Sustainable and loving? The Nokia X20 shows where the traditional Finnish manufacturer is going: new mobile phone names, more sustainability, even more customer-oriented. This was possible with 5G, an extra-long warranty, and compostable accessories. We take a closer look at the test.
Until recently, affordable 5G phones were a rarity. The vast majority of smartphones were predominantly flagships weighing in on savings. The phones cost £ 700 or more.
With your contract nearing its end, you now have plenty of choices for the budget-conscious buyer. Sure, the UK’s fledgling 5G network may still be a bit lacking when it comes to coverage, but budget phones like the new Nokia X20 could be a good starting point for consumers ready to take their first steps in the ever-expanding world. world of 5G.
Image of a Nokia X20 5G smartphone, dual SIM, RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB, 64 MP quad camera, watermark function, 6.67 “Full HD + display, durable design, 2 days battery life, and pure Android 11 – midnight sun Nokia X20 5G smartphone, dual SIM, RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB, 64 MP quad camera, watermark, 6.67 “Full HD + screen, durable design, 2 days battery life and Pure Android 11 – Midnight Sun.
Nokia X20 Review: What You Need to Know
After Nokia launched its first 5G phone last year, it’s back in the familiar low-cost range with the Nokia X20. The modest specs list includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480, 6 GB or 8 GB RAM, 128 GB expandable storage, and a 6.67-inch 60Hz FHD + display. It also has a 64MP primary camera in addition to a 5MP ultra-wide unit and a pair of 2MP depth and macro sensors.
A standard version of Android 11 with three years of monthly security updates and an extended three-year warranty is pre-installed on the Nokia X20. It doesn’t come with a charger, but Nokia does have a USB-C charging cable and a compostable cover that looks a bit like a terrazzo kitchen tile.
Nokia X20 Review: Price And Competition
Nokia’s second-largest 5G phone is the cheapest to date at 300GB with 6GB RAM and £ 320 with 8GB. The latter is available exclusively for Nokia’s own online shop and was sent to me for review.
If you shop through Nokia, you also get a free 90-day data plan of 15 GB on Nokia’s new UK mobile network, HMD Mobile. However, at the time of writing, this is just a 4G plan, with 5G connectivity at a later date.
Nokia X20 prices start at $ 412 (~ #135,000)
The Nokia X20 costs $ 412 (~ # 135,000) for 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage. It will be available for general purchase in May. Currently, only verification units are shipped for verification by HMD.
The Nokia X20 is not alone when it comes to Cutthroat 5G offerings. Xiaomi’s budget-friendly Redmi Note 9T is our favorite 5G phone right now. If you bought one of these phones, you save 120 euros (179 euros) compared to the Nokia. The still-excellent Moto G 5G Plus has also fallen in price since launch and now costs £ 230.
If you’re willing to spend a little more than the Nokia, the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G ($ 380) is just as good a choice as the Google Pixel 4a ($ 349) and the iPhone SE ($ 399).
Nokia X20 Review: Design And Key Features
What do we have in terms of design? With the choice between the bronze-colored “Midnight Sun” or “Mystic Blue” (shown here), the reflective matte finish of the Nokia X20 not only looks good but also feels good in the hand. The Zeiss branded quad cameras are neatly arranged in a round housing and are located next to the phone’s LED flash and above the centrally placed metal Nokia logo.
The Nokia X20 is a bit cheeky, though. If you weigh 220g and are 9.1mm thick, it can get a bit tight if you have small pockets or a stylish little handbag.
However, the rest of the physical features of the Nokia X20 all make perfect sense. Charging takes place via a USB-C port on the bottom, which is located between the speaker of the phone and the 3.5 mm audio jack. The power switch on the right also serves as a fingerprint reader. On the left edge of the phone are a special Google Assistant key and a SIM card slot with extra space for a second SIM or microSD card.
Nokia X20 Review: Display
On the front of the phone is a 6.67 inch 20: 9 IPS display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. The Nokia X20’s screen is limited to just 60Hz, which is a bit of a shame if you’re hoping for high-refresh scrolling and gaming. In comparison, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro, which costs 50 euros less than the Nokia, has a 120 Hz AMOLED display.
Also, the Nokia X20’s screen is a bit inconsistent in terms of color accuracy. With an average Delta E of 3.69 in my tests, the phone’s IPS panel was all over the place, with supersaturated dark blues and greens and matte-looking reds.
The good news, however, is that the screen becomes bright enough in sunny conditions with a measured peak luminance of 635 cd / m2 when the adaptive brightness setting is activated. The phone’s contrast of 1241: 1 isn’t bad either.
Nokia X20 Review: Performance And Battery Life
Inside, the Nokia X20 is powered by an octa-core processor, Qualcomm Snapdragon 480, clocked at 2 GHz. When it comes to RAM, I was sent the top-of-the-range 8GB Nokia X20 for review, but there is also a slightly cheaper 6GB variant in the stores. Both models have 128 GB of internal storage, with the option to expand it further if you have a spare microSD card.
In the Geekbench 5 single and multi-core CPU tests, the Nokia X20 scored 507 and 1633 points, roughly equal to the speeds of the Pixel 4a, Redmi Note 9T, and OnePlus Nord N10. Overall performance feels pretty snappy, but the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G easily beats it, and the iPhone SE beats it all.
The Nokia X20 isn’t too shabby when it comes to gaming either, with the Adreno 619 GPU showing an average of 37 frames per second on the screen in the Manhattan 3 GFXBench test. The lack of a very refreshing 120Hz display isn’t a big deal here as chances are most games will find it difficult to get high frame rates anyway.
The battery life of the Nokia X20 is also quite good. In a video rundown test, which lasts a total of 17 hours and 44 minutes, Nokia does not stand out significantly from its competitors. However, you should be able to cut down on a day’s usage on a single charge, if not a little more.
Nokia X20 Review: Cameras
The Nokia X20 has a quad-camera setup consisting of a primary 64-megapixel unit (standard 16-megapixel images), a 5-megapixel ultra-wide, and two 2-megapixel depth and macro sensors. That’s pretty common these days, and Nokia’s 32-megapixel front-facing camera is nothing out of the ordinary either.
How did I pass my tests with the Nokia X20 range of cameras? It’s a bit confusing, but the good news is that the main camera is a delight and captures richly detailed images, especially in sunny environments. I had to adjust the exposure slider on the screen a few times to optimize exposure, but overall the Nokia X20’s default capture mode produced images that I would like to upload to social media with minimal post-capture edits.
The phone’s night mode is a bit dim, with a huge loss of detail as darkness creeps in and a pretty old splash of visual noise. Likewise, the 5-megapixel ultra-wide camera isn’t particularly good. The result is more like a watercolor than the type you want to hang on your wall.
When it comes to videos, the Nokia X20 offers the top performance of 1080p and a choice of 30fps or 60fps. Images looked crisp and stable with the EIS setting enabled, but cheaper phones like the Redmi Note 9T and Moto G 5G Plus can record at up to 4K resolution.
Nokia X20 Review: Verdict
If you look beyond the high-end aesthetic of the Nokia X20, you end up with a device that cannot compete with its competitors in terms of value creation. Considering the caliber of the phone that you can currently buy for a lot less money, the Nokia X20 doesn’t stand out in any way.
Pros
- Solid battery life
- Cheap 5G
- Main camera is great
Cons
- Bulky design
- 60Hz IPS display
- Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T is better value
If your buying budget is tight and you have 5G in your sights, the cheaper Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T will remain our top 5G pick for now. Unfortunately, the Nokia X20’s relatively limited range is not good enough to get a recommendation.
Admin