The Nokia XR20 is a smartphone with a very sturdy housing. This reminds him of the indestructible Nokia phones from years ago. With the difference that the XR20 has excellent specifications and will receive four years of updates. In this Nokia XR20 review you can read whether the smartphone combines the best of both worlds.
Nokia XR20
Recommended retail price From € 499,-
Colors black and blue
OS Android 11 (Android One)
Screen 6.67″ LCD (2400 x 1080, 60Hz)
Processor 2GHz octa-core (Snapdragon 480)
RAM 4GB or 6GB
Storage 64 GB or 128 GB (expandable)
Battery 4,630mAh
Rear cameras 48 and 13 megapixels
Front camera 8 megapixels (front)
Connectivity 5G, Bluetooth 5.1, Wi-Fi, GPS, NFC
Format 17.1 x 8.2 x 1cm
Weight 248 grams
Other Sturdy design, wireless charging, no adapter
Website www.nokia.com 8 Score 80 
- Pros
- Very sturdy design
- Complete specifications
- Four years of updates
- Three year warranty
- Negatives
- clumsy
- Relatively slow
Nokia announced the XR20 at the end of July and released it in the Netherlands shortly after. The base model costs 499 euros and has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage memory. For 579 euros you can buy a variant with 6 GB and 128 GB memory. The Nokia XR20 is available in black and blue colours. I tested the most expensive version for three weeks and in this Nokia XR20 review you can read my experiences with the sturdy smartphone.
The first acquaintance is positive, because Nokia does not provide the legal two-year warranty on the smartphone.
Can’t be broken
The design of the XR20 makes it immediately clear what kind of device you have in your hands. The smartphone weighs no less than 248 grams and is therefore one of the heaviest phones of the moment. With more than one centimeter, it is also one of the thickest models. The bulky design takes some getting used to and makes the Nokia XR20 less suitable for one-handed use.
On the other hand, the smartphone can take a lot. The housing can withstand a drop from one meter on a hard surface and the screen uses a special protective layer that prevents scratches and cracks. This smartphone can take a beating, is the message that Nokia conveys in advertising videos. The device is also water and dustproof and can withstand very high and very low temperatures better than an average smartphone. The sturdy design makes the Nokia XR20 ideal for those who are afraid that their smartphone will be damaged quickly. I can also imagine that it is interesting as a first smartphone, for example for a child or (grand)parents.
But also people with a rough profession can consider the Nokia XR20. Nokia has thought of this target group when developing the smartphone. For example, there are not one but two flashes on the back, for a brighter flashlight function. You start the flashlight via the separate button on the top of the device, which I think is clever. Especially because in the settings of the smartphone you can set what the button does when you hold it down. I’ve told him to open the calculator app.
I am less impressed with the special button on the left side to start the Google Assistant because I find this function less necessary. You can disable this feature, but unfortunately you can’t assign any other action to the button. The right side houses clear volume buttons and an on and off button with integrated fingerprint scanner. The scanner is accurate but could have been a little faster.
Screen quality
The screen of the Nokia XR20 is mainly functional. Hence the tough Corning Gorilla Glass Victus coating against scratches and cracks. Nokia is so convinced of the quality that if the screen breaks in the first year, the repair is free for you.
In other areas, the screen is less impressive. It is an LCD display where many competitors have a nicer OLED screen, there is no higher refresh rate for a smoother image, and large edges are visible around the screen that give the phone a somewhat more old-fashioned appearance. The Full-HD resolution does deliver a nice sharp image and the screen can be very bright. The screen is certainly sufficient for the target group of this device, less for film lovers.
Average specifications
Not only the screen is simple, the other parts have also been chosen by Nokia to make the XR20 a ‘just good’ smartphone. For example, the Snapdragon 480 processor is smooth enough but certainly not the fastest in this price segment and the entry-level model only has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage memory.
Nokia sells a model with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage for an additional cost of eighty euros. Many people would do well to choose this variant because the extra RAM improves the performance of the smartphone and there is more space to store files.
Fortunately, Nokia has the basics in order. The XR20 lasts about a day and a half on a battery charge and can charge via the USB-c port as well as a wireless Qi charger. The latter is not a standard feature in this price range. By the way, please note that Nokia supplies the XR20 without a charging adapter to save the environment. The smartphone supports 5G internet (which remains useful in the Netherlands for the time being) and has an NFC chip.
Two cameras are placed on the back of the smartphone, intended for normal photos and extra wide wide-angle images. In the camera app there is a button to zoom in a few times. This goes through the main camera and is therefore not a real zoom. A ‘zoom photo’ is therefore less sharp and shows less realistic colors. The main camera performs ‘just right’ without standing out and the wide-angle lens creates a wide image with too saturated colors. That doesn’t bother me, but it does stand out when you compare photos with the main camera. Below you will find two series of images shot with the main camera, wide angle camera and zoom mode.
Cleaned up software gets four years of updates
Nokia scores points with its software policy. The XR20 runs on Android One, the standard Android version. Nokia provides a few commercial apps, but you can remove them. And then you have the Android experience as Google has in mind, without unnecessary adjustments from a manufacturer.
More importantly, Nokia guarantees an excellent update policy. The XR20 can count on three version updates – from Android 11 to 12, 13 and 14 – and will receive a security update every month for four years. With this device you are protected until the summer of 2026. Many alternative smartphones in this price segment receive updates less often and for a shorter period of time.
Conclusion: Buy Nokia XR20?
The Nokia XR20 is a very sturdy smartphone with excellent specifications, tidy software and guaranteed updates until the summer of 2026. The device has no real drawbacks, although it could have been a bit faster. The main focus is the clunky design, which is why I recommend that you try the Nokia XR20 in a store before you buy it.
Alternatives to the Nokia XR20 are the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 5, Motorola Defy and smartphones from CAT. These devices are equally sturdy, but have less good specifications. And only Samsung gets it in terms of update policy from Nokia. The competitors mentioned are tens of euros cheaper than the Nokia XR20.
So there is something for everyone to choose from, with Nokia’s model being the best choice in the higher price segment. The entry-level model of 499 euros is recommended, although I think that many interested parties should spend eighty euros more on the version with more working and storage memory.