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Nokia T21 Tablet Review

Ernest Doku - broadband and mobiles expert
A budget tablet to rival Amazon's Fire.
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Nokia T21 tablet

Pros

  • Crisp and colourful display with HDR10 and wide colour gamut support

  • Long-lasting battery with fast charging and power saving mode

  • Sleek and sturdy design with aluminium body and IP52 rating

Cons

  • Mid-range performance with Snapdragon 662 chipset and 4 GB RAM

  • Average cameras with low resolution and no flash

  • No charger included in box

If you are looking for a budget-friendly tablet that can handle work, entertainment, and everything in between, you might want to consider the Nokia T21. 

This device is Nokia's second affordable effort that offers a sleek design, a crisp display, a long-lasting battery, and a smooth performance. 

In this review, we will highlight the display, form factor, and camera of the Nokia T21, and show you why it is a great choice for anyone who needs a versatile tablet.

Display

The display of the Nokia T21 is one of its main selling points. It has a 10.4-inch IPS LCD screen with a resolution of 2000 x 1200 pixels, which translates to a pixel density of 224 ppi. The screen is bright, sharp, and colourful, with support for HDR10 and wide colour gamut. The display is also ideal for streaming videos and playing games, as it has a 60 Hz refresh rate and an OZO Playback feature that enhances the audio quality. The screen has thin bezels on the sides and slightly thicker ones on the top and bottom, where you can find an 8 MP selfie camera and dual stereo speakers. The screen also supports active pen input, which means you can use a stylus to write notes, draw sketches, or annotate documents on the tablet.

Form Factor

The Nokia T21 has a slim and stylish design that reflects its premium quality. It has an aluminium body with a matte charcoal grey finish and a subtle Nokia logo on the back. The tablet measures 247 x 157 x 7.5 mm and weighs 471 g. It is not the lightest or thinnest tablet around, but it is comfortable to hold and use. The tablet has a fingerprint sensor on the side and a face unlock feature for security. It also has a USB-C port for charging and data transfer, a microSD card slot for expanding the storage up to 512GB, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack for audio. The tablet has a massive battery capacity of 8200 mAh, which can last for up to three days of normal use or up to 15 hours of video playback. The tablet also supports fast charging with an 18 W charger that can charge the tablet up to 50% in an hour.

Operating System

The Nokia T21 runs on Android 11 out of the box, which is one of the latest versions of Google’s operating system for mobile devices. Android 11 offers some new features such as chat bubbles, smart device controls, privacy settings, and more.

One of the best things about this tablet is that it comes with two years of guaranteed Android OS upgrades, which means you can expect to get Android 12 and 13 when they are released. This is rare for budget tablets, as most manufacturers don’t bother updating their software after launching their products.

The Nokia T21 also comes with three years of monthly security updates, which means you can rest assured that your tablet will be protected from malware and hackers.

Camera

The Nokia T21 has a single rear camera and a single front camera. The rear camera has an 8 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and autofocus. It can capture decent photos in good lighting conditions, with accurate colours and details. It also has HDR mode for balancing the exposure and panorama mode for capturing wide scenes. The rear camera can also record videos up to 1080p resolution at 30 fps. The front camera has an 8 MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and fixed focus. It can capture clear and bright selfies in good lighting conditions, with natural skin tones and smooth edges. It also has HDR mode for improving the contrast and beauty mode for enhancing the appearance. The front camera can also record videos up to 1080p resolution at 30 or 60 fps, and they are also quite smooth and stable.

Gaming Features

The Nokia T21 is not just a simple tablet, but also a capable gaming device that offers some features to improve your gaming experience. Here are some of the gaming features that you will appreciate:

The Nokia T21 is not just a simple tablet, but also a capable gaming device that offers some features to improve your gaming experience. Here are some of the gaming features that you will appreciate:

  • Second Screen: This is a feature that lets you use the tablet as a second screen for your PC or laptop. You can connect the tablet to your PC or laptop via Wi-Fi or USB-C, and then use it as an extended display, a mirrored display, or a touchpad. This can be useful for multitasking, gaming, or productivity.

  • Active Pen: This is a stylus that you can use to interact with the tablet in various ways. You can use it to write notes, draw sketches, or annotate documents on the tablet. You can also use it to play games that support pen input, such as Fruit Ninja or Draw Something. The active pen has 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity and two buttons for different functions. It also has a magnetic attachment to the tablet for easy storage and charging.

  • Game Mode: This is a mode that you can activate by swiping down from the top of the screen and tapping on the game icon. It optimises the performance, network, and battery of the tablet for gaming. It also gives you access to a dashboard where you can adjust various settings, such as brightness, volume, do not disturb, and more.

Conclusion

The Nokia T21 is a budget tablet that delivers on its promise of providing a good all-rounder. It has a stunning display, a large battery, a slim design, and some gaming features that make it stand out from other tablets. 

It also has near-stock Android 11 with an update guarantee to Android 12 and beyond. 

However, it also has some drawbacks in a slightly slower performance, serviceable cameras, its lack of charger in the box, and storage limitations. 

If you are looking for a tablet that can handle work, entertainment - and everything in between - without breaking the bank, you might want to consider opting for the Nokia T21. 

The Nokia T21 is available now, starting from £199 for the Wi-Fi model and £249 for the LTE model.