Ameya DalviApr 29, 2021 17:52:21 IST
When you’re looking for a new smartphone on a Rs 20,000 budget, you expect ample processing power, good cameras, sharp displays, high refresh rate screens and more. But our list of the best phones under Rs 20,000 this month has devices with even more advanced features that were previously reserved for models from higher price brackets not too long ago. You can now get a 5G-compliant phone in this price bracket and also ones with 108 MP cameras. Time to look at our top picks for you this month.
Best phones to buy under Rs 20,000 in India (April-May 2021)
Poco X3 Pro
The new Poco X3 Pro (review) is one powerful device that’s loaded with features. It has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and a flicker-free experience in compatible apps. The screen is protected against scratches by a layer of Gorilla Glass 6. A small punch-hole at the top of the screen hosts a 20MP camera for selfies and video calls. The phone is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, which is pretty much a rebranded Snapdragon 855+ that was Qualcomm’s flagship chip not too long ago. That translates into ample processing power for anything you would generally do on your phone, including gaming.
Poco X3 Pro. Image: Chandrakant Isi
You get 6 GB RAM with 128 GB of internal storage in this budget. The Poco X3 Pro has a quad-camera setup at the back, but strangely, it’s a step down from its non-pro variant. Here, you get a combination of 48 MP primary camera, 8 MP ultra-wide camera, 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. In comparison, the Poco X3 has a 64 MP primary camera and a 13 MP ultrawide camera, while the remaining two cameras are the same. Despite that, camera quality is comparable and quite good in general. Its 5,160 mAh battery easily lasts over a day and a half of moderate use. The company also bundles a 33 W fast charger to juice it up quickly. The phone runs Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top.
Poco X3 Pro price in India: Rs 18,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
The Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G (review) is currently one of the most affordable 5G phones in India. It is powered by Mediatek’s new Dimensity 800U SoC. You get two variants of the phone in this budget, with either 6 GB RAM and 64 GB storage or 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. The Narzo 30 Pro’s design is quite elegant, as one would expect from this series. Battery capacity has been bumped up to 5,000 mAh, but the company does not bundle a 65 W SuperDart charger with this phone as it did with its predecessor, the Narzo 20 Pro. You get a respectable 30 W Dart charger here that charges the phone fully in just over an hour.
Realme Narzo 30 Pro Image: Tech2/Sheldon Pinto
You get a triple-camera setup at the back that consists of a 48 MP primary camera, 8 MP ultra-wide snapper and a 2 MP macro camera. You also get a 16 MP selfie camera located in a tiny punch-hole on top of the screen. The Realme Narzo 30 Pro has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ display that claims to get as high as 600 nits bright. You also get a 120 Hz refresh rate here for smooth scrolling. The phone runs Android 10 with Realme UI on top.
Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 16,999 for 6 GB RAM / 64 GB storage; Rs 19,999 for 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Redmi Note 10 Pro / Pro Max
The Redmi Note 10 Pro and Note 10 Pro Max are almost identical phones except for one major difference. The Pro has a 64 MP primary camera, while the Max variant flaunts a 108 MP primary shooter. The rest of the features are pretty much the same, but you have to pay a Rs 3,000 premium for the extra megapixels. The respective primary cameras are accompanied by an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, a 5 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. Camera performance with both phones is quite impressive for the segment. Both have a 16 MP front camera to take care of selfies and video calls.
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
The phones have large, 6.67-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED displays that can get up to 1200 nits bright (in theory) and are protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. That’s not all – the screens are HDR10-compliant and have a 120 Hz refresh rate as well. The Redmi Note 10 Pro series is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 732G SoC and comes with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. Both phones have 5,020 mAh batteries that last over 36 hours of moderate use. The phones run Android 11 with MIUI 12.
Redmi Note 10 Pro price in India: Rs 16,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max price in India: Rs 19,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Realme 8 Pro
The Realme 8 Pro (review) is another phone in this segment that flaunts a 108 MP camera. The phone looks stylish and is quite slim, at just 8.1mm in thickness. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display that can get up to 1000 nits bright. However, unlike some other phones on this list, it does not have the higher 120 Hz refresh rate feature. One striking feature here is the bundled 50 W SuperDart charger that can take its 4,500 mAh battery from 0 to 100 percent in a little over 45 minutes; that is seriously quick, though not the fastest around. The phone runs Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0 on top.
Realme 8 Pro
The Realme 8 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G SoC that is still more than decent for most tasks. You either get 6 GB or 8 GB RAM, along with 128 GB of internal memory that can be expanded further using a MicroSD card. This phone, too, has four cameras at the back starting with the aforementioned 108 MP primary camera that does a good job in various lighting conditions. You also get an 8 MP ultra-wide camera, a 2 MP macro camera and a 2 MP depth sensor. The 16 MP front camera does a good job with selfies and video calls.
Realme 8 Pro price in India: Rs 17,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage; Rs 19,999 for 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
Motorola G60
The brand-new Motorola G60 is another solid addition to our list. And guess what? This one also has a 108 MP camera at the back. This phone is powered by a Snapdragon 732G chip and is accompanied by 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage. It has a huge 6.8-inch Full HD+ display with HDR10 compliance and a 120 Hz refresh rate. A tiny punch-hole at the top centre hosts a 32 MP front camera that is bound to excite selfie enthusiasts.
Moto G60
Giving the 108MP primary camera company are an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP depth sensor. Battery backup is quite solid, with a 6,000 mAh battery keeping the phone powered for over two days of moderate use. It also supports 20 W fast charging with QuickCharge 4. Last but by no means the least, the OS. If you love stock Android UI, this is the phone for you. Like most Motorola phones, the G60 has stock UI, and runs Android 11 out of the box.
Motorola G60 price in India: Rs 17,999 for 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage
