Best Mobile Phones Under ₹20,000 in India (May 2023)

By Dhriti Datta

There used to be a time when power users needed to extend their budgets up to the ₹35,000-₹50,000 price point to buy a smartphone that could handle all their demanding needs. Be it gaming, 4K video shooting, multitasking, and more, reliable phones would cost a pretty penny. However, in 2023, this is no longer the case. Power users needn’t shelve out the big bucks to get a device that can handle all their needs while also providing good build quality, cameras, and battery life. The smartphone market is currently brimming with powerful devices, all under a budget. For as low as ₹20,000, you can find a capable smartphone that would meet up to the expectations of power users, and we’ve listed out some of the best for you. Some options we can suggest right off the bat include the iQOO Z7 5G for pure power and the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G for a more well-rounded experience.

What phone is the best overall under ₹20,000?

When it comes to raw performance dominance, none come close to the iQOO Z7 5G. Packing the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, the iQOO Z7 beats most of its competitors in the combined CPU and GPU benchmark scores. Other options that offer excellent performance at under ₹20K include the Samsung Galaxy M14, Realme 9 5G Speed Edition, Motorola Moto G73, and Vivo T2 5G.

Are smartphones under ₹20,000 good for daily use?

For ₹20,000, you can get some power-packed phones sporting 5-6 nm processors, a good 6-8 GB RAM, impressive cameras, and large-capacity batteries – all of which make these devices value-for-money daily drivers. Furthermore, manufacturers are also constantly striving to bring more premium designs to the masses – so curved displays, matte-finish rear panels, punch-hole displays, and in-display fingerprint sensors are all up for grabs under ₹20K.

Which phone under ₹20,000 has the best camera quality?

If you’re looking for a phone under ₹20K with good camera quality as well, you can consider the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G. You get really nice and detailed shots in daylight, with good HDR processing and dynamic range. Other options with good cameras include the Moto G73 and OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G.

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Popular Topten

iQOO Z7 5G

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6.38" (FHD) Screen Size
64 +2MP | 16 MP
128GB / 8GB
4500 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 74/100

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iQOO phones are all about keeping performance first, and the iQOO Z7 5G doesn’t deter from this course. Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC, the iQOO Z7 offers better performance than most of its similarly-priced competitors in CPU and GPU benchmarks. The phone scored 479779 in AnTuTu, which is impressive at this price. This translates to smooth gameplay with no frame drops or stutters. We got a Gamebench score of 40 fps at 100 per cent stability when playing Call of Duty: Mobile. The battery life of the phone is also good and we were able to achieve around 5 hours of on-screen time on this device with heavy usage. The cameras are decent in daylight, but the quality takes a hit in low light. The selfie camera, on the other hand, is one of the best at this price. Overall, the phone is very easy to recommend under ₹20,000 and hence bags the top spot on this list.

Pros

Slim and light form factor
Nice crisp AMOLED display
Good selfie camera
Good performance and battery backup

Cons

FunTouch OS is confusing for new users
Bloatware
Design is basic

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek Dimensity 920 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.38″ (FHD) screen inches, 413 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	64 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	4500 mAh battery and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

Samsung Galaxy M14 5G

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6.6" (FHD) Screen Size
50 +2 + 2MP | 13 MP
128GB / 4GB
6000 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 74/100

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The Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is one of the few phones under ₹20K to sport a 5 nm processor. Equipped with the Exynos 1330 SoC, the phone bagged the top scores in CPU benchmarks such as GeekBench 6 and PCMark Work. It scored 962 in the Single Core GeekBench test and 2112 in the Multi-Core test – some of the highest GeekBench scores we’ve recorded at this price point. This shows that the phone is adept at handling CPU-intensive tasks – which is pretty much every little thing you do – from clicking photos, to watching videos, to making calls. The GPU scores of the Galaxy M14 were impressive but it lagged behind the likes of the iQOO Z7 5G. Performance aside, the Samsung Galaxy M14 has impressive camera performance in most scenarios including low-light conditions. The selfie camera is also surprisingly good at clicking normal and portrait shots. The battery life is fantastic and runs for 2 days with ease without having to charge up, if you’re a light to medium user. Lastly, the display is one of the brightest in this segment – we recorded 945 nits of peak brightness using Auto Brightness mode.

Pros

5 nm processor
Massive 6,000 mAh battery
90 Hz display

Cons

Heavy at 200+ grams
Only 1080p at 30 fps recording

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Exynos 1330 Octa core
Memory	:	4GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.6″ (FHD) screen inches, 400 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 13 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	6000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 14,990

Realme 9 SE 5G

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6.6" (QHD) Screen Size
48MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
5000 mAh Battery

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User Ratings 5/5

Based on 4 Reviews

The Realme 9 5G SE is equipped with the ultra-powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor. While we haven’t tested the performance of this device, we know that this processor is capable of an AnTuTu score of over 5,00,000. It also has a large 6.6-inch with a whopping 144 Hz refresh rate. This means scrolling between screens or in apps will be super smooth. The phone also supports Adaptive refresh rate which can help conserve battery life. This is a good touch since 144 Hz refresh rate at all times can really take a toll on overall battery life. We didn’t get to test the performance of this device, but we did test the battery life and in that department, the Realme 9 SE really shines. We recorded 14+ hours of on-screen time in our 4K video loop test. The phone also charges from 0-100 percent in merely 1 hour and 2 minutes.

Pros

Powerful SoC
144 Hz refresh rate support
Good battery life

Cons

Bloatware
No ultrawide shooter
No stereo speakers

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Octa core (4x2.4, 4x1.8)
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.6″ (QHD) screen inches, 401 PPI, 144Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 17,999

Moto G73 5G

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Expert Review

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6.5" (QHD) Screen Size
50 +8MP | 16 MP
128GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 74/100

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The Motorola Moto G73 is a solid successor to the Moto G62. It houses the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 930 SoC that beat the competition convincingly in many benchmarks at the time of testing. In AnTuTu, we got a solid score of 418512, where the Moto G73 beat out two of its biggest competitors – the Realme 10 Pro and Redmi Note 12 with ease. The CPU also barely throttles and maintains consistent performance. In the CPU Throttling Test, the phone throttled merely 8 per cent, which is fantastic – so heating and lag issues will be minimal. Add to this a lightweight build, stylish yet classy design, close-to-stock Android UI, and great camera performance, and you’ve got yourself an all-rounder. Almost… The Motorola G73 disappoints when it comes to the display since it is only an IPS LCD panel with pretty low brightness. We recorded a peak brightness of only 203 nits, which means screen legibility in harsh sunlight will not be great.

Pros

Impressive performance
Great battery life Decent shots from main lens in well-lit conditions
Premium design
Low bloatware

Cons

Mediocre low light photography
Rear panel attracts fingerprints and smudges
Underwhelming display brightness

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Mediatek Dimensity 930 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.5″ (QHD) screen inches, 405 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Dual Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

Vivo T2 5G

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6.62" (FHD) Screen Size
64 +8 + 2MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
4700 mAh Battery

Full specs Other Vivo Mobile Phones

The Vivo T2 is a 5G-enabled smartphone that is powered by the reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC. This is a very popular processor at this price which runs smoothly and generally doesn’t heat up too much. You can easily perform all day-to-day tasks on this processor while also indulging in some gaming. The SoC generally gets a good AnTuTu score of around 4,00,000, so performance will not be an issue here. The T2 also adds a 64 MP primary lens with OIS support. Optical Image Stabilisation is a great feature to have at this price since it eliminates shake in photos and provides clearer pictures. You’ve also got an AMOLED display on this phone – again this is not so common at this price point.

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm SM8250-AC Snapdragon 870 5G Octa core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.62″ (FHD) screen inches, 398 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	64 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	4700 mAh battery and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G

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6.72" (FHD+) Screen Size
108 +2 + 2MP | 16 MP
128GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 65/100

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The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite is a great all-rounder under 20K, but the areas it shines are cameras and battery life. The phone houses a massive 5,000 mAh battery which clocked an impressive 11 hours and 10 minutes of screen-on time in our 4K video loop battery test. So, the device will easily power through a day’s worth of usage with some battery still left to spare at the end of the day. The camera setup is also fantastic – the phone clicks detailed shots with good colour accuracy and dynamic range. Low-light results are also exemplary with good detail and little to no noise. Again, you’ve got the tried-and-tested Snapdragon 695 SoC that clocked in at almost 4,00,000 in AnTuTu and ran games such as Asphalt 9 and COD: Mobile smoothly.

Pros

Good display
Big battery
Above par cameras

Cons

No ultrawide lens
Basic design

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.72″ (FHD+) screen inches, 393 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	108 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 19,999

Moto G82 5G

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Expert Review

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6.6" (QHD) Screen Size
50MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
5000 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 68/100

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The Motorola Moto G82 is a solid budget phone that has a beautiful display and a dependable 5G processor. The 6.6-inch AMOLED display has an average delta E of 2.5 with 97.7 per cent colour gamut coverage in the sRGB colour space, which is fantastic. You also get up to 645 nits of peak brightness – plenty bright at this price. As for performance, the Snapdragon 695 SoC doesn’t disappoint, with a score of 399818 in AnTuTu and 671 in GeekBench Single Core, and 1943 in Multi Core. This means your phone can do pretty much any basic task you throw at it without breaking into a sweat. The gaming capabilities are also pretty good – in GameBench, COD: Mobile ran at 60 fps at 100 per cent stability and Asphalt 9 ran at 30 fps at 97 per cent stability.

Pros

Well-built and durable for daily use
Stock Android 12 works smoothly with My UX customisations
Balanced performance you can depend on
Cameras at par with the competition

Cons

No HDR support on YouTube
Netflix. Slow charging speeds over the competition

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Octa core (2x2.2, 6x1.7)
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.6″ (QHD) screen inches, 402 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type-C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 20,390

Realme 10 Pro 5G

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6.72" (1080 x 2400) Screen Size
108 +2MP | 16 MP
128GB / 6GB
5000 mAh Battery

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Digit Rating 67/100

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User Ratings 5/5

Based on 1 Reviews

The Realme 10 Pro’s primary selling point is its premium design – the bezels (except the chin) are negligible in size and the flat-edged design makes the device look more expensive than it is. The phone is also extremely lightweight and the back panel will certainly catch eyeballs. The display is decent with smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, however, this is only an LCD panel, which is disappointing. The display is plenty bright though – we recorded around 660 nits of peak brightness on this panel. The phone is powered by the reliable Snapdragon 695 SoC that performs well in most benchmarks. The UI, however, is filled with bloatware, so take note of that if it bothers you.

Pros

Good design with bezel-less look
Great performer
Fast charging
Responsive display

Cons

Plenty of bloatware
Sub-par build quality
Battery backup is disappointing

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Octa core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.72″ (1080 x 2400) screen inches, 392 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	108 MP Dual Rear camera, 16 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 18,999

POCO X5 5G

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6.67" (FHD+) Screen Size
48 +8 + 2MP | 13 MP
256GB / 8GB
5000 mAh Battery

Full specs Other Poco Mobile Phones

The POCO X5 is another 5G smartphone that is equipped with the Snapdragon 695 processor. As we’ve seen with other Snapdragon 695 phones on this list, you can expect commendable performance that can breeze through basic tasks and handle gaming decently well. You also get an AMOLED panel with 120 Hz refresh rate, so scrolling will feel jitter-free, making the device feel more snappy overall. The phone’s display also boasts a 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio and 1200 nits of peak-rated brightness, so content should look vibrant on this screen. The design is quite understated yet classy and the phone is quite lightweight at only 188 g. Overall, a solid budget device which is quite an all-rounder, on paper, at least.

Pros

Bright AMOLED display
Large 5,000 mAh battery
IP53 rated
Reliable mid-range SoC

Cons

Doesn’t come with Android 13
Bloatware
Only 1080p at 30 fps video

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G Octa core
Memory	:	8GB RAM, 256GB Storage
Display	:	6.67″ (FHD+) screen inches, 395 PPI, 120Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	48 MP Triple Rear camera, 13 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5000 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM with 5G support
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 19,379

10.

Redmi Note 12 5G

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6.67" (1080 x 2400) Screen Size
50 +8 + 2MP | 32 MP
128GB / 6GB
5100 mAh Battery

Read Review Full specs Other Xiaomi Mobile Phones

Digit Rating 67/100

Read full review
User Ratings 3.3/5

Based on 187 Reviews

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 5G is a value-for-money device that employs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1 SoC. The phone comes equipped with a solid AMOLED display that is colour accurate and has great legibility in sunlight. We recorded a peak brightness of 816 nits – which is one of the best at this price point. The phone’s performance is pretty decent but it doesn’t match up to some competitors on this list – so keep in mind that it is definitely not the fastest phone out there in this price range. We got a score of 363836 in AnTuTu and 10169 in PCMark Work – respectable scores, but they lag behind the likes of the Samsung Galaxy M14 and iQOO Z7. Its battery life and camera, again, are decent but lag behind the competition.

Pros

Long lasting battery
Super fast charging
Bright and vibrant display

Cons

Hybrid memory card slot
Can’t record videos at 60FPS
camera is average

MORE SPECIFICATIONS
Processor	:	MediaTek Dimensity 820 Oct core
Memory	:	6GB RAM, 128GB Storage
Display	:	6.67″ (1080 x 2400) screen inches, 405 PPI, 90Hz Refresh Rate
Camera	:	50 MP Triple Rear camera, 32 MP Front Camera with Video recording
Battery	:	5100 mAh battery with fast Charging and USB Type C port
SIM	:	Dual SIM
Features	:	LED Flash
Price	:	₹ 17,980

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Dhriti Datta

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About Me: Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. Read More about Dhriti Datta

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List Of Best Mobile Phones Under ₹20,000 In India

Best Mobile Phones Under 20000	Seller	Price
iQOO Z7 5G	Amazon	₹ 18,999
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G	Amazon	₹ 14,990
Realme 9 SE 5G	Croma	₹ 17,999
Moto G73 5G	Flipkart	₹ 18,999
Vivo T2 5G	Flipkart	₹ 18,999
OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G	Amazon	₹ 19,999
Moto G82 5G	Amazon	₹ 20,390
Realme 10 Pro 5G	Croma	₹ 18,999
POCO X5 5G	Amazon	₹ 19,379
Redmi Note 12 5G	Flipkart	₹ 17,980

Best Mobile Phones Under ₹20,000 in India (May 2023)

Mobile Phones by Price

Mobile Phones by Feature

Mobile Phones by Brand

Popular Topten

iQOO Z7 5G

Samsung Galaxy M14 5G

Realme 9 SE 5G

Moto G73 5G

Vivo T2 5G

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G

Moto G82 5G

Realme 10 Pro 5G

POCO X5 5G

Redmi Note 12 5G

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List Of Best Mobile Phones Under ₹20,000 In India