Year in review: Samsung M32 to Lava Agni, best budget smartphones of 2021

A new breed of budget smartphones which hit the market this year were a cut above their previous versions. Earlier seen as smartphones with some compromises, these affordable devices changed the notion by shedding boring designs and by enhancing the performance. A clutch of budget smartphones now boasts of stylish designs, powerful processors, and big capacity batteries. Business Standard lists the five best budget smartphones under Rs 20,000 launched in 2021.

Poco M3

This phone from Xiaomi’s spin-off brand tops the chart simply because it ticked all the right boxes. The Poco M3 has a unique design topped with interesting colour schemes, especially the Poco yellow. From design that stands out to smooth performance, capable display, and big capacity battery, the Poco M3 delivered an all-round package.

Screen: 6.53-inch fullHD+

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 662

RAM: 4GB and 6GB

Storage: 64GB and 128GB

Camera: 48MP triple camera array

Battery: 6,000 mAh

Price: Starts at Rs 10,999

Xiaomi Redmi Note 10

Part of Xiaomi’s popular Redmi Note-series, the Redmi Note 10 impressed with its all-round package. For a budget smartphone, the Redmi Note 10 covered all the basics right. However, it was the little extras it offered that helped it make it to this best budget smartphone list. These extras included the AMOLED display, stereo speakers, 33W fast charging and IP53 rating.

Screen: 6.43-inch AMOLED fullHD+

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 678

RAM: 4GB and 6GB

Storage: 64GB and 128GB

Camera: 48MP triple camera array

Battery: 5,000 mAh

Price: Starts at Rs 13,999

Realme Narzo 30 5G

From 5G to screen of 90Hz refresh rate and fast charging support, the Narzo 30 from the stable of Realme is as much about frills as it was about fundamentals. Importantly, it delivers on both. Complementing the package is an inspiring build with lightweight frame, thin chassis and rounded corners for easy handling.

Screen: 6.5-inch fullHD+ 90Hz

Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G

RAM: 6GB

Storage: 128GB

Camera: 48MP triple camera array

Battery: 5,000 mAh

Price: Starts at Rs 14,999

Samsung Galaxy M32

A value-for-money proposition in Samsung’s budget smartphone line-up, the Galaxy M32 has a rich sAMOLED display of a 90Hz refresh rate, 3.5mm audio out port for wired earphones, a decent camera system, and modest performance. The smartphone might not be as good a package as the above listed Realme smartphone, but still makes one of the best in the budget segment.

Screen: 6.5-inch fullHD+ sAMOLED 90Hz

Processor: MediaTek Helio G80

RAM: 4GB and 6GB

Storage: 64GB and 128GB

Camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP

Battery: 6,000 mAh

Price: Starts at Rs 14,999

Lava Agni 5G

The Agni 5G is India’s first 5G smartphone by a home-grown electronics maker Lava. Traditionally, Indian smartphones are seen as less lucrative compared to their Chinese counterparts. However, Lava aims to change this notion by offering as much value, if not more, through the Agni 5G. The smartphone boasts a near-stock Android 11 operating system, which is free from ads and bloatware – something common in other budget smartphones running on custom versions of Android OS. That said, the Lava Agni 5G is a worthy budget smartphone that ticks all the right boxes.

Screen: 6.78-inch fullHD+ IPS 90Hz

Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G

RAM: 8GB

Storage: 128GB

Camera: 64MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP

Battery: 5,000 mAh

Price: Starts at Rs 19,999