As claimed, Nokia phones started getting Android 12 this week

HMD Global offered its first Android 12 update this week, starting with the mid-range Nokia X20. The company says that users of this first wave will receive the update before December 17.

Good. That's what HMD said it would and is doing. We love to see it. You were forgiven if you forgot that the Nokia X20 exists - it's a primarily unremarkable device with a 6.67-inch 60Hz screen, Snapdragon 480 processor, and four rear-facing cameras. In fact, its most attractive features might be its healthy support policy (three years of operating system updates) and an unusually generous three-year warranty.

That's an excellent policy in theory: As my colleague, Jon Porter, pointed out in his practice with the X20, the phone should still be under warranty when it gets Android 14. But there is no real guarantee that HMD (or any Android device manufacturer for that subject) will honor its promise to continue operating system updates. To that end, the company recently backtracked on its promise to bring Android 11 to the Nokia 9 PureView.

And generally speaking, the launch of Android 12 has been difficult. OnePlus rolled out its buggy Android 12-based OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 owners have also reported the stable Android 12 update issues. The Pixel 6 and 6 Pro themselves, Google also seem to be affected. Even the so-called stable version of Android 12 for Nokia phones could prove equally unstable. But if the X20 will live up to its promised three-year lifespan, it's certainly starting on the right foot.