“Nokia XR21: The Toughest Smartphone with Long Battery Life and Superior Warranty Support”

Today, Nokia introduced its latest addition called the Nokia XR21. The novelty, which presents itself as a smart equivalent of the legendary Nokia 3310, can withstand falls, dust, but also water, and also promises a long battery life or a superior warranty and software support from the manufacturer.

Tough, yet civil

The parameters of the Nokia XR21 rank among the most durable phones on the market, not only by comparison with the iconic (also extremely durable) Nokia 3310, but also by meeting the most demanding standards. From the list, it is definitely worth mentioning the IP68 and IP69K certification, which is a guarantee that the novelty can handle splashing water with a temperature of up to 80 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 100 bar. Incidentally, this is a higher value than the pressure required to burst a fire hose. In addition, however, the manufacturer has also secured MIL-STD-810H certification, which means that this phone can withstand a fall from a height of up to 1.8 meters and survive extreme temperatures and high humidity.

What surprised us, however, is the fact that, despite this, the Nokia XR21 appears relatively civil in person. It is therefore not a classic armored tank, which such durable smartphones often resemble. Due to the good distribution of the total weight, 231 grams also does not seem excessive, and the dimensions of 168 x 78.58 x 10.45 mm do not shock the phone in any way. It probably won’t surprise anyone then (given Nokia’s environmental approach) that the body is made of 100% recycled aluminum, but the surface treatment of the sides and back (which appears to be completely plastic) is made of roughened plastic. The texture of the material helps ensure a secure grip even in cases where the phone or the user’s hand is wet, which we definitely appreciate.

Another advantage of the new product is a pair of programmable buttons on the left and upper side, in addition to the classic control elements on the right side. These can be set to a short press and a long hold. For the tested model, we chose to activate the flashlight by pressing the left button to take a screenshot and holding it for a long time. With a short press of the top red button, you can change the sound profile, for example, and long-hold it to dial emergency contacts, but there are plenty of options. Future owners will also be pleased with the reliable fingerprint reader in the power button on the side.

Long endurance and 120Hz display

Although the novelty presents itself primarily as a durable device, it doesn’t have to be ashamed of the rest of the equipment either, namely endurance. The integrated battery with a capacity of 4,800 mAh in combination with the Snapdragon 695 is supposed to offer a really long endurance, according to the manufacturer up to two days on a full charge, and so far it seems that this could be true. However, the maximum 33W charging must be provided with a separate adapter, as the standard package only includes a USB-C/USB-C cable.

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On the front, a 6.49″ Full HD+ display is hidden under the protective Gorilla Glass Victus, which, although only of the IPS LCD type, supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate. According to the manufacturer, its maximum brightness is 550 nits, which is not a dazzling value. K the durable phone also includes the ability to control the display with wet fingers or with gloves.

Among other equipment, it is worth mentioning stereo speakers with a volume of up to 96 dB or photo equipment including a 64 Mpx main sensor (f1.79) with support for AI and night mode, accompanied by an 8 Mpx ultra-wide-angle lens (f/2.2) with a range of 112 degrees and a front 16 Mpx camera ( f/2.45). The lenses on the back are protected by Gorilla Glass DX+, which allows 98% of light to penetrate the sensors.

Ask what interests you

The Nokia XR21 appears to be the ideal smartphone for those who want a durable device with programmable buttons, loud speakers or a 3.5mm jack and long life. Also encouraging is software support in the form of a guarantee of three major Android updates (less so the fact that the phone arrived with Android 12, although the device should reportedly receive Android 13 very soon), four years of monthly security patches and a superior three-year warranty. However, the price will be key. If the manufacturer manages to price the Nokia XR21 correctly, it could be a blockbuster. We can only hope that the price of the new product will not be too ambitious. As always, you can ask us anything you want to know about the Nokia XR21 in the comments.