Planning to buy the best budget smartphone? Don’t want to spend more than Rs 20,000. Here’s a list of best budget smartphones that are currently available under Rs 20,000.
1. Redmi K20
Redmi K20 64GB was launched in July 2019 & runs on Android 9 OS. The Redmi K20 is one of the best smartphones under 25k right now. It looks much more expensive than its price, and packs in the same camera setup and the display as the flagship K20 Pro. The only difference is the presence of a Snapdragon 730 instead of a flagship processor, and that’s perfectly alright. The Snapdragon 730 uses the same cores as the Snapdragon 855 and offers most of the features that are there on the flagship SoC. The Smartphone is available in three color options i.e. Carbon Black, Glacier Blue, Flame Red & has a built-in fingerprint sensor as the primary security feature, along with the host of connectivity options in terms of 3G, 4G, GPS, Wifi Bluetooth capabilities. Priced at Rs. 19784 the phone is available with 64GB of internal storage.
The Phone comes with a large 4000 mAh battery to support its 6.39-inch screen with an IPS display having a resolution of 1080 X 2340 at 403 PPI. The screen is also protected by a durable Scratch Resistant glass. On the back, the Redmi K20 houses a triple camera setup which includes a 48MP primary shooter, 13MP wide-angle, and 8MP telephoto, offering a wide array of choices while shooting. The build quality of the phone is also quite solid. In conclusion this phone is a clear winner in our hands in the budget segment.
Check price on Amazon:
Redmi K20 (6GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
Redmi K20 (6GB RAM, 128GB Storage)
2. Poco X2: The best budget phone with higher refresh rates
The Poco X2 offers good value for money and also this phone is one of the best budget phones with higher refresh rates at this price point. With a Snapdragon 730G and a 64MP quad-camera, there’s hardly any competition for the Poco X2 for now. The design, with its attention-grabbing circular patch on the rear and bright gradient finishes, might be a bit polarising but Poco has used Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back for durability. You get a large 6.67-inch screen with dual front cameras embedded in a cut out in the top-right corner. The display is bright, and supports a 120Hz refresh rate as well as HDR-10, but we didn’t find it to be too vibrant. Performance is very good thanks to the Snapdragon 730G processor, and you can get up to 8GB of RAM with up to 256GB of storage for less than Rs. 20,000.
This phone has one of the best cameras out there. This phone has a 64-megapixel primary rear camera and it took very good stills in the daytime and also the night mode also helped low-light photos look good. The wide-angle and macro cameras are less useful but still nice to have. Daytime videos looked good, but quality suffered a lot at night, especially when recording at 4K. Battery life was also quite good, but not spectacular. In conclusion this phone is a clear winner in our hands in the budget segment.
3. Realme X2: The best budget phone with bigger battery life
Realme X2 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G with up to 8GB RAM. The Realme X2 has a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 1080 x 2340 display resolution. It has small bezels, and a screen-to-body ratio of 91.9 percent and has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection and has an in-display fingerprint scanner.
The Realme X2 has a quad-core camera with a 64MP f/1.8 primary sensor, an 8MP, 119-degree ultra-wide lens with f/2.25 aperture, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens. It has a 32MP front camera sensor with Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS).
The Realme X2 has been launched in 6GB + 64GB, 8GB + 128GB and 8GB RAM + 256GB variants priced starting at Rs 16,000. This device has an expandable phone memory up to 256GB via a microSD card slot. The phone has a 4,000mAh battery that supports 30W VOOC 4.0 Flash Charge technology. In conclusion it is one of the best budget mobile phones in India right now. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/A-GPS, NFC and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Check price on Amazon:
Realme X2 (4GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
Realme X2 (6GB RAM, 128 GB Storahe)
4. Realme 6 Pro
The Realme 6 Pro continues the legacy of Realme’s Pro series of incrementally introducing new features in the mid-range segment. Realme 6 Pro has a 90Hz full-HD+ display and an ultra-wide selfie camera on the hole-punch display design. It has a quad rear camera setup and has a fingerprint sensor. The smartphone comes with a 6.6-inch FHD + display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution. This phone has a bezel-less design. It has a pixel density of 403 PPI. Realme 6 Pro smartphone has dimensions of 163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm and weighs 202 grams. This phone has a Gorilla Glass front to protect against scratches. The company claims that the phone has three layers of waterproofing to protect against accidental scratches. Realme 6 Pro flaunts a dual selfie camera and a quad rear camera setup which with a 64 MP primary sensor.
This phone comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC chip which is capable of supporting 4K video recording and capturing 192-megapixel still images. It comes with a new chip that is designed to provide HDR gameplay along with dynamic color range and contrast, says Qualcomm.
The front camera is capable of clicking selfies and video calling. It has HDR and panorama shot support. And this is Samsung’s second-generation camera sensor tuned to improve the sharpness and details. On the front you have a dual punch-hole camera, and a 4300mAh battery with 30W fast charging. The phone has 64 GB of internal storage expandable via a microSD card slot. That’s a good wholesome package on offer for the budget segment.
5. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max: The best budget phone money can buy
The Redmi Note 9 Pro is now the starting variant of the Note series with the Note 9 Pro Max getting most of the attention. This phone is one of the best budget smartphones available in India. The Note 9 Pro Max gets a larger 64MP camera sensor at the back, a larger 32MP selfie camera, and faster 33W charging out of the box. The rest of the hardware is the same as the regular Note 9 Pro.
The Note 9 Pro Max offers a large 6.7-inch LCD with a punch-hole camera. It’s powered by the Snapdragon 720G along with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage in the entry variant under Rs 15,000. The phone also offers a 64MP quad-camera setup. There’s also another 8MP ultrawide lens, a 5MP macro lens, and another 2MP depth sensor. On the front, you get a 16MP front camera. Above all, the Note 9 Pro comes with a large 5020mAh battery and also with a 33W fast charging. And there’s Gorilla Glass 5 covering the front, back as well as the camera glass. In conclusion this phone is a clear winner in our hands in the budget segment.
Check price on Amazon: Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
6. Redmi Note 9 Pro
The Redmi Note 9 Pro has a lower starting price than its predecessors, but also doesn’t offer all the modern features that you might expect. It has a 6.67-inch LCD screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and a hole-punch front camera at the top. The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G which is surprisingly powerful for this segment. This phone has a massive 5020mAh battery and support for 18W fast charging and it is one of the best budget smartphones with longer battery life.
Redmi Note 9 Pro is powerful and everyday work will go smoothly. The display is large and crisp, making games and movies look good. You have a choice between variants, one with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and the other with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The 48-megapixel primary camera was slightly disappointing overall, particularly in low light. There’s also an 8-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 5-megapixel macro camera, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. On the front you get a 16-megapixel selfie camera.
Check price on Amazon: Redmi Note 9 Pro
7. Realme XT
The Realme XT features Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back. It has a curved glass design and comes in two gradient color options – Pearl Blue and Pearl White. This phone has a 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED Dewdrop display with a small waterdrop notch. Display has a resolution of 1080 x 3240 pixels and a 91.9% screen-to-body ratio.
Realme XT is powered by a 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 712 SoC the phone is equipped with Adreno 616 GPU. It has the same processor as the Realme 5 Pro. Snapdragon 712 SoC is a mid-range chipset meant to handle day-to-day tasks. The phone ships with ColorOS 6 based on Android Pie OS. It comes with several pre-installed apps. Connectivity options included in the phone are 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Mobile Hotspot, Bluetooth, GPS with A-GPS and USB Type-C. It has a light sensor, a proximity sensor, a magnetic induction sensor, a gyro-meter, an acceleration sensor, a pedometer, and G-sensor.
Camera
The Realme XT is its 64MP quad-camera setup and uses Samsung’s 64 MP GW1 sensor for the primary camera. It has an 8MP ultra wide-angle sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. This phone supports 4K video recording at 30fps, 1080p HD video recording at 30fps/60fps, 720p HD Video recording at 30fps/60fps, and Slow motion up to 960fps.
In addition, the device comes with electric image stabilization for front and rear cameras. It is a dual SIM phone and houses a powerful 4000mAh battery. It comes with a 20w adapter with VOOC 3.0 fast charge support. The smartphone offers 64GB of internal space. And also the RealMe XT is available in 64GB / 4GB RAM, 128GB / 6GB RAM, and 128GB / 8GB RAM variants which are priced at Rs 15,999, Rs 16,999 and Rs 18,999, respectively.
Check price on Amazon:
Realme XT (4GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
8. Realme 5 Pro
Realme 5 Pro smartphone was launched on 20th August 2019. The phone comes with a 6.30-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Realme 5 Pro is powered by a 2.3GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor. It comes with 4GB of RAM. Realme 5 Pro runs Android 9 Pie and is powered by a 4035mAh non-removable battery. This phone supports VOOC fast charging.
On the rear packs a 48-megapixel primary camera with an f/1.8 aperture; a second 8-megapixel camera with an f/2.25 aperture; a third 2-megapixel camera with an f/2.4 aperture and also a fourth 2-megapixel camera with an f/2.24 aperture. The rear camera setup has phase detection autofocus. It sports a 16-megapixel camera on the front for selfies, with an f/2.0 aperture.
The Realme 5 Pro packs 64GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded via microSD card (up to 256GB) with a dedicated slot. It has a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Nano-SIM cards. Connectivity options on the Realme 5 Pro include Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, Bluetooth v5.00, USB OTG, USB Type-C, 3G, and 4G (with support for Band 40 used by some LTE networks in India) with active 4G on both SIM cards. Sensors on the phone include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/ magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and fingerprint sensor.
Check price on Amazon:
Realme 5 Pro (4GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
Realme 5 Pro (6GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
9. Nokia 8.1
Nokia 8.1 was launched in December 2018 & runs on Android 9.0 OS. It has a built-in fingerprint sensor as the primary security feature, along with the host of connectivity options in terms of 3G, 4G, GPS, Wifi Bluetooth capabilities. Priced at Rs. 16990 the phone is available with 64 GB of internal storage.
The Smartphone is powered by 2.2 GHz Octa-core Qualcomm SDM710 Snapdragon 710 Processor. A 4 GB of RAM ensures phone runs smoothly even the most memory intensive applications & still shows no signs of lag. 64 GB of internal storage can be expanded to 400 GB via a microSD card.
The Phone comes with a large 3500 mAh battery to support its 6.18-inch screen with an IPS LCD having a resolution of 1080 x 2246 at 408 PPI. Nokia 8.1 boasts of dual primary camera of 12 + 13 megapixel and 20-megapixel front camera. It also supports Face Detection and high dynamic range (HDR) imaging. Nokia 8.1 is a good buy if you want a stock Android interface with regular updates.
Check price on Amazon: Nokia 8.1 (4GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
10. Vivo U20
Vivo U20 was launched in November 2019 & runs on Android 9 OS. It is available only in one color i.e. Black & provides a host of connectivity options in terms of 3G, 4G, GPS Bluetooth capabilities. Priced at Rs. 11990 the phone is available with 64 GB of internal storage.
This Smartphone is powered by an Octa-core core Qualcomm SDM675 Snapdragon 675 Processor. A 4 GB of RAM ensures phone runs smoothly even the most memory-intensive applications and still shows no signs of lag. 64 GB of internal storage cannot be expanded further.
Vivo U20 comes with a powerful 5000 mAh battery to support it’s 6.53-inch screen and having a resolution of 1080 x 2340.
In addition, the handset also features a triple rear camera setup. Vivo U20 on the rear packs with a dual primary camera of 16 + 8 + 2 megapixel and 16-megapixel front camera and it also supports high dynamic range (HDR) imaging.
Check price on Amazon:
Vivo U20 (4GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
Vivo U20 (6GB RAM, 64GB Storage)
Hi, I’m Mithunraj Kurunthil, an aspiring blogger with an obesession for all things tech. This blog is dedicated to helping people learn about technology.
Good review Mithunraj Kurunthil. God bless you.
Thank you
Noice but note 8 pro evde u get a slap for not including n8 pro
I apologize for not adding note 8 pro in this list.
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