Nokia T21 review: A premium-looking budget Android tablet

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

The Nokia T21 features similar looks to the revamped T20, but has had some 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 build

• Charcoal gray aluminum finish
• IP52 rating
• MicroSD slot to expand storage

The Nokia T21 lives up to the design standard set by its predecessor, with a slim build and premium aluminum body. Nokia has swapped the blue color for a more discreet anthracite gray shade.

The tablet is 7.5mm thick and weighs 471g. It is therefore perfect for slipping inside a bag and does not feel heavy in the hand. No case is included in the box, but Nokia sells a range of accessories to protect it from bumps and bumps. It comes with an IP52 rating, so it’s protected against light dust and splashing water.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

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

The tablet does not include a stylus or keyboard, and there are no official Nokia builds for the T21. You should still be able to use third-party Bluetooth keyboards – and possibly a stylus too.

Screen and speakers

• 10.36 inch screen
• 2K display in 5:3 format
• Stereo speakers with OZO software

Nokia has again opted for a 10.36-inch screen in 5:3 format. Most tablets have a 4:3 screen, so it’s slightly wider, but not “widescreen” like a TV.

The 2K IPS screen is protected by tempered glass, which has some scratch resistance. Being a budget device, it’s a 60Hz display, which means there’s no high or variable refresh rate. Peak brightness is 360 nits, a downgrade from the previous model.

Objectively that’s good enough for indoor use, but in direct sunlight it can be difficult to see what’s on the screen, not least because the glass is so reflective, like most tablets.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The colors are decent and you can opt for natural, boosted or adaptive depending on your preference. The quality is more impressive than what you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A8, which only has an FHD panel.

The tablet can be unlocked via pattern/passcode or via face unlock. I found the latter worked consistently, even when I was wearing glasses. Unfortunately, there’s no fingerprint scanner, which is a more secure option than face unlock, which just uses the camera.

There are two speakers on either end of the Nokia T21, along with OZO Spatial Audio software. Playback is punchy and loud, but not as impressive as what you’ll find on more premium tablets. Nonetheless, it’s fine for Netflix, podcasts, and the weird piece of music.

Specifications and performance

• 4 GB of RAM
• 64 GB or 128 GB of storage
• Unisoc T612 processor

The T21 features a Unisoc T612 processor, a slight upgrade over the previous model. This is paired with 4GB of RAM and either 64GB or 128GB of storage, but the microSD slot allows for up to an additional 512GB. It is available in Wi-Fi and LTE versions.

Overall, performance isn’t as sluggish as the T20, but it’s still what you’d expect from a basic tablet. It does well for streaming, note taking, reading e-books, and web browsing, but it’s sometimes slow to launch and switch between apps.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

However, there are tablets available for a similar price (or not much more) that perform significantly better. In benchmarks, the T21 performed better than the Samsung Tab A8 and S6 Lite in Geekbench 5 – a CPU test – but fell short of the scores set by the T10 in the GFXBench graphics tests. That’s somewhat debatable, though, as neither tablet is really powerful enough for gaming – except for casual gaming which doesn’t require much 3D grunt.

It’s not quite the gadget for gaming, but the T21 was able to run Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp with minimal issues. For any more powerful gaming or creative software, it’s worth considering a higher-end tablet.

Camera

• 8Mp front camera
• 8Mp rear camera

Tablet cameras are generally not as important as on smartphones. Nevertheless, Nokia has improved the configuration of the T21 compared to 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 little soft or blurry, and indoor shots look a lot more washed out than when there’s plenty of light available outdoors. Most people will use this camera for video calling, for which it is perfect.

The 8Mp rear camera remains unchanged from the T20. And again, in good light, you can get passable shots on the T21. However, colors can be dull and textures lack sharpness.

The camera is capable of up to 8X zoom, but as you’ll see in the test shots it’s not worth using anything beyond 2X as it turns the shots into a blurry mess. Both cameras have autofocus and include portrait mode and filters for basic editing.

Battery life and charging

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

The Nokia T21 has an 8200 mAh battery, which Nokia claims can last up to three days. Of course, this is not in the context of regular use. On average, I was able to use this device for streaming, browsing social media, and reading for about two days between work.

Three days of use would be possible if you used the tablet more conservatively, using battery saving mode and lowering the brightness. In our battery test, the T21 managed a respectable nine hours and 23 minutes.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The Nokia T21 supports 18W charging but doesn’t include a charger in the box, only a USB-C cable. This is a commitment to the company’s efforts to reduce waste in packaging. However, it will be irritating if you don’t have a charger, and the Nokia-specific 18W one will set you back £19.99.

Luckily, I had an 18W charger handy and found the T21 went from flat to 14% in 30 minutes. Nokia’s own charger might do better, but it’s best 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 going with a Nokia device is that its software is largely pure Android, so there are no major UI differences for Google users.

All apps are laid out clearly, with hardly any bloatware like you’d find on rivals like Xiaomi. It also offers a wider range of applications than that offered by Amazon Fire HD 10.

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

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

All the standard Google apps are pre-installed, 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 customizable 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 from the drop-down menu, then you can cast your screen to the T21 using the Windows and K keys on your laptop/PC.

It gives the tablet a productivity edge and can come in handy for anyone who doesn’t have room for a second big screen in their home office.

Pricing & Availability

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

At the time of this writing, the tablet isn’t yet available in the US market, but if it does go on sale, we expect it to be around $250.

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

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Verdict

The Nokia T21 takes everything we loved about the T20 and improves on some of the areas we didn’t. It combines premium design with capable performance for a budget buy, and the battery life is impressive too.

The lack of a charger in the box means speeds will be slow for most users, and the display isn’t as dazzling as the previous generation. Still, these are minor gripes for what is a very good affordable tablet from Nokia.

The problem – for Nokia – is that for roughly the same price, the Oppo Pad Air offers better performance and comes with a charger in the box, making it the better buy unless you only find it is 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 overall.

Nokia T21: Specifications

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