Nokia XR21 vs ZTE Blade A72s
The Nokia XR21 (2023) runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G, while the ZTE Blade A72s (2022) runs on the Unisoc T606. By overall MobileRank rating, the Nokia XR21 leads — 46/100 vs 34/100 (a 12-point difference). Key differences: the ZTE Blade A72s has the bigger battery (5000 mAh vs 4800); the main camera is 64 MP vs 50 MP; the Nokia XR21 is faster in AnTuTu (592,015 vs 333,647); the Nokia XR21 has NFC for contactless payments, the ZTE Blade A72s doesn't; the ZTE Blade A72s is noticeably lighter (198g vs 231g).
Profile comparison
Category scores
Nokia XR21
ZTE Blade A72s
What makes Nokia XR21 better?
- Higher AnTuTu: 592015 vs 333647
- Better Geekbench Single: 905 vs 378
- Better Geekbench Multi: 2101 vs 1335
- Faster charging: 33W vs 5W
- Better main camera: 64MP vs 50MP
- Higher refresh rate: 120Hz vs 90Hz
- Higher performance (46/100 vs 27/100)
- Better camera (43/100 vs 30/100)
- Better display (67/100 vs 43/100)
What makes ZTE Blade A72s better?
- Bigger battery: 5000 vs 4800 mAh
- Lighter: 198g vs 231g
- Longer battery life (43/100 vs 42/100)
- Better portability (54/100 vs 24/100)
Comparison verdict
Comparing the Nokia XR21 vs the ZTE Blade A72s, the Nokia XR21 scores 12 points higher (46/100 vs 34/100). In the "performance" category, the Nokia XR21 leads (46/100 vs 27/100). In the "camera" category, the Nokia XR21 leads (43/100 vs 30/100). In the "performance" category, the Nokia XR21 notably outperforms the ZTE Blade A72s (46/100 vs 27/100). In the "display" category, the Nokia XR21 notably outperforms the ZTE Blade A72s (67/100 vs 43/100). In the "camera" category, the Nokia XR21 is a bit better (43/100 vs 30/100). In the "battery" category, the ZTE Blade A72s and the Nokia XR21 are nearly equal (43/100 vs 42/100). In the "portability" category, the ZTE Blade A72s significantly outperforms the Nokia XR21 (54/100 vs 24/100).
Specs comparison
| Specification | Nokia XR21 | ZTE Blade A72s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G | Unisoc T606 | |
| AnTuTu | 592015 | 333647 | |
| Geekbench Single | 905 | 378 | |
| Geekbench Multi | 2101 | 1335 | |
| Display | 6.5" IPS LCD | 6.8" IPS LCD | |
| Resolution | 1080x2400 | 720x1600 | |
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 90 Hz | |
| Battery | 4800 mAh | 5000 mAh | |
| Charging | 33W | 5W | |
| Main camera | 64 MP | 50 MP | |
| Ultrawide | 8 MP | 0 MP | |
| Front camera | 16 MP | 5 MP | |
| RAM | 6GB | 3GB | |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB | |
| OS | Android 12 | Android 12 | |
| Brightness (peak) | 550 nits | — | |
| NFC | yes | no | |
| Protection | IP68 | — | |
| Dimensions | 168.0×78.6×10.5 mm | 168.0×77.5×8.6 mm | |
| Weight | 231 g | 198 g | |
| Launch price | — | — |
Camera comparison
Nokia XR21
- Main: 64MP f/1.8
- Ultrawide: 8MP
- Front: 16MP
ZTE Blade A72s
- Main: 50MP
- Front: 5MP
Display comparison
Nokia XR21
- 6.5" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 1080x2400
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
ZTE Blade A72s
- 6.8" IPS LCD
- Resolution: 720x1600
- Refresh rate: 90 Hz
Battery and charging
Nokia XR21
- 4800 mAh
- Wired: 33W
- No wireless charging
ZTE Blade A72s
- 5000 mAh
- Wired: 5W
- No wireless charging
Overall performance score
We compared Nokia XR21 and ZTE Blade A72s, covering their specs and all relevant benchmarks.
Nokia XR21 leads ZTE Blade A72s by 77.4% in our overall performance rating.
Benchmarks
Detailed category analysis
performance
In the "performance" category, the Nokia XR21 notably outperforms the ZTE Blade A72s (46/100 vs 27/100).
display
In the "display" category, the Nokia XR21 notably outperforms the ZTE Blade A72s (67/100 vs 43/100).
camera
In the "camera" category, the Nokia XR21 is a bit better (43/100 vs 30/100).
battery
In the "battery" category, the ZTE Blade A72s and the Nokia XR21 are nearly equal (43/100 vs 42/100).
portability
In the "portability" category, the ZTE Blade A72s significantly outperforms the Nokia XR21 (54/100 vs 24/100).
Frequently asked questions
Which is better: the Nokia XR21 or the ZTE Blade A72s?
The Nokia XR21 is noticeably better than the ZTE Blade A72s — the overall rating gap is 12 points.
What is the rating of the Nokia XR21 and the ZTE Blade A72s?
The Nokia XR21 has a MobileRank rating of 46/100, the ZTE Blade A72s — 34/100.
Which has the better camera: the Nokia XR21 or the ZTE Blade A72s?
The Nokia XR21 leads on camera score (43/100 vs 30/100).
Which is more powerful: the Nokia XR21 or the ZTE Blade A72s?
The Nokia XR21 leads on performance (46/100 vs 27/100).
Should you choose the Nokia XR21 over the ZTE Blade A72s?
Neither model stands out enough to recommend it for a specific use case: the clearest difference is portability — better on the ZTE Blade A72s (54/100 vs 24/100).