Design & build
Charcoal grey aluminium finishIP52 rating MicroSD slot for expanding storage
The Nokia T21 lives up to the design standard set by its predecessor, with a slim build and a premium-feeling aluminium body. Nokia has traded the blue colour for a more understated charcoal grey shade. The tablet is 7.5mm thick and weighs 471g, so it is perfect for slipping inside of a bag and doesn’t feel heavy in the hand. No case is included in the box, but Nokia does sell a range of accessories to keep it safe from knocks and bumps. It does come with an IP52 rating, so it is protected against light dust and water spray. On the bottom, there’s a USB-C port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack in the right-hand corner. The power button is located on the top edge, and the volume controls are on the right-hand side, along with a removable tray which can accept both a SIM card (on LTE models) and a microSD card. The tablet doesn’t include a stylus or keyboard, and there are no official Nokia versions of these for the T21. You should still be able to use third-party Bluetooth keyboards – and possibly a stylus too.
Screen & speakers
10.36in display2K screen with 5:3 aspect ratioStereo speakers with OZO software
Nokia has once again opted for a 10.36in screen in 5:3 aspect ratio. Most tablets have a 4:3 screen, so this is slightly wider, but not ‘widescreen’ like a TV. The 2K IPS display is protected by toughened glass, which has some scratch resistance. Being a budget device, it’s a 60Hz screen which means no high or variable refresh rate. The peak brightness is 360 nits, a downgrade from the previous model. Objectively, this is enough for indoor use, but under bright sunlight it can be difficult to see what’s on the screen, not least because the glass is so reflective, like most tablets. Colours 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 a FHD panel. The tablet can be unlocked via a pattern/passcode, or via face unlock. I found the latter worked consistently, even when wearing glasses. Sadly, there’s no fingerprint scanner, which is a more secure option than face unlock, which simply 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 quite as impressive as what you will find on more premium tablets. Nonetheless, it’s fine for Netflix, podcasts and the odd bit of music.
Specs & performance
4GB RAM64GB or 128GB storageUnisoc T612 CPU
The T21 features a Unisoc T612 CPU, a slight upgrade from the previous model. This is paired with 4GB RAM, and either 64GB or 128GB worth of storage, but the microSD slot allows up to an additional 512GB. It is available both in Wi-Fi and LTE versions. Overall, performance isn’t as laggy as the T20, but it is still very much what you’d expect from a basic tablet. It copes fine for streaming, taking notes, reading e-books and browsing the web, but is sometimes slow to launch and switch between apps. However, there are tablets available for a similar price (or not a lot more) that perform noticeably 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 GFXBench graphics tests. This is somewhat moot, though, because neither tablet is really powerful enough for gaming – except casual games that don’t require lots of 3D grunt. This isn’t really the gadget for gaming on, but the T21 was able to run the likes of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp with minimal issues. For any more powerful gaming or creative software, it’s worth considering a more high-end tablet.
Camera
8Mp front camera8Mp rear camera
Tablet cameras aren’t usually as important as they are on smartphones. Nonetheless, Nokia has made an improvement on the T21’s set-up compared to the previous generation. The front selfie camera has been upgraded to 8Mp from 5Mp. Colours are slightly better, but textures are a bit soft or blurry, and indoor shots look much more washed out than when there’s plenty of light available outdoors. Most people will use this camera for video calls, for which it is perfectly fine. The rear 8Mp camera remains unchanged from the T20. And again, in good light you can get some passable snaps on the T21. However, colours can be on the insipid side, and there’s a noticeable lack of sharpness to textures. The camera is capable of up to 8X zoom, but as you’ll see on the test photos, it isn’t worth using anything past 2X because it turns photos into a blurry mess. Both cameras have auto-focus, and include portrait mode and filters for basic editing.
Battery life & charging
8200mAh battery18W charging supported, but no brick included
The Nokia T21 has a 8200mAh battery, which Nokia claims can last up to three days. Of course, that isn’t under regular usage. On average, I was able to use this device to stream, browse social media and read for around two days in between work. Three days usage would be possibly if you were using the tablet more conservatively, making use of the battery-saving mode and having the brightness turned down low. In our battery test, the T21 managed a respectable nine hours and 23 minutes. 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 effort to reduce waste in the packaging. However, it will be irritating if you don’t have a charger, and Nokia’s specific 18W one will set you back £19.99. Fortunately, I had an 18W charger to hand and found the T21 went from flat to 14% in 30 minutes. Nokia’s own charger may be able to do better, but it’s best to consider charging this tablet overnight.
Software
Android 12Can be used as a second screen with Windows devices
One of the biggest advantages of going for a Nokia device is that its software is largely pure Android, so there aren’t any major UI differences for Google users. The tablet has Android 12 out of the box. This isn’t the latest Google OS, but Nokia has guaranteed two OS updates and three years of monthly security updates, so it will eventually receive Android 13. All the standard Google apps come pre-installed, and you get both Google Entertainment Space and Kids Space. The former recommends videos from platforms you’re subscribed to, whilst the latter makes the Android experience more suitable for younger users with educational app suggestions and customisable content filters. The T21 can be used as a second screen with Windows devices, providing that they are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network. This feature is available in the drop-down menu, and then you can cast your screen to the T21 by using the Windows and K keys on your laptop/PC. It gives the tablet an edge when it comes to productivity, and may prove useful for anyone who doesn’t have the space for a large second monitor in their home office.
Price & availability
You can buy a Nokia T21 from £199 for the Wi-Fi version, and £239 for the LTE version. At the time of writing, the tablet wasn’t yet available in the US market, but if it does go on sale, we expect it to be around the $250 mark. You can buy the tablet with Nokia’s monthly Circular subscription. This covers replacement parts for the T21 if it is damaged or stolen, encouraging you to hold onto the device for longer. It also allows users to earn credits which go towards environmental causes.
Verdict
The Nokia T21 takes everything we liked about the T20 and improves on some of the areas that we didn’t. It combines a premium-looking design with capable performance for a budget buy, and the battery life is also impressive. The lack of a charger in the box means that speeds will be slow for most users, and the display isn’t as dazzling as the previous generation. Nonetheless, these are minor gripes for what is a very good affordable tablet from Nokia. The problem – for Nokia – is that for roughly same price, the Oppo Pad Air offers better performance and comes with a charger in the box, making it the better buy unless you find it’s more expensive when you read this. For more alternatives, see our roundup of the best budget tablets, as well the best Android tablets and best tablets overall.
Nokia T21: Specs
OS: Android 12 Processor: Unisoc T612 octa-core processor Memory: 4GB Storage: 64GB/128GB + microSD up to 512GB Cameras: 8Mp rear, 8Mp front Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, SIM, MicroSDAccelerometer GPS Ambient light sensor Hall sensorDual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, 4G (on LTE models)Stereo speakers with dual microphones 8200mAh battery, 18W charging supported Dimensions: 157.3 x 247.5 x 7.5 mm Weight: 471g IP52 rating Charcoal Grey finish 10.36in 2K IPS display
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She’s also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.
