Nokia X10 smartphone review: Reliable 5G phone with four cameras
Nokia is challenging other manufacturers: Not necessarily with the fastest smartphones on the market, but with a company policy that is as sustainable as possible. This includes prolonged Android update cycles for the X series devices, i.e. Nokia's most expensive smartphones, and the absence of a charger in the box, for example.
The Nokia X10 is the somewhat watered-down counterpart of the Nokia X20. In terms of design, there is hardly any difference between the two devices, and many specifications appear to be very similar as well. The official price difference is 80 Euros (~$95), and the Nokia X10 is priced at 319 Euros (~$378), placing it in the traditional price range of the smartphone mid-range.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80.2 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Nokia X10 SD 480, Adreno 619 | 220 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Vivo Y72 5G Dimensity 700, Mali-G57 MP2 | 193 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.58" | 2408x1080 | |
| 80.6 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | Nokia X20 SD 480, Adreno 619 | 220 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.3 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3 | 205 g | 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 81.3 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | OnePlus Nord N10 5G SD 690 5G, Adreno 619L | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.49" | 2400x1080 |
Case – Silky shimmer
The Nokia X10's chassis is available in two color variants: Forest and Snow. Forest is a dark green, while Snow is a shade of white. Our green test device has a slightly silky shimmer on the back and consequently looks very attractive despite the plastic chassis.
However, corners were cut when it comes to the glass on the front: Nokia only uses Gorilla Glass 3 here, while Gorilla Glass 5 with its much higher hardness was used in the X20. Therefore, the pre-applied screen protector makes perfect sense.
The smartphone is protected according to the IP52 standard. As a result, the smartphone offers decent protection against dust, but it's only protected against water splashes when it comes to fluids. The dimensions and weight are identical to the Nokia X20, so this isn't a light or a small smartphone.
The Nokia X10 is sturdily built, and it doesn't have any problems when pressure is applied to the front or back. Furthermore, the smartphone can hardly be twisted.
Connectivity – Less storage in the Nokia X10
With 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB for data, the storage configuration has been exactly cut in half compared with the Nokia X20. The X10 still has the usual amount of storage for its price range, but the OnePlus Nord N10 or the Vivo Y72 show that it's possible to include even more storage space.
The smartphone features NFC, so that mobile payment services can be used. There's also a USB-C port, but it's only connected with USB 2.0 speeds internally.
microSD card reader
The smartphone can hold microSDs of up to 512 GB, but you have to do without one of the two SIM slots in exchange. The Nokia X10 reads and writes to our Angelbird V60 microSD card at the usual level in our tests.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Vivo Y72 5G (Angelbird V60) | |
| Nokia X10 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software – Three new Android versions
Android 11 is preinstalled out of the box. Nokia promises three years of updates, so the smartphone will receive all versions up to Android 14 according to the manufacturer. Thanks to Android One, there should also be monthly security updates; our test device should receive them soon, since the security patches dated back to the beginning of June at the time of testing.
Although Nokia has implemented pure Android, it has also installed two advertising apps, but they can be quickly uninstalled. A DRM certification is available, so you can also watch streaming content in HD resolution.
Communication and GNSS – Reliable WLAN signal
The Nokia X10 is a 5G phone. It offers a certain diversity of frequencies in both the 4G and 5G networks, but it's not a proper world phone that can be used in every country. The network quality was good in our short test, even indoors.
Let's take a closer look at the WLAN features: The Nokia phone comes with Wi-Fi 5, and it's able to convice in our test with the Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router with class-typical speeds. This should be sufficient for everyday use, especially if you only have a 100 or 250 Mb Internet connection. The OnePlus Nord N10 is the best performer in this price range, doubling the transfer rates of the remaining comparison devices thanks to its 2x2 MIMO technology.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Vivo Y72 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| Vivo Y72 5G | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
The smartphone receives a satellite signal very quickly outdoors, and it's sufficient for accurate positioning. There are several satellite networks available that the Nokia X10 also accesses quickly and comprehensively according to the GPS Test app.
In our real-world test, a bike tour with the smartphone and the Garmin Edge 520 navigation device as comparison device, the Nokia X10 proves to offer pretty accurate positioning, but it's off track when crossing the pedestrian bridge.
Therefore, users who care about absolutely accurate positioning should test the Nokia X10 carefully before buying it. If you aren't bothered by minor deviations here and there, you'll get a reliable navigation device with the smartphone.
Telephone and call quality
Nokia uses the standard Android app for phone calls. Support for VoLTE and VoWiFi is available.
The Nokia X10 does a good job in terms of call quality. Although the voice of the user on the other end isn't always completely clear or without background noise, it's always intelligible overall. We don't have to speak excessively loud when using the phone function, either, in order for our voice to reach the other person. In hands-free mode, i.e. using the built-in speaker, the voice of the person on the other end of the line also sounds fine. However, we can't speak too quietly here, since they are otherwise no longer able to hear us.
Cameras – Nokia with four lenses
The camera setup of the two devices from Nokia's X series looks quite similar at first glance: Four lenses, three of which can be used for taking pictures, while the fourth one supports portrait shots. The only difference compared with the Nokia X20 is the main camera's resolution: The Nokia X10 only has a 48-megapixel lens.
However, since photos are usually only taken with a quarter of the resolution anyway in order to achieve a higher light yield, the difference is reduced to four megapixels in total. Does that really make a big difference?
Indeed, the photos taken with the Nokia X10 look a bit less detailed than those captured with the Nokia X20: There's less image sharpness, and the imaging performance is visibly weaker in detail. But the differences are really only noticeable in the details. Overall, the Nokia X10 also takes decent photos. Under low light and high contrast, the illumination is passable, and some details are still visible.
The wide-angle camera looks a bit dim, but it's sufficient for snapshots as long as you don't enlarge them too much.
Videos can be recorded with the main camera at a maximum of 1080p and 30 fps. 60 frames per second would've been nice here. The Samsung Galaxy A32 5G even shoots Ultra HD videos if you want. Picture quality is decent, but the autofocus could be a bit faster.
In contrast to the Nokia X20, there's no selfie camera with pixel-binning at the front, but only an 8-megapixel lens. Nevertheless, the resulting selfies are still quite good and can be magnified as well.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera - FlowersMain camera - SurroundingsMain camera - Low lightWide-angle lens
The Nokia smartphone's main camera shows good color reproduction and decent contrast in the photo lab. However, there's still room for improvement when it comes to detail sharpness. You can still make out details in an illumination of only 1 lux, but the picture is visibly blurry.
Accessories and warranty – No charger
Nokia's X series needs a bit of getting used to when it comes to its accessories: There is no charger in the box. Nokia intends to protect the environment with this, since many users already have a charger at home.
Needless to say, you can also purchase a charger from Nokia if you wish. In that case, you pay 17 Euros (~$20), the proceeds are donated, which means that Nokia doesn't earn anything from the chargers. Users who want to use their own charger can find the requirements on Nokia's website.
Not every power adapter worked smoothly with the Nokia X10 in our test; a Warp Charge 65 charger from OnePlus, for example, resulted in the smartphone reconnecting every 20 seconds.
Instead of the charger, there's a case in the box that's made of a compostable material and protects the phone from damage, allowing you to hopefully use it for a longer time. A USB cable and a SIM tool are also included in the box, and other accessories like cases or a phone stand are available on Nokia's website at moderate prices.
Nokia also offers an extended warranty of 36 months in many regions, which also protects users from any damage that might have already occurred during production for a longer period of time.
Input devices and handling – With Google Assistant button
The touchscreen responds well and reliably. However, it's a 60 Hz display, so that using it feels a bit less smooth than with the OnePlus Nord N10, for example.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the standby button, and it recognizes fingerprints quickly and reliably. The solution is equally well suited for right- and left-handers. There's also a dedicated Google Assistant button on the right of the case. However, the button becomes superfluous if you don't want to use it for this, because it can't be reassigned.
Overall, the hardware buttons look quite premium and have a good pressure point. Nevertheless, the standby button protrudes a bit from the case, and rather rough edges can be felt, which slightly reduces the perceived quality.
Display – Full HD panel in the Nokia phone
Only the Samsung Galaxy A32 still has a 720p display among the comparison devices, with Full HD being the norm otherwise. The Nokia X10 also features 1080p resolution and an IPS display that can get quite bright if required. The brightness distribution isn't quite as homogeneous as in the Nokia X20.
The black level is pretty high, so that the contrast value is only just good enough. This means that colors look rather pale; the IPS panel can't compete with an OLED display in this respect.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 674 cd/m²
Contrast: 864:1 (Black: 0.78 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.39 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
98.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.175
| Nokia X10 IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Vivo Y72 5G IPS, 2408x1080, 6.6" | Nokia X20 IPS, 2400x1080, 6.7" | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G TFT-LCD, 1600x720, 6.5" | OnePlus Nord N10 5G IPS LCD, 2400x1080, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -4% | -15% | -16% | 5% | |
| Brightness middle | 674 | 419 -38% | 646 -4% | 543 -19% | 450 -33% |
| Brightness | 630 | 384 -39% | 617 -2% | 512 -19% | 422 -33% |
| Brightness Distribution | 83 | 87 5% | 89 7% | 85 2% | 89 7% |
| Black Level * | 0.78 | 0.7 10% | 0.7 10% | 0.63 19% | 0.57 27% |
| Contrast | 864 | 599 -31% | 923 7% | 862 0% | 789 -9% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.39 | 3.32 2% | 5.71 -68% | 4.9 -45% | 2.67 21% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.95 | 5.06 27% | 8.9 -28% | 8.6 -24% | 6.76 3% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.4 | 3 32% | 6.2 -41% | 6.3 -43% | 2 55% |
| Gamma | 2.175 101% | 2.203 100% | 2.122 104% | 2.23 99% | 2.274 97% |
| CCT | 8301 78% | 7236 90% | 8256 79% | 8120 80% | 6859 95% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 2358 Hz | ≤ 20 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 2358 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 2358 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
In our tests with the CalMAN software and the spectrophotometer, we focus on two scenarios: One with the factory settings and one with a warm white balance that can be selected in the settings.
In the default settings, the display appears to be only moderately accurate in color reproduction with a clear blue tint in lighter hues. Grayscales also make this clearly visible to the naked eye. The color tint is still present with the warm white balance, but it's no longer as pronounced, and it tends towards greenish.
Therefore, users who need an absolutely accurate display, for example to check print colors, are probably on the wrong track here. If an approximate reproduction is enough, you'll get a solid display.
It's also pleasing that PWM flickering takes place at an extremely high frequency, so that it can probably be ignored, as it shouldn't cause anyone any discomfort. Response times are average at best and too slow for hardcore gamers.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 9 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 11 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 40 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 23 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 64 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Even in strong sunlight, the smartphone is still legible outdoors when necessary. Nevertheless, as we checked the display's viewing angles, we noticed that the image darkens visibly when viewed from below. However, this effect is more noticeable with the camera than with the human eye. It's not quite as pronounced here, and the screen's content continues to be recognizable.
Performance – Little future-proofing
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 sounds like an entry-level SoC, but it has already proven in the Nokia X20 that it can definitely keep up with other mid-range systems. Nevertheless, we can also see that devices with slightly more performance will definitely be released in the same price segment this year. One example is the Vivo Y72.
Performance is sufficient for everyday use. The performance limits of the SoC only become visible in more demanding apps or when several applications are running at the same time.
The Nokia X10 is also on par with the competition in terms of graphics performance.
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (26 - 66, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (41 - 42, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12 - 482, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (26 - 54, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (29 - 29, n=6) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 341, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (227632 - 325785, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (99654 - 2056989, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (257336 - 264533, n=5) | |
| AImark - Score v2.x (sort by value) | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (4707 - 4894, n=5) | |
The Nokia X10 isn't the fastest smartphone on the market when it comes to browsing the Internet: From time to time, you have to wait for content and especially pictures to load when scrolling. Nevertheless, it's much faster compared to other smartphones in this price range.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 387, n=166, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (44.1 - 49.4, n=5) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chrome 91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (78.6 - 84.3, n=5) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chrome 91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (15.2 - 569, n=151, last 2 years) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chome 90) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (37.6 - 39.2, n=5) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chome 91) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (67 - 80, n=5) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chrome 91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (15636 - 18774, n=6) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chrome 91) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| OnePlus Nord N10 5G (Chrome 87) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G (Chrome 88) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Nokia X10 (Chrome 91) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G (2383 - 2749, n=5) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=164, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The Nokia X10 is quite consistent in terms of the internal storage's read and write speeds: While the comparison devices sometimes have their issues with sequential writing, the Nokia smartphone can offer quite constant speeds here. At the same time, other devices read from memory much faster. Overall, the storage speed results are mixed.
| Nokia X10 | Vivo Y72 5G | Nokia X20 | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | OnePlus Nord N10 5G | Average 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | 4% | -1% | 18% | -8% | -18% | 167% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 498.6 | 956 92% | 489.3 -2% | 858 72% | 865 73% | 696 ? 40% | 1859 ? 273% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 455 | 13.6 -97% | 462.7 2% | 381.7 -16% | 187.2 -59% | 224 ? -51% | 1445 ? 218% |
| Random Read 4KB | 170.6 | 164.4 -4% | 165.4 -3% | 174.6 2% | 137 -20% | 137.2 ? -20% | 278 ? 63% |
| Random Write 4KB | 145.4 | 179.4 23% | 144.6 -1% | 167.1 15% | 106 -27% | 84.7 ? -42% | 310 ? 113% |
Games – Hard to play at 60 fps
In some titles, you can even game at 60 fps with the Nokia X10: Armajet, for example, makes the high frame rates possible.
However, this is only stable to a certain extent. PUBG Mobile reaches around 40 fps at low settings, while only around 30 frames per second are possible at high settings.
This should make the Nokia X10 more interesting for casual gamers. If you want to win in high-speed games like shooters, you'll probably need better hardware. We measured the frame rates with GameBench.
The controls work well, and the touchscreen responds reliably.
Emissions – Stable performance even under load
Temperature
With a maximum of 41.3 °C (~106 °F), the smartphone still remains at normal temperatures, even under prolonged load. On hot days, however, it might be a bit uncomfortable to touch the smartphone after intense use or to put it in your pocket.
The Wild Life Stress tests show that the device can still deliver its full performance even after prolonged load.
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Nokia X10 | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A32 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Nokia X10 | |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.3 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The mono speaker in the Nokia X10 can get quite loud if desired, but this leads to strongly overemphasized highs that sound unpleasant to the ears. The small speaker doesn't deliver genuine basses, but the overall sound is acceptable for occasional use.
If you want to connect headphones or speakers, you can use the 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth. APTX HD is supported for sound improvement during wireless connection.
Nokia X10 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 39% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Nokia X20 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life – Smaller battery, good runtimes
Energy consumption
A look at the smartphone's power consumption reveals that it's quite within the normal range, and it's even significantly lower under load than in the comparison devices in some cases.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  0.8 / 1.7 / 1.9 Watt |
| Load |
4.5 / 5.9 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Nokia X10 4470 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G 5000 mAh | OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -29% | -18% | 12% | -19% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.8 | 0.64 20% | 0.9 -13% | 0.734 ? 8% | 0.885 ? -11% |
| Idle Average * | 1.7 | 1.95 -15% | 1.6 6% | 1.552 ? 9% | 1.451 ? 15% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.9 | 1.98 -4% | 2.1 -11% | 1.778 ? 6% | 1.608 ? 15% |
| Load Average * | 4.5 | 6.77 -50% | 6.2 -38% | 3.56 ? 21% | 6.55 ? -46% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.9 | 11.42 -94% | 7.8 -32% | 5.09 ? 14% | 9.92 ? -68% |
* ... smaller is better
Energy consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Energy consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
The 4,470 mAh battery isn't quite able to reach the current standard in terms of capacity: 5,000 mAh has become the norm. This is a bit surprising, especially when you consider how heavy the Nokia X10 is.
Nevertheless, you still get good runtimes: 15 hours in the Wi-Fi test should be enough for two days of normal use without a charging cycle if you're a bit conservative in your usage. At the same time, the device can definitely gain some ground under high load, because it's quite frugal here.
You can charge the smartphone at a maximum of 18 watts. We measured a charging time of about 1.5 hours for a full charge cycle.
| Nokia X10 4470 mAh | Vivo Y72 5G 5000 mAh | Nokia X20 4470 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A32 5G 5000 mAh | OnePlus Nord N10 5G 4300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 21% | -2% | 32% | 6% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2435 | 2958 21% | 2539 4% | ||
| H.264 | 977 | 1323 35% | 1154 18% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 896 | 1084 21% | 879 -2% | 1235 38% | 974 9% |
| Load | 297 | 393 32% | 278 -6% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Workhorse instead of showman
If you were already eyeing the Nokia X20 but wanted to save a few Euros, you'll find exactly what you're looking for in the Nokia X10. For just under 320 Euros (~$380), you get a very solid mid-range smartphone with 5G, although it has less storage and a slightly lower-resolution camera than the X20.
The long warranty, the practically non-existent PWM flickering, the pure Android OS with a long-term update warranty, and the decent battery life are plus points that the X10 has in common with its better-equipped counterpart.
The Nokia X10 is a 5G mid-range phone with no major highlights, but it offers a long warranty and no significant weaknesses in return.
Of course, users who are expecting a 90 Hz display, the fastest Internet in the price range, or the absolute best performance won't be happy with the Nokia X10. The OnePlus Nord N10 5G is a better alternative here.
With the Nokia X10, you get a solid smartphone that hardly has any real weaknesses and that simply handles everyday use reliably. Since this common everyday use should last as long as possible in terms of sustainability, this aspect is probably one of the strengths that Nokia focused on.
Price and availability
Nokia X10
- 07/26/2021 v7 (old)
Florian Schmitt
Price comparison
