The Nokia name has been gaining currency again in the smartphone world since the brand was taken over by HMD Global.
The manufacturer has since been churning out solid, well built and functional devices true to the tradition associated with the name.
But now it has moved into the world of tablets. So does the growing reputation still hold with the budget market targeted T20?
DESIGN
When it comes to the design of a tablet, two things are really important – weight and whether it is easy to hold.
On the first point, the T20 ticks the box, weighing in at a manageable 470g.
It isn't light. But you can hold it for protracted periods to watch a movie or read and you won’t find it overly burdensome.
On the second metric, the smooth back on the tablet does make it a little slippery, but most users will probably slip a cover of some sort on it anyway.
At 247.6mm x 157.5mm, it is a little more than a handful in size. But nonetheless, the fairly square edges on the case give you something to grip on to.
The overall look isn’t terribly exciting, but HMD Global does manage to pull off a design that looks more expensive than it actually is.
On the top right you’ll find a power button and to the top right side a volume rocker.
The USB-C charging port is on the bottom edge and in the very far left corner on the bottom is an oddly placed 3.5mm audio socket.
Turn the device over and on the rear left corner of the aluminium cover is the camera and flash block, which doesn’t protrude too much.
The tablet is available in just the once colour – Deep Ocean – which is a nice shade of dark blue.
With a robust feeling and relatively premium look, the T20 looks the part.
DISPLAY
The T20 has a 10.4inch display – a decent size for most users.
It is an IPS LCD panel – not a top of the range offering by any stretch.
But boasting 2K resolution (1200x2000) it was better than we had anticipated.
It is pretty bright, offering up to 400 nits typically and has a number of other features such as low blue light certification to help prevent you getting sore eyes from using it.
Clarity is alright, though the refresh rate is nothing special at 60Hz, which means scrolling and rapidly moving video and game play isn’t always as smooth as one might get on a more expensive option.
What is a little disappointing is the size of the bezel around the outside of the display – it is very large and detracts somewhat from the immersive quality of the screen.
HARDWARE
The T20 uses a Unisoc T610 processor. Not exactly a household name.
But coupled with 4GB of RAM it did an ok job of driving the tablet along.
Most apps opened and closed smoothly.
But when you ask the device to do a little more, like multitasking between apps for example, there is an ever so slightly perceptible lag – albeit perfectly tolerable.
In terms of onboard storage, there is 64GB built in.
You can boost that by a further 512GB using a microSD card, which you’ll probably want to as nowadays 64GB isn’t really very much at all.
The 8,200 mAh power pack promises to deliver "all day battery life" according to HMD Global.
As with all such benchmarks, it really depends on what you use it for and whether you adjust certain features like screen brightness to save power.
But certainly for an on/off mix of tasks, like watching a movie, internet browsing, email and other light to moderate tasks, you can expect to get at least a day of use from it without having to reach for a charger.
It is 15W fast-charge compatible, but there is only a 10W charger included in the box.
There is an LTE version if being able to use a tablet on the go is important to you.
The speaker sound quality is reasonable enough for a tablet and there are two built in microphones for video-calling.
On the security front, there is facial recognition for unlocking which is fast and accurate.
CAMERAS
Cameras really still aren’t all that important on a tablet, apart from for video calling and the odd random snap.
The T20 boasts a single 8MP sensor on the rear and a 5MP on the front.
Oddly, the front camera is located in the bezel of the long edge of the screen, rather than up the top like on most tablets.
The quality of both cameras isn’t wild.
The images they produce are pretty lifeless and the video isn’t much better.
But for the basic tasks you’ll want to carry out with them, they are probably adequate.
And there are a multitude of filters and other editing functions that you can use to touch up and improve the output.
SOFTWARE
The T20 comes with Android 11 pre-installed.
Set up out of the box for some reason took much longer than most devices normally do.
But when it was finally up and running, the operating system proved comfortable and intuitive to use.
It will also automatically get further Android updates as they become available, HMD Global has promised.
The tablet also comes with the promise of three years of monthly security updates too, with an optional fourth year available for enterprise customers only.
CONCLUSION
Overall, for a first attempt at a budget Nokia branded tablet from HMD Global, there’s plenty to be positive about.
It looks and feels good, the screen is better than you might expect for the price point and the battery and Android software setup are solid.
However, the camera system has little to offer and if you are looking for lightning performance, you’d better look elsewhere.
At €230 it is reasonably priced too. And so if a budget tablet is on your or someone you love’s Christmas list this year, it is definitely worth considering.
