Looking for the cheapest Rs 20,000 mobiles to buy? 2023 is proving to be quite a year for the Rs 20,000 mid-range smartphone. With Qualcomm’s and MediaTek ‘s smartphone SoCs becoming more strong, camera phones under Rs 20,000 can take on high-end smartphones very well.
The better Rs 20,000 phone provides almost all of the functionality of a high-end mobile, bar a flagship CPU. This requires fast refresh rate screens, multi-camera configurations with high definition, innovative technologies, and long battery life.
For multi-functional camera configurations that involve ultra-wide lenses, macro lenses, and more, quick charging is now a standard in this category. You don’t have to skimp off the trendy apps with a budget of Rs 20,000.
Here is the list of Best Smartphones under 20000 rupees to buy in India:
Realme X2
The Realme X2 has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a display size of 1080 x 2340. This has minimal bezels and a 91.9 percent screen-to-body ratio and has an aspect ratio of 19.5:9.
It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 security and has a fingerprint scanner built in the window. Realme X2 sports a 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP rear camera setup and has a selfie shooter with 32MP. Also, it packs a 4000mAh battery which supports fast 30W charging. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 G with up to 8 GB of RAM is powered by Realme X2. It is one of the strongest Rs 2000 Realme cell phones.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm SDM730 Snapdragon 730G
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP, Rear: 32MP
- Battery: 4000 mAh
- Display: 6.4″ (1080 x 2340)
- RAM: 8 GB
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max Back Covers
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is the latest smartphone to be added under Rs. 20,000 to this list of best phones. It was priced starting under Rs. 15,000 when Xiaomi launched this smartphone, but the GST hike has caused prices to go up.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max shares a ton of hardware with the Redmi Note 9 Pro-both phones feature 6.67-inch screens that are perfect for viewing content, but not for single-handed use.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max sports a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that lets you easily open it. By current trends, there are four rear cameras on the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max but the panel protrudes quite a bit. The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is powered by the Snapdragon Qualcomm 720 G SoC.
Xiaomi sells this in three variants: the base version has 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage and is priced at Rs 16,999; the middle model provides 6 GB of RAM as well as 128 GB of memory space and pricing is at Rs 18,499. The highest option for this list is rated at Rs 19,999, which is just below the upper cap.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max packs in a 5.020mAh battery and has outstanding battery life. In our HD video loop check, it did well too. Xiaomi packs the package with a 33W adapter and this phone loads better than the Redmi Note 9 Pro.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max camera output is fairly good, but at times images appear to be oversharpened. The output of the low-light camera is average but Night mode captures good images.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
- Storage: 64 GB, 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64 + 8 + 5 + 2 Rear: 32 MP
- Battery: 5020 mAh
- Display: 6.67″ (1080×2400)
- RAM: 6 GB
Motorola One Fusion+
The Motorola One Fusion+ is a welcome addition to the price segment of Sub Rs. 20,000. While the quality is very low, in hardware terms Motorola hasn’t skimped. The Motorola One Fusion+ is featuring a wide 6.5-inch monitor with no notch.
Its screen is accredited HDR10, which has outstanding viewing angles. It also has a loudspeaker at the bottom which compliments the crisp display. The very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 G SoC is to power the Motorola One Fusion +. In our tests, it did perform high.
The One Fusion+ is only available in one setup, with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. You have the right to further extend capacity utilizing the dual-SIM hybrid tray. Motorola has packed in a 5,000mAh battery, and an 18W TurboCharger comes with this unit.
It operates Android clean stock and we struggled to find any pre-installed bloatware. It still retains, thankfully, Moto Actions which are useful gesture-based features. The Motorola One Fusion+ features a backward four sensors and a selfie camera pop-up.
It has a main 64-megapixel lens, an ultra-wide-angle camera of 8 megapixels, a macro camera of 5 megapixels, and a depth sensor of 2 megapixels. Camera output in daylight was fine, and the phone was easy to correctly lock focus and meter light.
Low-light images were normal, but they made a big difference in utilizing Night mode. Video recording peaks at 4K and the phone does a good job of stabilizing the daytime footage.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64 MP + 8 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP, Rear: 16 MP
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Display: 6.50″ (1080 x 2340)
- RAM: 6 GB
Realme 6 Pro
The Realme 6 Pro was launched alongside the Realme 6 and at their respective rates. The Realme 6 Pro has a 6.6-inch monitor for the selfie cameras and a dual-camera hole-punch. Like the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720 G SoC.
The system is well built but it is a little slippery since it has a back panel. At 202g, this phone is a little heavy too. The 90Hz screen refresh rate is a special function of the Realme 6 Pro. It also has an easy-to-reach side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and fast to unlock the handset.
The Realme 6 Pro is available in three variants: RAM 6 GB with 64 GB of storage, RAM 6 GB with 128 GB of storage, and RAM 8 GB with 128 GB of storage. The base model starts at Rs. 17,999, while the other models are priced at Rs. 18,999 and Rs 19,999.
On the back is a quad-camera rig. Camera output at daytime and for close-ups was good, but the efficiency of the low-light camera requires some enhancement.
The Realme 6 Pro has a 4300mAh battery which isn’t as high as some of the other phones in the series but when we tested it, it provided outstanding battery life.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64 + 12 + 8 + 2 Rear: 16 + 8 MP
- Battery: 4300 mAh
- Display: 6.6″ (1080 x 2400)
- RAM: 8 GB
Poco X2
The Poco X2 is the first smartphone to emerge from Poco after it became a separate entity. This is not the Poco F1’s counterpart but in its way does a lot of stuff correctly. It is tall and has a large display of 6.67 inches, with an aspect ratio of 20:9.
Also, the panel boasts a refresh rate of 120Hz which is not very common at this price. The Poco X2 has a front-mounted dual-camera punch-hole, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, both of which are becoming more common.
The Poco X2 looks large and voluminous. It’s powered by the 730 G Qualcomm Snapdragon which is a versatile processor capable of handling gaming very well.
The Poco X2 has various variants: RAM 6 GB with 64 GB of storage, RAM 6 GB with 128 GB of storage, and RAM 8 GB with 256 GB of storage. After its launch, the prices of the Poco X2 have risen and the base model is now beginning at Rs. 17,499, while the middle one is priced at Rs 18,499 and the top version is now at Rs 20,999.
Poco packs in a 4,500mAh battery and you’re having a 27W plug in the tray. This phone boasts a quad-camera system at the rear and we found that the output of the shot is very strong in daylight.
Low-light quality imagery was still fairly good though not as accurate as in the daytime. The low-light output of the video was not so good.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64 MP + 2 MP + 8 MP + 2 MP, Rear: 20 MP + 2 MP
- Battery: 4500 mAh
- Display: 6.67″ (1080×2400)
- RAM: 6 GB
Samsung Galaxy M31
Samsung Galaxy M31 Back Covers
For its Galaxy M-series, Samsung has concentrated on the under Rs. 20,000 segment and the Galaxy M31 is probably the highest on the list. This model has a 6.4-inch full-HD+ AMOLED panel that offers decent viewing angles and bright colors.
At the back is a quad-camera setup with a primary camera of 64 megapixels. It also packs a huge 6,000mAh battery, and an Exynos 9611 SoC ready.
Samsung offers 6 GB of RAM on the Galaxy M31 and two storage options, 64 GB and 128 GB. Prices for the base model start at Rs. 16,499 while the higher variant is priced at Rs. 18,999. The huge battery provides excellent battery life and for two days this phone will comfortably start.
Under daytime, the cameras are fine, the wide-angle one provides a larger field of view, but lacks information relative to the main one. We found that in terms of saturating colors, the camera AI might go overboard.
The main camera is a little sluggish when concentrating, so you can see the production of small grains. The Galaxy M31 offers better low-light shots with Night mode allowed. We also found that video stabilization was average.
The Exynos 9611 SoC is not as powerful as the Snapdragon 720 G driving the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max and the Realme 6 Pro, but it can perform everyday tasks quickly. The battery is the Galaxy M31 ‘s highlight as it can outrun most devices on this.
Key Specs
- Performance: Samsung Exynos 9611
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 64MP + 8MP + 5MP + 5MP, Rear: 32MP
- Battery: 6000mAh
- Display: 6.40-inch (1080×2340)
- RAM: 6 GB
Checkout Samsung Galaxy M31 Covers
Poco F1
The Poco F1 is one of the oldest gadgets on this list yet thanks to the kind of value it offers for the quality it has managed to hang on to. It’s motivated by the 2018 flagship chip, the Snapdragon 845.
This device has seen several price cuts in recent times but pricing has not been stable. Regardless of that, you’ll still be able to purchase all Poco F1 variants for less than Rs. 20,000 which is still decent value for your money.
The Poco F1 has a wide notch that slides through its monitor of 6.18 inches. It also packs in a 4,000mAh battery that provides outstanding battery life. The highest model is reportedly very cheap at Rs. 17,999, with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of data.
Since the Poco F1 is an older model, it features just a dual-camera configuration at the rear. Low-light pictures were purely average while the output of the daylight camera was great. The Poco F1 is capable of shooting 4K footage but has an 8-minute limit that seems to limit.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor
- Storage: 128 GB, 256 Gb
- Camera: Front: 12MP + 5MP Rear: 20MP
- Battery: 4000mAh
- Display: 6.18-inch
- RAM: 8GB
Asus Zenfone 5Z
Another older variant on this chart is The Asus ZenFone 5Z. You do have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC and that is a 2018 flagship too. Since the ZenFone 5Z was a flagship, the construction quality is higher than any of the other smartphones on this price tier. It also gives decent output on the all-round picture.
Although the ZenFone 5Z remains available before stocks expire, the pricing is certainly important. The ZenFone 5Z has three variants: 6 GB RAM with 64 GB of storage, 6 GB RAM with 128 GB of storage, and 8 GB RAM with 256 GB of storage.
The base model is in Rs. 16,999 while the center edition is in Rs. 18,999. At 3,300mAh, the ZenFone 5Z has the smallest battery capacity here but manages to deliver decent battery life.
Like the Poco F1, the Asus 5Z has a dual-camera setup on the back too. The cameras are easy to concentrate in the daytime and get the exposure correct. Low-light camera output was fine and regulated noise. Live capture peaks at 4K, with no time limit.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
- Storage: 64 GB
- Camera: Front: 12MP + 8MP, Rear: 8MP
- Battery: 3300mAh
- Display: 6.20-inch (1080×2246)
- RAM: 4 GB
Redmi K20
The Redmi K20 is almost a Smartphone flagship with a Snapdragon 730 SoC inside. This sports a 403 PPI Super AMOLED 6.39-inch monitor with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.
It ships with up to 8 GB of internal storage and up to 256 GB of Memory. The K20 looks fantastic with a blazing gradient finish and a bezel-less edge-to-edge view, while at the back is a triple-camera system that can take some clear shots at night and during the day.
Redmi K20 is one of the strongest cell phones which can be purchased right now under Rs 20000. It features a triple camera configuration at the rear: 48MP + 8MP + 13MP and has a selfie 20MP photographer. The handset packs a 4000mAh battery that supports fast 18W charging.
Key Specs
- Performance: Qualcomm SDM730 Snapdragon 730
- Storage: 128 GB
- Camera: Front: 48 + 16 + 8, Rear: 20 MP
- Battery: 4000 mAh
- Display: 6.39″ (1080 X 2340)
- RAM: 6GB
Conclusion:
In the Sub 20,000 price band you will find plenty of phones with powerful processors, decent cameras, and large batteries. And if you don’t want to pay as much as Rs. 20,000 you can get some pretty powerful gadgets under Rs. 18,000 very well.
We’ve curated a list of smartphones that are ranked highly in our ratings, making anyone a perfect pick. We hope this list will help you in picking the right smartphone based on your budget and requirement.
