Finding the perfect smartphone for your needs might be challenging with so many new models under Rs 20,000 being released virtually every week. The situation becomes even worse if you're a gamer searching for a reliable gadget under a Rs 20,000 budget, considering that nearly all manufacturers these days guarantee outstanding performance.
To address that problem, though, we've put up a list of the best gaming smartphones under Rs 20,000, which includes some formidable competitors like the Realme P1, iQOO Z9, Poco X6, and more.
Poco X6
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Poco X6 has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a maximum brightness of 1800 nits, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection. Nonetheless, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset powers the smartphone.
The phone has three cameras on its back: a 16MP macro lens, an 8MP ultra-wide angle sensor, and a 64MP main sensor with OIS capability. The 5,100 mAh battery of the smartphone may be quickly charged using a 67W charger.
The Poco X6 phones include an IP54 rating, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and an IR camera. They are powered by Xiaomi HyperOS and the most recent version of Android, version 14.
2. iQOO Z9
The iQOO Z9 5G, which retails at Rs19,999 for the 8GB RAM/ 128GB ROM variant, has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a maximum brightness of 1800 nits. With an IP54 classification, it can withstand minor water exposure and is resistant to dust and splashes.
With the Mali-G610 GPU and MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset powering it, graphics-intensive tasks go smoothly. Storage constraints are negligible with up to 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage, which is extensible to 1TB via MicroSD. The camera configuration consists of a 16MP front camera, a 2MP depth sensor on the back, and a 50MP Sony IMX882 main sensor with OIS and EIS.
3. Realme P1
The 6GB RAM/128GB edition of the Realme P1 5G costs Rs 15,999, while the 8GB RAM/256GB storage option costs Rs 18,999. There are two colour options: Phoenix Red and Peacock Green.
The 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display on the Realme P1 has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz, and a peak brightness of 2000 nits. It is powered by the Android 14 operating system and runs on RealmeUI 5.0. Additionally, Realme has guaranteed three years of OS upgrades and four years of security fixes for this device.
The smartphone features a 50MP Sony LYT600 primary and 2MP secondary sensors. It also has a 16MP front-facing shooter to handle all the selfie and video calling requirements. It houses a 5,000 mAh battery and supports 45W SUPERVOOC fast charging.
4. Redmi Note 13
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Redmi Note 13 has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The Xiaomi mid-range handset has been certified IP54 for dust and water resistance and has Corning Gorilla Glass victus protection on the front.
The MediaTek Dimensity 6080 processor and Mali-G57 GPU power the Redmi Note 13 5G. With a 108MP f/1.7 main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor, the Redmi Note 13 5G has a much improved camera setup over its predecessor. The phone has a 16MP selfie camera on the front for taking pictures and making video calls.
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display on the Redmi Note 13 has a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and supports a refresh rate of 120 Hz. The Xiaomi mid-range handset has been certified IP54 for dust and water resistance and has Corning Gorilla Glass victus protection on the front.
The Redmi Note 13 5G houses the same 5,000 mAh battery and comes with support for 33W fast charing.
5. OnePlus Nord CE3
The OnePlus Nord CE 3, which retails at Rs 18,999 for the 8GB RAM/128GB storage model, has a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The display also supports 2160Hz PWM dimming and has a refresh rate of 120Hz.
The Snapdragon 782G chipset, which is classified as midrange, powers this handset. It features a cooling mechanism like to the Nord 3's, and up to 256GB of storage in addition to a maximum of 8GB of RAM. Regarding the camera arrangement, the Sony IMX890 50MP sensor with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) is the same for the Nord 3 and Nord CE 3.