Best phones under Rs 20,000 (Oct 2023): Samsung Galaxy F34 5G, Motorola G84 5G to Poco X5 Pro 5G

Our list of smartphones under Rs 20,000 this month is supercharged, partly because of the evolution in technology and also because of the ongoing festive sales. As always, we have made sure they have a good mix of features and performance. Decent processing power, high refresh rate displays and good cameras are a given, but we also have a couple with optical image stabilisation (OIS), which is rare in this budget. If that wasn’t enough, most of the phones in this list also offer 256 GB of internal storage. Time to meet the best under 20K.

Best phones to buy under Rs 20,000 in India

Motorola G84 5G
The Motorola G84 5G is packed with some impressive features that are hard to find in this budget. It has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth. This is the first of the two phones in this list to flaunt a 50MP primary camera with OIS, which is great to have in this segment. You also get an 8MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, which can double up as a macro camera. Its 16MP front camera should please the selfie crowd.

This phone has an IP54 rating for ingress protection which makes it splash resistant. The Motorola G84 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip that is decent enough for this segment. You get 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. It has a 5000 mAh battery that keeps it powered for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and a 33W fast charger is bundled along. It runs the latest Android 13, and like most Motorola phones, the G84 has a clean and near-stock Android user interface.

Motorola G84 5G price in India: Rs 18,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

Samsung Galaxy F34 5G/ M34 5G
The Samsung Galaxy F34 5G and M34 5G are literally the same phones, each available on a different e-commerce platform. The phones flaunt an impressive list of features other than the Samsung brand name. At the top of the list is a 6.5-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits peak brightness. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Just like the Moto G84, these Samsung phones also boast of a 50MP primary camera with OIS. Support cast features an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor.

You get a decent 13MP selfie camera up front. The Samsung Galaxy M34 5G and F34 5G are powered by Exynos 1280 SoC and you can get their 8 GB RAM variants in this budget. There’s also 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card. A 6000 mAh battery keeps the phones powered for close to two days of moderate use. The company doesn’t bundle a charger along with either. The phones run the latest Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1.

Samsung Galaxy F34 5G/ M34 5G price in India: Rs 18,499 to Rs 18,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Poco X5 Pro 5G
The Poco X5 Pro 5G is another excellent option in this budget and with a good processing muscle. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G chip, and you can now get its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant within this budget. The photography department features a 108MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls quite well. It runs Android 12 with MIUI 14.

The Poco X5 Pro 5G has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliance and can display over a billion colour shades. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and supports 120 Hz refresh rate for a flicker-free experience in compatible apps. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W turbo charger promises to recharge it fully within 45 minutes.

Poco X5 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 19,499 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Realme Narzo 60 5G
The Realme Narzo 60 5G offers just the right mix of style and value. It has a vegan leather back that looks classy, and the Mars Orange variant is particularly eye-catching. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6020 SoC, and you can get its top variant with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage comfortably in this budget. It has a vibrant 6.43-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 90 Hz refresh rate and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Rear camera department is largely about a 64MP primary camera that does all the heavy lifting, and has a 2MP depth sensor for company. The 16MP front camera does a good job with selfies and video calls. Battery capacity of this phone stands at 5000 mAh, and it can keep the phone running for over a day and a half of normal use. The company bundles a 33W fast charger that promises to charge 50 per cent of it in under half an hour. The Realme Narzo 60 5G runs the latest Android 13 with Realme UI 4.0.

Realme Narzo 60 5G price in India: Rs 17,499 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Lava Agni 2 5G
If you prefer Indian brands, Lava Agni 2 5G is one of the rare phones that ticks most of the requisite boxes, and is now available in this budget too. The striking feature of this phone is its 6.78-inch Full HD+ curved AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth. The company claims that the Agni 2 is the first phone in India to use a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip, which is a good choice for this segment. It is accompanied by 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage.

Rear camera department has a 50MP primary camera, supported by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP depth sensor. A 16MP front camera takes care of selfies and video calls. The Lava Agni 2 5G is powered by a 4700 mAh battery that lasts well over a day of moderate use, and the company bundles a 66W fast charger that claims to charge 50 per cent of it in just 16 minutes. The phone runs Android 13, and the company promises to keep things clean and free of ads and bloatware.

Lava Agni 2 5G price in India: Rs 19,249 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage