Nokia XR21 Smartphone Review

Nokia XR21 Smartphone Review – It’s almost been two years since Nokia releases its last XR series phones. Usually, this lineup is known for these rugged phones. Although they might not look like rugged phones from first impression, they got several features that will protect the device in extreme conditions. The last phone that we have seen from this series was the Nokia XR20, while the company recently released the Nokia XR21 with some major improvements.

For starters, the device will appear with a sturdy body as usual and the front glass also got additional protection. Not to forget, the smartphone maker ensures to provide astounding quality when it comes to overall features. Although, there’s no denying that the XR21 phone is lacking in several departments. But at the end of the day, it fulfills the purpose of the phone. Let’s head toward the Nokia XR21 review to find out more details about this phone.

Nokia XR21 Smartphone Review

Highlights

1. The device will offer a 6.49 inches IPS LCD panel with 120Hz refresh rate support.
2. As for the software interface, the Android 12 skin with decent customization will appear.
3. You will obtain the Snapdragon 695 5G chipset to enhance performance and GPU support.
4. A decent 64MP dual camera grants appealing photos and video with a 16MP selfie camera at the front.
5. Moving to the battery section, you will receive a 33W wired charging for a Li-Po 4800 mAh battery configuration.

Design and Display

The Nokia XR21 comes with an elegant and impressive design layout. But what this rugged phone makes stand out would be the lightweight body as the phone is roughly 231 grams. Following this, it’s noticeable that the company used a plastic back panel, which gives the phone a matte finish. It can be purchased in two exciting color variants offered by the smartphone.

There are Midnight Black and Pine Green for the sale, you can choose anyone between them according to your choice. Moreover, if you are looking for something different, you should consider the pine Green. The overall built quality is sturdy as you will obtain an IP rating and Miltrarity grade protection on this phone. But a the same time, you will also find the biometric scanner on the power, which increase the security aspect of the Nokia XR21 smartphone.

On the other hand, the device arrives with 6.49 inches IPS LCD panel that will grant subtle support for streaming content without any hassle. The colors and contrast also look quite appealing on this phone, while the company added a 120Hz refresh rate that will push the limits to grant a better touch experience. Although, the water drop notch display got average brightness nits support.

Memory and Internal

Under the hood, the Nokia XR21 smartphone arrives with a decent 6nm Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. Although, it might not have the best performance experience. But still, the octa-core processor ensures that the users are getting the best results while performing their daily activities in a pretty smooth manner. On top of that, the CPU grants up to 2×2.2GHz cloaking speed, which is considered great compared to entry-level phones.

Aside from this, the 5G aspect makes sure that you are not facing any problems with connectivity. However, the device will render superb support with the Android 12-based software. It’s good to see that you are getting near-stock Android usage, while a few Nokia ecosystems are appearing in the user interface. However, the overall UI is clean and gives a sleek appearance.

Speaking of the gaming experience, the phone is suitable for casual games. But we won’t recommend it for advanced games to avoid heating issues in the long run. The reason for that would be a low-quality cooling system inside the hardware. Anyway, let’s talk about the storage options offered by this phone, it includes 128GB internal storage with a shared Micro SD slot option to increase storing capacity. Following this, the 6GB RAM will enhance the overall performance and grant subtle support.

Camera

The camera quality of the Nokia XR21 is pretty average, and it doesn’t have the Zeiss optics lens, which the previous model was offerings. But still, smartphone makers are putting effort in brings decent camera results using the dual camera configuration. You can rely on the 64MP primary sensor that will capture impeccable photos and videos.

With the main lens, the users will receive appealing colors and crisp contrast with good enough details. Although, the pixels do distort when you zoom the photos. The optical zoom of this phone is not available. However, the lowlight photos are looking pretty great with dedicated night mode features. Although, the same thing didn’t apply to the 8MP ultra-wide lens. You won’t receive exciting results with the wide-angle lens.

Yet, there are several options to explore if you want to capture fine details with the dual camera. Plus, the camera app introduces impressive features that you can try out for any photo. In terms of video recording the phone will support 4K videos with no issues. Moreover, the phone also equips a dot-notch 16MP selfie lens to support your daily selfies and photos session. Yet, the video recording capacity of the front-facing camera would be 1080p resolution at best.

Battery and Others

Last but not least, let’s talk about the most important part of this phone, the battery aspect. For your information, the device got a Li-Po 4800 mAh battery. With this, the users can expect up to 4+ hours of content streaming without any issues. At the same time, it will stay active for more than a day and a half.

Unlike the previous model, the Nokia XR21 is lacking wireless charging support. But still, the company ensures to provide faster charging with the 33W charger. Moving the sound output, the Stereo speakers provide great and crisp audio results. Finally, let’s discuss the price point of the Nokia XR21 smartphone will be around $626 (Rs 51,190 in India) approx, which is a considerably great deal if you want to explore something new in the Android segment.

Nokia XR21 Pros and Cons

Nokia XR21 Specifications Detail

Down below you can see the full specifications of the Nokia XR21 smartphone.

Conclusion

The Nokia XR21 doesn’t have any exceptional features that give a fit to appear in the flagship killer price point. It only got high-grade protection with an IP rating, which makes this phone stand out from the rest of the options. But, logically thinking, it’s just another mid-range phone except for one great feature. Overall, the phone is a pretty mediocre choice.

To give you an example, a properly rugged phone got better-built quality, higher battery capacity, and s sturdy body covered with elastic material. From this instance, the Ulefone Power Armor 18T is a perfect sample of the armored smartphone. But at the same time, the Nokia XR21 is neither a decent rugged phone nor a proper flagship killer device. We won’t recommend you purchase this phone right now. Wait till, the price drops to a certain extent.