The new Nokia XR20 is an Android smartphone with mid-range specs that launches this week with a 2-year warranty and a promise that it will receive at least three major Android updates as well as security updates for at least four years.

But with a growing number of Android phone makers promising to deliver years of support, you have to wonder if the hardware itself is built to last. That’s not as much of a question with the Nokia XR20. It’s a ruggedized phone that’s designed to take a beating.

The phone has an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, and HMD says you can submerge the phone in water for an hour, drop it from heights of six feet, or expose it to extreme temperatures without breaking the XR20. It’s MIL-STD-810H tested, and the company describes it as a “life-proof” phone. It also has a display that should respond to touch even if you’re wearing gloves or if your hands are wet.

In other words, not only will it still be getting software updates in 2025, but the phone might make it to 2025.

Whether you’ll still be satisfied with its performance may be another story though. While the phone’s display, memory, and storage are respectable, HMD opted for a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G processor, which is a pretty solidly mid-range chip. I have to wonder how it will hold up to the demands users will put on it a few years from now.

The Nokia XR20 has a 6.67 inch, 2400 x 1080 pixel display, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, a USB 3.0 Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microSD card reader, and support for WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1 and 5G networks.

It’s powered by a 4630 mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging (wired) or 15W (wireless).

Other features include support for NFC, stereo speakers, dual mics, a fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone, and a camera system featuring Zeiss optics:

  • 48MP primary (rear)
  • 13MP ultrawide (rear)
  • 8MP (front)

The phone has a fairly thick bezel compared with most modern flagships or mid-range phones, but the Nokia XR20 has a fairly compact design by rugged smartphone standards.

HMD says the phone will go on sale in select markets starting July 26th, and it should be available in the US August 28th for about $550.

via HMD press release and xda-developers

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9 replies on “HMD’s Nokia XR20 is a rugged phone built to last (with 4 years of security updates)”

  1. Seems like the first Nokia non-flagship in a while to have wireless charging. I miss my Lumia 950XL features… maybe this will get close?

  2. I’m thinking iphone is much more durable and also guaranteed for 4 years of updates as well. I hate iOS and that there is no SD storage option, but the camera pictures and videos are excellent over the 4 years of ownership. Also, the Snapdragon 480 is a bit slow for a phone that I would use for 4 years. Not for me.

  3. USB 3.0, now that’s something unusual on a phone with a headphone jack and almost unheard of on an allegedly-rugged phone. If it has video output this thing could be a really interesting device.
    …Relative to all the other oversized Galaxy S10 lookalikes that don’t respect your capacity to make your own decisions anyway.

  4. Thanks liliputing, good device, deserves all attention and support.
    PROS: ultra-wide camera it’s a point of rugged phone.
    CONS: too big 6+ inch screen size, the point of rugged phone is to be compact, 5 Inch is perfect (at the cost of smaller battery).

    Samsung Xcover 5, Samsung Xcover Pro, Motorola Defy 2021.
    I hope next Xcover is still compact, and adds a ultra-wide camera and lanyard.
    Motorola take notes – lanyard without sharp protruding corner.

    The way Europe Union pushed for common charging port standard should push for more durable and repairable phones and less waste.

  5. My older Nokia is still holding up well. Otherwise, this would be very tempting.

    The price is not great though. Might have to wait 6 months for prices to drop before going for it.

  6. This is not bad if you want literally all the things that it brings, but if you can do without any one of them, you can get something much cheaper. There are cheaper devices for the rugged, 5G, lots of updates, etc. groups. However, this isn’t bad as something for all of them combined.

  7. That display resolution seems wrong. 2400×1800 is 4:3 aspect ratio.

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