The camera specifications of a smartphone are as important as the other innards, so much so that the camera performance has become one of the primary requirements for most. Unlike bulky cameras, smartphones are the go-to gadget for people who want to experiment with photography – thanks to their compact size and portability.
1. Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
2. Realme 8 Pro
3. Poco X3 Pro
4. Vivo V20 SE
5. Moto G60
And when you talk about camera performance on a smartphone, Google’s Pixel lineup is the perfect example of what can be achieved if hardware and software are perfectly optimized. Up until the latest generations, most Pixel phones equipped with a single sensor produced great images – all thanks to Google’s software optimization.
This is probably the reason why you’d see most brands focusing heavily on the camera specifications of the phones. Most modern phones feature either a 48MP, 64MP, or even a 108MP main camera. However, as mentioned above just a higher megapixel count doesn’t always reflect better camera performance.
That said, once a core feature of flagship and premium phones, even affordable phones these days offer impressive camera performance. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a phone that can shoot great images or record impressive videos out of the box. While we are at it, some brands are even coming up with features that help users shoot video blogs or vlogs on the go.
All this under a price point of Rs. 20,000 is an impressive deal. Isn’t it? Hence, here’s a quick list of camera phones under Rs. 20,000 that you can't go wrong with.
The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max is the best camera phone in the budget segment as it comes with a meaningful set of cameras and features that are pretty easy to use for anyone without much photography knowledge.
The device features a 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 primary sensor which does an excellent job capturing great images. The results have plenty of detail and great colours, though at times a little too saturated for our liking.
While the ultrawide lens could have been better, the 5MP macro camera is one of the best on a smartphone we’ve seen in a long time. It has 2x magnification which means you can get pretty close to a subject and capture some stunning images. As for the other features, the device comes with a lovely 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a capable chipset, and packs in a 5,020mAh battery unit that offers reliable battery life.
The 6GB/128GB variant of the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max could be the perfect phone for someone who wants a value for money device but without compromising on the performance.
Read our Redmi Note 10 Pro Max review
While the cameras of the Realme 8 Pro have been advertised as its biggest feature by the company, the real world might not match the tall claims that the company makes. That said, we have to admit that it does offer a lot of options in terms of shooting modes and filters. You get the same 108MP Samsung ISOCELL HM2 sensor. The primary camera produces good images which are surprisingly true to colour but could do with a little bit more adjustment when it comes to temperature accuracy.
The regular camera mode offers to zoom up to 5x which seems to catch quite a few details. The Super-Nightscape mode captures more details than usual. If you want to capture the night sky, Realme offers Starry Night mode which can produce stunning images with the help of a tripod.
Apart from the camera, the device offers good performance and well-optimized UI elements. There is also an excellent 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display, but the refresh rate is limited to 60Hz, which could be a limitation for people who prefer to play games.
Read our Realme 8 Pro review
For those who need flagship-grade performance, the Poco X3 Pro is the one to go with. The Snapdragon 860 chipset (which is basically, Snapdragon 855 Plus from 2019 - but overclocked) is a beast and beats everything else in the segment. While the performance is top-notch on the device, it surprised us with its camera performance. The Poco X3 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup with a 48MP Sony IMX582 sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP macro lens.
By default, the pictures are captured in 12MP and come out with good details, vibrant colours and dynamic range is also very good. The phone manages to bring ample details out of the subject along with fair colour reproduction. The HDR mode is turned off by default, but we’d suggest you turn that on, so you get a better result. As for the night mode, the Poco X3 Pro performed well again. The dedicated night mode clicks images that have more details and better dynamic range.
Apart from the decent set of cameras, the Poco X3 Pro offers a 120Hz LCD display, a 5,160mAh battery and excellent battery life.
Read our Poco X3 Pro review
Vivo makes one brand that focuses heavily on selfies. The Vivo V20 SE is a great option for all the selfie lovers out there as the device packs in a 32MP selfie camera housed inside the dew-drop notch.
The selfies come out really well in daylight with a good amount of details and you can also click portrait selfies. The lineup also offers a vlog mode that keeps the video creator in focus while blurring out the background.
The Vivo V20 SE also packs in a 6.44-inch AMOLED panel and an in-display fingerprint scanner. Under the hood, the handset is powered by a slightly middling Snapdragon 665 and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
There is a 48MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP depth sensor. The battery is rated at 4100mAh and supports Vivo’s 33W fast charging speeds. On the software front, it runs on Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 10.
The Moto G60 is one of the cheapest smartphones with a 108MP main camera setup. With ample daylight, the images come out really well with decent colour reproduction. The noise reduction is not the best in the segment but is subject to improvement via updates. The 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera also doubles up as a macro shooter and produces excellent images.
The Moto G60 is also a perfect phone for those who don’t want to deal with any bloatware, ads - you get near-stock Android 11 experience with a dedicated Google Assistant button.
There is also a 120Hz big 6.8-inch display with HDR10 certification. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 732G chipset which performs smoothly and the device is backed by a mammoth 6,000mAh battery with a 20W fast charge which takes about 150 minutes to fully charge the device.
