Nokia X20 5G Review: The full potential of a  Mid-ranger

Another Nokia smartphone? You guessed it right. Yes, Nokia is in good form and shows no signs of slowing down here in the country, especially with the Nokia X20, a smartphone that falls into the mid-range category. The brand’s promise: a cheap that replicates flagship features Was the promise kept? The solution may be found in our Nokia X20 5G review.

What is in the package

• Eco Case
• Documentations
• Sim Pin
• USB Type C Cable
• Nokia X20

Nokia X20 5G full specifications

• Model: Nokia X20
• Dimensions : 168.9 x 79.7 x 9.1 6.65 mm (6.65 in) 3.14 x 0.36 inch)
• Weight:220 G
• SIM:  dual-SIM
• Colors: Nordic Blue
• Display Type: IPS LCD
• Size:6.67 Inch
• Screen Resolution: 1080 x 2400 Pixels, ratio 20:9, 395 Pixels per inch
• Screen protection:Corning Gorilla Glass 5
• Operating System: Android 12
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM4350 Snapdragon 480 5G
• CPU Speed: Octa-core (2×2.0GHz Kryo 460 And 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 460)
• GPU graphics processor: Adreno 619
• RAM: 8 GB Ram
• Storage: 128 GB
• Rear camera:64 Megapixels ultrawide, 5 MP ultra-wide,2 Megapixels Macro,2 Megapixels Depth sensor
• Camera Features: LED flash, panorama, HDR, Zeiss optics
• Video: 4K video recording @ 30 Fps, 1080 Pixel 30 fps
• Selfie camera:32 Megapixels
• Network Technologies: GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
• Network Technology 3G: HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
• Network Technology 4G:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 28, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41
• Network Technology 5G: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 28, 38, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA/Sub6
• Speed: HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A, 5G
• Battery: 4470 MAh, Lithium Polymer, Non-removable
• Fast Battery charging: no
• Loudspeaker: Yes,3.5mm jack
• Wi-Fi Technology: Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
• Bluetooth: Yes 5.0, A2DP, LE, APTX HD
• GPS: Yes
• NFC: Yes
• Charging port: USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
• Sensors: Fingerprint, acceleration, gyro, proximity

Design

Like other Nokia Handsets that have passed through our hands, the Nokia X20 also assumes a Nordic design and feel. We had the Nordic blue model for our review unit. The smartphone is charming to both eyes and the pockets; despite its heavy(220 G), using the smartphone with one hand would not be ideal as it is pretty significant. On the better side, though, we have an IPS LCD screen, and the selfie camera(32 Mp) sits at the top center of the Panel, surrounded by a thick bezel.

At the bottom edge, the smartphone has a USB-C charging port, two openings for the loudspeaker and 3.5 mm headphone jack, the volume rocker, and the power button sit on the right-hand side of the device, By the way, after a week, I realized that the Power button also steps in as fingerprint scanner, attractive. On the left side, there is the Google Assistant button.

Moving to the back of the device, one thing that will capture your attention is the circular camera bump with the Zeiss logo in the center, the LED flashlight, and the Nokia custom Logo.

Generally, I find its design to be appealing before eyes. There is no argument here, but I think the protective cover gives it a premium look.

Screen

The smartphone uses the IPS LCD with 1080 x2400 to limit its cost. The 6.67-inch screen is more than enough for your streaming experience. First, the 450 nits of brightness are favorable to your eyes, but if you still find the brightness disturbing, Night mode can be easily accessed via settings. Secondly, the color calibration is comprehensive. I wish Nokia could have given us at least a 60Hz display rate, if not 120 Hz, just like some manufacturers(No need of mentioning them) in the same price category.

Software and Performance

The Nokia X20, in our case, was already utilizing the latest Operating system from Google, and we were eager enough to see how the Android 12 plus the Qualcomm snapdragon 480 (8nm) chipset would perform on the Geekbench 5. During our test, the smartphone had the following scores:

There is no need to go far; comparing it with the Reno 65g smartphone, the Nokia X20 performance score is a bit low. It’s better than the C20 series no argument there, but for a rugged mid-range smartphone, the manufacturer should play their game very well because the market is more saturated.

I appreciate Nokia and HMD Global’s software since no bloating applications can be found in this model. The smartphone is shipped with preinstalled Google apps such as Youtube, maps, photos, podcasts, and found my device. You can still opt to uninstall them if you see them as very useful.

I had no problem switching from one app to another, even after installing some heavy apps from the Google play store. The 8/128 GB storage still proved its efficiency here. It is also a good start that the X20 is among the Nokia devices that will see android 12, well in our case, we were so lucky to have it already on the model. Suppose Nokia sticks by its promise of a 3-year warranty and having security and software updates for up to 3 years. This means that theX20 gadget would at least see Android 14 or 15.

Again the smartphone proved its fluidity for its performance as I had no problem with sluggishness compared with the C series.

 Camera

The Nokia X20 5G has just four modules on the rear and a selfie camera on the front, so don’t be fooled by its intimidating photo module.

Recall:

• 64 megapixels wide lens
• 5 megapixels ultrawide
• 2 megapixels depth senor
• 2 megapixels macro lens
• 32 megapiuxels selfie camaera

In excellent lighting, the primary sensor can shoot some decent shots. The photo processing saturates the colors to give the final depiction a bit more flavor. The ultra-wide-angle sensor effectively substitutes the macro sensors and the depth-of-field sensor. Photos shot with the ultra-wide-angle lens are noticeably darker than those taken with the primary lens. There is a loss of detail when zooming in with the Ultra wide and wide lens. If you approach too near to a subject with the macro lens, you won’t focus at all.

For nighttime illumination, This is, unsurprisingly, not a strong suit of the Nokia device. Night mode adds a lot more light for a more eye-pleasing appearance. The portrait mode, which adds consistent soft blur, and the selfies are both of decent quality.

Audio

Two stereo speakers are seen on the Nokia X20 5G. There are two of these on the phone’s bottom edge. You can feel the speakers’ strength while listening, although it isn’t as strong as you think. If you want to have a pleasant audio experience, you’ll need to use wired headphones with a 3.5 mm mini-jack, making an excellent pair.

Network

Is Nokia’s X20 5G a decent smartphone? Yes, it is correct. The network connection is strong, and the calls are audible. While upcountry, we had a low latency of 25 milliseconds on the Safaricom network. Because of my location, I could not test 5G connectivity for several reasons (5G connectivity is unavailable). Second, Safaricom is putting it to the test with a few manufacturers, but Nokia isn’t one of them.

Autonomy

The Nokia X20 5G can survive for a day and a half thanks to its 4470 mAh battery and excellent software optimization. The two days are readily accomplished if you use your phone moderately, placing it at an average high. There is a USB-C port in the box but no charging brick. Of course, there is no problem in this situation, but what irritates me the most is its poor charging capabilities for such a high price. Nokia, for the love of God, does something about it.

Price

At the time of writing, the Nokia X20 5G is offered in 6/8 GB of RAM, and 128 Storage is provided at KES 40,000. This would either vary depending on your retailer

Nokia X20 5G: What we like

• Successful design
• Beautiful IPS LCD
• A cheap 5G smartphone

Nokia X20 5G: What we hate

• Slow charging
• Average performance at such range
• No water resistance

Nokia X20 5G: Techmoran’s advice

We can only observe the Nokia X20 device’s various features. Of course, it isn’t flawless in every way. But keep in mind that it is currently the cheapest 5G smartphone available in the country. Nokia built a daily smartphone that would fit all consumers who use a rooted phone for this price.