Should you buy a Redmi K20 Pro in 2020?

The Redmi K20 Pro marked Xiaomi’s return to the flagship space in India. Hitherto, it only plied its trade in the budget segment. Everyone was eager to see how the K20 series would be priced. In true Xiaomi fashion, the Redmi K20 Pro was launched at a starting price of Rs 27,999, which was lower than any flagship at that time. 

However, it’s been almost nine months since its launch, and it now faces more competition in the “affordable flagship” space from new entrants and legacy players alike. At the same time, the Redmi K20 Pro was subject to a few price-cuts, bringing the maxed-out variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage down to Rs 27,999. Does it still hold strong? Let’s evaluate.

Starting with what usually defines a flagship: the processor. At that price, the Redmi K20 Pro is now the most affordable smartphone to be powered by the Snapdragon 855 in India. While it is a generation old, it is still a very powerful chipset. Considering that the new Snapdragon 865 is seemingly less efficient and not fully optimized, it could be a wise move to stay away from paying extra just for the generational upgrade.

It sports a bezel-less and notch-less Super AMOLED display, an aspect that only significantly more expensive flagships offer. This is achieved by placing the front camera in housing that pops up from the top edge, thus providing an unobstructed view. The only downgrade is that the refresh rate is only 60Hz, whereas the competition offers a 90Hz display at a marginally lower price.

If you are considering this as a compromise, let's note that most popular games like COD Mobile, PUBG Mobile are topped at 60fps. However, there will be a slight difference in navigation, a higher refresh rate will offer smoother scrolls and swipes.

Speaking of cameras, the Redmi K20 Pro has three of them on the back, with a competent 48MP primary shooter, followed by a 13MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8MP 2x telephoto lens, giving you the versatility to shoot at all focal lengths. There are also a bunch of interesting shooting modes such as SkySwap, night mode, video stabilization, 4K 60fps recording, and 960fps slow-motion. 

While those are just the on-paper specs, the camera performance is one of the most substantial areas of the K20 Pro. It does not only offer a range of features, but software updates over the past few months have turned it into a very reliable camera at its price point.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is still around. The battery is rated at 4,000mAh and also supports 27W fast charging. 

Here's what makes it a good deal

Redmi is also offering a couple of deals to make owning the K20 Pro easier. At Mi Homes, the phone can be purchased at Rs 1,667 per month at a no-cost EMI. This offer will also be available at Mi Studios, Mi Stores, preferred partners, and large format stores such as Croma. An additional Rs 1,500 will be offered on the exchange, along with a 5% cashback in your Amazon Pay Wallet. Accidental screen damage protection worth Rs 6,999 will also be bundled. For consumers looking to buy it online, an additional Rs 3,000 will be offered in exchange for your old smartphone, along with a 6-month no-cost EMI.

These deals make the Redmi K20 Pro a very easy phone to recommend to those looking for a flagship without paying too much. If your budget is a little flexible, the Realme X2 Pro is also a great affordable flagship that offers faster charging, a higher refresh rate display, and a slightly better processor. You can't go wrong with either of these.

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