Realme X3 SuperZoom, Vivo V20 to Samsung Galaxy M51: Best phones under Rs 25,000 (Nov 2020)

Technology in this segment moves so fast that only one of the five phones we shortlisted in our list of phones under Rs 25,000 two months ago retained its place in this list. We have four new entries this month. You still get phones with flagship-grade processing hardware, 64 MP cameras, AMOLED screens, high refresh rate displays and more in this segment. Android 11 also arrives in this budget class. So let’s look at the best smartphones currently available in India under Rs 25,000.

Best phones to buy under Rs 25,000 in India

Realme X3 SuperZoom

Realme already had a solid option in the sub-25K segment in the X3. Thanks to the recent price cuts, you can now have the SuperZoom variant of that phone in this budget. Realme X3 SuperZoom (Review) is powered by Qualcomm’s previous-generation flagship chip, the Snapdragon 855+, which is still a very powerful SoC. You can purchase the 8 GB RAM / 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The impressive 6.6-inch Full HD+ display flaunts a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and a flicker-free experience, something generally seen in more expensive smartphones. But you have to make do with an LCD display instead of AMOLED. The screen is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.[caption id="attachment_8582841" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Realme X3 Super Zoom.[/caption]The camera department on the Realme X3 SuperZoom is quite impressive and includes an 8MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS that puts the ‘SuperZoom’ in the name, and gives you 5X optical zoom. It is accompanied by a 64 MP primary camera, an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP macro camera. You get two cameras at the front with a combination of 32 MP + 8 MP to take care of selfies and video calls. A 4,200 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day of moderate usage, and even better, the bundled 30W fast charger juices it up fully in just about an hour. The Realme X3 SuperZoom runs Android 10 with Realme UI on top.Realme X3 SuperZoom price in India: Rs 23,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Redmi K20 Pro

Redmi K20 Pro (Review) is the only handset from our last list to hold on to its position. It remains a solid all-round option in this budget. It has a very attractive exterior with a glass body and an eye-catching ‘Aura Prime’ design. You get a 6.4-inch Full HD+ notch-less AMOLED display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and a 20 MP pop-up selfie camera on top. In addition, there’s an in-display fingerprint scanner. Powering this phone is Qualcomm’s two-generation old flagship Snapdragon 855 SoC along with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage.[caption id="attachment_7651731" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Redmi K20 Pro[/caption]The cameras on the Redmi K20 Pro are quite impressive too. You get three cameras at the back with a 48 MP main camera using a Sony IMX586 sensor, a 13MP ultrawide camera with a 125-degree FOV and an 8 MP telephoto lens that gives you 2X optical zoom. No unnecessary cameras here to pad the numbers. They manage to capture some high-quality images in varied lighting conditions, and can also record super slo-mo videos at up to 960 fps. A 4000 mAh battery keeps it running for over a day of moderate usage. The smartphone launched with Android Pie and MIUI 10, but received an Android 10 update with MIUI 11 earlier this year.Redmi K20 Pro price in India: Rs 24,950 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy M51

The company likes to call the Samsung Galaxy M51 a monster for a reason. It is quite a sizable device, courtesy of its large 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, and also weighs in excess of 200 grams. Another component responsible for its size and weight is a gigantic 7000 mAh battery that can suffice for close to two and a half days of moderate usage. The bundled 25-Watt fast charger promises to recharge the battery fully in under two hours. If you like big phones or are looking for one with a really long battery life, this is the phone for you.[caption id="attachment_8803051" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Samsung Galaxy M51[/caption]The processing muscle of this phone is pretty good too. Moving on from the modest Exynos 9611 that powers most of the Samsung midrange phones, the M51 employs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G chip, which is a lot more powerful. You get a choice of either 6 GB or 8 GB RAM along with 128 GB of internal (expandable) storage in this budget. The cameras are more than handy with a combination of a 64 MP primary camera, 12 MP ultrawide, 5 MP macro and a 5 MP depth sensor. You can capture some quality photos in various modes. A 32 MP selfie camera is embedded in a tiny punch hole at the top centre of the screen. The Samsung Galaxy M51 runs Android 10 with One UI.Samsung Galaxy M51 price in India: Rs 22,999 for 6 GB RAM/128 GB storage; Rs 24,999 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage

Vivo V20

We have our first Android 11 phone in this budget. The Vivo V20 (First impressions) offers the new Android OS out of the box with their Funtouch OS 11 UI on top. If you like slim phones, you are bound to like the V20 that is less than 7.5 mm thick; a refreshing change from ever-bulging phones in 2020. Despite the slimness, it has a respectable 4,000 mAh battery that keeps it powered for over a day of moderate usage. It comes with a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display and a glass back.[caption id="attachment_8928871" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Vivo V20. Image: Tech2/Priya Singh[/caption]The Vivo V20 is powered by a Snapdragon 720G SoC and offers 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further to 1 TB with a micro SD card. The cameras are more than decent with a 64 MP primary camera at the back doing the heavy lifting, supported by an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and a 2 MP depth sensor. Selfie enthusiasts are in for a treat too, courtesy of a 44 MP front camera with autofocus that can record 4K videos as well.Vivo V20 price in India: Rs 24,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storageOppo Reno3 ProThe Oppo Reno3 Pro is another fairly compact phone (by today’s standards) that’s now available in this budget, thanks to a good Rs 3,000 price cut. The company has opted for a fairly powerful Mediatek P95 SoC in this phone. You also get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage to go with it. It has a bright 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top, and an embedded in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone runs Android 10 with ColorOS 7 on top.[caption id="attachment_8107331" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Opoo Reno3 Pro[/caption]The Oppo Reno3 Pro has a loaded camera department starting with a 64 MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter with autofocus, a 13 MP telephoto camera for 2X optical zoom and a 2 MP monochrome depth sensor at the back. Just like the Vivo V20, this phone too has a 44 MP front camera, but you also get a 2 MP depth sensor for better portrait selfies. It manages to take some quality shots in different modes in good-to-decent lighting. Its 4,025 mAh battery goes beyond a day of moderate usage, and you can charge 65 percent of it in just half an hour using the bundled VOOC 4.0 fast charger.Oppo Reno3 Pro price in India: Rs 24,990 for 8 GB RAM/128 GB storage