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For years, Amazon, Samsung, and Lenovo have dominated the dialog in relation to low cost Android tablets, with solely the latter two really providing a correct “Android” expertise. However extra Android phone-makers have scrambled to carry their very own funds tablets to the desk, as extra folks shift to working from residence and like bigger screens to transportable ones. Enter the Nokia T20.
When HMD World introduced the Nokia T20, it marketed it as an affordable, dependable possibility for “hybrid working and on-line studying,” with a long-lasting battery, two promised OS updates to Android 13, and the software program and efficiency to work for each video conferences and youngsters’ leisure.
So I am utilizing these standards to evaluate whether or not or not the Nokia T20 is price your time, in comparison with the opposite funds Android tablets which might be obtainable.
Nokia T20: Worth and availability
The Nokia T20 pill was launched in late 2021 for $250. It’s obtainable in the US, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and India. Within the U.S., you will discover it obtainable on a number of fashionable retail websites like Amazon and Greatest Purchase, in addition to on Nokia’s personal web site.
Nokia additionally just lately introduced the Nokia T10 pill with comparable specs and efficiency, solely in an 8-inch type at a lower cost, and with Android 12 obtainable out of the field.
Nokia T20: What’s good
Having reviewed a number of Nokia gadgets just like the X100 and G20 previously yr, the Nokia T20 seemed instantly acquainted to me, each in its distinct Ocean Blue coloring, and its general design. However I might argue HMD World’s design language works higher on a pill than on its telephones, which are inclined to look overly easy and hulking.
It has a beautiful aluminum end that feels snug and grippy in your fingertips. Whereas my oily fingers shortly cowl it in smudges, it has a fairly enticing, uniform look when you clear it. It has a small plastic portion on prime to permit Wi-Fi alerts to move by means of extra simply, however it blends in pretty nicely.
Plus, the all-aluminum design offers the pill a decent one-pound weight that is barely lighter than competing funds tablets like the ten.2-inch iPad and Lenovo Tab P11 Plus.
It is snug to carry for lengthy durations, with comfortably thick sides and a uncommon IP52 score that makes it mud and splash-proof. For comparability, many tablets lack any IP score; and whilst you should not dunk this in water, it is definitely sturdy.
Ranging from the highest, the Nokia T20 has the quantity rocker, microSD card slot, two mic holes, and 5MP selfie digicam alongside the highest edge; audio system and USB-C 2.0 port on the correct aspect, with a 3.5mm headphone jack on the underside nook; and audio system plus the facility button on the left aspect.
The headphone jack’s nook placement is a bit weird, and it appears a bit tougher to insert headphones into than on different gadgets. However that is really a minor nitpick, as I am simply thrilled that Nokia continues to help 3.5mm headphones customers when most manufacturers have deserted them.
| Class | Nokia T20 specs |
|---|---|
| Working System | Android 11; on account of obtain Android 12 + 13 and month-to-month safety updates |
| Show | 10.4-inch LCD; 1200×2000; 400 nits |
| Processor | Unisoc Tiger T610 SoC |
| Reminiscence | 4GB RAM |
| Storage | 64GB inside; 512GB microSD card slot (card not included) |
| Cameras | 8MP rear; 5MP entrance |
| Safety | PIN, passcode, face unlock |
| Connectivity | WiFi 2.4/5GHz; Bluetooth 5.0; 3.5mm headphone jack; 4G mobile mannequin obtainable |
| Audio | Stereo audio system with OZO Audio |
| Battery | 8200mAh, 15W charging suitable |
| Dimensions | 247.6 x 157.5 x 7.8mm; 9.75 x 6.2 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 465 grams; 1.025 kilos |
| Colours | Ocean Blue |
As you’d anticipate with a $250 pill, you are not getting cutting-edge efficiency right here, and the Unisoc T610 is an unproven CPU. However whereas testing the Nokia T20, I discovered its efficiency to be sufficient for a funds person.
That is not precisely an exciting endorsement, however it matches what I’ve seen on comparably priced Nokia telephones and surpasses the considerably laggy efficiency you will see on Amazon Hearth tablets. You may discover a slight delay opening internet pages or apps and a few juttery scrolling in comparison with costlier tablets, however nothing horrible at this value level.
The battery life can even greater than fulfill you. It guarantees to hit 15 hours with customary use, 10 hours with video streaming, and seven hours of video calling, and due to its 8,200mAh battery capability, it actually does appear to hit these benchmarks. It lasted over 10 hours streaming Netflix continuous, and can sometimes final you 2-3 days per cost with informal use.
One of many greatest promoting factors of the Nokia T20 is its “2K” show, which rises barely over 1080p, however would not hit the 1440p decision that most individuals think about 2K. I’ve some frustrations with the show I am going to focus on within the subsequent part, however I will not promote the pill’s visible high quality utterly brief.
It will get respectably shiny at 400 nits, sufficient to make content material simply seen except you are in direct daylight, and its 224 pixel-per-inch ratio is great at this value level, sufficient to make small textual content readable, and app icons or recreation interfaces much less blurry than you will see on different funds tablets.
The opposite big promoting level is apparent: It is a inventory Android pill, so that you get full entry to Play Retailer apps. That is one thing an Amazon Hearth pill cannot provide, and because the Hearth HD 10 Plus with 64GB and no lock display screen advertisements prices solely barely lower than the Nokia T20, you are not paying an excessive amount of further for it.
Lastly, you will recognize the additions of Leisure Area and Children Area, two options that curate content material based mostly in your downloaded apps and streaming preferences, and add kid-centric software program and experiences, respectively.
Nokia T20: What’s not good
Contemplating the Nokia T20 got here out late final yr, it is truthful to marvel why this evaluation took so lengthy to come back out. For starters, my preliminary evaluation unit had an unlucky defect the place the show remained clean although it made noises just like the wakeup chime or screenshot noise indicating it was energetic.
I see this as an unfortunate fluke with an early unit, as I have not heard of any comparable buyer complaints. However by the point HMD World might ship me a substitute unit, the preliminary wave of opinions had already come out, as had Nokia’s first wave of Android 12 updates to some of its telephones.
So I believed I’d maintain off on the evaluation till the Android 12L replace, since HMD World instructed journalists throughout an October 2021 pre-release briefing that it was engaged on a 12L construct for the T20.
I did not assume I might have that lengthy to attend, and needed to learn how the pill would profit from Android’s new multitasking options. As a substitute, as of mid-July, the Nokia T20 stays on Android 11, and it did not make any sense to maintain ready. It is also caught on a Could 5 safety replace, regardless of the promise of month-to-month updates.
Now, most funds tablets not often get a lot software program help and infrequently solely obtain quarterly safety updates. However as an Android Enterprise Beneficial machine, the T20 has larger expectations positioned upon it, making it weird that HMD World prioritized different Nokia gadgets’ updates.
We all know it will obtain Android 12 quickly — the Nokia T10 will launch with Android 12 in August, so the model’s pill software program have to be near prepared — and obtain Android 13 down the road, the type of help solely Apple and Samsung tablets provide. However such an extended wait for brand new software program makes this perk much less interesting than we would hoped.
Software program apart, the Nokia T20 has one main downside that makes it troublesome to suggest: L3 Widevine DRM. You might not have heard of Widevine, however it’s a Google characteristic that permits video apps to limit your streaming decision, stopping you from copying and distributing content material illegally.
Most trendy gadgets use L1, which means they course of information in a Trusted Execution Atmosphere so piracy is much less possible, and subsequently have unrestricted decision. However the Nokia T20 is caught on L3 and ceaselessly defaults to 480p.
So although the T20 has a decent 1200 x 2000 decision (larger than most funds tablets), you will not be capable to take full benefit of it for a pill’s commonest use case. It has an instantly noticeable impact whereas binging content material on Netflix, with the identical visible high quality as an HD pill just like the Hearth 7, solely stretched out.
This has much less of an impact for non-streaming apps, making the T20 higher suited to cloud/cellular gaming or video calls the place the decision can shine. 4GB is sufficient to get pleasure from demanding video games on “low” graphics, however do not anticipate something greater than that with the Unisoc Tiger 610. Additionally, take into account that whereas your coworkers will look crisp on your show, the 5MP selfie digicam will not do you any favors.
I am going to additionally observe that the Nokia T20’s stereo audio system will underwhelm you, with a considerably tinny high quality with restricted vary. I mounted the issue considerably by hopping into the settings, the place mono audio was enabled by default. However in comparison with Dolby Atmos on another funds tablets, Ozo Audio did not impress me.
The Nokia T20 battery life impresses, however a big capability blended with a sluggish 15W charging pace means it will take a number of hours — and even longer should you solely have the boxed 10W charger available. That is not a difficulty for an in a single day cost, however there is no quick juicing up should you’re on a time crunch.
In any other case, you will discover some lacking options that HMD World clearly minimize for value causes: a haptic motor and a fingerprint sensor. I’ve discovered that funds haptics are so unreliable that I flip them off in different gadgets, so that you possible will not thoughts the absence.
The larger disgrace is the lacking fingerprint sensor, for the reason that Face Unlock device was extremely inconsistent, and fully depending on which approach you held the pill. Until you orient it in panorama with the selfie digicam on prime, you will see the “Face not acknowledged” immediate more often than not.
The competitors
The closest pound-for-pound competitor to the Nokia T20 is the $260 Lenovo Tab P11 Plus. It falls brief with only one OS replace to Android 12 and lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, however Lenovo’s funds pill is the clear winner in most different respects.
The P11 Plus has the identical 1200 x 2000 decision with 400 nits, however helps L1 Widevine DRM for higher streaming high quality. Dolby Atmos audio system give it a a lot richer, extra highly effective sound.
Its Mediatek chip simply outpaces Nokia’s Unisoc chip, whether or not or not you improve to the 6GB possibility for $50 extra. It additionally lacks a fingerprint sensor, however its inconsistent Face Unlock appears downright dependable in comparison with Nokia’s. And its cameras provide larger decision.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab A8 has very comparable specs as nicely, with the Unisoc Tiger T618 paired with 4GB of RAM, a ten.5-inch 216ppi show, 8MP/5MP cameras, quad audio system with Dolby Atmos, and a 7040mAh battery with 15W charging. It also needs to obtain Android 12 quickly, although it will run off of One UI as a substitute of inventory Android. The primary distinction is that it has L1 Widevine for superior streaming high quality
On the cheaper aspect of issues, the Hearth HD 10 Plus has a really comparable show measurement and high quality, a Helio P60T processor with 4GB of RAM that is almost an identical in benchmarks to the Unisoc T610, expandable storage, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It prices much less, however has extra restricted app help and worse digicam decision.
Nokia T20: Do you have to purchase it?
You can purchase this if…
- You need an inexpensive pill with promised replace help and full Play Retailer entry.
- You want a pill with long-lasting battery life.
- You care a few sturdy and glossy design in a funds bundle.
You should not purchase this if…
- You care about watching reveals on the highest attainable decision.
- You need a pill with the speediest efficiency for gaming or shopping.
- You like listening to reveals or music through audio system as a substitute of headphones.
Evaluating the Nokia T20 in opposition to comparable gadgets from Amazon, Samsung, and Lenovo, it is clear that this pill would not fall brief in most uncooked specs. Its battery life is great, its decision and brightness beat what we would come to anticipate from funds tablets. It does a minimum of have the prospect of Android 13 help a yr from now, whereas different funds tablets will stay caught on 12 for good.
Regardless of all that, it is troublesome to get previous the L3 Widevine and tinny audio, although the latter I can a minimum of ignore because of the headphone jack. Completely low-resolution video undermines one of many T20’s essential strengths (its pixel-rich show) and makes different rival choices extra compelling.
Nokia T20
An inexpensive pill that does not stop
With a trendy design, a beast of a battery, and competent efficiency, the Nokia T20 is definitely among the many greatest low cost Android tablets obtainable regardless of its compromises.
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