Nokia XR21 | Review | The New 3310?
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- Опубликовано: 18 окт 2024
- This is my review of the Nokia XR21. Nokias most durable phone in ages. How does it hold up against other, normal smartphones and can it actually be dropped without breaking?
Please share any questions in the comments and I´ll do my best to answer them!
Buy the Nokia XR21 here (affiliate links):
UK: amzn.to/3FvfOFe
US: amzn.to/46Tt8yS
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MY TOP-5 TECH RECOMMENDATIONS RIGHT NOW
Mini-reviews and affiliate links next to each item - if you want to get new, great tech and support the channel at the same time. List updated: 2024-08-07
💻 Computer ► MacBook Air M2 13,6" (2022)
Unless you require absolute power this is the best, still high end, laptop to buy if you want an affordable, fast, portable and completely silent (no fans) computer with a fantastic screen, keyboard and trackpad.
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If you want an affordable smartphone with good cameras, good battery life, a great screen and absolutely decent performance. This could well be it.
My review: • Nothing Phone (2a) | G...
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🎧 Headphones (On-Ear) ► Sony WH-1000XM4
Somewhat pricy, but incredible value for the money. Specially regarding the ANC.
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🛋 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner ► Dreame Z10 Station
Pricy, but it´s a cleaning life-saver in terms of portability and results. And the auto emptying makes it...better then Dyson.
My review: • Dreame Z10 Station Rev...
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few months used this and am pleased with it, no need for perfection
Thx for the input! It´s most definitely a perfectly, decent phone. And as a durable phone it's really good :-) // chris
Nokia is all about durability and longevity... Some of the best, most durable phones ever made were Nokia. I'm so happy to see this. I don't do apple anymore, I will never like android because I don't see why every app needs to be connected to google but... For durability. I'm gonna check this one out
Yeah it is a little bit unique for sure! Hope you enjoy it! Can't remember right now if I mentioned it in the video, but still have my 3310 lying around somewhere in a box. Of course still in working condition since it can never break :-) // Chris
On Android not every application has to be connected to the OS vendor precisely because you can install applications from where ever you want, unlike on iOS 😅
For example on my device some applications are from Samsung's app store and some just loaded from the app maker's sites directly
I had this phone on the Pacific crest trail.hit it of rocks .drop every day.snow sand mud .best phone I have ever had . I am ,hard on phones . Still working brilliantly
Fantastic to hear! The durability really is something extra here + the fact that the phone isn´t brick-thick. Thx for sharing! // Chris
Got this phone, it's great for the price. Has everything I need, fast, and indeed durable.
The lean and stock android that Nokia uses is always refreshing.
I recommend it as a no-nonsense reliable phone for anybody.
Agree! The durability really feels top notch (something you can’t say about every phone today). Great to hear you enjoy the phone :-) // Chris
Thanks for this review. Judging from other comments, most of them come from city dwellers that don't spend much time outdoors. ;) Up 'ere in Canada eh, we need more rugged choices.. water and dirt everywhere! Even just having a phone that survives an accidental toilet drop is worth the $. Do you happen to have a small list of current competitor phones?
Much appreciated!
Thank you for the comment! Agree, there´s definitely a market for out-of-the-factory-rugged-phones :-) I don´t have a specific list I´m afraid, but looking at the competition you very quickly gets pushed into the more "we only make heavy duty phones"-category. Like Blackview, CAT, Ulephone etc. One exception though might be the XCover-series from Samsung. Unfortunately I haven´t tried any of those phones since about 6-7 years ago. At which point they were pretty lacking in terms of performance compared to many other phones. Best bet for competitors is probably to start in any of the "rugged phones lists" and see what feels interesting. Like these three for example: www.slashgear.com/1390087/best-rugged-smartphones/ , www.zdnet.com/article/best-rugged-phone/ , www.techradar.com/best/best-rugged-smartphones Hope you´re able to find something good :-) // Chris
Thank you. If only the samsung xcover 6 pro had a tighter battery cover!@@GetThereFaster
Canadian choices do not mean, everyones choices. They make ugly phones that do not appeal to everyone. No matter if they are strong or not, I care about the design, nothing else. The only modern Nokia model that I liked was the nokia 7.2. The rest are ugly, and crappy in terms of performance. They will never compete with anyone, if they sell phones for people who have butter hands. As an European, I love appealing designs, in terms of both luxury and performance. They cannot convince me, with brick phones, and 4 gb of ram, in the year of 2023. But I still hope they wake up (haha they won')
🤣@@mihairazvan8296yes yes, Im german. I know how europeans think. You want a mercedes, I want a truck. So what.
Always can use me a rugged phone.
Pretty dope of a review!
Need more❤
Thank you so much! Awesome to hear you liked it :-) Thx again! // Chris
I wanted so much for HMD to succeed in reviving the Nokia brand. It seems less and less likely. I used three of their newer models, but eventually I had to quit and switch to other brands. . Biggest reason was performance.
Great review, though.
Yeah, if they could just release, for example, the X30 again with better performance and camera, that would be awesome. Because the design they already got right there. Let´s just hope they keep on going. Hopefully they will get there eventually :-) Thank you for the kind words! // Chris
I'd use my nokia 8 still if the battery wouldn't had gone.. thought to change it mut then this one came on sale here in Finland and bought it right away
@@artturiko Nice! Haven´t tried the 8, but it sure is a pretty nice looking phone :-) Hope you enjoy the XR21 as well! // Chris
Nice video, found helpful. Thanks!
A ton of thx! Awesome to hear you enjoyed the video :-) Thx again! // Chris
great review. keep it up 💪🏻
Thank you so much! Happy to hear you liked it :-) Thx again! // Chris
I have the older XR20 bought Nov 2021 and I'm looking to upgrade to this one. I can afford to be careless when handling these phones knowing full well it won't break on me. Field tested in the freezing Alaskan winters and summer heat of the Middle East. It freaks out my colleagues when I intentionally drops my phone on concrete flooring to demonstrate how durable these things are.
Yup, the durability is indeed top notch! :-) And freaking out people while testing this phone was very much fun ^_^ // Chris
😢 long long waiting i love love it 20 & 21
Yeah, both neat phones if you want something more rugged :-) // Chris
Thanks for the review! I am really considering buying this phone, I had a great CAT phone but its getting old and now that Bullitt Group has kicked the bucket, I can't count on CAT anymore. Gigaset are goners too, so it seems like Nokia is the only European choice left... It's a pity that rugged phones are basically only produced in China now (apart from maybe AGM and Kyocera, but their prices are frightening). Plus, I like the minimalist packaging and recycled materials used for the phone!
Thank you too for the comment! Yeah, CAT would have been the other alternative I´m guessing. Other than that you also have the Ulefone Armor 18T (where you also get a thermal camera built in). However then you are left with a much larger and bulkier phone (however with awesome battery life). Apart from that and perhaps some Oukitel-phone Nokia is probably the best alternative. Specially if you want something a little nicer priced as well. The environmental approach is great! :-) // Chris
@@temporary912 Indeed, I had considered that, but the 4050 mAh battery just seems far too little to last a day of field use. I appreciate the fact it's removable (which is remarkable for Samsung, and unfortunately not the case in the XR21), but carrying an extra battery around kind of defeats the point - especially as I often work with my feet in the water.
@@temporary912 Great input! // Chris
Great review. Thanks
Thank you so much! And thank you for watching :-) // Chris
Great review. 👍
Thank you so much! ^_^ // Chris
Thanks. Very Helpful.
Thank you so much! :-) // Chris
Надеюсь продолжат улучшать эту серию, попользуюсь ещё xr20 очень доволен, xr21 немного рано, год другой можно на xr20 актуальный и надёжный...
Yeah, also hoping they will stick to the XR-series since it is without a doubt a very welcome addition to the more rugged smartphone world :-) // Chris
Nice content. Exactly to the point.. 👍
Thank you so much for the kind words! Happy to hear you liked the video :-) // Chris
My brother is a plumber and he keeps breaking his phones. I think I'll recommend that he gets this one
Not a bad idea at all! :-) // Chris
Another thing to add is that the older xr20 had wireless charging but the xr21 does not, though it has an improved fast charging.
Absolutely correct! Thank you for the input :-) // Chris
My Motorola defy lasted three years, and as the defy 2 seems to have been cancelled. This seems a good bet. The good thing about rugged phones is they last longer.
Sounds about right. Should be a reasonable upgrade from the Defy :-) // Chris
Hi. Could somone help me with an important question on this one - can i use the phone when it is wet - in the rain not underwater:) I do some outdoor instruction and I want to e.g. be able to use a navigation app in the rain. Really appreciate a definitive answer on this. Thank you
Hi! Yes! The phone can be used in rain without any issues. It even has got a screen that, at least according to Nokia, is easier to use when wet. However during testing I still found the phone to be not ideal to use with a wet screen. Although for water resistance the phone has no issues being in the rain (or even being submerged for that matter). // Chris
Nice vedeo bro❤😊
Thank you so much! Have a great day (or night) :-) Thx again! // Chris
I got a Nokia x100 rn and it's doing great for me but I'm thinking of getting rid of it and getting this phone
Should definitely be a step-up spec wise. However not a huge one. The XR21 should also be a little bit thicker if I´m not mistaken. Might also be something to take into account. But if you´re after a rugged phone that does not need an extra cover, why not :-) // Chris
A phone with screen guard and case has similar effect .
Except for that you have to buy extra parts :-) But yes, you can definitely rugg-up any phone with a good cover :-) // Chris
@@GetThereFaster Had to do this to my nokia 8 cuz of the phone it self was so slippery; just ordered XR21 :D
@@artturiko Hope you like it! :-) At least it´s not very slippery :-) // Chris
do you think this phone is more rugged than the motorola thinkphone? I dont use my phone for gaming etc..however do use many apps.
Hm, hard to say. I unfortunately have not been able to try that one. Judging from images I would probably guess that the Nokia is a bit more rugged but with that also more bulky. Speed wise the Motorola probably outperforms the Nokia, so if you're going for most speedy user experience I'd go for that one. But tas for apps I had no issues using the Nokia either so :-) // Chris
what would you say is the most rugged phone with the best camera? Are there any with micro sd? Thanks!
Hi! None of them are fantastic when it comes to image quality. However the Doogee S96 GT has both a decent main camera and also a 20 MP night vision camera that is really cool :-) + a micro-sd card slot :-) // Chris
@@GetThereFaster thank you!
@@johannesdaniel4021 Np! Hope you find something you enjoy :-) // Chris
nfc/google wallet support on this phone? been eyeing this or the thinkphone by motorola as theyre both 399 right now. this phone would be way more durable and i like the 3.5 jack and 2 side buttons vs no jack and 1 extra button on the thinkphone.
Hi! It depends on country whether or not the NFC is enabled for payments. However the phone does support both both NFC and Google Wallet :-) Have not tried the Thinkphone so can´t say to much if it´s better or not, but guessing both are fairly equal in terms of performance at least. // Chris
Back design pretty but front design kinda bugs me in 2024.
Looks like everyone complaining about not having oled which is the only reason thinking about buying it. OLED tv hurt my eyes don't know about smartphone though.
I do find that OLED-panels on phones are calmer for the eyes compared to those in TV:s. Might just be because of the size though. And yeah, it is a bulky phone with huge edges compared to most other smartphones. However that is probably also part of the durable concept. // Chris
The screen is not AMOLED, so in different angles. Looks good the screen?
Hi! In terms of colors the viewing angles are actually pretty good. The screen however drops in brightness pretty fast when viewing from either side. Not at all extremely, but noticeably. // Chris
No Zeiss, what a shame
A little. However the Nokia X30 for example didn´t have any Zeiss optics either and performed pretty well for normal photos. So does not have to be a deal breaker. However, in this case, the camera is unfortunately less then impressive. At least if you´re going after liveliness. So a little shame, yes :-) // Chris
How does it compare to Samsung?
Hi! Depends a lot on which Samsung models you´re thinking about. In terms of durability and quality it beats Samsungs old Xcover series hands down. However in terms of screen and raw performance Samsungs phones are of course better. This phone though I´d say you´d get mainly for the durability in combination with decent specs :-) // Chris
The perfect phone for your dad.
Yes! (or for your child >_
노키아는 전통이죠~♥
It sure is :-D
Is Nokia XR21 available in African market
Hi! As far as I can read it does not seem to be officially launched in the African market. However it can probably be imported. I would however double check network compatibility etc. first though if you do so. To make sure it works as intended. // Chris
Is this the phone made in Europe?
Hi! Great question! From what I can find it actually is one of the first smartphones that are being made in HMD Globals factory in Hungary. So it seems that it is indeed made in Europe :-) www.digitec.ch/en/page/hmd-global-starts-production-of-nokia-mobiles-in-europe-29818 // Chris
@@GetThereFaster thank you. Nice to know you can buy a phone not made in China
@@ARedcoat Actually yes, was a bit surprised myself to see that :-)
Will VoLTE work in this phone if I bring this phone to India?
Hi! That I unfortunately don´t know :-/ I would advise to ask Nokia's customer support. They also have a chat that can be accessed here: www.nokia.com/phones/en_us/support Hope you´re able to find the information out! // Chris
Can you get this in India 😮
@@inbamurali4263 no xr21 is not available in India.
@@GetThereFaster Thank you Chris for the information.
I have contacted Nokia customer support. They said, It depends on the carrier if they provide Volte or not and advised me to contact Service provider regarding VoLTE
@@inbamurali4263 Hi! Not as of right now from what I can see. It is apparently rumored to be released during summer 2024. But nothing seems to be 100% confirmed. // Chris
HMD should have made the bezels equally sized.
Yeah, the bottom part is indeed a bit thick in comparison. // Chris
Hope the camera is better than on the xr20.
Haven´t tested the phones side by side, but would most definitely assume so :-) // Chris
❤
Thank you! :-) // Chris
So many Nokia haters here.
Why you guys are watching this anyways?
Everyone is welcome ^_^ However if you do want a durable phone that isn´t a complete brick, the XR21 is still probably one of the better phones to get :-) // Chris
😍♥️
^_^
Lumia is the only solution which will help for the comeback of nokia smartphones
I really, really wanted to like the Lumia phones back when they were released but could never get a grip on the OS :-/ // Chris
Deberia llegar a Chile 🇨🇱
Fingers crossed! Best way to find out I suppose would be to ask Nokia directly (preferably through the chat at www.nokia.com/phones/en_us/support ) :-) // Chris
My phone broke into pieces from the same height. Guess what brand it is!🍏
Haha, same here with my 🍏 a while back :-D // Chris
I like the phone
It is a nice phone indeed! // Chris
Why does Nokia keep making these phones, people are fairly understanding of the fact that today's smartphones are a lot more fragile than the feature phones of the past, Nokia keeps making unwanted phones like look at those bezels man, a fairly decent protection like Gorilla glass 5, an IP 55 rating would do just fine, instead work on the display battery charging and the processor part, also the software, budget phones are going bezel less and nokia is providing a plastic back like what the hell man
Well, I kind of actually like the phone, for what it is at least. And for someone working a more heavy duty job or being outdoors a lot I can see this one making a lot of sense. It sure ain´t perfect. And it´s not for everyone. Definitely. But I don´t really think it´s meant to be either. That´s just my two cents :-) However, I would really like to see what Nokia could do today for a more maxed out phone spec-wise. // Chris
They do really good business selling to institutional buyers. Plus, there is a reasonable consumer market for rugged phones. I don't like the look of this one, but the previous model was right up my alley.
You do realize Nokia was known for essentially indestructible or hard to kill phones right? They were also known for fantastic camera phones when they had windows phone as their OS
The whole point of the XR series is to have a nice looking phone that's durable. A well engineered phone like this is what people buy this for, nothing coming close
As a rugged phone user I can say these phones are a life saver. Back in the day I would brake a couple of phones a year. My first rugged phone lasted me 5 years. Currently have a Cat s61 which survived being run over by a fully loaded truck, drops from sky lifts to concrete, fire extinguisher drops and still running. Only reason I'm looking for another phones is that this is a 5 year old phone and no longer has software updates and my apps are starting to glitch. My phone outlives all my other co workers phones twice over. Now it's time for it to retire.
i LOVE NOKIA .... I DONT LIKE CHINA PHONE..... CHINA PHONE IS EASY TO BE BROKEN
I like Nokia too :-) However there are several Chinese companies making really durable phones, like Ulefone for example :-) // Chris
Trash phone for $500
Or... a $500 phone you can throw in the trash with basically all your force and then pick up and keep using because it didn´t break :-) But a niched phone, definitely!
Nokia's new trash phones.....
Nah, pretty sure there's a market for this type of device :-) // Chris
I like the fact that Nokia "is trying" but cmon...start making nicer phones. As a brand Nokia will never return if they make such ugly phones 😂
The over-all build quality and feel of most of their newer phones are actually quite nice to be honest. XR21 included. But it would be really interesting to see a more high-speced Nokia phone. To compete with the other brands :-) // Chris
@@GetThereFaster They need to ditch, HMD Global. They don't seem to make such a great job. And find another provider, that is going to do a better job. I don't know how nokia was producing their phones in the past, either by them, or someone else. But they were doing a great job. No wonder, they took 50% of the phone market in the past. I don't think they will ever return to their former glory. But they can try. First they need to change their designs, a bit more agressive commercials (if no one can see you, how will they buy?). I am a Samsung lover, but if Nokia tries, I would return back to them in a heartbeat :)
@@mihairazvan8296 Nah, they will probably not ever again get as much marked share as the had15-20 years ago. Might stay a bit more of a niche brand at the mid-spectrum + rugged phones. Will have to wait and see I suppose :-) Thx for sharing some thoughts though! // Chris
@@GetThereFaster yeah, the best tactic is for us to wait and see. I appreciate them trying and not giving up. The X30 doesn't look that bad :) on white color
@@mihairazvan8296 Agree on the X30, it´s indeed a nice looking phone! :-) Have a good day/night :-) // Chris