The allure of an Android tablet without a bunch of vendor bloatware and regular security updates was for some time, a pipe dream. The dominant player, Samsung, has been guilty of both, and until recently, has never really had a viable challenger who could take them on in the long run until fairly recently. The release of the Nokia T20 has finally brought a challenger in the arena that can meet the aforementioned criteria and a little more.
Updates
The Nokia T20 is Android Enterprise Recommended Certified meaning that the tablet meets certain criteria mandated by Google to ensure a certain level of quality appropriate for enterprise customers. Generally speaking, this is a good thing, because this certification speaks to the quality of the device when it comes to support and security. This is where the Nokia T20 can really shine, because as of now, Samsung does not offer monthly patching on its tablets- even the S series. Coming off of this, Nokia promises 2 years of Android OS updates and 3 years of monthly security updates. To be more specific, those update promises start from the time of the T20’s release. On the Android Enterprise Recommended site page for the Nokia T20, these updates end on October 2024. On Nokia’s Smartphone Security Maintenance Release page, it’s November 2024. It would probably be safe to assume that the device will essentially be End-of-life somewhere in between those two months in 2024. Regardless, these promises could make the Nokia T20 the most secure Android tablet presently or perhaps ever!
After using this table for a couple of years, Nokia’s update promises weren’t fulfilled initially. At the time of the original writing (August 2022), the Nokia T20 only recently received the Android 12 update- a year after the OS was released and not too long after Android 13 was released. To give Nokia credit, they are transparent about this if you know where to look. According to Nokia’s Smartphone Security Maintenance Release site, this tablet only had the current monthly patch in May of this year. Not too long after its release, the T20 was as much as almost 3 months behind on being current on monthly patches as in November of 2021, it only had the August 2021 monthly patch. These means that the Nokia T20 was open to all the vulnerabilities during the months of September, October and part of November. To give those knowledgeable on cybersecurity more perspective, the device was open to as much as 15 critical CVEs during that time, one of which allowed attackers to engage in remote code execution over bluetooth with no user interaction or privilege escalation needed. Scary. So far, the only time the tablet was fully up to date was in May 2022 and August 2022. This is very disappointing since Nokia used to be the leader in Android patching in the not so distant past (2020-2021) by far.
As the tablet matured, however, updates became much more frequent and reliable.
Performance
I was able to get a GeekBench score of 407 (Single Core), 1399 (Multi Core). Don’t expect to be playing bleeding edge games on this tablet. Streaming may get you better mileage though as well as using the tablet for more traditional media. Heavy multitasking can take a hit with the included processor though, but the T20 can easily handle light to medium use.
Hardware
| Display | Features: Brightness boost, SGS Low blue light certification, Brightness: 400 nits (typ.) Size: 10.4 in Resolution: In cell 2K (1200*2000) |
| Battery | Battery: 8,200 mAh 1 Charging: USB-PD type-C 15W compatible for fast charging (10W charger inbox) Voltage: 210-240 Wattage: 10 W |
| Cameras | Front camera: 5 MP fixed-focus Rear camera: 8 MP auto-focus |
| Dimensions | Height: 247.6 mm Width: 157.5 mm Depth: 7.8 mm |
| Cellular | Features: LTE 4G for data connection is only available with a Nano SIM card. The device does not support standard calls or text messages. Calls and messages may be available via third-party apps such as WhatsApp. Network bands (GSM): (International) 850,900,1800,1900; (US/LATAM) 850,900,1800,1900 Network bands (LTE): (International) 1,3,5,7,8,20,28 TDD: 38,40,41 (120MHz); (US/LATAM) 1,2,3,4,5,7,8,12/17,13,20,28,40,66 Network bands (WCDMA): (ROW) 1,5,8; (US/LATAM) 1,2,4,5,8 |
| Casing | Polymer composite |
| CPU | Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 480 5G Mobile Platform 3 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | Internal storage: 64 GB 2 MicroSD card support up to: 512 GB |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth: 5.0 Headphone jack: 3.5 mm Location: GPS/AGPS, BDS, Galileo USB connection: USB Type-C (USB 2.0) OTG WiFi: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax-ready NFC Supported |
| Operating System | Android 11 (Upgradeable to Android 13) |
| Dust/Water resistance | IP52 |
Battery life has been fantastic and I’ve been easily able to get multiple days of life with casual use. The T20 is definitely up there among the best when it comes to stamina.
The outer casing doesn’t have too much a premium feel to it like competitors from Apple and Samsung. It’s more economic feeling than even most of the modern A class tablets from Samsung and will not give users a feeling of high status. However, it’s durable and can withstand a few tumbles. While bulkier than many other competitors, its weight is comparable and feels decent to hold and use.
A very nice addition that many tablets seem to not have anymore is the 3.5mm headphone jack, which, when connected with a pair of headphones can enable the FM radio functionality- yet another feature that most tablets lack in general. The headphone jack itself is positioned in a rather odd area unfortunately- at the bottom right hand corner of the device. This can make for tricky insertions at times.
Other than that, the screen is okay; it does have a bit of a bluish tint to it. The resolution is fine for an Android tablet of its class. Don’t expect an iPad quality screen though- you will be disappointed. Even the entry level iPad’s screen is noticeably superior. It’s more comparable to a Samsung A class tablet screen.
A point of contention would be the official support of microSD cards of up to only 512GB. One of the only biggest strengths over iPadOS devices is not taken advantage of unfortunately. Still, even with the limitation in support, it’s double the amount of space that the entry level iPad and the iPad Airs of old offered. Additionally, with the microSD form factor of storage, getting files and media on the tablet is much easier than with Apple’s offerings.
Final Thoughts
At the time of this revision, the tablet is still for sale on Nokia’s website as well as Amazon. Unfortunately, it’s scheduled for the discontinuation of updates later on this year. Even though it may be on sale for a good deal, I would not recommend it for that fact alone. It was a decent tablet, and Nokia lately has been very prompt with security updates. While this tablet still has some value and can be very nice to use at this point, connecting it to the Internet after November 2024 will not be a good idea from a cybersecurity standpoint. With the types of sophisticated vulnerabilities and zero days constantly being discovered, users who care about Internet safety should not buy this tablet for Internet use or continue using it in such a manner.
The Nokia T20 had a good run; it was definitely an underestimated mainstream Android tablet, and hopefully, HMD will be able to continue its legacy with the HMD T21 and with other successors. Even without Internet connectivity, this slate can still be very usable with its FM radio functionality and whatever media you may chose to load a microSD card with.