Mobile Technology

HMD Global gets tough for Nokia XR20 "life-proof phone" launch

View 5 Images
HMD Global says that the Nokia XR20 "can withstand much more than you’ll ever demand of it"
HMD Global
HMD Global says that the Nokia XR20 "can withstand much more than you’ll ever demand of it"
HMD Global
The Nokia XR20 has a 6.67-inch display that can be used with wet hands and gloves, and dual cameras around back
HMD Global
HMD Global asked sports personalities Roberto Carlos and Lisa Zimouche to put the XR20 through a series of durability challenges, including a dunk in icy water, a screen-first spin across a gravel soccer pitch, and a recreation of Carlos' "banana shot" from the 1997 Brazil vs. France international game
HMD Global
The Nokia 6310 is a modern reimagining of a business phone from 2001
HMD Global
The Nokia C30 comes with a big screen and a big battery
HMD Global
View gallery - 5 images

HMD Global has launched its toughest Nokia phone to date. Where your everyday smartphone might need a rugged case to survive the abuse that daily life can throw at it, the Nokia XR20 mid-range phone has been designed to withstand drops, bumps and submersion in the wet stuff to military standards.

The Nokia XR20 doesn't add the kind of body bulk you might expect for a rugged phone, measuring 10.64 mm (0.4 in) thick, but has been manufactured to MIL-STD-810H durability standards. HMD is reporting that it can survive a drop from 1.8 m (5.9 ft), be dunked under water for up to an hour, and continue to operate in temperature extremes.

Inside is Qualcomm's budget-friendly-but-capable Snapdragon 480 5G processor, supported by up to 6 GB of RAM and 120 GB of internal storage. And there's a microSD slot for up to 512 GB of additional storage. Out front you'll find a 6.67-inch Gorilla Glass Victus display at 1,080 x 2,400 pixels, with 550 nits of brightness, an 8-MP hole punch selfie cam to the center top, and a touchscreen that responds to wet hands and gloves.

HMD Global asked sports personalities Roberto Carlos and Lisa Zimouche to put the XR20 through a series of durability challenges, including a dunk in icy water, a screen-first spin across a gravel soccer pitch, and a recreation of Carlos' "banana shot" from the 1997 Brazil vs. France international game
HMD Global

Move around back and there's a dual camera mounted in an X configuration with LED flashes, featuring a 48-MP main module and a 13-MP ultrawide – both with Zeiss optics.

Elsewhere, the XR20 comes with 802.11ac (ax-ready) Wi-Fi, 5G mobile of course, Bluetooth 5.1 with support for aptX Adaptive codec, a 4,630-mAh battery for the promise of up to two days between charges, support for 15-W Qi wireless charging, and two "extra loud" speakers featuring Ozo spatial audio.

The phone runs Android 11, with HMD offering four years of monthly security updates and three years of OS upgrades.

The XR20 is available now in select markets, pricing starts at €499 (~US$590). The video below has more.

Another two phones were announced today too, an addition to the Nokia Originals series in the shape of the Nokia 6310, and the new top dog in the company's C series smartphones, the Nokia C30.

As with other Originals devices, the 6310 is a modern reworking of a Nokia classic, this time a business phone from 20 years ago. It comes with a 2.8-inch color display, big physical buttons, a 0.3-MP rear camera, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and almost 20 hours of talk time per charge. It's available now for €40.

The Nokia C30 comes with a big screen and a big battery
HMD Global

The C30 is encased in polycarbonate for durability, sports a 6.82-inch HD+ display, has a dual camera array to the rear, and comes packing a 6,000-mAh battery that's reckoned good for up to three days between charges. This model is available in three RAM/storage configurations for a starting price of €99.

Source: HMD Global

View gallery - 5 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
2 comments
John Banister
I wish it had support for band 71. I always end up wanting to use a phone someplace rural.
Wombat56
Nokia 6310: releasing a new 2G phone with a VGA camera in this day and age is an insult.