5 best gaming smartphones under ₹20,000 in 2022

Lately, ₹20,000 has become a sweet spot for smartphone buyers. So the brands are also rushing in to compete against each other in that price segment. With the increasing popularity of graphics-intensive titles like PUBG: New State, BGMI, CoDm, FIFA mobile, Asphalt 9, etc., the popularity of gaming smartphones too has increased drastically.

With each brand trying to give each other a hard time in the race, the specs of these smartphones sometimes go as high as Snapdragon 778G processor, 144Hz display, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.1 storage, etc.

Even a month ago, these specs were unimaginable on under-20k smartphones. All these numbers and specs-sheets might confuse the average buyer. The following are some gaming smartphones under ₹20k that are worth checking out.

Realme 9 5G SE
Infinix Zero 5G
POCO X4 Pro 5G
iQOO Z6
Moto G71 5G

Explore these excellent gaming smartphones under ₹20,000 in 2022

5) Moto G71 5G

Snapdragon 695
6.4" AMOLED FHD+ display
50 MP triple camera
6GB RAM
128GB storage
5000 mAh w/ 33W charging

Moto has recently launched some pretty good spec mid-range smartphones, and G71 5G is one of those. Powered by Snapdragon 695, this smartphone supports 13 5G bands. This is the only mobile with IP52 certified water repellent design in this price segment. Like other Moto smartphones, G71 5G to offers a nearly-stock Android 11 experience, guarded by ThinkShield protection for mobiles.

The triple camera setup features a 50MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro lens. There is also a 16MP selfie cam. The 5000 mAh battery charges swiftly with 33W TurboPower charging. G71 5G is available for 17,999 on Flipkart.

Pros: Display, OS, security

Cons: Camera

4) iQOO Z6

Snapdragon 695
6.6" 120Hz FHD+ display
50 MP triple camera
8GB RAM
128GB UFS 2.1 storage
5000 mAh w/ 18W charging

iQOO is famous for making gaming phones. Z6 is their latest addition to the budget segment. Powered by Snapdragon 695 6nm processor, this is a very power-efficient smartphone. The 5-layered liquid cooling system ensures that the device stays cool during these intense gaming sessions. The 6.6" FHD+ display has a dashing 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate.

The extended RAM 2.0 feature adds another 4 gigs of RAM with the existing 8 GB one. The Funtouch OS 12, based on Android 12, adds some cool gaming features like Ultra Game mode. The triple camera setup features a 50 MP primary camera, a 2 MP macro sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor. Available on Flipkart at ₹17,999 on Amazon.

Pros: RAM expansion

Cons: Charging

3) POCO X4 Pro 5G

Snapdragon 695
6.67" 120Hz AMOLED FHD+ display
64 MP triple camera
6GB RAM
128GB storage
5000 mAh w/ 67W charging

POCO X series is famous for providing performance beast smartphones under budget. X4 Pro 5G is nothing different. It packs a Snapdragon 695 cooled by their latest Liquid cooling Technology 1.0 plus. 6.67" AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz RealityFlow display with 360Hz touch sampling rate and 1200 nits peak brightness. The display is protected with Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

67W SonicCharge with MMT technology charges the phone from 0 to 100 under 41 minutes without overheating. X4 Pro comes with Dolby Atmos-certified dual stereo speakers. It has a 64 MP ISOCELL GW3 primary sensor with an 8 MP ultrawide and 2 MP macro camera for those sharp shots. The operating system is MIUI 13, based on Android 11. POCO X4 Pro 5G is priced at ₹19,999 on Flipkart.

Pros: Display, speakers, charging

Cons: NA

2) Infinix Zero 5G

Dimensity 900
6.78" 120Hz FHD+ display
48 MP triple camera
8GB LPDDR5 RAM
128GB UFS 3.1 storage
4400 mAh w/ 33W charging

Infinix Zero 5G is undoubtedly the most premium spec and premium looking phone from Infinix. Zero 5G is powered by Mediatek Dimensity 900 processor. Dimensity 900 provides about 5% better overall performance than Snapdragon 695. This chipset also enables the smartphone to use faster LPDDR5 RAM and 3.1 UFS storage.

It comes with 5 GB of extended RAM support. Zero 5G looks premium with a Uni-Curve design. It is short on the battery side, packing 4400mAh, with 33W TÜV Rheinland Safe Charging capability. The 48MP triple camera setup has a 13 MP portrait lens and 2 MP bokeh lens. It has a 16MP front camera. Out of the box Android, 11 OS is available. Infinix Zero 5G is available for ₹19,999 on Flipkart.

Pros: Processor, RAM, storage

Cons: Camera, battery

1) Realme 9 5G SE

Snapdragon 778G
6.6" 144Hz FHD+ display
48 MP triple camera
6GB RAM
128GB UFS 2.2 storage
5000 mAh w/ 30W charging

Realme 9 5G SE or Speed Edition tops the list with a Snapdragon 778G. The Panda Glass protected 6.6” FHD+ display is boosted with a 144Hz refresh rate, the fastest in this segment. It comes with 6 GB ram and can go up to 11 GB with Dynamic RAM Expansion. The Starlight texture design with nano-coating technology makes this an instant eye-catcher.

The triple camera setup features a 48 MP primary lens, 2 MP black-and-white portrait lens, and 2 MP macro lens. Out of the box Realme 9 SE boots in Realme UI 2.0, based on Android 11. Realme 9 5G SE is available for ₹19,999 on Flipkart.

Pros: Processor, refresh rate, RAM expansion

Cons: Camera

Concluding thoughts

Some of them were pretty typical gaming phones and some of them packed some unbelievable features compared to their price. A new name joined the race with the usual gaming smartphone brands like POCO and iQOO and went straight for second place. The future of smartphone games and gaming smartphones is very unpredictable. Who knows what trick the tech giants might have under their sleeves next.

5 best gaming smartphones under ₹20,000