Best Smartphones Under ₹20,000 in India [2020]

Last Updated on May 6, 2021 by Akanksha Singh

Are you looking to buy the best smartphone under ₹20,000 in India? If your answer is yes, then we have you covered. After declaring the best smartphones under the ₹10,000 price category, we decided to look back at all the mobile phones that were launched in India under the ₹20,000 price segment, and decide which were the best. There has been intense competition this year in the sub-₹20,000 price segment in India’s smartphone market, thanks to focus from the likes of Motorola, OPPO, Realme, Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi.

To choose the best smartphones under ₹20,000 in India, we looked for phones that offer an attractive design, good build quality, a fast processor, ample storage and memory, high-quality cameras, fast connectivity, and long battery life.

Best Smartphones Under ₹20,000: The Best of 2020

Going by this year’s smartphone trends, here is what an ideal smartphone that is priced under ₹20,000 should offer:

1. Preferably metal chassis and Gorilla Glass screen protection.
2. Full HD screen, preferably AMOLED and with a high refresh rate
3. An octa-core processor with 12nm process and good graphics performance to be able to play heavy titles.
4. 6GB RAM, 64GB storage, microSD card slot
5. Multi-camera setup with one wide-angle camera, one ultrawide camera, and 4K video recording
6. Dual-SIM card slot, 4G, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, USB Type-C port
7. Fingerprint reader
8. At least 4,000mAh battery with at least 18W fast charging
9. Any form of a water-repellent coating

1. POCO X3 – ₹15,999 Onwards

According to us, the POCO X3 is the best smartphone under ₹20,000 in India, thanks to the balance of specs, price, and experience that it offers. It has a good-looking design with a water-repellant coating. Its 6.67-inch IPS LCD screen has a Full HD resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone runs Android 10 with MIUI 12 and is poised to get the Android 11 update. The POCO X3 uses the Snapdragon 732G processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage, and a microSD card slot.

The POCO X3 has a 20MP selfie camera on the front and a 64MP+13MP+2MP+2MP quad-camera setup on the rear. The phone can record 1080p videos using the front camera and 4K videos using the rear camera. It has stereo speakers and a fingerprint reader, too. Connectivity features include 4G, dual-SIM card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, IR port, headphone jack, and a USB Type-C port. It is powered by a 6,000mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging. It captures good images and videos, has good screen quality, and lasts up to two days on a single charge.

2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max – ₹16,999 Onwards

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max mostly offers the same features and experience as that of the POCO X3, but it lacks a high-refresh-rate display and its battery is slightly smaller (at 5,000mAh). It has a 6.67-inch IPS LCD screen with Full HD+ resolution and Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It is equipped with a Snapdragon 720G processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 64GB/128GB storage, and a microSD card slot. It has a side-mounted fingerprint reader.

Xiaomi has equipped the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max with a 32MP selfie camera at the front. At the rear, it has a quad-camera setup that includes a 64MP wide-angle camera, an 8MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. It can record 4K videos, too. In terms of connectivity, it has GPS, dual-SIM card slot, 4G, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, IR port, headphone jack, and a USB Type-C port. It is powered by a 5,000mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging. Except for the lack of a high-refresh-rate screen, the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has all the potential to be the best smartphone under ₹20,000 in India.

3. Realme 7 Pro – ₹19,999 Onwards

If you love watching videos on your smartphone, the Realme 7 Pro could be your best bet. It has a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution, Gorilla Glass 3+, and the Always-On Display mode. It has stereo speakers, too, making the experience of watching videos or listening to music even better. It also looks more stylish compared to the POCO X3 and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. Moreover, it also features ultra-fast 65W fast charging, which can fully charge the phone’s 4,500mAh battery from 0-100% within 35 minutes.

Other features of the Realme 7 Pro include Android 10, Snapdragon 720G processor, 6GB/8GB RAM, 128GB storage, a microSD card slot. It has 4G, dual-SIM card slot, GPS, Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, headphone jack, and a USB Type-C port. It has an under-display optical fingerprint reader, which is easier to use than a regular fingerprint reader. The Realme 7 Pro has a 32MP selfie camera on the front and a 64MP+8MP+2MP+2MP quad-camera. The Realme 7 Pro’s camera is better than the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, but its battery doesn’t last as long. Except for the lack of a high-refresh-rate display, the Realme 7 Pro satisfied all the criteria to become the best smartphone under ₹20,000 in India.

So, these are the three best smartphones under ₹20,000 in India, according to us as they offer the best balance of beautiful design, fast-enough performance for most daily tasks, decent gaming performance, long-lasting battery life, fast charging, and good camera quality. Do you think we missed some smartphone in this list that was deserving? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.