phone manages to prove that we can combine aesthetics with protective functionality. After all, a phone should be able to withstand the roughest weather or dirtiest environments, and still, looks good.
Read also: Nokia XR20 User Manual
Display
The Nokia XR20 has a 6.67-inch display screen for all of your viewing pleasure. With this screen size, we get to enjoy a lot of our content on a wider screen. It has an aspect ratio of 20:9, meaning that we get to stretch videos or images. The best part is that our content doesn’t get pixelated when it gets stretched.
The display screen features FHD+ which has a high 2400 x 1800 resolution. We enjoyed the very high-quality graphics. And the color quality is vivid. Everything is incredibly sharp, which is a huge plus in our books. This only makes users want to spend more time in front of the device.
As previously mentioned, the camera is located within the display screen adopting a punch-hole design. The phone utilizes as much space as possible to give us a widescreen-like experience. Although for some people, it will take some time to get used to. On top of that, the display screen is supported with great brightness thanks to the Full HD quality.
Everyone worries about how fragile smartphone display screens can be. But that’s not the case for the Nokia XR20. The screen is protected with a tough Corning Gorilla Glass Victus layer. It has the durable qualities to go against scratches and drops. It’s also receptive enough for users with wet hands or who are using gloves.
Camera
The Nokia XR20 smartphone has a 48MP rear camera to capture sharp images. With its high megapixels, we got to take incredibly beautiful shots – especially with its advanced Auto Focus feature. The camera manages to capture the most detailed photos, no matter how bright or dark the environment is.
In addition to the main rear camera, we also have the 13MP ultra-wide camera. This option is perfect for panorama photography lovers who love a good wide-angle shot. Moving onto the front side is the 8MP front camera. It’s just the right amount of megapixels to take quality selfies.
While the cameras are remarkable, we need to talk about the features as well. The camera is installed with ZEISS Optics, ZEISS Cinematic Effects, and ZEISS Portrait. ZEISS has garnered a favorable reputation for building phone cameras with top-notch quality. Their lens fares better in dark situations. Lighting wouldn’t be a big issue for this phone’s cameras.
The camera comes with several modes for users to play with. Some of these options include Night mode, HDR, Cinema mode, and Beautification. However, the cherry on top is the SpeedWarp mode. This new recording mode provides super-stabilization that lets us capture key moments perfectly, And with this camera’s wind-noise cancellation, we don’t have to worry about unwanted background noise.
Read also: Nokia G20 Review: Four Rear Cameras and Large Battery
Storage
The Nokia XR20 is installed with 128GB of internal storage. With memory space as huge as this, we don’t necessarily have to install any external storage. 128GB is more than enough to install tons of apps without the phone breaking apart. Plus, there’s still room to keep photos, songs, videos, and other huge documents.
But if 128GB is not enough, you can always choose to expand it. To do this, you’ll need to install an external MicroSD card. The phone lets us expand its memory up to 512GB, which again, is more than enough for a casual phone user. But this beats having to clear up our phone storage all the time to make room for new files.
Performance
The Nokia XR20 is supported by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G as its processor. The CPU goes above and beyond thanks to its 5G technology. With it, You can enjoy multi-gigabit connectivity that only 5G can offer. Of course, this is without the processor’s unbeatable accessibility and adaptability.
With a speed of 2GHz, the Octa-core chip boasts a 1000% performance upgrade compared to lesser models. This new processor infrastructure pushes for better power efficiency across the board. As a result, we experienced incredible performance without the phone heating and the battery draining.
Next up, we have the Nokia XR20’s 6GB RAM. It’s an absolute addition for a phone of this stature. The 6GB RAM makes room for a lot of space in the device. As more phones are being developed with RAM sizes at least 3GB, 6GB is a whopping size. It makes the price point a lot more worth it.
The 6GB RAM has given us even more flexibility to explore the phone’s full potential. We don’t have to worry about downloading heavy-data apps that typically require lots of RAM space. For anybody who uses apps frequently, this is the right choice. 6GB is great for anyone who’s always going back and forth multiple apps but doesn’t want the inconvenience of lags and having to constantly clear the space.
Our Nokia XR20 review ensures that we take a look at the software too. And that includes the smartphone’s Android 11 Operating System. The system on the inside also counts. The Nokia XR20 is installed with the most recent Android 11. Nokia has ensured that this device stays up to date with up to 3 years of upgrades.
Android 11 gives users multiple features to enjoy. Some examples include 15GB of free cloud storage on Google Drive – perfect for fans of cloud technology. Other functions worth mentioning are notification categories, which organize interactions into three categories to better prioritize conversations.
For security, this phone has a fingerprint sensor that’s uniquely placed on the side key. The fingerprint sensor supposedly grants easier access to the device. Lastly, to make sure the Nokia XR20 works even more optimally, the device has an accelerometer, barometer, e-Compass, gyroscope, and ambient light sensor. All these sensors work together to form a strong receptive device that’s able to read inputs from the surroundings.
Connectivity
The Nokia XR20 can connect to 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G networks easily. Thanks to 5G technology, we have access to a reliable connection, with 20x faster speeds than 4G. The 5G support ensures you don’t have to upgrade later when it’s getting popular. Alternatively, besides mobile data, you can also activate the phone’s Wi-Fi.
For wireless file transfers, you can optimize the phone’s Bluetooth 5.1. You can use it to connect to external devices like a speaker wirelessly. But if there’s a cable lying around, then you can use the USB Type-C instead. The phone also has GPS to accurately track a real-time location. You don’t have to worry about getting lost again with this feature.
Battery
The Nokia XR20 runs on a 4,630mAh battery that lasts up to 2 days. That should give users enough juice for us to use the phone without frequent charging. Meanwhile, the battery type is non-removable. Users cannot replace it on their own.
For charging, the phone has a wireless charging option as well as Quick Charge 4.0. With its AI battery-saving technology, you can save up as much battery as required. You can say goodbye to redundant charging and enjoy using the device for longer hours.
Is the Nokia XR20 a good phone?
The Nokia XR20 has impressed us with its exterior and interior components. Not only does the phone look modern, but it also has advanced qualities that make it extremely marketable. These days, it’s difficult to find an ultra-rugged device designed for casual phone users.
With a retail price of $550, we admit that it’s a bit in the expensive range. But to conclude our Nokia XR20 review, we believe that a smartphone purchase should be considered a long-term investment.
It’s better to splurge more on a device that guarantees a long life instead of something that breaks down easily. It’s not every day we get to buy a phone, so make sure each purchase is worth it.
Nokia XR20 Pros
- FHD+ display quality
- 5G connectivity
- ZEISS cameras
- Ultra-ruggedness
Nokia XR20 Cons
- Not a budget phone