Nokia T20 Review: The Affordable Tablet You’ve Been Waiting For?

Nokia T20: A budget-friendly tablet with solid build, kid-friendly features, and decent performance for casual use.

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It’s been a while since we saw a tablet with Nokia branding and Nokia T20 is the first one under HMD Global. Nokia’s known for offering good value for money and that’s definitely the case with this tablet. If you’re on a budget and just need something basic to browse web, watch Netflix or listen to music, Nokia T20 is a solid choice. But if you’re looking for a tablet for more serious tasks, like heavy computing, you might want to look elsewhere like an iPad.

T20 is great for casual use, and it’s especially good for kids because it’s easy to use and pretty affordable. It runs Android 11, which includes some cool features like Entertainment Space for all your streaming apps, and Kids Space for a safer browsing experience for children.

The design and screen look more expensive than the price suggests, and it’s nice to see a budget tablet that doesn’t feel too cheap. However, under the hood, specs aren’t amazing. It’s fine for basic tasks, but it’s slower compared to high-end tablets. Still, for price, Nokia T20 is a great option if you just need something simple.

In the UK, it’s priced at £179.99 for the Wi-Fi model or £199.99 for Wi-Fi and LTE. In the US and Australia, it’s $249.99 or AU$349. It’s a good deal for the money, but just know it’s not going to be as fast or feature-packed as more expensive tablets.

Nokia T20 Specifications

Feature	Details
💲 Price	£179.99 (Wi-Fi), £199.99 (Wi-Fi + LTE) in the UK; $249.99 in the US
📱 Display	10.4″ screen, 2,000 x 1,200 resolution
⚙️ Processor	Unisoc T610, 4GB RAM, 64GB storage (expandable)
💻 Operating System	Android 11 (upgradable to Android 12 & 13)
📷 Cameras	8MP rear, 5MP front (okay for video calls)
🔋 Battery Life	8,200mAh, up to 10 hours of use
📶 Connectivity	USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, optional LTE
⚖️ Weight	16.6 oz, easy to hold
📏 Dimensions	9.7 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
💾 Storage	64GB (expandable with microSD)

Nokia T20 Review: Price and Availability

Nokia T20 is available now in the UK and Australia, and it’s shipping to the US starting November 17. In the UK, you can grab the Wi-Fi only version for £179.99, or the Wi-Fi + 4G LTE version for £199.99. In the US, the Wi-Fi model costs $249.99, with shipping starting on November 17. In Australia, it’s available for AU$349.

Nokia T20 Review: Design

Nokia T20 has a light and stylish design that looks more expensive than it is. It’s not overly flashy, but it feels well-made and has a simple, clean look. The tablet is lightweight at 465 grams and measures 247.6 x 157.5 x 7.8mm, making it comfortable to hold, though not for long stretches with one hand.

On the sides, you’ll find the power button, volume buttons, and a USB-C port, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack tucked in one corner. The back of the tablet has a nice matte aluminum finish that feels good to the touch, with a subtle raised bar at the top and a single rear camera in the corner. The Deep Ocean color is a dark blue, and while it’s the only color available, it looks sleek. The tablet also has an IP52 rating, meaning it’s splash-resistant but not fully waterproof. Overall, it’s a solid, stylish device that feels durable without being too heavy or bulky.

Nokia T20 Review: Display

Nokia T20 has a 10.4-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1200 x 2000, and while it’s not the best screen out there, it’s perfectly fine for the price. The 60Hz refresh rate and 224ppi density don’t make it super sharp, but it’s still good for browsing and watching movies. The brightness can go up to 400 nits, which works well, but you’ll probably need to crank it up if you’re using it outside in bright light.

For the price, the screen does its job well—whether you’re checking emails, watching videos, or scrolling through social media. The color and contrast are decent, and the bezels are a bit thick, but the curved corners add a nice touch, making it look more premium.

Nokia T20 Review: Performance and cameras

Nokia T20 is powered by a Unisoc T610 processor, with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage (expandable with a microSD card). The performance is okay for basic tasks, but you’ll notice a delay when switching between apps or screens. It’s fine for everyday use, but power users might find it slow. Multitasking is possible, but don’t expect fast performance for heavy tasks like photo or video editing, or gaming.

The stereo speakers are decent—good enough for movies, podcasts, and casual music. They’re not amazing, but for the price, they’re pretty solid.

As for the cameras, they’re not great. 8MP rear camera takes grainy, washed-out photos especially in low light. 5MP front camera is just okay for video calls but the video is a bit jerky and noisy. If you care about camera quality, you might want to look elsewhere but for basic use, it works.

Nokia T20 Review: Software

Nokia T20 runs Android 11, with updates to Android 12 and 13 coming soon. So, you’re good for a couple of years on the software front.

However, Android still isn’t optimized for tablets. It doesn’t do much to adjust for the larger screen, and most apps don’t either, though some like Gmail and Spotify work well. It’s usable but not as smooth as iPadOS.

There are some cool features like Google Entertainment Space, which puts all your streaming apps, games, and ebooks in one place, and Kids Space, which offers a safe area for kids with approved content.

You can use Google Docs and Sheets for work, but there’s no official keyboard cover, so you’ll need to grab a Bluetooth keyboard if you want better typing. The tablet also supports a passive stylus, so you can tap but not draw or sketch.

Nokia T20 Review: Battery life

Nokia T20 comes with an 8,200mAh battery, and HMD Global claims it offers “all-day battery life.” In my testing, though, I got about 6-7 hours of video playback. This is with the screen at full brightness, so you might get a bit more if you lower that.

The battery does last pretty well on standby, so if you’re a light user, you could stretch it to a couple of days between charges. But if you’re gaming or checking emails all day, the battery probably won’t last until bedtime.

Is the Nokia T20 Worth Buying?

Buy it if:

💰 You’re on a budget and need something simple
🏋️‍♀️ You want a durable tablet for daily use
👶 You need a safe tablet for kids

Don’t buy it if:

⚡ You need more power for demanding apps or games
📸 You want a tablet with great cameras
💻 You plan to do a lot of work or need a keyboard

Pros and Cons of Nokia T20

Pros	Cons
✅ Affordable Price	❌ Slow Performance for Heavy Tasks
✅ Solid Build Quality	❌ Camera Quality is Subpar
✅ Kid-Friendly Features	❌ No Keyboard Cover (Needs Bluetooth)
✅ Great for Casual Use	❌ Basic for Serious Work or Gaming
✅ Easy-to-Hold Aluminum Body	❌ Slow Performance
✅ Bright 10.4-inch Screen	❌ No HDR Support
✅ Clean Android UI	❌ Slow 10W Charger
✅ Has a Headphone Jack & MicroSD Slot	❌ Lacks High-Resolution Display

Conclusion

Nokia T20 feels exactly like what I expected from HMD Global’s take on a tablet. It’s solidly built and affordable, giving you good value for your money even with a few compromises here and there. For the price, it does what it’s meant to do—whether that’s browsing the web, watching videos, or keeping things simple. It’s not the fastest or the most advanced tablet, but for casual use, it does just fine. If you’re looking for something that’s not too expensive but still gets the basics right, the Nokia T20 is a solid choice.