The camera specifications of a smartphone are as important as the other innards, so much so that the camera performance has become one of the primary requirements for most. Unlike the cameras of yesteryears, smartphones are the go-to gadget for people who want to experiment with photography – thanks to their compact size and portability.
1. Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
2. Realme 9 Pro 5G
3. iQoo Z5 5G
4. Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G
5. Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
6. Poco X4 Pro 5G
7. iQoo Z3
8. Moto G71
And when you talk about the best camera performance on a smartphone, Google’s Pixel lineup is the perfect example of what can be achieved if hardware and software are perfectly optimized. Up until the latest generations, most Pixel phones equipped with a single sensor produced great images – all thanks to Google’s software optimization.
This is probably the reason why you’d see most brands focusing heavily on the camera specifications of the phones. Most modern phones feature either a 48MP, 64MP or even a 108MP main camera. However, as mentioned above just a higher megapixel count doesn’t always reflect better camera performance.
That said, once a core feature of flagship and premium phones, even affordable phones these days offer impressive camera performance. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a phone that can shoot great images or record impressive videos out of the box. While we are at it, some brands are even coming up with features that help users shoot video blogs or vlogs on the go.
All this under a price point of Rs. 20,000 is an impressive deal. Isn’t it? Hence, here’s a quick list of the best camera phones under Rs. 20,000 that you can't go wrong with.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max still has one of the best camera setups on a budget phone as it comes with a meaningful set of cameras and features that are pretty easy to use for anyone without much photography knowledge.
The device features a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 primary sensor which does an excellent job capturing great images. The results have plenty of detail and great colours, though at times a little too saturated for our liking.
While the ultrawide lens could have been better, the 5MP macro camera is one of the best on a smartphone we’ve seen in a long time. It has 2x magnification which means you can get pretty close to a subject and capture some stunning images. As for the other features, the device comes with a lovely 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a capable chipset, and packs in a 5,020mAh battery unit that offers reliable battery life.
The 6GB/128GB variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max could be the perfect phone for someone who wants a value for money device but without compromising on the performance.
Read our Redmi Note 10 Pro Max review
Realme’s number series phones often come with impressive specifications and the Realme 9 Pro isn’t an exception. It is indeed one of the best camera phones under Rs. 20,000 price point.
The camera specifications of the triple rear camera setup on this phone include a 64 MP primary sensor with f/1.8 along with an 8 MP sensor with an ultra-wide lens offering a 119-degrees field of view and a 2 MP macro snapper with f/2.4. It also has a 16MP front-facing selfie snapper.
Apart from the hardware, the camera application on this phone comes with a ton of features that allows users to capture interesting images and shoot some great videos.
Some of its camera features are a super-Nightscape mode that captures more details than usual. If you want to capture the night sky, Realme offers Starry Night mode which can produce stunning images with the help of a tripod.
The phone ship with Android 12 out of the box and though the Realme UI 3.0 offers a lot of tweaks and features, we aren’t fond of the ton of bloatware that the phone is riddled with. There is also an excellent 6.6-inch LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate.
iQoo Z5 is the predecessor to iQoo Z6 Pro in India. And it comes with more or less the same specs as the latter and can be compared head to head with any smartphone in this segment and win it.
iQoo Z5 comes with a 6.67-inch LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate. And it is powered by Snapdragon 778G, making it the most powerful smartphone in the segment.
There is a 64MP primary camera and a combo of 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro cameras. The phone is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery and a fast charging of 44W.
If you're looking for a performance-oriented smartphone which also is an all-rounder in terms of features, this is the phone to get.
Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G is one of the best smartphones for cameras in the segment. It was priced above Rs. 20,000 when it was launched and has come down in pricing recently.
It comes with a 6 67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. And the phone is powered by Snapdragon 695 SoC.
The phone comes with a quad camera setup on the back. A 108MP primary camera steals the spotlight, while it is assisted by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and there are two 2MP sensors for macro and depth.
It is backed up by a 5,000mAh battery and has a super fast charging of 67W.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro is a well-rounded phone that offers great value for money and is an interesting choice for people who prefer a 4G phone over a 5G capable device. It is
It’s one of the latest offerings from Xiaomi under the Redmi Note 11 lineup and comes with a 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh, 1200 nits brightness and 360Hz touch sampling rate.
The Redmi Note 11 Pro has a quad-camera setup with the primary sensor being a 108MP snapper coupled with an 8MP Ultra-Wide, 2MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro sensor. The images captured with this setup are vibrant and the dynamic range is also very good. The phone manages to bring ample details out of the subject along with fair colour reproduction. The HDR mode is turned off by default, but we’d suggest you turn that on, so you get a better result.
Poco X4 Pro 5G comes with some of the best on-paper specs and features for the price. And it is one of the best camera phones to get for under Rs. 20,000.
Poco X4 Pro 5G comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate.
On the back of the phone, there is a 64MP primary camera and there is a combo of 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro cameras. The cameras of this phone can stand on its own against any other phones on the budget.
The phone is powered by Snapdragon 695 SoC. A 5,000mAh battery backs up the phone.
The iQoo Z3 has a 6.58-inch Full HD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz screen refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. It supports a resolution of 2408x1080 with 401 pixels per inch and a 90.61% screen to body ratio.
Talking about its camera specifications, the iQoo Z3 comes with a 64MP primary snapper. This is a Samsung GW3 sensor with an f/1.79 camera coupled with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP macro lens. On the front is a 16MP selfie camera inside the dew-drop notch.
Other features of the camera include night mode, portrait, pano, live Photo, slow-mo, time-lapse, pro mode, 4K 60fps, AR stickers, and doc mode.
The Moto G71 is an upgrade over the Moto G60 and offers improved performance all around. It comes with a triple camera setup with a primary 50MP snapper. With ample daylight, the phone is capable of capturing detailed images with decent colour reproduction. The 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera also doubles up as a macro shooter and produces excellent images.
The Moto G71 is also a perfect phone for those who don’t want to deal with any bloatware, ads - you get a near-stock Android 11 experience with a dedicated Google Assistant button.
Though the device is 5G capable and has a 5000 mAh battery, the display lacks a high refresh rate. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 695 chipset which performs smoothly and the device is backed by a large 5,000mAh battery with a 33W fast charge.
