Nokia T21 Review: Premium Budget Android Tablet

Price under consideration

Not available in the US

Nokia returned to the world of tablets at the end of 2021 with the release of the T20, a budget 10-inch tablet with a stylish design. Now the company has followed him with a successor.

The Nokia T21 looks the same as the T20 but has a few improvements. However, is it a better choice than the Oppo Pad Air, Amazon Fire HD 10 or Samsung Galaxy Tab A8? This is what we will find out in this review.

Design and assembly

• Dark gray aluminum
• IP52 rating
• MicroSD slot for memory expansion

The Nokia T21 lives up to the design standard set by its predecessor with a slim design and superior aluminum body. Nokia has changed the blue color to a more subdued charcoal gray.

The tablet is 7.5mm thin and weighs 471g, so it’s perfect for carrying in your bag and doesn’t feel heavy in your hand. A case is not included in the box, but Nokia sells a range of accessories for shock and impact protection. It has an IP52 rating so it is protected from light dust and splash water.

There’s a USB-C port on the bottom for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack in the right corner. The power button is located on the top edge, while the volume controls are on the right side, as well as a removable tray that accepts both a SIM card (on LTE models) and a microSD card.

The tablet has neither a stylus nor a keyboard, and there are no official Nokia versions for the T21. You will still be able to use third-party Bluetooth keyboards and possibly a stylus.

Screen and speakers

• 10.36″ display
• 2K screen with 5:3 aspect ratio.
• Stereo speakers with OZO software

Nokia again opted for a 10.36-inch screen with a 5:3 aspect ratio. Most tablets have a 4:3 screen, so it’s a bit wider, but not “widescreen” like a TV.

The 2K IPS display is protected by tempered glass, which has some scratch resistance. Being a budget device, this is a 60Hz screen, which means no high or variable refresh rates. Peak brightness is 360 nits, which is lower than the previous model.

Objectively, this is enough for indoor use, but in bright sunlight it can be difficult to see what’s on the screen, not least because the glass is as reflective as most tablets.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The colors are decent and you can choose natural, enhanced or adaptive depending on your preference. The quality is more impressive than the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, which only has an FHD panel.

The tablet can be unlocked with pattern/password or face unlock. I found that the latter works stably, even with glasses. Unfortunately, there is no fingerprint scanner, which is a more secure option than Face Unlock, which simply uses the camera.

There are two speakers on both ends of the Nokia T21 as well as OZO Spatial Audio software. Playback is crisp and loud, but not as impressive as on premium tablets. However, this is fine for Netflix, podcasts, and music.

Characteristics and performance

• 4 GB RAM
• 64 GB or 128 GB storage
• CPU Unisoc T612

The T21 is powered by the Unisoc T612 processor, a slight upgrade from the previous model. This is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage, but the microSD slot lets you add up to 512GB. It is available in both Wi-Fi and LTE versions.

Overall, performance isn’t as slow as the T20, but it’s still what you’d expect from a basic tablet. It’s great for streaming, note-taking, e-book reading, and web browsing, but is sometimes slow to start up and switch between apps.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However, there are tablets at a similar price (or slightly more expensive) that perform noticeably better. In benchmarks, the T21 outperformed the Samsung Tab A8 and S6 Lite in Geekbench 5, the processor test, but fell short of the results set by the T10 in GFXBench graphics tests. However, this is somewhat debatable because neither tablet is powerful enough for gaming – with the exception of casual games that don’t require a lot of 3D piss.

It’s not really a gaming gadget, but the T21 was able to run games like Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp with minimal issues. For any more powerful gaming or creative software, a more expensive tablet is worth considering.

Camera

• Front camera 8 MP
• Rear camera 8MP

Cameras on tablets are usually not as important as those on smartphones. However, Nokia has improved the T21’s settings over the previous generation.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The front selfie camera has been upgraded to 8MP from 5MP. Colors are slightly better, but textures are a bit soft or washed out, and indoor shots look much more washed out than when there’s a lot of light outside. Most people will use this camera for video calls, which it is great for.

The rear 8-megapixel camera has remained unchanged from the T20. And again, in good light, the T21 can take some decent shots. However, colors can be gaudy and textures noticeably lack sharpness.

The camera is capable of 8x zoom, but as you’ll see in the test photos, you shouldn’t use anything more than 2x because it turns photos into a blurry mess. Both cameras have autofocus, portrait mode, and filters for basic editing.

Battery life and charging

• battery 8200 mAh
• 18W charging supported, but no brick

The Nokia T21 has an 8200 mAh battery which Nokia claims will last three days. Of course, this is not with regular use. On average, I could use this device for streaming, browsing social media, and reading for about two days between work.

Three days of use would have been possible if you had used the tablet more conservatively, using battery saver mode and lowering the brightness. In our battery test, the T21 lasted nine hours and 23 minutes.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The Nokia T21 supports 18W charging but does not include a charger, just a USB-C cable. This is a company commitment to reduce packaging waste. However, it will be annoying if you don’t have a charger, and Nokia’s dedicated 18W charger will set you back £19.99.

Luckily, I had an 18W charger handy and found the T21 to go down to 14% in 30 minutes. Nokia’s own charger might work better, but it’s better to consider charging this tablet overnight.

Software

• Android 12
• Can be used as a second screen with Windows devices

One of the biggest advantages of using a Nokia device is that its software is basically pure Android, so there aren’t any significant differences in user interface for Google users.

All apps are clearly laid out, with virtually no malware like you’ll find from competitors like Xiaomi. It also has a wider range of apps than the Amazon Fire HD 10 offers.

The tablet runs Android 12 out of the box. It’s not Google’s latest OS, but Nokia is guaranteed two OS updates and three years of monthly security updates, so it will eventually get Android 13.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

All the standard Google apps come preinstalled, and you get both Google Entertainment Space and Kids Space. The former recommends videos from platforms you subscribe to, while the latter makes the Android experience more suitable for younger users with educational app suggestions and custom content filters.

The T21 can be used as a second screen with Windows devices, as long as they are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This feature is available in the dropdown menu and then you can cast your screen to T21 using Windows and K keys on your laptop/PC.

This gives the tablet an edge when it comes to performance, and can be useful for those who don’t have room for a large second monitor in their home office.

Price and availability

You can buy the Nokia T21 from £199 for the Wi-Fi version and £239 for the LTE version.

At the time of writing, the tablet is not yet available in the US market, but if it does go on sale, we expect it to cost around $250.

You can buy a tablet with a monthly Nokia Circular subscription. This covers replacement parts for the T21 if it is damaged or stolen, encouraging you to use the device longer. It also allows users to earn credits that go towards environmental purposes.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Verdict

The Nokia T21 takes everything we liked about the T20 and improves on some of the things we didn’t like. It combines an excellent design with high performance for a budget purchase, and the battery life is also impressive.

The lack of a charger in the box means the speed will be slow for most users and the display isn’t as dazzling as the previous generation. However, these are minor complaints about a very good inexpensive tablet from Nokia.

The problem – for Nokia – is that for about the same price, the Oppo Pad Air offers better performance and comes with a charger in the box, making it a better buy if you don’t find it’s more expensive when you read this.

For more alternatives, check out our roundup of the best budget tablets, as well as the best Android tablets, and the best tablets in general.

Nokia T21: Specifications

• OS: Android 12
• Processor: Octa-core Unisoc T612.
• Memory: 4 GB
• Memory: 64GB/128GB + microSD up to 512GB
• Cameras: 8MP rear, 8MP front
• Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, SIM card, MicroSD
• Accelerometer
• GPS
• Light sensor
• Hall Sensor
• Dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, 4G (on models with LTE)
• Stereo speakers with two microphones
• 8200mAh battery, 18W charging supported
• Dimensions: 157.3 x 247.5 x 7.5mm
• Weight: 471 g
• IP52 rating
• Charcoal gray finish
• 10.36″ 2K IPS display