Nokia XR20 preview – Rugged, Drop-Resistant Mid-Ranger

When Nokia outlined their three-tiered smartphone startegy a few months ago, we were promised some experimental or wild designs in their X-line of products. Nokia XR20 is the first that truly lives up to that aim. A delightfully overengineered tough smartphone that during testing has taken a blast from the left foot of Roberto Carlos (yes, that left foot) and been juggled by freestyle world champion Lisa Zimouche. You have to give credit to their marketing team on this one.

Drier Facts About Durability

Along with surviving being punted by one of the beautiful game’s legends, Nokia are calling their XR20 “the most durable smartphone” that the Finnish company has ever made. In fact, they offer a one-year screen warranty to put their money where their mouths are.

The display’s hardiness comes from its Gorilla Glass Victus screen. Drop-rated for two metres (6.5ft) on to solid concrete and twice as scratch resistant as their own next toughest glass, Victus is quite a step forward in terms of materials technology.

Nokia XR20 is also IP68-rated and will survive for an hour under 1.5 metres of water. The device conforms to the MIL-STD-810H spec.

And the sense of security isn’t just case-deep. Nokia XR20 comes with four years of Android security updates – an extra year on their class-leading three year years of updates. Nokia XR20 also comes with three years of OS upgrades.

According to Nokia’s own research, 42% of their users chose their devices on the promise of their smartphone lasting three years. Durability is what the brand is known for – why not offer something to those who require something extremely tough.

Those who work or play outdoors want something that will survive their world of rough and tumble. Those in business want a device that will last, both physically and in terms of digital security.

Taking it Mainstream

Ruggedised devices tend to cost a premium. Similarly, devices with longer-term software support usually come at a cost. Nokia XR20 is keenly priced at €499 making it a distinctly mid-range device.

XR20 runs on the Snapdragon SD480 platfrom. While there are better chipsets available in devices at or even below five hundred quid, none will survive a drop on your bathroom floor.

It can be easy to overlook other aspects of a phone’s design in an era when raw power comparisons for every device are readily available. Peace of mind just isn’t as easy to explain to people.

Or as Dave Mustaine once said ‘Peace (of mind) sells… but Who’s Buying?’.

Thankfully, Nokia XR20 stands out as an attractive device. It only slightly chunky at 10.8mm thick and both colours feature a fine pinstripe that only leaps out when the rear catches the light. This shy oblique pinstripe is a current Nokia styling that I appreciate not just because it’s visually arresting but because it’s not an imitation of more expensive devices.

There is a fetching ‘X’ design housing the two camera lenses and the dual flash LEDs. The double LED arrangement is a nice touch for those taking work photos under dark conditions.

Another neat productivity detail is the extra-loud speaker (96db) so users can hear their phone ring on a busy building site or take a call hands-free outdoors.

Specifications

Nokia XR20 hits shelves in August 2021 at an RRP of around €499. For more information, including info on Nokia’s one-year free screen replacement, click here… For a review, come back to us in a few weeks 🙂