This time of the year is usually referred to the flagship season as most of the companies introduce their strongest bet of the year. These past few days, we saw LG coming out with its V30, Samsung launching its Note 8 and Apple unveiling three new iPhones. However, the major slice of the Indian audience still sits around the budget to midrange category. Mixing up both the segments, today we have picked some top options if you are planning to buy a smartphone costing not more than Rs 20,000. Again, the list is in no order of preference.
Xiaomi Mi A1 – Rs 14,999
This is the latest one to hit the Indian smartphone market. Xiaomi has always taken India seriously and by putting up the global launch of the Xiaomi Mi A1 in India, the company has yet again proved its point. If you are not aware, Xiaomi Mi A1 is the first product of Android One 2.0. Yes, the Mi A1 will surely get faster software updates. In terms of the design, the Mi A1 is a blind copy of iPhone 7 Plus. Not only this, even the dual camera setup at the back is similar to one sensor boasting a wide angle lens coupled with a telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom. The battery capacity might be an issue for some but the Snapdragon 625 being one of the most battery efficient chipsets out there, the Mi A1 should last you a full day comfortably. All in all, the iPhone factor actually favours the Mi A1 here and if you are looking for a premium looking and feeling device with Stock Android on board, the Mi A1 is the ideal choice. Good Luck with the flash sales, though. Here are the detailed specs.
Price: Rs 14,999 | Amazon India (Flash Sale)
Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Processor: 2.0 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 | Adreno 506
RAM/Internal Storage: 4GB/64GB (Expandable – Hybrid Slot)
Camera: Dual Rear – 12MP + 12MP (Wide + Telephoto) | Front: 5MP
Stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Battery: 3080 mAh
Colours: Black, Gold, Rose Gold
Dimensions: 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm | Weight: 165 g
Moto G5s Plus – Rs 15,999
While stock Android might be new to Xiaomi smartphones, one company which has trusted vanilla Android ever since it went under the Android maker (Google) itself, is Motorola. Moto G is one of the most successful series of the company, tend to grab sales just after a new iteration is launched. The Moto G5s Plus, which is actually the current best seller on Amazon India, is one such device. While it shares most of the specifications with the Mi A1, it does give you a different feel in hands. Also, the dual camera set-up at the back here offers an extra bit of depth for the bokeh effect along with a couple of other modes. While it might not be a big deal, but the G5s Plus comes with a dedicated microSD card slot. To sum up, if you were about to buy the Moto G5 Plus, go for this instead.
Price: Rs 15,999 | Amazon India
Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Processor: 2.0 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 625 | Adreno 506
RAM/Internal Storage: 4GB/64GB (Expandable – Dedicated Slot)
Camera: Dual Rear – 13 MP + 13 MP | Front – 8 MP
Stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Battery: 3000 mAh
Colours: Lunar Gray, Fine Gold
Dimensions: 153.5 x 76.2 x 8 mm | Weight: 168 g
Lenovo K8 Note – Rs 13,999
The Redmi Note 4 has been the long king of premium budget smartphone segment, however, if there is a device which can possibly beat it both in terms of hardware and software, it has to be the Lenovo K8 Note. Priced similar to the Redmi Note 4, the K8 Note not only boasts some impressive specifications but also offers a dual camera setup at the back and stock Android. So you get better pictures out of the Note 8 and stock Android does give us that confidence that Lenovo will push the software updates much faster this time around. The dual camera set-up here again focuses on those bokeh shots. Besides, we get a massive 4000 mAh battery inside so this device is relatively chunkier in hands at 8.5 mm weighing 180 g. Even after all the features and impressive specifications, the K8 Note is the cheapest option in today’s list. Here are the detailed specifications.
Price: Rs 13,999 | Amazon India
Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Processor: 2.3 GHz Deca-Core MediaTek Helio X23 | Mali-T880 MP4
RAM/Internal Storage: 4GB/64GB (Expandable – Dedicated Slot)
Camera: Dual Rear – 13 MP + 5 MP | Front – 13 MP
Stock Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Battery: 4000 mAh
Colours: Fine Gold, Venom Black
Dimensions: 154.5 x 75.9 x 8.5 mm | Weight: 180 g
Samsung Galaxy J7 Max – Rs 17,900
Samsung’s recent addition, i.e. the Galaxy J7 Max might shy away regarding specifications when compared to other options in the list, but, we now have a loyal group of customers who actually refuses to trust any brand over Samsung. The Galaxy J7 Max doesn’t outperform in any area, but it is still a solid device for its price. We don’t have dual cameras here and obviously no stock Android, which has been the trend off-late. However, the Galaxy J7 Max is for those who don’t settle for stock Android. The 13-megapixel camera at the back will definitely give you a much better overall images and the MediaTek Helio P20 is not that bad of Chipset either. Further, we do get little perks like the dedicated SD card slot and Samsung’s much appreciated after sale service. Adding to the list, the Galaxy J7 Max run on Android 7.0 Nougat which might be a big deal for several Samsung users.
Price: Rs 17,900 | Flipkart & Amazon India
Display: 5.7-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Processor: 2.4 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P20 | Mali-T880 MP2
RAM/Internal Storage: 4GB/64GB (Expandable – Dedicated Slot)
Camera:Rear – 13 MP f/1.7| Front – 13 MP f/1.9
Android 7.0 Nougat
Battery: 3300 mAh
Colours: Gold, Black
Dimensions: 156.7 x 78.8 x 8.1 mm | Weight: 179 g
Gionee A1 – Rs 15,339 – 16,999
This was probably the most controversial addition to today’s list. Gionee hasn’t been at its best in these past few months. However, Gionee A1 which was launched earlier this year, is probably the most underrated device from the company. Apart from that massive 4010 mAh battery inside, the Gionee A1 also gain a bunch of points in terms of the selfie camera. While it might not be a big deal for some, there are still people out there who buy a smartphone only for the selfie camera. That aside, that 4010 mAh battery supports Fast charging up to 18 watts at 9 amps. The company claims that this device can go from 0 to 100 percent in just 2 hours. Launched at the price of Rs 19,999, the Gionee A1 is available for an impressive price of Rs 15,339 on Amazon India. Below are the detailed specifications.
Price: 15,339 – 16,999 | Flipkart & Amazon India
Display: 5.5-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels)
Processor: 2.0 GHz Octa-Core MediaTek Helio P10 | Mali-T880 MP2
RAM/Internal Storage: 4GB/64GB (Expandable – Hybrid Slot)
Camera:Rear – 13 MP f/2.0| Front – 16 MP f/2.0
Android 7.0 Nougat
Battery: 4010 mAh
Colours: Gold, Black, Gray
Dimensions: 154.5 x 76.5 x 8.3 mm | Weight: 182 g