TOP 5 BUDGET SMARTPHONES TILL AUGUST 2020

What are budget smartphones ?

The answer is the price. It doesn’t matter if they have amazing specs and features making them comparable to any flagship smartphone.

Though it is not possible for average budget smartphones to give a big flagship a run for its money because no matter how equipped a budget phone is, it shall always lack some special features and details of a premium device.

Everything comes with a price. The more features and specifications a device has, the more is its cost.

Any smartphone below the price of Rs. 20,000 or $275, can be placed in the category of budget-friendly smartphones.

In this list, we will be ranking smartphones falling within the price range of Rs. 10,000/ $138 to Rs. 20,000/ $275 based on their design, performances and specifications.

Also, for the sake of giving a fair share of consideration to every deserving company, each smartphone shall belong to a different brand from the others.

1. XIAOMI POCO X2:

Xiaomi Poco X2 was launched on February 11, 2020, as a budget smartphone enabling the users to experience some of the features of a premium device.

It is undoubtedly a big phone. The footprint of the device can be compared to that of OnePlus 7 Pro. With 6.51 inches of length, 3.02 inches of width and 208 grams of weight, this is surely a hefty device.

There is Gorilla Glass 5 protection in the front and back. Despite the plastic frame of the device, the built quality can be considered decent at such price.

Talking about the display of the phone, then it comes with a 6.67 inches Full High Definition Plus IPS LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate, giving it a screen to body ratio of 84.8%.

Though the display is bright, smooth and fantastic, it would have been ideal if it had AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate.

Besides that, the refresh rate of 120Hz is software-enabled, which means that the device shall itself change the refresh rate depending upon the usage of the phone. Hence, it is not customizable.

As far as the camera is concerned then you will get a dual punch-hole selfie camera setup and the primary quad camera setup in the back.

Moreover, this phone like all the other budget smartphones supports Widevine L1, which enables you to stream your favorite shows at HD quality.

2. REALME X2:

Realme X2 was launched last year in September, but despite that, it continues to be one of the best phones in this price range.

In terms of design and form factor, it looks the same as Realme XT. It gets Gorilla Glass 5 protection in the front as well as in the back. Moreover, the back of the phone has a glossy finish with an inverted C kind of reflection.

One of the good things about the appearance of this phone is that the Realme logo has been shifted at the bottom left corner of the phone unlike, Realme X2 Pro, which has a horizontal logo right next to the camera.

Along With 6.4 inches FHD+ Super AMOLED screen, the phone gets HDR support and 1080×2340 pixel resolution, making it one of the best display phones in this segment.

As far as the multi-media is concerned then, it does not have stereo speakers, but the audio is above average. Further, it has a screen to body ratio of 84.3%, which provides an immersive video watching experience.

Since, it has Widevine L1 support, HD video streaming will be easy and enjoyable in this budget smartphone.

3. SAMSUNG GALAXY M31:

To compete in the race of budget smartphones ,Galaxy M31 was launched by Samsung early this year in February, and it happens to be the successor of Samsung Galaxy M30.

The device has a plastic back that looks shinny but, it does not give an illusion of being a glass back. The frame of the phone is also made of plastic. However, the phone does get a Gorilla Glass 3 protection in the front.

Even though the phone weighs around 190 grams, it does not feel heavy due to its weight distribution. The length, width and thickness of the phone well proportionate making the usability of the phone easy.

Samsung carries forward its tradition of having an amazing display with this phone. It comes with a 6.4 inches FHD+ Super AMOLED display, with a screen to body ratio of 84.1%.

Talking about other features, then this phone has Dual 4g Volte, Wi-fi calling, Widevine L1 and also FM Radio.

But the most impressive thing about the phone is its 6000mAh battery. Samsung claims that this smartphone can be used for two days when fully charged even on heavy usage.

There is a major upgrade in the camera department, with tons of features.

At last, if you are a heavy user or a hardcore gamer then the processor of this device, i.e, Exynos 9611 will surely disappoint you.

4. MOTOROLA ONE FUSION+:

Motorola One Fusion Plus is one of the budget smartphones launched in the month of June, this year.

In terms of its design it is a sturdy yet attractive looking device. It has a uni-body form factor, where the phone is curved all-around up to the screen in the front.

With a thickness of 0.38 inch and the weight of 210 grams, this phone is definitely, one of the heftiest phones in this segment and price range.

The back of the phone is made of plastic, which carries a physical fingerprint sensor and the primary quad-camera setup.

Front Gorilla Glass protection and water-repellent coating are some of the other design qualities of the device.

The 6.5 inches FHD+ IPS TFT LCD display, having a screen to body ratio of 83.3% that supports HDR is pretty attractive. Furthermore, it has a pop-up selfie camera, which means ,there is no notch or forehead that makes the display even more immersive.

One Fusion Plus comes with Dual 4G Volte hybrid SIM slot which is expandable up to 1TB. Wi-fi calling, FM radio, Camera 2 API and Widevine L1 are some of the other features of the phone.

5. NOKIA 7.2:

Nokia 7.2 came out in September last year, as a successor to Nokia 7.1.

For two years, since it first came out, 7 series of Nokia was exclusive to China. Later, 7 plus became global and turned out to be the most promising phone of the series. 7.1 was a bit of a downgrade and a disappointment, compared to its prequels.

Now 7.2 is here which is comparable to 7 plus in some aspects, while in other areas it is even superior.

For example, the 7.2 is bigger and tougher which does not have aluminum frame, neither does it give a premium feel, but still would be able to provide strength and endurance. Furthermore, it also gets Gorilla Glass protection in the front.

Unlike other budget smartphones, Nokia 7.2 gets a metal body, with a physical fingerprint sensor and the primary triple camera setup in the back.

As far as the display is concerned, then this device gets a 6.3 inches FHD+ IPS display, with PureDisplay technology, which is exclusive to Nokia as of now.

The 48MP primary camera and 20MP selfie camera are both impressive which contain tons of features.

The processor and battery life of this seriously need improvement. The Snapdragon 660 is obsolete and the 3,500mAh battery is just too small for a user’s regular consumption in today’s day and age.