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Diwali Dhamaka: Top 5 phones under Rs 20,000

October 21, 2014 14:46 IST

These are the best value-for-money, feature-rich phones in this category.

Earlier this week, we shared the top 5 phones above Rs 35,000. To be honest that was fairly straight forward and not that difficult to decide. The number of phones in that segment weren't many and picking up smartphones in that league is very easy. But under-Rs 20k is the range where it gets very difficult to pick only five phones, as almost all are neck-and-neck in this fight.

It is an intense battle between all smartphone companies and very difficult to pick the ideal device. We help you solve this problem as we have undergone heavy duty testing and come with the best possible results.

Here are the top 5 phones in random order.

Micromax Canvas A1

Micromax Canvas A1

The cost of the Micromax Canvas A1 device is Rs 6,499 and this is the best smartphone you can buy for this price. It has a 4.5-inch screen with 450p display, a 1.3-GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage that can be extended to 32 GB.

The rear camera is five-megapixels with LED flash and the front one is two-megapixels. It has 1800mAh battery, with a talk time of six hours.

To begin with, this isn't a gaming phone as it has a small size screen and it doesn't have great display and battery life to support it.

If you need a device for calling, texting and 3G then the Canvas A1 fits in well. The camera too is good value for money and there aren't any complaints with regards to the device.

Battery life could have been better, but the stock runs smoothly and we like the device's quality, despite the low price.

Price: Rs 6,499

Thumbs Up: Quality, Features, Software, Performance

Thumbs Down: Battery life

Wickedleak Wammy Note 3

Wickedleak Wammy Note 3

This smartphone is a dark horse. This device has stunned us with its performance and the price. Recently, we did a mega-Diwali comparison of the top five budget phones and Wickedleak won this five-way battle against Micromax and Karbonn.

The Wickedleak Wammy Note 3 gets a 1.7-GHz octa-core processor and 2 GB of RAM.

The internal storage is 8 GB, expandable to 32 GB. It has a 5.2-inch screen with Full HD and a battery of 3800mAh.

The quality of the device is just fine; but then everything else is phenomenal. The Wammy Note 3 has a 13 megapixel rear camera and the front is a two-megapixel.

The gaming experience, the battery life and even the almost stock Android software make the Wickedleak Wammy Note 3 one of our favourite devices. This phone also comes with an option of being water-resistant.

Price: Rs 12,999, +  Rs 1,500 if you want a water resistant device

Thumbs Up: Features, size, screen, performance and price 

Thumbs Down: Build Quality

Xiaomi Mi 3

Xiaomi Mi 3

Also known as Apple of Asia, Xiaomi made its entry into India and received tremendous response. To begin with, the Mi 3 became a superhit device for the Chinese manufacturer.

Xiaomi is bringing all the best features and processor at a very affordable rate. This is what the consumer wants and Xiaomi has struck the right chords. It comes with 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor 800. This processor is available on high-end devices and coming at this price is just fantastic. It comes with an internal storage of 16/64 GB with on external SD card slot.

The rear camera is 13 megapixel while the front one is 2 megapixels. This is a 5-inch device with full HD display.

The device is smooth and there are no issues with it. In fact even the camera is good to use and doesn't feel like any other budget smartphone. Xiaomi is eating into the market share of other prominent brands not just in India but on a global scale.

The Mi 3 is the best value for money product available today in the market.

Price: Rs 18,000

Thumbs Up: Features, performance, camera

Thumbs Down: Build quality

Micromax Canvas Nitro A310

Micromax Canvas Nitro A31

Micromax Canvas Nitro A310 is a device that everyone will appreciate. Micromax is still the most loved brand and everyone loves how it functions. The Micromax Canvas Nitro A310 is the new flagship for the Indian manufacturer.

It comes with a 1.7-GHz octa-core processor with 8 GB of space and 2 GB of RAM. The space can be expanded to 32 GB with an external micro SD card. The 5-inch device comes with a display of 720x1280 pixels. What we appreciate about this device is its build quality and specs except the display.

The rear camera is decent with 13 megapixel, while the front camera comes loaded with 5 megapixels.

The battery lasts for a day with normal usage of calling and 3G. The display is fine to text, email and see images. However, we expected the device to come with full HD for a better movie and gaming experience. The little extra helps.

Price: Rs 12,999

Thumbs Up: Features, performance, build quality

Thumbs Down: Resolution could have been full HD

Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus

Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus

The Octane Plus is another gem of a smartphone and one that is mind over matter. The Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus also comes with a 1.7-GHz octa-core processor with 8 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM. This too can be upgraded to 32 GB.

The Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus has a 5-inch real estate with full HD display; it also has 16-megapixel camera. This is the most loaded smartphone in the segment if we do not count Xiaomi.

The UI of the Octane Plus too is good and easy to use. The Octane Plus is one of the most significant devices and one of my personal favourites too. It is light and easy to operate.

Karbonn has taken the initiative to upgrade the UI and it does work well for the company. This is another strong point of the device.

Price: Rs 11,900

Thumbs Up: Styling, features, performance, experience, display

Thumbs Down: Battery life could have been better

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Rachit Hirani