Best Phones Under Rs. 20,000 to buy in India
With 5G connectivity now official in India, many budget smartphones these days offer better hardware radios for 5G or features that are less vulnerable to 5G connectivity. That said, there are plenty of options available in the sub-Rs. 20,000 smartphone segment, whether you’re looking for better cameras, better battery life, faster charging, or an IP52 rating.
Our latest additions to this guide include the Moto G72 and Moto G82 5G. Both smartphones compliment each other as they offer capable hardware with interesting designs. However, the Moto G72 priced at Rs. 17,999 offers only 4G connectivity, while the Moto G82 adds 5G connectivity at a slightly higher price of Rs. 19,999. The latter recently received a price cut and now makes a competitive offering in our sub-Rs. 20,000 guides.
Here are Gadgets 360’s picks for top phones under Rs. 20,000 in India, without any particular order.
| Phones under Rs. 20,000 | 360 Gadgets Ratings (out of 10) | Price in India (as recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| The Moto G72 | 8 | Rs. 17,999 |
| Moto G82 5G | 8 | Rs. 19,999 |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G | 8 | Rs. 18,999 |
| Realme 9 5G Speed Edition | 8 | Rs. 19,999 |
| Vivo T1 5G | 8 | Rs. 15,990 |
| Redmi Note 11T 5G | 8 | Rs. 16,999 |
| Realme 8s 5G | 8 | Rs. 17,999 |
The Moto G72
The Moto G72 sounds like an odd one, especially since it was launched after the Moto G82 5G and still lacks 5G. The phone is capable and offers impressive hardware specifications on paper like a 108-megapixel primary camera and a pOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It is quite light, offers a slim design and offers an IP52 rating for splash resistance. In our tests, we found that its 108-megapixel camera offers good performance. Dual speakers and good battery life make for a great entertainment package. But its MediaTek Helio G99 SoC is not the most powerful processor available at this price point.
Moto G82 5G
Motorola’s Moto G82 5G packs enough value to make it a solid offering. It just got a price cut and offers everything you could want in a budget smartphone, plus 5G connectivity. There’s a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, a high refresh rate 120Hz display, a large 5,000mAh battery, and an IP52 rated design that can withstand splashes. Camera performance is also a strong point with the G82 5G as its main camera packs OIS, which is great for sharp, bright photos. Of course, the cherry on the icing is its native Android software with one pre-installed third-party app.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G
Many fans were waiting for sub-R. 20,000 OnePlus phone again in 2022, we finally have it. The OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a less expensive version of the Nord CE 2 5G for the most part, but offers slightly better specs in some areas. The phone has a clear 120Hz display, and runs the latest version of Android with little bloatware. It delivers excellent battery life and decent fast charging, and great performance for all prices. If you have your heart set on a OnePlus smartphone or if long-term 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 SpeedEdition has more power and is certainly a more attractive model than the Realme 9 5G. With prices starting at just under Rs. 20,000, this phone packs a powerful SoC, a 144Hz refresh rate display, and a massive 5,000mAh battery. It also supports 30W fast charging, which is convenient. The basic variant, which is the one to get in our opinion, doesn’t have many direct competitors and offers the most bang for your buck if you want good performance in this segment. One thing to keep in mind is that this phone doesn’t have a very wide camera and video stabilization isn’t the best.
Vivo T1 5G
The first smartphone in Vivo’s T series, the T1 5G, is a strong contender at an attractive price for the base variant. You get a 120Hz display and a 5G-ready Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, all packed into a slim 8.25mm body. The dewdrop notch at the top of the display may sound outdated, but this display packs a touch sample rate of 240Hz, which should be fine for gamers. The Vivo T1 5G doesn’t have a super wide-angle camera and comes with a slow 18W charger, but for those who are focused solely on performance, it should be a good buy.
Redmi Note 11T 5G
Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 810 SoC, this 5G-enabled budget smartphone from Xiaomi packs in great performance for gamers and good battery life. Shutterbugs might not be too happy with the Redmi Note 11T 5G’s dual rear cameras and their mediocre performance. At the same time its 90Hz LCD panel with 240Hz touch sample rate makes it a budget smartphone with gaming capabilities. There is also a large 5,000mAh battery that can be quickly charged using the 33W charger provided in the box. The device has an IP53 rating for dust and water resistance, so it can survive light splashes of water.
Realme 8s 5G
The Realme 8s 5G looks almost identical to the Realme 8 5G, except for the slightly thicker display chin. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G SoC and comes with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, depending on the variant you choose. Battery life is one of this phone’s strong suits, and the 5,000mAh battery easily lasts more than a day of regular use. Its 64-megapixel main camera managed good daytime photos in our tests but the lack of an ultra-wide-angle camera makes the 8s 5G less versatile than some of the competition. Low-light camera performance was mediocre, though Night Mode helped improve the output. Overall, the Realme 8s 5G is just a slight improvement over the 8 5G, but an improvement nonetheless.
