Top 5 camera phones under Rs 20,000
The sub-Rs 20k segment of the smartphone market has become a fiercely contested space. With a number of new brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Lenovo jumping in the fray, competition has only increased.
This has also led to phones in the segment bringing with them impressive hardware that can, at times, rival even high-end phones. Cameras on these phones have emerged to be the biggest winners of the competition. As a result, the sub-Rs 20K price bracket, which until recently was dominated by good phones with below-par picture clicking capabilities, has now seen an influx of new devices that impress even with their picture-taking prowess.
So for those looking for a camera phone on a budget, here's our pick of the best you can find right now:
Redmi Note 5 Pro
The Redmi Note 5 Pro boasts of a new 5.99-inch display that is tall and bezel-less. In terms of the specs, the Redmi Note 5 Pro's display is FHD+ panel with a 2160x1080p resolution and 403ppi pixel density. Interestingly though, Xiaomi has managed to put in this bigger display on the phone without increasing the size of the device from the previous year. However, because of this, the bezels on the top and the bottom of the phone have been shaved to a near minimum to give this phone an edge to edge look.
The Note 5 Pro comes with a powerful Snapdragon 636 which makes it by far the most powerful and energy-efficient phone from the Redmi Note line-up. Paired with the SoC is up to 6GB of RAM and a maximum of 64GB internal storage which can be expanded by up to 128GB via a hybrid micro-SD card slot.
In terms of camera, the Redmi Note 5 Pro offers a 12-megapixel primary sensor with f/2.2 aperture paired with a 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.0 aperture at the back. The camera module supports electronic image stabilisation, phase detection autofocus. Xiaomi also claims that this depth-sensing dual camera set-up also makes use of machine learning for greatly improving picture quality.
On the front, Xiaomi has equipped the device with a 20-megapixel selfie camera with a Sony IMX376 sensor, LED selfie light and Beautify 4.0 tuned for the Indian market.
Honor 9 Lite
The 9 Lite is a phone that is not really great at clicking pictures, but brings with it above par specs.
Built using glass and metal, the device is sleek and looks more premium than its Rs 10,999 price would suggest. Not only does the glass unibody design feel premium, but it helps the Honor 9 Lite stand out among all the metal-clad smartphones out there. Despite its 5.65-inch edge-to-edge fullHD+ display, 9 Lite is surprisingly compact and pocketable.
The handset is powered by an octa-core Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 659 SoC, coupled with 3GB and 4GB RAM versions.
When it comes to optics, the Honor 9 Lite has four camera sensors on the front and back sides. The dual camera setups on the front and back have a 13-megapixel primary camera sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary camera sensor alongside a rear-facing LED flash and PDAF autofocus system.
Xiaomi Mi A1
The Xiaomi Mi A1 is a device that boasts of flagship worthy specs, but fits nicely in the budget segment with a price tag of Rs 14,999. The phone borrows from Xiaomi's DNA when it comes to the design. Crafted using a metal unibody design with chamfered edges in three colour variants - rose gold, black and gold - the phone is thus easy on the eyes.
At the front, the Mi A1 comes sporting Xiaomi's trusted 5.5-inch 1080p display protected by a 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass sheet that has previously been seen on phones like the Redmi Note 4.
Xiaomi has also equipped the phone with great internals as it comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 SoC paired with 4GB of RAM. There is 64GB of storage provided onboard which can be expanded using a microSD card. The battery that's keeping the system running here is a 3080mAh, but is a non-removable pack.
With a 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel dual camera setup at the back and a 5-megapixel camera at the front, the phone also doubles up as a more than capable camera to capture those priceless moments. However, the phone's biggest draw is the fact that it is an Android One phone and as such guarantees a close to stock Android experience on the phone.
Nokia 6 (2018)
The new budget warrior by Nokia, at Rs 16,999, is a phone that will give a good fight to the competition in the segment.
The phone is adorned by a 5.5 inch Full HD LCD display with 16:9 aspect ratio on the front, while the rest of the phone has been crafted out of a block of aluminium and has thin chamfered edges. The two-tone colour schemes add a touch of class to the device.
Beneath this sheen, the Indian variant of the device packs a Snapdragon 630 SoC paired with 3GB of RAM and 3GB of internal storage, expandable via a microSD card.
In terms of optics, the Nokia 6 comes with a 16-megapixel rear shooter and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter in the front which promises good pictures. Powering the package is a 3000mAh battery.
Moto G5s Plus
Launched in August 2017, the Moto G5s Plus till date remains one of the best devices that you can buy if you're on a budget. Available for Rs 14,999, Moto G5s Plus is a great deal for the price as it brings with it a 5.2inch full-HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 octa-core processor SoC paired with 4GB RAM and 16/32GB internal memory expandable up to 128GB.
The camera module on board is also above par - a 13MP+13MP rear camera with an aperture of f/1.7 and dual-pixel autofocus - which can click good pictures even under low light. There's also an 8MP front camera to complete the package.