The Android tablet world is getting more diverse with new entrants trying to outrank the pioneers. Android smartphone manufacturers are getting into the tablet industry with their own pads or tablets.
The latest entrant is the Nokia T20 which we’ve been spending a good amount of time with.
Design
Before we delve into the Nokia T20, here’s what you get:
- The tablet itself
- user guide and warranty
- USB-C cable
- Charging brick
- SIM ejector tool
- Flip cover
In terms of design, the Nokia T20 keeps its standard. We have a blue back with the Nokia branding and the 8MP main camera.
On the top, we have the power button and the speaker grille.
On the right side are the volume buttons, microSD card slot, and tiny holes for adding accessories. On the bottom are the type-C charging port and speaker grille with the curved corner spot reserved for the headphone jack.
For biometrics, we have Face Unlock as there’s no fingerprint reader whether in-display or embedded on the power button.
The front is dominated by the 2K 10.4″ LCD screen(2,000-by-1,200 pixel resolution). It’s not a crisp display compared to rivals but it gets the job done.
It gets bright outdoors so you can use it when you’re out and about. The screen isn’t that vibrant and the contrast isn’t that much. For Netflix and AmazonPrime Video, the Nokia T20 only supports SD resolution.
For audio, we have OZO sound-powered speakers. It’s pleasant enough to the ears and was an absolute delight to use to consume my media – from watching Tv shows, YouTube and streaming music on Spotify.
The large real estate came through when reading emails, reading books(I’m binging Tahereh’s Shatter Me YA Series at the moment) and catching up on news stories.
As a media tablet, the Nokia T20 does its job.
Performance
The Nokia T20 tablet ships with a Unisoc T610 processor coupled with 4GB RAM and 64GB of onboard storage which you can expand via an external microSD card. Yes, this tablet support LTE connectivity – you can add two nano-SIM cards.
Unisoc is a lesser-known chipset maker when compared to Qualcomm or MediaTek. I’m glad Nokia went with a Unisoc instead of a low-end Snapdragon. This processor has more than enough power to get your everyday tasks done and a little bit of gaming.
It didn’t stutter during our time with it – multitasking is a breeze as it supports split-screen mode(you have to tap on the app icon to activate this mode.
Demanding games take a toll including PUBG and Genshin Impact which load a little bit slow and there are frequent performance hiccups.
To be more productive while you’re out and about, we recommend you get an external keyboard.
The tablet ships with stock Android 11 with additional features like Google Entertainment Space and Google Kids Space. The Entertainment Space replaces the Google Discover Panel with a list of curated shows, books, and games.
Kids Space comes in handy especially if you’ll be giving the tablet to your children. It allows you to add your kid’s account(s) and Google then suggests educational and fun games and interest-based YouTube videos and books.
You also get a list of parental controls that allow you to not only limit your kid’s screen time but also control what content your kids get exposed to.
Nokia T20 still faces the same issues as other Android tablets – there are very few Android apps optimized for tablets.
Google is working on bringing Android 12L which is the company’s operating system made for devices with large screens. A release date has not been announced.
Like its Nokia phones, The tablet will get a minimum of two years of OS upgrades(Android 12L and Android 13L) and three years of monthly security updates. This means that you can use the tablet for a few years after you bought it.
Overall, the Nokia T20 tablet served my needs really well. It’s worth noting that my workflow doesn’t necessitate the use of a tablet but if you’re a creator who uses apps that need you to have a stylus around, then you’ll have to skip this one.
My one issue with it as a media tablet is that Nokia should have opted for an OLED screen for that extra vibrancy and contrast.
Battery
Nokia didn’t hold its card with the battery. The T20 rocks a gigantic 8200mAh battery. This is enough power to last you up to two days- I’m pretty sure you can pull another extra day with light use. I didn’t experience any battery life anxiety with this tablet.
Having this huge of a battery comes with the downside of topping it up. Nokia included a 15W fast charger but that still doesn’t juice it up as quick as expected. It’ll take close to 3 hours for a full charge from emepty to 100%.
It would have been handy to get even a 33W fast charger in the box. That’s my only gripe.
Cameras
Nokia T20 rocks an 8MP main camera and a 5MP selfie camera. They are not impressive cameras but get the basics done like scanning documents or taking reference shots.
The 5MP selfie camera decently handled video calls including Zoom, Duo, Teams or even Google Duo.
In good light, you can get pretty usable photos but they are soft and flat and it gets worse in low light.
If you were going to do a lot of video calls, I’d suggest getting a tablet with better spec’d front facing cameras.
Verdict
It’s great that Android tablets are making a comeback and that Nokia offers an affordable option with the T20 that brings with it an unbeatable battery life performance and is also an adequate workhorse with a slate of future updates in its lifetime
If your workflow needs a powerful tablet, then the Apple ecosystem is where to look now that they’re shipping iPads with the new M1 processors – plus you are getting a relatively better ecosystem with tablet-optimized apps for professional creatives.
On the other end of the spectrum, Samsung has been keeping up with Apple with its own Tab series with the recently launched Tab S8 series which includes the regular Tab S8, Tab S8 Plus and Tab S8 Ultra featuring Aluminium design and are all powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
All in all, the Nokia T20 serves as a really good and affordable first choice if you are dipping your hands in the tablet world – pun intended without breaking the bank.
Pricing and Availability
Nokia T20 tablet goes for Ksh 25,000 online and at Nokia retail stores copuntrywide.
