Nokia XR21 Will Be a New Rugged Phone That Offers Extended OS Updates

Credit: @rquandt

The world clearly needs more smartphones that can resist rough conditions. It’s 2023, and non-waterproof smartphones still exist out there in large numbers. That’s perhaps why HMD Global has decided to develop a new rugged smartphone: the Nokia XR21 model.

Nokia XR21 is a phone that’s far from the classical description of a flagship: top-end processors and cameras. Nokia XR21 doesn’t have any of these, but it still stands out for other features. Thanks to Roland Quandt and WinFuture, we now know a lot about the future Nokia XR21 rugged phone and its specs.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G will be implemented

The upcoming Nokia XR21 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset. This part will make a good team with the rest of the hardware, as the rugged device will also feature 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage space. We can assume that an SDXC memory card slot will also be implemented for those who want even more memory.

The display will have a refresh rate of 120Hz, which means that it will clearly be powerful enough for the main camera of 64MP.

Apart from its rugged capabilities, which will make the phone resistant to rough conditions, the Nokia XR21 will also receive updates for its Android operating system until May 2026. However, HMD Global has decided to add the Android 12 operating system on the phone in question, which is a bit odd considering that Google’s latest mobile operating system is Android 14.

The phone also contains a USB Type-C port that’s compatible with only the USB 2.0 technology. The cost will revolve around the amount of $499.

Let’s not also forget about the battery power of the Nokia XR21, as it reaches 4,800mAh and can be charged rapidly with a maximum of 33 watts.

The release date for the Nokia XR21 is not available yet, so stay tuned for more information on the subject!

Cristian Antonescu
Cristian is in love with technology, as are many of us. He has a vast experience as a content writer in the field. He's involved especially in the hardware area, where he covers the latest news regarding smartphones, laptops, PC components, and so on.