Best cheap phones 2021: top budget mobiles in India
The budget smartphone segment takes a big chunk in the Indian smartphone market. Most of the smartphones that exist and people look for is the sub Rs 20,000 category. This segment, especially in India, is always crowded and with too many options. As a consumer, it can get really confusing.
Best budget phones under Rs 20,000
1. Realme 7 Pro
2. Poco X3
3. Samsung Galaxy M31s
2. Motorola One Fusion Plus
4. Redmi Note 9 Pro
5. Moto G9 Power
6. Poco M2 pro
7. Realme Narzo 20
We have curated the list of the best budget smartphones in India that are priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000.
In 2020, we saw multiple smartphones being launched at an aggressive price and most of them were halted in Q2 due to Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown. However, things are getting back we saw a hike in many smartphone pricing as the GTS rates were increased in the country on mobiles. In 2021, we expect multiple budget phones from Samsung, Xiaomi, and Realme. Also, Micromax is said to bring a few more budget phones. We wouldn’t; be surprised if OnePlus brings their cheaper Nord variant to India with some improvements.
A few months back, the list was completed by Xiaomi and Realme completely. But now, things have changed slightly. Although we have a couple of phones from Xiaomi and Realme, we also now have players from Motorola, which made a great comeback with the Fusion Plus, Samsung with its M series, and Poco who entered the budget segment this year.
In the coming days, we are expecting Poco, Xiaomi and Realme to add new devices in the budget segment. If you are looking for the best camera phone under Rs 20,000, check out this list.
These are the best budget phones in India:
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Realme 7 Pro
Two steps forward, two steps sideways
Specifications
Display: 6.4-inch, Full HD+ Super AMOLED
Processor: Snapdragon 720G
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 4500mAh, 65W charging
Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
Front camera: 32MP
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Insanely fast charging+Super AMOLED display+Great cameras+Stereo speakers
Reasons to avoid
-Plastic back-60Hz refresh rate-Costlier than its predecessor
The Realme 7 Pro won the best budget phone of the year at the recently concluded TechRadar India Awards 2020. This is our favourite pick in the segment. For starters, the Realme 7 Pro one of the cheapest phones with a Super AMOLED panel at this price point. You get a second-gen camera stack with a flagship Sony image sensor at the heart. On top of that, you get 65W Super Dart charge which can go from 0-100% in just 35 minutes. The Realme 7 Pro is currently the most well-rounded smartphone in the Indian market in the sub Rs 20,000 market.
It really blurs the line between budget phones and flagships with a beautiful AMOLED display, a premium hardware package, reliable cameras and market-leading charging capabilities. Even if more competition is just around the corner, the 7 Pro should be able to hold its own for a while in many aspects. It is also one of the best-designed phones which doesn’t feel too heavy.
Check out Realme 7 Pro on Flipkart
Read our Realme 7 Pro review
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Poco X3
Back to basics
Specifications
Display: 6.6-inch LCD, 120Hz
Processor: Snapdragon 732G
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Battery: 6000mAh, 33W charging
Rear camera: 64MP + 13MP + 2MP + 2MP
Front camera: 20MP
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+120Hz display+Excellent battery life+Reliable cameras+Great for gaming
Reasons to avoid
-Heavy-LCD panel-Not the fastest charging
The new Poco X3 is the second-best smartphone one can buy under Rs 20,000. It has no real weaknesses when the entire package is considered. With Poco X3, you get 120Hz smooth LCD panel and 64MP (Sony IMX682) quad-camera setup clicks excellent pictures.
It is powered by the Snapdragon 732G chipset for great gaming performance, has capable cameras, a big 6,000mAh battery with support for fast charging. With all the internals packed in the phone is quite heavy at 230 grams and if that’s not an issue for you, then this phone is for you.
Read our Poco X3 review
Check out the Poco X3 on Flipkart
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Samsung Galaxy M31s
Specifications
Display: 6.5-inch FHD+
Processor: Exynos 9611
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 128GB
Rear camera: 64 + 12 + 5 + 5MP
Front camera: 32MP
Battery: 6,000mAh, 25W fast charging
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Display+Good battery +Camera performance
Reasons to avoid
-Performance
The successor to the vastly popular Galaxy M31, the Galaxy M31s is a mid-range phone from the house of Samsung. You get a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED Infinity-O screen with Full HD+ resolution. It is powered by the Snapdragon 9611 chipset. That is paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM. There is a massive 6,000mAh battery pack with support for 25W fast charging over USB Type-C. It also supports reverse charging via Type-C to Type-C cable that’s included in the box.
On the camera front, you get a quad-camera stack with a 64MP f/1.8 primary camera, followed by a 12MP ultra-wide shooter with a 123-degree field-of-view, a 5MP depth sensor for portraits and a 5MP macro lens. Selfies are handled by a 32MP camera. The fingerprint scanner is now embedded within the power button on the right.
Check out Samsung Galaxy M31s on Amazon
Read our Samsung Galaxy M31s review
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Motorola One Fusion Plus
Specifications
Weight: 210g
Dimensions: 162.9 x 76.4 x 9.6mm
OS: Android 10
Screen size: 6.5-inch
Resolution: 1080 x 2340pixels
CPU: Snapdragon 730G
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 5000mAh
Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Versatile camera+Big battery+Near stock Android
Reasons to avoid
-Not very fast charging-60hz display-Plastic body
With the launch of the Motorola One Fusion Plus recently, Motorola took us all by surprise with its aggressive pricing. Also, another surprise was the Snapdragon 730G chipset instead of vanilla Snapdragon 730. The device is backed by a 5,000mAH battery and 15W fast charging via Type-C port.
The Motorola One Fusion Plus comes with a full-screen 6.5-inch Full HD display with 91% screen to body ratio. You get a 16MP pop-up camera. Over at the rear, you get a 64MP quad-rear cameras setup with an 8MP ultra-wide camera followed by a 5MP macro and a 2MP depth sensor.
It runs on Android 10 OS and features Moto display and Moto actions like Quick capture, three-finger screenshot, screenshot toolkit, flip for DND, Pick up to silence, and Media controls.
Buy Motorola One Fusion Plus on Flipkart
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Redmi Note 9 Pro
Specifications
Display: 6.67-inch FHD+ LCD
Processor: Snapdragon 720G
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Rear camera: 48 + 8 + 5 + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
Battery: 5020mAh, 18W fast charge
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Great battery life+Reliable performance+Built and design+Big and vibrant display
Reasons to avoid
-60Hz display-Relatively slow charging-Bulky
The Redmi Note 9 Pro still holds up even after 9 months after the launch. You get one of the most reliable experience on a phone under Rs 20,000. Its battery life is unmatchable, the performance was always consistent and the large display is a joy to use.
The phones come with a unibody glass design that looks better than what the price tag may suggest. You get a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080, resulting in an aspect ratio of 20:9. The Snapdragon 720G strikes a beautiful balance between performance and battery life. It does fall behind in GPU-driven tasks such as gaming, but in almost every other scenario, we are looking at a champion here.
Read our Redmi Note 9 Pro review
Check out Redmi Note 9 Pro on Amazon
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Moto G9 Power
64MP on budget
Specifications
Display: 6.78 inch HD+, 60Hz
Processor: Snapdragon 662
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Rear camera: 64MP + 2MP + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
Battery: 6000mAh, 20W fast charging
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Massive display+Battery life+Decent over-all performance
Reasons to avoid
-Bulky-Average camera performance
As the name suggests, teh Power in the name stands for the battery that teh device packs in. The Moto G9 Power is packed with a 6000mAh battery and to back that, the device also supports 20W fast charge. With this battery, you can expect over one and a half day life on a single charge.
On the inside, the Moto G9 Power sports Snapdragon 662 chipset and is paired with 4GB of RAM and 64 of onboard storage. On the front, you get a 6.78-inch HD+ Max Vision IPS display with 20.5:9 aspect ratio. As for the optics, the Moto G9 Power sports a triple rear camera setup with a 64 MP primary shooter with f/1.8, a 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor both with f/2.4 aperture. This is also one of the cheapest phones to offer a 64MP camera setup. To the front, there is a 16MP punch-hole selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture.
Check out Moto G9 Power on Flipkart
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Poco M2 Pro
Specifications
Display: 6.67-inch Full HD+
Processor: Snapdragon 720G
RAM: 4/6GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
Battery: 5000mAh, 33W charging
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+Amazing battery life+Fast charging+Solid performance
Poco M2 Pro is the company’s mid-range with powerful internals that is more or less same as the Redmi Note 9 Pro. But, it offers slightly better design, Ad-free experience, and faster-charging speed for the same price. The Poco M2 Pro features a 5,000mAh pack will easily last you over a day and also supports 33W fast charging.
On the inside, you get the Snapdragon 720G chipset, which is the most reliable silicon available at this price. Combine that with a 48MP quad-camera setup and a big 6.67-inch Full HD+ screen, and you get a very easy-to-recommend phone.
Check out Poco M2 Pro on Flipkart
Read our Poco M2 Pro review
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Realme Narzo 20 Pro
New kid on block
Specifications
Display: 6.5-inch Full HD+, 90Hz
Processor: MediaTek Helio G95
RAM: 6/8GB
Storage: 64/128GB
Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP
Front camera: 16MP
Battery: 4500mAh, 65W fast charging
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
Reasons to buy
+65W fast charging+90Hz display
Reasons to avoid
-Inconsistent performance
The first “Pro” variant in the Realme Narzo series comes with the segment-first 65W fast charging. With this super Dart charger, the 4,500mAh battery can be filled in just 38 minutes. On the front, there is a 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD panel with 90Hz refresh rate, 120Hz touch sampling, 480 nits brightness, and 90.5% screen to body ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by MediaTek’s gaming-centric Helio G95 chipset.
The device is available in two configurations with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. You are looking at a quad-camera stack on the Narzo 20 Pro with primary 48MP Samsung GM1 sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a macro lens and a mono portrait lens. To the front, you get a 16MP selfie camera.
Check out Realme Nazro 20 Pro on Flipkart
Best budget smartphones in India under Rs 20,000
| Product | Price |
| Realme 7 Pro | Rs 14,999 onwards |
| Poco X3 | Rs 16,999 onwards |
| Samsung Galaxy M31s | Rs 19,499 onwards |
| Motorola One Fusion Plus | Rs 17,499 |
| Redmi Note 9 Pro | Rs 12,999 onwards |
| Moto G9 Power | Rs 11,999 |
| Poco M2 pro | Rs 13,999 onwards |
| Realme Narzo 20 Pro | Rs 14,999 onwards |
Round up of today’s best deals