The new additions to our Rs. Buying guide for 20,000 smartphones includes the OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G and the Realme 9 5G Speed Edition. The Vivo T1 5G, Moto G71 5G, and the Redmi Note 11T 5G remain some of our top picks. There are still some older models that continue to deserve your attention. This includes the iQoo Z3, which focuses on all-round performance and 5G but still offers a lot of value.
Here are Gadgets 360’s picks of the best phones under Rs. 20,000 in India, in no particular order. We’ve reviewed and thoroughly tested all the phones on this list, including their raw performance, camera capabilities, software, ease of use, physical design, battery life, and charging speed.
Best Phones Under Rs. 20,000
Phones under Rs. 20,000 blog news 360 ratings (out of 10) India price (as recommended) OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G 8 Rs. 19,999 Realme 9 5G Speed Edition 8 Rs. 19,999 Vivo T1 5G 8 Rs. 15,990 Moto G71 5G 8 Rs. 17,999 Redmi Note 11T 5G 8 Rs. 16,999 Realme 8s 5G 8 Rs. 17,999 iQoo Z3 8 Rs. 19,990
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G
Many fans have been waiting for a sub-Rs. 20,000 OnePlus phones, and in 2022 we’ll finally have it. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a more affordable version of the Nord CE 2 5G for the most part but offers slightly better specs in some areas. The phone has a bright 120Hz display and runs the latest Android version with little to no bloatware. It delivers excellent battery life plus reasonably fast charging and good all-around performance for the price. If you’re determined to own a OnePlus smartphone or lengthy software updates are high on your ‘must-have’ list, you should consider the Nord CE 2 Lite 5G.
Realme 9 5G Speed Edition
The Realme 9 5G Speed Edition is more powerful and attractive than the Realme 9 5G. The basic variant, which we believe is available, does not have many direct competitors and offers the maximum value for money if you are looking for good performance in this segment. With prices starting just under Rs. 20,000, this phone has a powerful SoC, a display with a refresh rate of 144 Hz, and a large battery of 5,000 mAh. It also supports 30W fast charging, which is handy. Remember that this phone doesn’t have an ultra-wide camera, and video stabilization isn’t the best.
Vivo T1 5G
The first smartphone in Vivo’s T-series, the T1 5G (Review), is a solid competitor at a special Rs. 15,990 for the base variant. You get a 120Hz display, and a 5G-ready Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC packed into a body that’s just 8.25mm thin. The dewdrop notch at the top of the screen may feel a bit dated, but this screen has a touch frequency of 240Hz, which should be fine for gamers. The Vivo T1 5G lacks an ultra-wide angle camera and comes with a relatively slow 18W charger, but it should be a good buy for those purely on performance.
Moto G71 5G
Priced at Rs. 18,999 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, the Moto G71 (Review) offers a near-stock Android 11 software experience, with an Android 12 update expected soon. Those who prefer stock Android will find this phone a better choice than the other devices on this list. With a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, it also features 5G, making it more future-proof than the older Moto G60. With a decent camera and good battery life, the Moto G71 is one of our top picks for the 5G-conscious buyer who can’t live without stock Android.
Redmi Note 11T 5G
Shutterbugs may not be thrilled with the Redmi Note 11T 5G’s (Review)’s dual rear cameras and their average performance. Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 810 SoC, this 5G-enabled budget smartphone from Xiaomi offers gamers good performance and battery life. At the same time, the 90 Hz LCD panel with 240 Hz touch sampling rate makes it a capable budget smartphone for gaming. A large 5,000 mAh battery can be quickly charged with the 33 W charger in the box. The device has an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance to withstand light water splashes.
Realme 8s 5G
The Realme 8s 5G (Review) looks almost identical to the Realme 8 5G, except for a slightly thicker screen chin. The battery life is one of the strong points of this phone and the 5,000 mAh battery can easily last more than a day with normal use. The MediaTek Dimensity powers it with 810 5G SoC and comes with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on which variant you choose.
The 64-megapixel main camera thiss the phone’s phonebook g, ands, but the lack of an ultra-wide-angle camera makes the 8s 5G less versatile than some competitors. The camera’s low-light performance was average, although the night mode helped improve the output. Overall, the Realme 8s 5G is only a mild improvement over the 8 5G, but an improvement nonetheless.
iQoo Z3
The iQoo Z3 (Review) has been replaced by the more expensive iQoo Z5 and, more recently, the iQoo Z6 5G, but this older phone still offers plenty of CPU power thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G SoC. The 6.58-inch full-HD+ display has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, and the 4,499 mAh battery can be quickly charged with the included 55 W adapter. The plastic back may not appeal to everyone, and the camera performance could improve, but the features and specs are hard to miss at this price point. The starting price is just below our budget limit.
