Best Smartphones Under 20000 (November): Realme XT, Redmi K20, Note 8 Pro, Poco F1, Vivo Z1X, Realme X, Realme 5 Pro, Mi A3

Looking for the best smartphones under 20000? Here’s a complete list of the best smartphones under 20000 available in India right now. The recent price drops and latest launches include some new handsets in the under 20000 list.

The recent price cut brings Redmi K20 to the under 20000 category, making it the best in the list.

Redmi Note 8 Pro and Realme XT are fighting it hard to become the most value for money mid-range smartphone.  

The November edition of the top smartphones under 20000 have changed with new contenders entering the category. The list further have Realme X, Asus 5Z, Realme 5 Pro, Vivo Z1X, Redmi K20, Moto G8 Plus and more.

The smartphones under 20000 here are listed based on camera, gaming, multitasking, display, hardware and battery.

Redmi K20

The recent price cut brings Redmi K20 under 20000, making it the best smartphone in the category. With a glass body on the out and a pop-up sensor, Redmi K20 offer solid at Rs 19,999. It has the same camera setup as Redmi K20 Pro (except the different 48MP lens). Redmi K20 packs in a triple rear camera featuring 48MP Sony IMX582 sensor along with 8MP and 13MP sensors. The Sony IMX582 and IMX586 aren’t very different.

The only difference is that IMX582 only supports up to 4K at 30fps video, while the IMX 586 supports 4K at 60fps. Redmi K20 comes with the same K20 Pro 20MP selfie sensor. It supports wide-angle shots and rises at under 0.8 seconds.

It runs on Android 9 Pie based MIUI 10 (MIUI 11 now available) with a 4,000mAh battery backing it supporting 18W fast charging. The Redmi smartphone has Snapdragon 730 processor featuring an 6.39-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The device is available in multiple storage options in different colour options starting at Rs 19,999. 

Realme XT

Realme XT became the first 64MP smartphone in India to feature the Samsung 64MP GW1 sensor inside a quad camera setup. While Redmi Note 8 Pro became the first in the world, Realme XT was first in India Realme XT is currently one of the best smartphones under 20000 you can buy in India. Realme XT runs on Android 9 Pie with ColorOS 6.0 skin on top featureing a 6.4-inch full-HD+ (1080×2340 pixels) Super AMOLED display along with 19.5:9 aspect ratio.

The rear four camera setup features a 64-megapixel Samsung GW1 sensor, an 8-megapixel 119-degree ultra wide-angle camera, 2-megapixel macro lens and 2-megapixel depth 4cm sensor. Up front, Realme XT has the same 16-megapixel selfie camera as Realme X with HDR and AI beautification.

Loaded with features as AMOLED display, in-display fingerprint sensor, Snapdragon 712, quad camera and fast charging, it’s a killer starting at Rs 15,999. Powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 712, it pairs with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The whole system is backed by a sizeable 4,000mAh battery with VOOC Charging v3.0 20W fast charging support (ships with 20W adapter).

Vivo Z1X

The Vivo Z1 Pro successor comes with a water-drop styled notched AMOLED display with narrow bezels on the sides and slightly thin chin. Vivo Z1X is powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 SoC as Z1 Pro. The smartphone comes with a 6.38-inch Full-HD Super AMOLED display with a tiny notch on top and a slight chin. The device boasts a triple camera system powered by a 48-megapixel primary sensor. 

Vivo Z1X features a 48MP Sony IMX582 primary lens, an ultra-wide angle 8-megapixel secondary sensor and finally a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, the Vivo phone packs in a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.

Vivo Z1X houses a 4,500mAh battery supporting 22W Vivo FlashCharge technology and an in-display fingerprint sensor. The device is available in two storage options in India upto 128GB storage with upto 6GB of RAM featuring. Vivo Z1X starts at Rs 16,990 for the base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The other variant comes with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, available at Rs 18,990.

Redmi Note 8 Pro

Up next we have the all new Redmi Note 8 Pro. It’s one of the best smartphones you can buy under 20000 in India. From camera to gaming to performance, Note 8 Pro excels in every department. Redmi Note 8 Pro features a 6.53-inch Full HD+ screen offering an immersive 91.94 percent screen-to-body ratio with a 3D curved CG5 glass sandwich body

Redmi Note 8 Pro packs in a quad camera system at the back. Note 8 Pro comes with the 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor with f/1.7 aperture, 2MP depth sensor, 8MP Ultra Wide lens and 2cm Macro lens.

Under the hood, Redmi Note 8 Pro has the gaming-centric flagship MediaTek Helio G90T processor with upto 8GB RAM and 128GB storage and a larger 4,500mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging support (ships with 18W fast charger). The Redmi Note 8 Pro base model with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage starts at just Rs 14,999.

Realme 5 Pro

Realme 5 Pro is a good budget device with top features onboard. It comes with a high quality polycarbonate body with a 6.3-inch Full HD+ display. Realme 5 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 712 SoC, the same chip which powers Vivo Z1 Pro and Realme XT. It comes with 4GB, 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB storage.

Realme 5 Pro features a quad rear camera system including a primary 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 primary sensor. The f/1.8 sensor couples with an 8-megapixel ultra wide-angle with an f/2.25 aperture and a 119-degree wide-angle lens.

The last two lenses are a 2-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel portrait lens with f/2.4 aperture. Realme 5 Pro runs on a sizable 4,035mAh battery supporting VOOC 3.0 fast charging along with the compatible 20W fast charger in the box. It’s now available starting at Rs 13,999 a piece.

Realme X

The budget pop-up Realme X has been a hit in the country with some good features onboard. Realme X device turns out to be a top contender at under 20000 with a full-screen AMOLED display, pop-up sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, 48MP camera and more. It’s the only Realme notch-less smartphone, and challenges directly Redmi K20 with similar features.

The device runs on the Snapdragon 710 chip featuring a 6.53-inch full-screen AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint sensor embedded beneath the display.

Realme X is available via Flipkart starting at Rs 16,999 for the base model with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. Realme X comes with dual cameras featuring 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor and a 5MP depth shooter. The system is backed by a 3,765 mAh battery with support 20W VOOC Charging v3.0 offering some top charging speeds as upto 55 percent in 30 minutes.

Poco F1

After the recent price cut, Poco F1 is now available starting at Rs 14,999 in India. It still remains one of the best smartphones you can buy at under 20000. Poco F1 comes with a 6.18-inch Full HD+ display offering a resolution of 1080 x 2246 pixels in an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. Under the hood, Poco F1 runs on the previous Qualcomm flagship Snapdragon 845 SoC coupled with Adreno 630 GPU.

The Xiaomi flagship is backed by 6GB or 8GB RAM and 64GB, 128GB and 256GB storage respectively. The memory can be further expanded up to 256GB via an additional microSD card. It’s the cheapest Snapdragon 845 smartphone in the world.

In terms of optics, Poco F1 comes with a dual rear camera setup offering a combination of 12-megapixel and 5-megapixel secondary camera and a 20-megapixel selfie camera. It’s backed by a non-removable Li-Po 4,000 mah battery running on Android 9 Piw with a special Poco customised MIUI skin on top (MIUI 11 available now).

Huawei Y9 Prime

Huawei launched its first pop-up sensor smartphone in the country, the Y9 Prime. The Huawei Y9 Prime is currently the most affordable pop-up sensor smartphone available in the country right now. The device comes with a 6.59-inch FullView display with a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio. The new Huawei smartphone runs on an octa-core Kirin 710F chipset, a slightly improved version of the existing Kirin 710 chip clocked at 2.2 GHz.

Huawei Y9 Prime is going to be available in a single variant in the country with 4GB of RAM and 128GB internal storage. Coming to optics, the device packs in a triple rear camera system at the back. The triple camera setup on Huawei Y9 Prime comprises of a 16MP primary sensor, 8MP secondary sensor and a 2MP tertiary depth sensor.

Up front, Y9 Prime packs in a 16MP pop-up selfie camera. Huawei Y9 Prime houses a large 4,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging running on EMUI 9.0 based on Android 9 Pie. Huawei Y9 Prime is priced at Rs 15,990, to be available exclusively via Amazon.

Redmi Note 7 Pro

Even after Note 8 Pro, Redmi Note 7 Pro remains one of the best devices under 15000 rupees with top of the line mid-range features. Redmi Note 7 Pro comes with a premium glass design body on the out sandwiched between Corning Gorilla Glass 5 body and a 6.3-inch Full HD+ notched display.

Note 7 Pro runs on the 11nm Snapdragon 675 processor with on MIUI 10 top based on Android 9 Pie (MIUI 11 now available) backed by a 4,000mAh battery supporting 18W fast charge (doesn’t ship with fast charger).

At the back, Redmi Note 7 Pro packs in a dual camera system comprising of the 48MP Sony IMX 586 sensor as its primary lens coupled with a 5MP secondary depth sensor. Upfront, Note 7 Pro has a 13MP sensor. Redmi Note 7 pro is available starting at Rs 13,999 via Flipkart.

Vivo Z1 Pro

The Vivo budget superstar continues to be a bestseller in India. Vivo Z1 Pro makes a great option under 15000. It houses a massive battery with fast charging, a triple camera system along, dot-hole display without any notch and enhanced gaming. Z1 Pro has a 6.53-inch Full HD+ display with a screen-to-body 90.77 ratio with a punch-hole. Vivo Z1 Pro is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 with a three camera system at the back panel.

Starting with optics, the triple camera system on Vivo Z1 Pro has a 16-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel super-wide secondary sensor and finally a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, the Vivo phone packs in a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.

Vivo Z1 Pro runs on Android 9 Pie with Funtouch 9.0 on top. As a big plus, Vivo Z1 Pro comes with a huge 5,000mAh battery. It supports 18W fast charging technology and also packs in a fast charger inside the box. It takes around 2 hours to fully charge from 0 to 100 perfect. After the recent price cut, Vivo Z1 Pro is now available starting at Rs 13,990.

Mi A3

The latest third generation Mi A3 has is now available starting at Rs 12,999 in India. With a very good 3D curved glass design on the out, Mi A3 feels very premium and compact. It features a 6.08-inch HD+ AMOLED display with a circular drop styled notch and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The handset comes with an in-display fingerprint sensor, full-glass body with gradient finish and a triple camera system.

Xiaomi Mi A3 is powered by Snapdragon 665 SoC coupled with up to 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. Both the variants of the Mi A3 smartphones support UFS 2.1 storage capabilities making it a tough contender under 15000.

At the back, Mi A3 has a triple camera setup featuring the 48-megapixel primary Sony IMX 586 sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with a 118-degree and a wide-angle 2-megapixel tertiary sensor. Upfront, Mi A3 features a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The device is backed by a 4,030mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging (ships with standard 10W charger in the box).

Realme 3 Pro

Realme 3 Pro is now available at an unbelievable price starting at Rs 9,999. Launched at Rs 13,999, Realme has now permanently slashed to Rs 9,999. Realme 3 Pro is a super budget smartphone scoring high in almost all the departments. Realme 3 Pro comes with a high quality polycarbonate body featuring a 6.3-inch full HD+ water drop notched display with Gorilla Glass 5 and a gradient design at the back.

At the back, the smartphone has a dual camera setup featuring a 16MP Sony IMX 519 sensor. The main sensor has an f/1.7 aperture coupled with a 5MP depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. It’s the same camera as OnePlus 6T. Up front, Realme 3 Pro uses a 25MP selfie shooter with an f/2.0 aperture.

Running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor, Realme 3 Pro available in two variants with ColorOS 6.0 on top based on Android 9 Pie. The whole Realme 3 Pro package is backed by a 4,045 mAh battery supporting VOOC 3.0 fast charging (20W) with a Micro USB powered brick inside the box. Realme 3 Pro is available starting at Rs 9,999 via Flipkart, 64GB base model.

Samsung Galaxy M30s

The latest variant of the hit Galaxy M30, the Galaxy M30S is a good option under 20000. An upgrade over the predecessor, Galaxy M30S comes with a humongous 6,000mAh battery, 48MP powered triple camera system, new Exynos 9611 chip and more. Galaxy M30s dons a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display featuring a water drop notch on top called the Infinity-V display.

On the outside, it’s a high-quality plastic polycarbonate body with gradient finishes. It runs on Samsung’s own in-house Exynos 9611 SoC octa-core chip coupled with 4GB or 6GB of RAM.

The triple camera system on Galaxy M30 features a 48MP primary shooter coupled with an ultra-wide lens and a third depth lens. Galaxy M30s runs on Android One UI backed by a mammoth 6,000mAh battery with support for 15W fast charging (ships with the fast charging supported 15W adapter in the box). Galaxy M30s is available at the old M30 price at Rs 13,999.

Moto G8 Plus

The new Moto G8 Plus has been launched in India at a price of Rs 13,999 for the single 64GB variant. A first of its kind, Moto G8 Plus comes with stereo speaker setup tuned by Dolby. Moto G8 Plus  on top has a 6.3-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD display with narrow bezels with a water drop notch. The notch packs a 25-megapixel selfie camera.

Moto G8 Plus comes with a 48-megapixel multi camera system including top features and a segment-first stereo speaker setup. 

Moto G8 Plus runs on the much-new Snapdragon 665 chipset paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. It’s a good chip capable of running day to day tasks with ease. Moto G8 Plus comes with a 48-megapixel quad-pixel camera system, powered by a 4,000mAh battery with support for 15W TurboPower fast charging.