Best phones under Rs 20,000 (July-Aug 2024): OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G, Poco X6 5G to CMF Phone 1

Just like in our previous list of phones under 15K, we have a lot of newcomers here too. One expects decent processing power, RAM and storage and 5G compliance in this budget, but all phones in this list also boast of high refresh rate AMOLED displays. In addition, four out of five handsets flaunt optical image stabilisation (OIS) on the main camera, which used to be extremely rare in this budget just six months ago. Without further delay, let’s meet the best smartphones under Rs 20,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 20,000 in India

Poco X6 5G
The Poco X6 5G holds its spot courtesy of a solid mix of features and power. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC, which is great for this segment, and is accompanied by 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. This device has a vibrant 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a higher than Full HD resolution, support for 12-bit colour, 120Hz refresh rate and 1800 nits peak brightness. The display is compliant with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision too and protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus.

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Photography is handled by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. You get a 16MP front camera for selfies and video calls. Its 5100 mAh battery can last over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W Turbo charger promises to juice it up fully in less than 45 minutes. The Poco X6 5G runs Android 13 with MIUI 14 and is expected to get an Android 14 update with Xiaomi’s HyperOS.

Poco X6 5G price in India: Rs 18,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G
Realme’s Narzo 70 Pro 5G is another very good option in this budget. It flaunts a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a commendable job for the segment, and is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. Add to that a competent 16MP selfie camera too. This phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 7050 SoC, and you can get its top variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage comfortably in this budget at the moment on Amazon India.

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The Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and 2000 nits peak brightness. The phone has a 5000 mAh battery that lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W SuperVOOC charger claims to charge 50% of it in just 19 minutes and fully in a little over 45 minutes. The Narzo 70 Pro 5G runs the latest Android 14 with Realme UI 5.0.

Realme Narzo 70 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 16,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Motorola G85 5G
The new Motorola G85 5G is another feature-packed phone you should strongly consider in this budget. It has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ pOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth. This phone too flaunts a 50MP primary camera with OIS and it has a Sony LYTIA 600 sensor for high quality captures. You also get an 8MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, which can double up as a quality macro camera. Its 32MP front camera will please the selfie enthusiasts.

This phone has a water-repellent design with the screen getting Gorilla Glass 5 protection against scratches. The Motorola G85 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 chip that is decent enough for this segment. You get 12GB RAM and 256GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. Its 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and a 33W fast charger is bundled along to juice it up briskly. It runs the latest Android 14, and like most Motorola phones, the G85 has a clean and near-stock Android user interface.

Motorola G85 5G price in India: Rs 19,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G
While the company hasn’t bothered to improve the processing power of the OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G, it does get a couple of upgrades over its predecessor. Firstly, you get a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display instead of LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2100 nits peak brightness. Secondly, while the primary camera has a lower megapixel count (from 108MP to 50MP) as compared to the CE 3 Lite, it now gets OIS support which none of its predecessors had. The support cast only has a 2MP depth sensor and a 16MP selfie camera.

This OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G continues to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chip and you get 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage to go with it. A MicroSD card slot and a 3.5 mm headphone jack have also been retained. A 5110 mAh battery keeps it powered for over a day and a half of moderate use and the bundled 80W fast charger claims to charge it fully in 50 minutes. The Nord CE4 Lite 5G runs Android 14 with OxygenOS 14 with OnePlus promising 2 major OS updates and 3 years of security updates for this phone.

Pro tip: If you do not care about the upgrades that the CE4 Lite brings to the table, you may want to consider its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G that offers the same processing power, a 108MP main camera and twice the internal storage for almost Rs 1,600 less.

OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G price in India: Rs 19,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

CMF (by Nothing) Phone 1
The CMF (by Nothing) Phone 1 is an interesting option that stands out for its hardware personalisation features. Users can customise their phones with interchangeable back panels and accessories available in various colours and textures, offering a unique and refreshing look. The phone is equipped with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits peak brightness. The processing power is pretty decent with a Mediatek Dimensity 7300 Pro chip accompanied by 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.

Photography department here consists of a 50MP primary camera with PDAF, but without OIS, and a 2MP depth sensor. It has a competent 16 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. A 5000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for a day and a half of moderate use. It supports 33W fast charging, however, a charger isn’t bundled along and needs to be purchased separately. The CMF Phone 1 runs Android 14 with Nothing OS 2.6, and one can expect a few more software updates going forward.

CMF (by Nothing) Phone 1 price in India: Rs 17,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage