HMD Global has unveiled the new Nokia XR20, a new model designed to withstand extreme conditions and look great. The rugged phone is already a niche market, but it is by far the best looking product we have seen in this genre. It's a durable device that can withstand drops, an hour underwater, and just about anything else you can throw at it.

You pay the price for the promised durability, as the XR20 is priced at $549.99 and otherwise has the mediocre specs you'd find on a device half that price. Still, if you need a phone that can withstand repeated beatings, it is probably worth the cost.

The XR20 can withstand up to 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 C) or -4 degrees F (-20 C). It can withstand the heat of the desert and the cold of winter.

The XR20 can withstand a drop of up to 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches); according to HMD, the XR20 can be used for one hour at a depth of 1.5 meters. If the phone gets dirty, just wash it off with soap and water. It's okay.

The Snapdragon 480 5G system-on-chip in the XR20 is clearly an underpowered chip in our experience; coupled with 6GB of RAM, this phone will not win any speed competition, a common theme in rugged phones.Nokia XR20 comes with 128GB of storage and a micro SD slot (up to 512GB).

The 6.67-inch FHD+ (presumably LCD) display has a maximum brightness of 550 nits and sits under Gorilla Glass Victus for added protection; an 8MP front-facing camera sits in a perforated cutout on the display. On the back, there's a 48MP main camera and a 13MP ultrawide shooter; HMD also talked about the SpeedWarp feature, which "lets you fast-forward to key moments." And there is OZO spatial audio, which further enhances the sound experience of recorded video.

A 4,630 mAh battery keeps everything powered, and 18W wired/15W wireless charging is available. There is also a 3.5 mm headphone jack; the XR20 also has programmable buttons that can be mapped to apps, and there are Google Assistant shortcut keys.

Android 11 promises three years of updates; HMDs can be a bit slow to update, but they are good at keeping their promises in this regard. We applaud this update policy, which puts the Nokia XR20 in line with the best support from Samsung and Google.

The Nokia XR20 is available in a 128GB/6GB configuration for $549.99 in Granite Gray or Ultra Blue, and can be purchased directly from Nokia starting August 24, with a $399.99 price tag.