From Poco X2 to galaxy M31: Best phones under Rs 20,000. (Express Photo: Karanveer Arora)

As we lean on smartphones more and more for our everyday needs, owning a smartphone has become sort of a necessity instead of a luxury. Following the GST hike in the country, smartphones have become expensive. However, there are still a good number of smartphones that you can buy under Rs 20,000.

We are listing down smartphones from Realme, Xiaomi (Redmi), Vivo, Poco, and Samsung that are priced under Rs 20,000 which offer not only good specifications on paper but also perform well in real life. We have also hyperlinked the reviews of these devices so that you can check out before you make a purchase decision.

Poco X2: Rs 17,499

Poco had launched the Poco X2— a rebranded Redmi K30 smartphone from China. In our review, we found the device to be power-packed mid-range offering. The device sports a 6.67-inch 120Hz FHD+ display, Snapdragon 730G processor, 64MP quad-rear camera setup, 20MP+2MP dual punch-hole front cameras, 4500mAh battery, and 27W fast charging support. The phone is available for a starting price of Rs 17,499 for the base model of 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

Samsung Galaxy M31: Rs 17,499

Samsung Galaxy M31 has a waterdrop-style notch, like the original Galaxy M30s. (Image: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Samsung’s galaxy M31 is another good option under Rs 20,000. We found the Galaxy M31 smartphone to be “Paisa Vasool” (value for money) in our review. The highlights of the phone include a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED screen, Exynos 9611 processor, 64MP quad-rear camera setup, 32MP front camera, 6000mAh battery, and 15W fast charging. The device now retails at a starting price of Rs 16,499 for the base model of 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage, at Rs 17,499 for the 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage model, and at Rs 19,499 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB RAM model.

Realme 6 Pro: Rs 17,999

Realme 6 Pro is the successor to the Realme X and not the successor to the Realme 5 Pro as many expected. (Image: Sneha Saha/Indian Express)

In our review, we found the Realme 6 Pro to be more bang for the buck. The device sports a 6.6-inch 90Hz FHD+ display, Snapdragon 720G processor, 64MP quad-rear camera setup, 16MP+8MP dual punch-hole front cameras, 4300mAh battery, and 30W fast charging support. The phone starts at Rs 17,999 for the base model of 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 Pro Max: Rs 16,999

Image of Redmi Note 9 Pro for representational purpose. (Express photo: Shruti Dhapola)

The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max comes with a 6.67-inch display, Snapdragon 720G processor, 64MP quad-rear camera setup, 32MP selfie camera, 5020mAh battery, and 33W fast charging. The Redmi Note 9 Pro Max starts at Rs 16,999 for the base model of 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.

Also read | Best phones under Rs 10,000 in India right now

Vivo Z1X: Rs 16,990

We found the Vivo Z1X to be a good mashup of style and performance in our review. The device sports a 6.38-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 712 processor, 48MP quad-rear camera setup, 32MP front camera, 4500mAh battery, and 22.5W fast charging support. The device is available at a starting price of Rs 16,990 for the base model of 6GB RAM and 64GB internal storage and you can buy the 6/128GB and 8/128GB models at Rs 17,990 and Rs 18,990.