Best camera phones under ₹ 20,000 in India

POCO F1
₹ 19,999

Not very flagship smartphone has one of the best cameras in the market for price tag that’s under ₹20,000.

The phone’s autofocus works considerably fast — some credit is owed to the phone’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. Colors in photographs also turn out relatively well in well-lit conditions showing accurate white balance and contrast.

The only thing that would irk a photograph using this phone is how the edge definition isn’t upto the mark and in low light conditions, you’re probably better off using the phone’s flash. Bokeh and zoom capabilities could also use a little bit of work.

But, for the average photographer who’s looking to click good photos and wants a camera to back his or her skill — the Poco F1 is not a bad choice.

DxOMark, an independent image quality measuring service, even declared Poco F1’s camera to be better than the iPhone 8.


Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro
₹ 13,999

The main highlight of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 Pro is the fact that it has a 48MP primary sensor. It’s not the first phone to feature those specs, but it’s definitely the first in this price segment. The Sony IMX 586 sensor is a proven lens and it’s the same one that users can find powering the OnePlus 7 Pro’s camera.

As most photographers know, a high megapixel count doesn’t necessarily mean better photos. But in Xiaomi’s case the correlation holds true because the sensor know what do with the data being captured.

The Redmi Note 7 Pro handles itself well in low-lit and well-lite conditions. The phone has a dedicated night mode as well, it’s not perfect but it does a better job of handling noise than its competitors.

For portrait shots, the edge detection is also pretty on-point while giving users the option to customise how much is blurred when using Bokeh.

It’s the best camera phone in the market that you can buy for a price under ₹15,000.

Realme 3 Pro
₹15,499

Considering that the phone only has a 16MP camera, the specs may not look too impressive to the layman comparing to the Redmi Note 7 Pro’s massive 48MP rear camera but the Realme 3 Pro uses the same Sony IMX 519 sensor — which is the same one that you find on the OnePlus 6T.


Competition between the two devices cuts it pretty close, but the RealMe does have an edge over Xiaomi’s device when it comes to the selfie camera and the operating chip that powers the phone.


Xiaomi gives 48MP resolution to its pictures using something called a Quad Bayer array. But if you’re really looking to capture high resolution photos, there’s option to capture 64MP output if you’re willing to use the camera’s ‘expert’ mode that can stitch together four 16MP images.

Samsung Galaxy A50
₹ 19,999

This is the only phone on the list that under ₹20,000 and also has a triple camera setup in the back. — a 25MP primary sensor, a 5MP depth sensor and an 8MP wide angle sensor. The selfie camera has another 25MP sensor to boot.

Photographs taken in well-lit conditions turn out well, but as with all Samsung cameras, the colors will be a little more saturated than real life. Exposure in the photos also comes out on the higher side, but it make silhouettes and shadows pop.

Despite three cameras, the details under low light conditions are very crisp.

What needs to be understood is that the third sensor, the 8MP wide angle, may let you capture more in a single frame but the disprancy between pixels caught by the primary sensor and the ones caught by the wide angle lens — especially when you look at the edges.


So, if you’re looking to buy a camera phone that looks and feels premium, the Samsung Galaxy A50 is your best bet but when it comes down to core photography — the Realme 3 Pro, Redmi Note 7 Pro, or the Poco F1 are probably better choices.

Xiaomi Mi A2
₹11,999

The Xiaomi Mi A2’s camera may not be anything to write home about on paper, but the resulting photographs show that the Chinese manufacturer is taking camera’s seriously — even when it comes to taking selfies.

Unlike Samsung, Xiaomi keeps colors natural. And, while it captures details well, contrast could be better to make shadows pop better.

Even when it comes to low-light shots, the Mi A2 captures details and colors fairly well while managing the noise — but shadows are still underwhelming.

It’s good phone to invest in — if you don’t mind the absence of a 3.5mm jack. The absence of the port isn’t just a drawback for people who prefer conventional headphones but also for videographers who might need to add a lapel mic to shoot videos.