CMF Phone 1 to Redmi A4: 2024's best 5 budget smartphones under Rs 20,000

2024 was a big year for budget smartphones. Numerous releases occurred, which increased market excitement and rivalry. The country's 5G revolution was mostly driven by phones priced around Rs 20,000 at the beginning of the year, and by the end of it, they were starting to emerge as AI fighters. Batteries improved, camera megapixel counts increased, and screens grew larger and better. Even while numerous phones under Rs 20,000 offered customers great value, these five distinguished out as genuinely remarkable in 2024:

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1. CMF Phone 1

Nothing announced its first low-cost phone, the CMF Phone 1, under the CMF sub-brand to appeal to consumers with somewhat more limited spending. The CMF Phone 1, like the Nothing Phones, had a distinctive design that set it apart from the competition. The CMF Phone 1 has a large circular dial with screws on the rear. You may swap out the rear panel with a variety of panels with the aid of a specialized screwdriver.

As a result, the CMF Phone 1 had a very modular but industrial appearance. In addition to its appearance, the phone had some really amazing specifications.

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Punchy, vivid colours were portrayed by its 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Its 50-megapixel primary camera, which produced stunning details, decent but somewhat saturated colours, and stable films, was another standout.

The phone's 5,000 mAh battery can easily last you through a day of intensive use, even if it doesn't come with a charger or support for extremely rapid charging (it charges at a somewhat slow-for-these-days 33W). Finally, the CMF Phone 1 runs a simple and clean version of NothingOS on top of Android 14, which is completely absent from the low-cost market.

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2. Samsung Galaxy M35

The Samsung Galaxy M35 followed in the footsteps of the Galaxy M series, which has been a serial number maker for Samsung in the low-cost market. The Galaxy M35 is a true budget boss since Samsung included the standard features of the M series, which include a large battery, a gorgeous tall display, and promised Android upgrades.

Like the most of Samsung smartphones, it had a stunning 6.6-inch Super AMOLED full HD+ display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which captured vibrant colors and deep blacks. It also included Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection, which is uncommon in this market.

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Its massive 6,000 mAh battery could last us nearly two days every day, but neither a charger nor extremely rapid charging (maximum at 25W) were included in the package. With OIS, the phone's primary 50-megapixel camera produced an impressive performance, delivering rich colours and details in enough lighting and excelling in low light owing to Samsung's Nightography function.

3. Redmi A4 5G

This is the most reasonably priced smartphone on this list, so if you are on a tight budget without sacrificing performance, this is the one you should be looking at. With its big 6.88-inch LCD HD+ display and 120 Hz refresh rate, it's an excellent smartphone for quickly skimming through content. It has glass on the front and back, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4s Gen 2 CPU, which is incredibly powerful for the price, powers it.

Among gadgets twice as costly as the Redmi A4, its 50-megapixel primary camera lens may easily stand alone and produce superb details and realistic colours. Although its 5,160 mAh battery charges at a rather modest 18W rate (Xiaomi includes a 33W converter with it), it may last a day and then some more with intensive use.

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4. iQOO Z9x

The iQOO Z9x is another phone that made a significant impact in the 2024 affordable market. The phone's flat back, flat display, and flat edges gave it an extremely high-end appearance and feel for this price range.  With an IP64 classification, it was rather sturdy and had a plastic frame and back, but it didn't appear cheap at all. Even when pressed, the 6,000 mAh battery may easily last you a day and a half on a single charge, and the 50-megapixel primary camera captures excellent photos in favorable lighting.

5. OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite 5G

The phone had a stunning 6.67-inch full HD+ AMOLED screen that scrolled smoothly and had a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Beautiful daytime photos with lots of detail were captured by its 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 sensor with OIS, which also functions well enough in low light. Its large 5,500 mAh battery and its incredible 80W rapid charging capability—the quickest on the list—allow it to not only last you through a full day of intensive use but also quickly recharge.