Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, Poco X2, Samsung Galaxy M31: Best Smartphones for Rs 20,000 (June 2020)
Here we have prepared a list of Smartphones which have got a good score in our review and in our view each of these Smartphones is a great pick.
If we compare the list of Smartphones priced below Rs 20,000 from April 2020 from today, then you will notice a huge change in the situation. Xiaomi has added a new device to its portfolio and some other popular models have had price fluctuations. In this sub-Rs 20,000 bracket, you will find phones with strong processors, good cameras and long battery back up. Even if you do not want to spend Rs 20,000, you will get many capable Smartphones for Rs 18,000.
Today, in our list there are some other slightly older Smartphones including Redmi Note 9 Pro Max, Poco X2, Samsung Galaxy M31 and Realme 6, which will give you experience of the best hardware according to its price. Here we have prepared a list of Smartphones which have got a good score in our review and in our view each of these Smartphones is a great pick.
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is currently the top pick in our list at less than Rs 20,000. When Xiaomi launched this Smartphone, its price used to start from Rs 15,000, but due to the increase in GST rate, the prices have increased. The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max comes with a 6.67-inch display, which is a good display for watching videos, but is slightly larger for one-handed use.
The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which allows you to unlock it quickly. The Smartphone comes equipped with four rear cameras. Redmi Note 9 Pro Max works on Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset. Xiaomi has launched it in 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage options. Their price is Rs 16,499, Rs 17,999 and Rs 19,999 respectively.
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max has a 5,020mAh battery and it gives a very good backup. It also did very well in our HD video loop test. Xiaomi has given a 33W charger in the box, which makes charging the phone faster. The camera performance of the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max is quite good, but at times the photos get a bit cheesy. Low-light camera performance is average, but night mode offers better output.
Poco X2 The Poco X2 is a tall phone and has a large 6.67-inch display with a 20: 9 aspect ratio. Its panel comes with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is not common in this range. The Poco X2 has a dual-camera punch-hole at the front, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The Poco X2 feels big and heavy. It works on Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G, which is a powerful chipset and can handle gaming quite well.
There are many variants of Poco X2. These include 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage options. The prices of Poco X2 have increased since its launch and now the prices of these three variants are Rs 17,499, Rs 18,499 and Rs 20,999 respectively.
Poco has given a 4,500mAh battery in the phone and a 27W charger is also available in the box. This phone sports a quad rear camera setup and we saw that the photo quality is quite good in daylight. The low-light photo quality was also relatively impressive, but lacked the detailing of the day. The quality of low light video is not as good.
Realme 6 Pro
Reality 6 Pro has a 6.6-inch display with dual-camera hole-punch for selfie cameras. It works on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G chipset just like the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max. The device is well designed, but slips slightly, as it has a glass back. This phone comes with 202 gram weight, which is slightly heavier. One feature of Realme 6 Pro is its 90Hz refresh rate screen. It also has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that can unlock the phone easily and quickly.
Reality 6 Pro has been introduced in 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage options. Their price is Rs 17,999, 18,999 and Rs 19,999 respectively.
There is a quad-camera setup at the back. Camera performance was good for daylight and close-ups, but camera performance in low light requires some improvement. Realme 6 Pro has a 4300mAh battery, which is not as big as some other phones in this list, but when we tested it, it gave excellent battery life.
Samsung Galaxy M31
This Samsung model has a 6.4-inch full-HD + AMOLED display, which comes with vivid colors and a very good viewing angle. There is a quad-camera setup at the back with a 64-megapixel primary camera. It comes with a large 6,000mAh battery and a well performing Exynos 9611 chipset.
Samsung Galaxy M31 has 6 GB RAM and two storage options, 64 GB and 128 GB. Both these variants are priced at Rs 16,499 and Rs 18,999. The large battery gives excellent battery life and this phone can easily run for two days. The cameras perform well in daylight and with night mode enabled; the Galaxy M31 also takes better low-light shots. We found the video stabilization to be average.
The Exynos 9611 chipset is not as powerful as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G, which gives the Redmi Note 9 Pro Max and Realme 6 Pro power, but is capable of handling everyday tasks easily.
Realme X2
Realme X2 has a 6.4-inch AMOLED display with an in-display fingerprint scanner. It also runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor just like the Poco X2. The phone performs well in day to day usage. The Reality X2 has a quad-camera setup at the back and comes in various colors.
Reality has given a 4000mAh battery in it and a 30W fast charger in the box which makes charging faster. The Realme X2 can handle day-to-day tasks and gaming very easily, and its battery lasted one and a half days in our tests. Its 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage variants cost Rs 17,999. Its 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 128 GB storage variants are priced at Rs 19,999 and Rs 20,999 respectively.
The quad-camera setup lets you take good pictures in daylight. We liked our portrait shots, as the dedicated depth camera does fine detection. Low-light camera performance is also good but there was a problem of noise in the output. Nightscape mode helps improve low-light photography.
Poco F1
The Poco F1 is one of the oldest devices in this list, but its performance is well appreciated by the price. It works on the 2018 flagship processor Snapdragon 845. This device has seen many price cuts. You can buy all variants of Poco F1 under Rs 20,000 right now.
The Poco F1 has a large notch and comes with a 6.18-inch display. It comes equipped with a 4,000mAh battery, which gives very good battery life. Its top variant with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage is currently priced at Rs 17,999.
Because Poco F1 is an older model, it comes with dual rear camera setup. Low-light photos were average, while daylight cameras performed better. The Poco F1 can record 4K video but only up to 8 minutes.
Asus ZenFone 5Z
The last phone on this list is the Asus ZenFone 5Z and is also an older model. This Smartphone is also the 2018 flagship and you get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset. Because the ZenFone 5Z was a flagship, its quality is better than some other Smartphones in this list. It also gives good all-round camera performance.
ZenFone 5Z has three variants. These include 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage, 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage and 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage options. The price of these three variants is Rs 16,999, Rs 18,999 respectively. The ZenFone 5Z has the lowest battery capacity of 3,300mAh here, but it gives decent backup.
The Asus 5Z also has a dual camera setup at the back. The cameras were fast in fixing focus and taking exposure in broad daylight. The low-light camera performed well and the noise was also under control.
