20 best smartphones under 20,000 rubles in 2023
Choosing a budget smartphone is like assembling a construction kit that lacks parts. The manufacturer did not include a good camera in one “kit” to add performance to the device. In another case, he saved on the gadget’s RAM, thereby giving the smartphone a high-quality and bright screen. There are an innumerable number of such combinations, but among them it is not so difficult to find a suitable solution.
Smartphones have many different options and capabilities. It is difficult to take into account all the characteristics at the same time, but this is not at all necessary. To make it easier for our readers to choose the right gadget, our editors have compiled the top best smartphones under 20,000 rubles in 2023.
Editor’s Choice
Realme 8
Remember how a couple of years ago Xiaomi burst into the Russian and world markets and let’s surprise everyone with high-quality smartphones at reasonable prices? Since then, the Chinese giant has significantly increased prices on many models. Now the new “top for your money” is another brand from China – realme. This is the company’s pre-flagship model.
The back cover has an unusual design: half matte, half glossy: suitable for ladies and young people. But “respectable men” will probably want to hide this “luxury” in a case. It comes with a plug for quick charging. The display is made using AMOLED technology – the richest and brightest to date.
Top 14 best smartphones under 20,000 rubles in 2023 according to KP
Poco M4 Pro 5G
Smartphones from this company are always equipped with top-end hardware. Initially, they were made for fans of mobile games who could not afford expensive devices, but wanted to win victories in virtual worlds with high-quality images. Now the positioning has changed a little – mobile phones have become more widespread. First of all, this is reflected in its design.
Poco smartphones no longer look like a teenager’s dream. But you can’t call them boringly strict either. This one, for example, has variations in bright yellow and cerulean blue, as well as classic gray. Poco has an unusual vibration motor built into it. It can synthesize up to four vibrations of different rhythms, which are used for notifications and in applications. Smartphone owners write in reviews that the operation of the “motor” is very pleasant.
The mobile phone is equipped with a fresh Dimensity 810 processor and very fast RAM and internal memory. This quartet (the fourth player is the operating system, which brings everything together) produces excellent performance and performance. Modern 3D shooting games can be safely set to high quality and played without any problems.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.43 inches |
| operating system | Android 11 with MIUI 13 shell and Poco Launcher |
| Memory | RAM 6 or 8 GB, internal storage 128 or 256 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | triple 64 + 8 + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 16 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mA, there is fast charging in 1 hour |
| Dimensions and weight | 159.9×73.9×8.1 mm, 180 grams |
TCL 10L
The main feature of this smartphone is its spacious internal storage. 256 GB of memory means 200 mobile games or 40,000 music tracks. Of course, music and photos are often stored on a removable memory card, but games and programs are installed on the built-in memory. Therefore, smartphone owners have to choose what to leave and what to delete to free up space, but the TCL 10L will allow you to forget about this problem for a long time.
The smartphone has 4 rear cameras, arranged horizontally in a row above the fingerprint scanner. They shoot video in 4K format at 30 frames per second, and Full HD at 120 fps. Recordings at this frame rate will be especially smooth. Therefore, a smartphone is suitable for shooting video, for example, when traveling – when the compactness and convenience of the gadget are especially important.
On the left side of the smartphone there is a special customizable button. The owner can assign different actions to it: for example, with one press it will call the Google Assistant, with two presses it will turn on the camera, and when pressed it will take a screenshot of the screen. True, it is not very conveniently located – it will be difficult to avoid accidental clicks at first.
The battery capacity of this device is 4000 mAh, according to this indicator it loses the competition to other smartphones. There is also no fast charging feature.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.53″ (2340×1080) |
| Memory | 6/256 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | 48 MP, 8 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Front-camera | yes, 16 MP |
| Battery capacity | 4000 mAh |
| Fast charging | There is |
Redmi Note 10S
In 2022, there is already the next one – the 11th generation of these democratic devices from Xiaomi. But it doesn’t fit into our budget of 20,000 rubles. But the 10S version is a landmark model for the market. Please note the S prefix in the name. He’s pretty important. Since the model without it does not have an NFC module, it has a weaker processor and a slightly simpler camera.
Note models are always “shovels”, phones with a large screen. However, this one looks pretty nice – take at least the lack of bangs under the front camera, it is right in the display – and definitely deserves to be in the ranking of the best smartphones. As for the filling, it is average here in a good sense. To “export” such a high resolution of 2400×1080 on an AMOLED screen there must be a high-quality technical component. The Helio G95 processor is installed here, just like in the leader of our review. RAM is a little simpler, but that’s if you delve into the nuances. Try to buy the 8 GB version – then in everyday tasks you won’t notice microfreezes at all. There is a special mode for the game, which is turned on in the Game Turbo settings: it removes unnecessary tasks from memory and throws all the power of the smartphone into performance during gaming.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.43 inches |
| operating system | Android 11 with MIUI 12.5 shell |
| Memory | RAM 6 or 8 GB, internal storage 64 or 128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | four modules 64 + 8 + 2 +2 MP |
| Front-camera | 13 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mA, there is fast charging in 1.5 hours |
| Dimensions and weight | 160×75×8.3 mm, 179 grams |
HONOR 10X Lite
HONOR 10X Lite gives the user everything that he wants to see in a budget smartphone, but no more. The device has an NFC chip, a glare-free IPS screen, 2 slots for SIM cards and a separate one for a microSD memory card up to 512 GB.
This model has two particularly useful features. Firstly, this is a special mode for increased performance. It will improve the performance of the device in games, but will drain the battery faster. Secondly, on the HONOR 10X Lite display you can turn on the vision protection mode, which will make your eyes less tired.
One of the disadvantages is the lack of Google Play service. Instead, the AppGallery application is installed, which has the necessary games and programs, but not all. In addition, the front camera of the smartphone is not very good – the resolution is only 8 megapixels, and it also does not “distinguish” halftones and shades well. Lips in a selfie will be too bright and brown eyes will look black, especially in low light.
The battery can “live” all day without charging, which, by the way, takes a little over an hour.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.67″ (2400×1080) |
| Memory | 4/128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | 48 MP, 8 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Front-camera | yes, 8 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh |
| Fast charging | There is |
Vivo Y31
The lines of this brand have not yet fully gained a foothold in our market and the positioning is causing controversy among those who like to theorize about smartphones. So, the Y series is like Redmi from Xiaomi: with a balance of price and quality towards quality. Therefore, it is quite natural to classify this model as one of the best smartphones under 20,000 rubles. Sold in two colors: grey-black and ocean blue, a toxic disco blue.
Users note that the mobile phone fits perfectly in the hand. There is a noise canceler to cut off road noise when talking and recording video on the street. It doesn’t work, of course, like a professional tool, but it still cuts out some of the noise pollution. “Under the hood” there is a processor from Qualcomm Snapdragon, which is considered the top one on the market. Other Chinese equipment manufacturers use chips from mediaTek in this price category.
Nokia G50
A large and heavy phone from the legendary brand, which not long ago began making devices on pure Android. Such an operating system turns out to be quite light, fast, and without excessive burden of advertising applications. 3D games will fly. It’s also very convenient to experiment with it by installing different firmware launchers on top that change the appearance of the shell.
We know that among smartphone fans there are fans of such solutions. Nokia has added video stabilization. In this price segment it can be considered exotic. Still, the function requires a certain speed from the smartphone, and the developers do not want to overload the system again. But this company was not afraid and added a feature: handheld shooting is smoother. If only they could make the camera software itself a little more responsive and it would be generally good.
In the meantime, we have to admit that when taking photographs, the mobile phone freezes. And it’s not about the processor. Because, as in the previous participant in the ranking of the best smartphones 2022, the solution from Snapdragon is again used. This is probably a problem with the application developers.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.82 inches |
| operating system | Android 11 |
| Memory | RAM 4 or 6 GB, internal storage 64 or 128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | triple 48 + 5 + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mA, no fast charging |
| Dimensions and weight | 173.8×77.6×8.8 mm, 220 grams |
HUAWEI P20 Lite
The smartphone is not new, but popular. And in 2022, due to fluctuations in exchange rates, it is quite suitable for the segment of the best up to 20,000 rubles. There is an older version of Pro, and this is the younger brother of lite. It has a weaker camera and worse hardware, but it has enough functions for everyday use. The back cover is made of tempered glass (black or blue), and the sides are made of rough metal to prevent slipping.
By modern standards the screen is compact. But the 2280×1080 resolution makes the picture very sharp. There are still Google services on board. As you know, due to sanctions, HUAWEI was forced to abandon them in newer models.
Alcatel 1SE
I remember the time when the French company was a trendsetter in the push-button telephone market: it made very beautiful devices for ladies. What sonorous polyphony there was! And these pixel butterflies fluttering on the screensaver… Later, the giant was forced out of the market by young and lively Chinese competitors. Now she is content with a modest amount of supply on store shelves. Among them, the device is worthy of mention in the ranking of the best smartphones of 2022.
Note the SE prefix. The point here is not a repetition of iPhones, but the fact that the company also has a 1S version. It has a weaker processor and slightly different dimensions.
From a technical point of view, this is a very, very budget model. Viber and Telegram will work well, YouTube videos will load in high resolution, but a little slower than on other devices. The games are only primitive; it’s better not to edit videos either. As much as possible, touch up your makeup and apply a filter to a new photo for social networks.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.22 inches |
| operating system | Android 10 |
| Memory | RAM 3 or 4 GB, internal storage 32 or 128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | triple 13 + 5 + 2 MP |
| Front-camera | 5 MP |
| Battery capacity | 4000 mA, no fast charging |
| Dimensions and weight | 159×75×8.7 mm, 175 grams |
Ulefone Armor X8
In 2022, there is a small but popular category of mobile phones under the code name “smartphones for hunters and fishermen.” In general, super protected, for extreme attacks. The Armor line, whose name translates as “armor,” is just one of these. The box immediately comes with an additional protective glass for the screen. There is an LED event indicator – a cool feature that many manufacturers unfortunately forget about.
The micro light shimmers (the color can be customized) depending on the type of notification. You can customize your own color for each messenger. The processor is very simple – MediaTek Helio A25. But there’s nothing special to load it with, since the mobile phone runs on pure Android.
TECNO Pova 2
The brand has just appeared in Russia, but we can already predict that, thanks to its prices, it will win its place in the pockets and bags of our fellow citizens. In the ranking of the best smartphones of 2022, we included a model with an incredibly capacious battery. To fit it, it was necessary to make a screen of almost seven inches. This is a very big phone!
It has a relatively new MediaTek Helio G85 processor. It is helped by a game engine that has been optimized for demanding mobile games. The entire filling is covered with a graphite film, which removes heat and thereby cools the smartphone during heavy workloads. It has a good camera, a fairly bright display that doesn’t fade much in daylight.
If it were not for its prohibitive dimensions, we would first of all recommend it not only to guy gamers, but also to girls who love to draw, edit videos and process photos. And before buying, a lady should hold it in her hands and try it on in her pocket and purse.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.9 inches |
| operating system | Android 11 with HIOS 7.6 shell |
| Memory | RAM 4 GB, internal storage 64 or 128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | four modules 48 + 2 +2 +2 MP |
| Front-camera | 8 MP |
| Battery capacity | 7000 mA, no fast charging |
| Dimensions and weight | 148.6×71.2×7.4 mm, 232 grams |
OPPO A55
The ranking of the best smartphones under 20,000 rubles should include camera phones – models in which the company places serious emphasis on shooting quality. The main camera here has a resolution of 50 megapixels. There are models in our rating with higher performance, although in reality this whole megapixel race has long been irrelevant. Today, optics and software processing matter much more than the number of pixels.
But it is important for the consumer to think that his model has a very specific high characteristic, which is why companies follow demand. Available in two colors: strict black and dark blue with a rainbow gradient. The latest solution looks quite fresh. The technical part of the mobile phone leaves much to be desired.
Samsung Galaxy A22
A laconic smartphone with absolutely boring technical characteristics. It is clear that in the category up to 20,000 rubles you are unlikely to be offered a top-end processor and screen (although there are precedents), but Samsung installed only 4 GB of RAM in its device and limited itself to 64 GB of storage, of which only 49 GB is available – the rest is taken up by the system.
But at the same time, we still consider him a worthy candidate. There are two good reasons for this: the brand always makes high-quality assembly of its devices – nothing creaks or cracks. Plus, the Koreans’ cameras are quite adequate.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.4 inches |
| operating system | Android 11 with OneUI 3.1 shell |
| Memory | RAM 4 GB, internal storage 64 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | four modules 48 + 2 + 8 +2 MP |
| Front-camera | 13 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mA, no fast charging |
| Dimensions and weight | 159.3×73.6×8.4 mm, 186 grams |
DOOGEE S59 Pro
This is a secure smartphone that is suitable for lovers of outdoor activities – for example, tourism or fishing. The main feature of the device is a 10,050 mAh battery. This is twice as much as other, more expensive smartphones.
The shockproof housing is protected from moisture and dust. All connectors and the microphone are located behind special plugs that can be moved with your finger. There are shock-absorbing edges at the top and bottom near the display – they will take the impact instead of the screen surface if the device falls on a flat surface.
The gadget has a customizable button to which you can bind certain actions as you wish. The fingerprint scanner is located separately from the unlock button, but also on the right side of the case.
OPPO A54
A regular inexpensive smartphone with 128 GB of internal memory, which is suitable for everyday tasks. Powered by a Mediatek Helio P35 processor, which is not designed for demanding games. But 4 GB of RAM is enough for surfing the Internet and communicating on social networks.
The 16MP front camera takes really good pictures and is good for selfies. There are three rear modules, and the main camera has a resolution of 13 MP. She takes mediocre photographs and shoots videos in Full HD.
The display is not the strongest point of this smartphone – the screen on an IPS matrix has a resolution of 1600×720 pixels. The images are a little faded and lack brightness and contrast. Although color reproduction in the OPPO A54 cannot be called unambiguously bad.
Leaders of past years
Infinix NOTE 10 Pro
Infinix NOTE 10 Pro is a smartphone with a screen diagonal of 6.95 inches, almost like a tablet. The display resolution is 2460×1080 pixels, so even at this size the display retains highly detailed images. Watching movies and videos on this screen is extremely convenient. In addition, its refresh rate is increased to 90 Hz – frame changes will be much smoother than on a standard 60 Hz device.
The smartphone has 8 GB of RAM – you can open several applications and a browser, and the phone will still not slow down. The MediaTek Helio G95 processor cannot be called a gaming processor, but it will allow you to play even new games, albeit with medium or low graphics settings.
The Infinix NOTE 10 Pro camera comes with Laser Autofocus, a new technology that helps the lens focus on the desired subject in less than 0.3 seconds. There is a function for shooting video in 4K format, which will be useful when recording videos for your own video blog or social networks.
A 5000 mAh battery will help the device “live” all day with active use. When the energy supply drops, you can use fast charging – this function is also provided in the smartphone.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.95″ |
| Memory | 8/128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | 64 MP, 8 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Front-camera | yes, 16 MP |
| Battery capacity | 5000 mAh |
| Fast charging | There is |
HUAWEI P40 Lite 6/128GB
This model is still competitive. although it is not new. It’s all about the cameras: the quality of the photos is at a very high level – according to this indicator, a smartphone at one time could compete even with flagships. The main camera of the Huawei P40 Lite performs well in low light conditions. This is possible thanks to a 0.5-inch larger sensor.
The Huawei smartphone does not have Google services. To install the necessary applications for social networks or games on it, you will have to use third-party resources. Of course, by default the P40 Lite has its own store, which is intended to replace Google Play. But he does not cope with this very successfully – there is not enough content in the store. True, some applications from Google – for example, YouTube – will work on this device.
The 4200 mAh battery is not as capacious as in other smartphones. But the charging power is 40 W, so the phone charges up to 70% in 30 minutes. Other features include a powerful processor and case materials unusual for budget devices – metal and glass.
Main characteristics
| Screen | 6.4″ (2310×1080) |
| Memory | 6/128 GB |
| Main (rear) cameras | 48 MP, 8 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP |
| Front-camera | yes, 16 MP |
| Battery capacity | 4200 mAh |
| Fast charging | There is |
Xiaomi POCO X3 Pro 6/128GB
The most productive smartphone in this ranking is definitely suitable for gamers. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 processor and 6 GB of RAM are enough for modern games at high graphics settings.
The screen of the Poco X3 Pro is also unusual: it has an increased frame refresh rate to 120 Hz, so the picture in games will be smooth and pleasant. The display is IPS rather than AMOLED, but it is bright enough and maintains wide viewing angles without color distortion.
The main camera has a resolution of 48 megapixels. In general, the pictures on the Poco X3 Pro are ordinary, but it is worth noting the 20 megapixel front camera – competitors are more likely to have a resolution of 8 MP or 16 MP.
Samsung Galaxy A32 4/128GB
The main advantage of this smartphone is its really good screen. Even budget Samsung smartphones have Super AMOLED displays – bright and energy efficient. The display refresh rate is 90 Hz, but it’s unlikely to be smooth in games. It’s all about performance. The smartphone has 4 GB of RAM – this is not little, but competitors for the same price have 6 GB and even 8 GB. Add to this the unremarkable Mediatek Helio G80 processor and we get mediocre performance, which is only enough for comfortable surfing the Internet, watching videos and using instant messengers.
Things are better with cameras: there are four modules at the back, the main one with a resolution of 64 megapixels. The 20 megapixel front camera will delight selfie lovers. Video shooting occurs only in Full HD at 30 fps; 4K video recording mode is not provided.
Nokia G20 4/128GB
Nokia G20 is a smartphone based on “pure” Android. It is not clogged with pre-installed programs and unnecessary changes. For its price, the gadget can offer good performance, 128 GB of internal memory, as well as a 48 MP main camera and three auxiliary “eyes”.
The body is made of plastic, but the back surface is not glossy, but matte, rough. Thanks to this, fingerprints and dirt are less visible on the lid. On the left side there is a button to call Google Assistant.
The device has two main disadvantages. Firstly, the resolution is 1560×720, that is, HD+. For a smartphone with a screen diagonal of 6.5 inches, this is not enough – the pixel density on the display is low, so in games the picture may be blurry and not very detailed.
How to choose a smartphone under 20,000 rubles
First of all, it is important for the buyer to understand what he wants and expects from a smartphone: high power for games, a large screen for watching movies, or, for example, increased autonomy to take the device with you on a long trip. We described in detail the purpose, advantages and disadvantages of different models in their descriptions, but it is better to outline the general requirements.
The first thing users pay attention to is smartphone memory . The performance of the device and the ability to work in parallel in several applications directly depend on the RAM. And the built-in memory is needed to install many programs and games. In addition, data on internal memory is processed faster than data on microSD. In our selection, all devices have at least 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory .
The second is the NFC module. It is needed for contactless payment for purchases or travel on public transport. In addition, this function allows you to forget about gift and bonus cards, as well as loyalty cards and discount coupons, which accumulated in dozens in your wallet. All of them will now be linked to your device – this makes using them much more convenient. All smartphones in our rating have an NFC function .
Previously, smartphone owners used regular microUSB ports for charging and transferring data between devices. They have been replaced by USB Type C connectors (or simply USB C). This is a two-way port – unlike microUSB, you can insert a plug into it either way. The USB C connector also allows for fast charging . But this does not mean that any phone with such a port charges equally quickly or, in principle, has this function – to find out the details, you need to refer to the instructions or go to the manufacturer’s official website and look at the model description. All gadgets in our top have a USB Type C port.
It’s hard to imagine a modern smartphone without a fingerprint scanner . It recognizes and remembers the papillary pattern (print) on the owner’s finger. It can then be used to quickly unlock your smartphone without having to enter a password each time. Using this option, you can set up access to online banking or social networks using your fingerprint. This way you will protect yourself from theft of money and leakage of personal data – an attacker simply will not be able to use the protected application. All smartphones from our top have a fingerprint recognition function.
Popular questions and answers
To get answers to the most frequently asked questions from readers, our editors turned to Kirill Colombet, senior software engineer at Omnigame, for help .
