20 best smartphones under 20000 rubles in 2022

Choosing a budget smartphone is like assembling a construction set that lacks details. The manufacturer did not put a good camera in one “kit” to add performance to the device. In another case, he saved on the RAM of the gadget, due to which he gave the smartphone a high-quality and bright screen. Such combinations are innumerable, but among them it is not so difficult to find a suitable solution.

Smartphones have many different options and features. It is difficult to take into account all the characteristics at the same time, but it is absolutely not necessary to do this. To make it easier for our readers to choose the right gadget, our editors have compiled the top best smartphones under 20 rubles in 000.

Editor’s Choice

Realm 8

Remember how a couple of years ago Xiaomi broke into the and world market and let’s surprise everyone with high-quality smartphones at nice prices? Since then, the Chinese giant has noticeably raised prices on many models. Now the new “top for your money” is another brand from China – realme. This is the pre-flagship model of the company. 

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 fast charging. The display is made using AMOLED technology – the most juicy and bright to date. 

The new processor in the phone, unfortunately, was not installed. They are satisfied with the popular, but obsolete Helio G95 chip. However, for modern games, photo processing and video editing, its capacity is enough for comfortable work.

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Top 14 best smartphones under 20 rubles in 000 according to KP

1. Poco M4 Pro 5G

Smartphones of this company are always equipped with top-end stuffing. Initially, they were made for fans of mobile games who could not afford expensive devices, but wanted to win in virtual worlds with a high-quality picture. Now the positioning has changed a little – the mobile phone has become more massive. First of all, it is reflected in its design. 

Poco smartphones no longer look like a “teenage dream”. But you can’t call them boring and strict either. This one, for example, has variations in bright yellow and azure blue casings, as well as classic grey. The Poco has an unusual vibration motor built into it. He can synthesize up to four vibrations of different rhythms, which are used for notifications and applications. The owners of the smartphone in the reviews write that the work of the “motor” is very pleasant. 

The mobile phone has 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) gives excellent sharpness and performance. Modern 3D shooting games can be safely set to high quality and play without brakes.

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2.TCL 10L

The main feature of this smartphone is a capacious internal storage. 256 GB of memory is 200 mobile games or 40 songs. Of course, music and photos are often stored on a removable memory card, but games and programs are installed just on the built-in memory. Therefore, smartphone owners have to choose what to leave and what to remove to free up space, but TCL 000L 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 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 is a special customizable button. The owner can assign different actions to it: for example, with one click it will call the Google Assistant, with two clicks it will turn on the camera, and when held it will take a screenshot of the screen. True, it is not located very conveniently – it will be difficult to avoid accidental clicks at first.

The battery capacity on this device is 4000 mAh, according to this indicator, it loses the competition to other smartphones. There is also no fast charging feature.

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3. Redmi Note 10S

In 2022, there is already the next one – the 11th generation of these democratic devices from Xiaomi. But it does not fit into our budget of 20 rubles. But the 000S version is a landmark model for the market. Note the S prefix in the title. It’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 absence of a bang 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 way. To “export” such a large resolution of 2400×1080 on an AMOLED screen, there must be a high-quality technical component. The Helio G95 processor is installed here, as in the leader of our review. RAM is a little simpler, but if you delve into the nuances. Try to buy the 8 GB version – then in everyday tasks you won’t notice any micro-freezes at all. There is a special mode for the game, which is enabled in the Game Turbo settings: it removes unnecessary tasks from the memory and throws all the power of the smartphone into performance during the gaming process. 

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4. 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, an IPS screen without light, 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. First, it is a special mode of enhanced performance. It will increase the performance of the device in games, but will consume battery power faster. Secondly, on the HONOR 10X Lite display, you can turn on the eye protection mode, with which the eyes will not be so tired. 

Of the minuses, one can single out the lack of a 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, besides, it does not “distinguish” midtones and shades badly. Lips in a selfie will be too bright, and brown eyes will be black, especially in poor lighting.

The battery can “live” all day without charging, which, by the way, takes a little over an hour. 

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5. Vivo Y31

The lines of this brand have not yet fully established themselves in our market, and positioning is controversial among those who like to theorize smartphones. So, the Y series is like Xiaomi’s Redmi: with a balance of price and quality towards quality. Therefore, it is quite natural to attribute this model to the best smartphones under 20 rubles. Sold in two colors: gray-black and “blue ocean” – the toxic blue color of the disco.

Users note that the mobile phone fits perfectly in the hand. There is noise reduction to cut off the rumble of the road when talking and recording video on the street. It works, of course, not like a professional tool, but it still cuts off part of the noise pollution. “Under the hood” is a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, which is considered the top on the market. Other manufacturers of equipment from China in this price category put chips from mediaTek. 

But vivo can be “liked” for a more expensive solution. But it seems that after purchasing Snapdragons, the manufacturers ran out of money for RAM, so there is only 4 GB. It will not affect social networks and instant messengers, in games the result could be better. Of course, we are talking about 3D shooters. You can shoot down balls and indulge in other unpretentious “killers” of time without any problems.

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6. Nokia G50

A big and heavy phone from a legendary brand that recently started making pure Android devices. Such an operating system turns out to be quite light, fast, without excessive load of advertising applications. 3D games will fly. And it’s also very convenient to experiment with it by installing different launcher firmware on top that change the appearance of the shell.

We know that among fans of smartphones 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 once again. But this company was not afraid and added a feature: handheld shooting is smoother. Still, the camera software itself would be made a little more responsive and in general it would be good. 

In the meantime, we are forced to state that when photographing, the mobile phone freezes. And it’s not the processor. For, as in the previous participant in the ranking of the best smartphones in 2022, the solution from Snapdragon is again used. Probably a problem on the part of the application developers.

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7. 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 rubles. There is an older version of Pro, and this is a younger brother lite. It has a weaker camera, worse stuffing, but there are enough functions for everyday use. The back cover is made of tempered glass (black or blue), and the sides are made of rough metal so that it does not slip.

By modern standards, the screen is compact. But the resolution of 2280×1080 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. 

The filling by the standards of our time is no longer top-end. If possible, look for a version with 4 GB of RAM: it will work longer without brakes. What’s cool is the quality of the “RAM” chip itself – it works very quickly. You can play “snake”, “balls” and Angry Birds. 3D shooting games will hang.

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8. Alcatel 1SE

I remember the time when the French company was a trendsetter in the push-button phone market: it made very beautiful devices for ladies. What a sonorous polyphony there was! And those pixelated 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 fraction of the offer on store shelves. Among them, the device is worthy of mention in the ranking of the best smartphones of 2022. 

Notice the SE prefix. The point here is not in repeating after the “iPhones”, but in the fact that the company has another version 1S. There is a weaker processor, slightly different dimensions. 

From the point of view of the technical part, this is a very, very budget model. Viber and Telegram will work well, YouTube videos in high resolution will load, but a little slower than on other devices. The games are only primitive, it is also better not to sit down for editing videos. Maximum touch up makeup and apply a filter on a new photo for social networks.

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9. Ulefone Armor X8

In 2022, there is a small but popular category of mobile phones under the conditional name “smartphones for hunters and fishermen.” In general, super-protected, for extreme outings. The Armor line, whose name translates as “armor”, is one of those. The box immediately comes with an additional protective glass on the screen. There is an LED event indicator – a cool feature that many manufacturers unfortunately forget about.

The microbulb shimmers (color can be customized) depending on the type of notification. You can customize your color for each messenger. The processor is very simple – MediaTek Helio A25. But there is nothing special to load it here, because the mobile phone works on pure Android. 

A funny solution inside – “Easy start”. It is for those who want to save the battery as much as possible or decide to buy a smartphone for an elderly relative who just loves long trips to nature. When this mode is activated, all the beautiful animation and menu icons disappear. Replaced by large buttons with only the most necessary functions. Everything looks like in the era of push-button phones, consumes little charge and is very convenient for people with low vision.

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10. TECNO Pova 2

The brand has just appeared in Our Country, but already now it can be predicted 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 in 2022, we placed a model with an incredibly capacious battery. To fit it, it took a screen of almost seven inches. This is a very big phone! 

It has a relatively new MediaTek Helio G85 processor. It is assisted 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 loads. It has a good camera, a fairly bright display that doesn’t dim too much in daylight. 

If it weren’t for its exorbitant dimensions, we would first of all recommend it not only to gamer guys, but also to girls who love to draw, edit videos and edit photos. And so, before buying, a lady should hold it in her hands and try it on her pocket and purse.

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11.OPPO A55

In the ranking of the best smartphones under 20 rubles, there should be camera phones – models in which the company places serious emphasis on the quality of shooting. The main camera here has a resolution of 000 megapixels. In our rating, there are models with higher performance, although in reality this whole megapixel race has long been irrelevant. Today, optics and software processing are much more important 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 the demand. Available in two colors: strict black and dark blue with an iridescent gradient. The last solution looks pretty fresh. The technical part of the mobile phone leaves much to be desired. 

Even with the mediocre scrolling of the feed in social networks and surfing the expanses of Google, everything works too smoothly. Not so much to the brakes, but if you’re like a day with a more expensive phone, and then come back to this, you’ll notice a drop in speeds. The games are just the simplest.

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12.Samsung Galaxy A22

Laconic smartphone with absolutely boring technical characteristics. It is clear that in the category up to 20 rubles it is unlikely that you will be offered a top-end processor and screen (although there are precedents), but Samsung put only 000 GB of RAM into their device and limited themselves to 4 GB storage, of which only 64 GB is available – the rest is occupied 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 a high-quality assembly of its devices – nothing creaks, does not crack. Plus, Korean cameras are quite adequate.

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13. 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 mAh battery. This is twice as much as other, more expensive smartphones.

The shock-proof case is protected from hit of moisture and dust. All connectors and the microphone are behind special plugs that can be moved with your finger. Above and below the display there are shock-absorbing sides – they will take the hit instead of the screen surface if the device falls on a flat surface.

The gadget has a custom 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.

The rugged design and large battery make the design feel bulky: twice as thick and heavy as a regular smartphone, and the wide bezels seem to squeeze a small 5,7-inch screen inside.

The camera is mediocre – the resolution of the main module is only 16 MP. However, the device has NFC features, USB C fast charging, and face unlock.

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14.OPPO A54

An ordinary inexpensive smartphone with 128 GB of internal memory, which is suitable for everyday tasks. Powered by Mediatek Helio P35 processor which is not designed for demanding games. But 4 GB of RAM is enough for surfing the Internet and chatting 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 photos and shoots videos in Full HD.

The display is not the strongest point of this smartphone – the screen on the IPS matrix has a resolution of 1600×720 pixels. The images are a little washed out – they lack brightness and contrast. Although the color reproduction in OPPO A54 cannot be called unambiguously bad.

The device will work for more than a day with an average load. It has a fast charging function. The smartphone also has a separate slot for a memory card, a face unlock function and a “fast” fingerprint scanner. 

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Leaders of the Past

1. Infinix NOTE 10 Pro

The Infinix NOTE 10 Pro is a 6,95-inch smartphone, almost like a tablet. The display resolution is 2460×1080 pixels, so even with this size the display retains high image detail. Watching movies and videos on such a screen is extremely convenient. In addition, its refresh rate has been bumped up to 90Hz, which means that frame rates will be much smoother than on a standard 60Hz 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 gaming, but it will even allow you to play new games, albeit with medium or low graphics settings. 

The camera on the Infinix NOTE 10 Pro is equipped with laser autofocus, a new technology that helps the lens focus on the right subject in less than 0,3 seconds. There is a function of shooting video in 4K format, which will be useful when recording videos for your own vlog 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.

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2. HUAWEI P40 Lite 6/128GB

This model is still competitive. although it is not new. It’s all about the cameras: the quality of photos is at a very high level – according to this indicator, a smartphone at one time could compete even with flagships. The Huawei P40 Lite’s main camera performs well in low light conditions. This is possible thanks to the sensor increased by 0,5 inches.

The smartphone from Huawei 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 designed 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 40W, so the phone charges up to 70% in 30 minutes. Among other features, one can note a productive processor and case materials unusual for budget devices – metal and glass.

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3. 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 rate of up to 120 Hz, so the picture in games will be smooth and pleasant. The display is IPS rather than AMOLED, but is bright enough to maintain 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 front camera with 20 megapixels – competitors are more likely to have a resolution of 8 MP or 16 MP.

Things are worse with the dimensions and materials of the case. Poco X3 Pro is made of not the best quality plastic, and it is also larger and heavier than the average smartphone.

Due to its performance, the device heats up more. To protect against damage and overheating, the processor begins to skip cycles after a while of playing – this is called throttling. As a result, performance drops, and freezes and “lags” may appear.

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4. Samsung Galaxy A32 4/128GB

The main advantage of this smartphone is a really good screen. Even budget Samsung smartphones have Super AMOLED displays that are bright and energy efficient. The display refresh rate is 90 Hz, but it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy smoothness in games. It’s all about performance. A smartphone has 4 GB of RAM – this is not enough, 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 has a resolution of 64 megapixels. The front camera of 20 megapixels will delight lovers of selfies. Video shooting occurs only in Full HD at 30 fps, video recording in 4K is not provided.

The Samsung Galaxy A32 has a regular 5000 mAh battery that will last almost all day. Fast charging Samsung Charge – the company’s own development – is inferior in speed to the usual Quick Charge technology, but quickly charges the battery up to 50%.

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5. Nokia G20 4/128GB

Nokia G20 is a pure Android smartphone. It is not cluttered 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 case is made of plastic, but the back surface is not glossy, but matte, rough. Thanks to this, fingerprints and dirt are not so 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 can be blurry, not very detailed.

The second negative is that there is no fast charging function, only a standard 10W power. At the same time, a 5000 mAh battery will last for 1-2 days. The device has a face recognition function and there is a separate microSD slot, so the owner does not have to sacrifice one of the SIM cards.

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How to choose a smartphone under 20 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 description, but it is better to outline the general requirements.

The first thing users notice is smartphone memory. The speed of the device and the possibility of parallel operation in several applications directly depend on the RAM. A built-in memory is needed to install many programs and games. In addition, the data on the internal memory is processed faster than the data on the microSD. In our selection, all devices have at least 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage..

The second is the NFC module. He is needed for contactless payment for purchases or travel in public transport. In addition, this feature allows you to forget about gift and bonus cards, as well as loyalty cards and discount coupons, which accumulated in dozens in a purse. All of them will now be tied to your device, making them much more convenient to use. All smartphones in our rating have an NFC function..

Previously, smartphone owners used conventional microUSB ports for charging and transferring data between devices. They were replaced USB Type C connectors (or just USB C). This is a two-way port – unlike microUSB, you can insert the plug into it either way. USB C connector also allows 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 see the model description. All the gadgets in our top have a USB Type C port.

Without fingerprint scanner It’s hard to imagine a modern smartphone. It recognizes and remembers the papillary pattern (imprint) on the wearer’s finger. It can then be used to quickly unlock your smartphone so you don’t have to enter your passcode every time. With this option, you can set up access to Internet banking or social networks using your fingerprint. So you protect yourself from money theft and leakage of personal data – an attacker simply will not be able to use a 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.