2019 was a fabulous year for smartphones. Companies were bolder and aggressive with their devices this year, so much so, that we have four to five different types of front camera solutions in the market right now. Smartphones, in general, offer more value for money than ever before and we have brands like Xiaomi and Realme almost always exceeding our expectations in the budget price segment.

After hours of discussions and elimination rounds, we have finally compiled the list of the Best Budget Smartphones of 2019. Believe me, picking the best phones in this highly competitive segment wasn’t easy at all, but the smartphones that have finally made it to this list offer exceptional value to its buyers.

So here are the Top 5 Budget Smartphones of 2019.

Overall BEST: Redmi Note 8

A Xiaomi phone dominating the budget segment? Not all surprising, right?

Xiaomi knows how to give you the best value for your money and competitors have a hard time matching Redmi’s budget offerings. The Redmi Note 8 comes with Snapdragon 665, a large 4000mAh battery with an 18W charger out of the box, GG5 protected 6.3-inch 1080p display and a beautiful design that’s as good as any premium device. Plus, it comes with a camera setup that features a 48MP primary, 8MP wide-angle sensor, and 2MP depth and macro cameras, giving users a wide variety of camera options at a budget price tag.

Starting at Rs. 9999 and 179.90 Euros for the 4GB + 64GB RAM variant in India and Europe respectively, the Redmi Note 8 offers value like no other device in this segment. You simply can’t go wrong with this well-packaged best seller.

Vivo U20

Vivo smartphones are good, but they have never really been famous for offering incredible value for money. Xiaomi and Realme have traditionally dominated that club. But with the new Vivo U20, the brand is giving the Redmi Note 8 a run for its money. And in some ways, the U20 is even better than the Redmi Note 8!

For example, the Vivo U20 offers up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage at Rs. 11,990. In comparison, the 6GB RAM and 128GB storage variant of the Note 8 costs Rs. 13,000 in India. And did I mention the U20 features UFS 2.1 instead of the slower eMMC storage standard used in the RN8? It also features the Snapdragon 675 processor with a large 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging.

However, U20’s cameras aren’t as strong as the Redmi Note 8. It comes with a 16MP(f/1.78)+8MP(f/2.2)+2MP(f/2.4) setup that’s decent in real life but nothing to boast about. Also, for some reason, Vivo is still using MicroUSB on the U20. But if you are okay with MicroUSB and with the brand’s bloated FunTouch OS, the Vivo U20 offers incredible value for your money in 2019!

Redmi 8

Even if your budget is extremely low, as low as Rs. 7,999 in India (4GB+64GB) or €149/ €179.90 (3GB+32GB/ 4GB+64GB) in Europe, the Redmi 8 will ensure you have a solid smartphone in your hands. The phone is powered by the octa-core Cortex A53 powered Snapdragon 439. There’s an HD 6.22inch IPS LCD display with Gorilla Glass 5 protection and a fingerprint sensor at the back. There are multiple color options available including a fancy green color shade like the Redmi Note 8 Pro.

In terms of features, the Redmi 8 beats almost all phones in its price segment. And with MIUI on board, you are promised timely updates. So, it’s no surprise the phone makes it to our Best Budget Phones of 2019 list!

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi plans to launch expensive models in India to shed budget brand image

Xiaomi Mi A3

Yet another Xiaomi phone makes it here! But it’s not exactly a pure Xiaomi smartphone since it comes with Android One instead of MIUI. And that’s why the A3 gets a unique status in the budget segment.

The Xiaomi Mi A3 comes with Snapdragon 665 with 4GB RAM as standard and 6GB as optional. The highlight of the device is its 6.09-inch Super AMOLED display, which despite its HD+ resolution, looks pretty good. The phone features the seventh-gen. screen fingerprint solution under its display and is the only device in this list with this technology. A 48 MP, f/1.8 primary camera with an 8 MP, f/2.2 ultrawide lens and a 2 MP depth sensor ensures you have a very capable camera unit on board. Plus, there’s a huge 32MP sensor up front for selfies.

And did you see the Mi A3 in More than White? It looks gorgeous! The Mi A3 is a global device starting at 4GB +64GB at Rs. 12,499 and going up to Rs. 15,499 for its 6GB + 128GB variant. In Europe, the phone starts at €219 for the 4+64GB variant.

Realme 5

Realme 5 was the first smartphone to bring a quad-camera setup in the budget segment. The phone featured a 12MP f/1.8 main camera, an 8MP ultra wide-angle sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. Before the Realme 5, nobody would have even imagined such a power-packed camera setup on a budget smartphone. So the phone definitely deserves a place on this list.

The cameras on the Realme 5 are capable, especially in daylight, and the wide-angle and portrait cameras are definitely usable. With Snapdragon 665 and a large 5000mAh battery, the Realme 5 offers incredible value to buyers in 2019. It does cut down on a couple of useful features to keep its price low, like display resolution (HD+) and charging speeds (10W). But if you can look past these minor drawbacks, the phone offers more value than most other devices in its price segment.

So that was it, the Best Budget Smartphones of 2019.

Do you think any other device deserves a mention in this list? Let us know in the comments below.

UP NEXT: The Most Underrated Smartphones of 2019

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A recent report had revealed that Vivo India is gearing up to launch the 8 GB RAM edition of the Vivo U20 smartphone. The Chinese firm has finally today introduced the 8 GB RAM version of the smartphone in the country with a price tag of Rs. 17,990. The variant is now aimed towards the offline markets.

The buyers of Vivo U20 8 GB RAM edition can take advantage of 5 percent cashback with HDFC credit card, ICICI Bank credit / debit cards and Axis Bank credit / debit cards until Dec. 31. Buyers can also avail EMI offers from Bajaj, IDFC First Bank, HDB, and Home Credit. Jio is offering benefits worth Rs. 6,000 (~$85).

The Vivo U20 8 GB RAM that is priced at Rs. 17,990 (~$252) can be bought in colors like Racing Black and Blaze Blue. The other models of the phone such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 64 GB storage are priced at Rs. 10,990 (~$155) and Rs/ 11,990 (~$169), respectively. These two variants of the Vivo U20 are available for purchase online.

Editor’s Pick: Redmi K30 for 1,599 Yuan (~$227) brings 120Hz display, SD765G and six cameras with Sony IMX686

Vivo U20 Specifications and Features

The Vivo U20 features a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display. The waterdrop notch screen offers full HD+ resolution. The Snapdragon 675 AIE mobile platform powers the phone. It draws power from a 5,000mAh battery that supports 18W dual-engine fast charging.

The rear shell of the phone features 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system. On its front is a 16-meapixel selfie camera. The Android 9 Pie OS on the device is customized with FunTouch OS 9.2 UI. It has a rear-mounted fingerprint reader.

UP NEXT: Vivo X30 real images appear with key specifications

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Vivo U20, the latest U-series phone from the company is now up for purchase in India. The device is available in 4 GB and 6 GB RAM variants in the country. A fresh report on 91mobiles have revealed that the Chinese manufacturer will soon launching a higher variant for the smartphone featuring 8 GB of RAM. The publication has also shared the pricing of the new variant.

According to the publication, the 8 GB RAM version of the Vivo U20 will be available for purchase through offline stores from Dec. 12. It is expected to come with 128 GB of native storage, and it could be priced at Rs. 18,990 (~$265) in the country. The currently available 4 GB and 6 GB RAM editions of the Vivo U20 are respectively priced at Rs. 10,990 (~$153) and Rs. 11,990 (~$167). The handset is available for purchase in color editions like Racing Black and Blaze Blue. The 4 GB and 6 GB RAM variants are both available for purchase through online channels like Amazon India and Vivo India’s online store.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo Y9s launched in China for 1,998 Yuan (~$284); Specifications and price

Vivo U20 Specifications

The Vivo U20 has a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch. It offers full HD+ resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The FunTouch OS 9.2 based Android 9 Pie OS. The 11nm Snapdragon 675 mobile platform is present under the hood of the device. The device is equipped with a microSD card slot for more storage.

For shooting selfies, it is fitted with a 16-megapixel selfie camera. The triple camera setup of the phone includes a 16-megapixel main lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. A 5,000mAh battery present inside the device with 18W dual-engine fast charging. A fingerprint reader is available on the backside of the phone. Face unlock is other biometric recognition available on the device. The device is equipped with a dual SIM slot, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS and 3.5mm audio jack.

UP NEXT: Vivo V17 for India will have a punch hole display and a different camera design

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Vivo U20, a new U-series smartphone from the Chinese brand in the Indian market, was made official a couple of weeks ago. The phone went on sale in India for the first time on 28th November and now it’s up for grab today.

Today, the Vivo U20 smartphone will be available for purchase in India exclusively through online marketplace Amazon and Vivo e-shop, with sale beginning at 12:00 PM IST. The base model with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage is priced at ₹10,990 while the 6GB RAM and 64GB storage model costs ₹11,990. The phone comes in two color options – Racing Black and Blaze Blue.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi makes big organizational changes; co-founder departs

The smartphone features a 6.5-inch FHD+ 2340 x 1080p IPS LCD screen and a 90.5 percent screen-to-body ratio. Under the hood, the device is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 chipset.

In the camera department, the device features a triple camera setup on the back consisting of Sony IMX499 16MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture while there are two other sensors include a 120° degree 8MP super wide-angle lens and a 2MP macro lens that can shoot objects as close as 4cm.

On the front side, the device features a 16MP selfie camera housed in a waterdrop notch. The company also confirmed support for Widevine L1 certification, so streaming HD content on Netflix and Prime Video apps shouldn’t be an issue. As for the other connectivity features, you get a fingerprint sensor at the back, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo.

The smartphone is running Android 9 Pie operating system out-of-the-box with the company’s own FunTouch OS 9 custom user interface. The device is powered by a 5,000mAh battery that comes with an 18W fast charger right inside the box.

UP NEXT: Huawei Nova 6 5G hands-on images appear before this week’s launch

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Today Vivo surprised everyone by launching the value for money smartphone U20 in India. It is a very interesting take on Realme’s and Redmi’s affordable devices since it offers amazing specifications at an incredibly affordable price. It comes right after the launch of the Realme 5s in the nation and a lot of people are already considering its specs sheet even better. Another device that is fighting to become the best-seller under €200 in India and all around the world is the Redmi Note 8. Which is currently the device with the highest value for money? This specs comparison will shed some light on such a hard question to answer.

Vivo U20 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 vs Oppo Realme 5s

Design

The Redmi Note 8 clearly wins the design competition. First of all, it is the only which sports a glass back making the whole phone more elegant and refined (and protected by Gorilla Glass 5). Further, it is the most compact, the thinnest and the lightest phone of this trio. But despite the superiority of the Redmi Note 8, there is still to award the Vivo U20 which maintains a very thin and light body, even though it is equipped with a much bigger battery and a much wider display. Even the Realme 5s has a unique advantage: unlike its two rivals, it is splash resistant.

Display

Realme 5s loses the display comparison because it is equipped with a panel sporting a lower resolution. It is just HD+ and that is not the best for a wide 6.5-inch display as it does not provide a high definition level. On the other hand, the display is definitely one of the strong points of the Vivo U20, since it has a wide display diagonal (6.53 inches) and a high Full HD+ resolution. It even comes with the Widevine L1 certification which allows streaming content in high definition from the most known platform (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video).

Specs & Software

While Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5s are fueled by the Snapdragon 665 chipset, Vivo decided to take a step forward by equipping the Vivo U20 with a more powerful Snapdragon 675, so you will most likely get higher speeds thanks to its higher CPU performance. Further, consider that Vivo U20 comes with 6 GB of RAM and a fast UFS 2.1 internal storage making its performance even higher than expected. Unfortunately, it does not have a 128 GB configuration, unlike the Redmi Note 8, but it sports a micro SD slot to expand the native storage. Android 9 Pie is installed out of the box on each phone but customized by different UIs (Funtouch OS, MIUI, and Color OS).

Camera

The cameras are the real weak point of the Vivo U20: indeed, while it sports a better display and hardware department, if you care about photo quality then you’d better go for the Redmi Note 8 or the Realme 5s. Both have a 48 MP quad camera, but currently, the MIUI seems to have a slightly better algorithm for imaging, at least from what I’ve seen by testing Realme and Redmi devices.

Battery

Realme 5s and Vivo U20 are the battery champions here: they come with a huge 5000 mAh battery, while Redmi Note 8 offers just a 4000 mAh unit. Between Realme 5s and Vivo U20, the former should last more since it has to manage a display with a lower resolution.

Price

Vivo U20 just debuted with a €151/$166 price tag (Rs. 11,990), while Redmi Note 8 starts from Rs. 9,999 (€126/$139) just like the Realme 5s. Due to its better display, huge battery and higher performance, Vivo U20 is the most interesting handset overall, but only if you do not care a lot about photo quality (in that case Redmi Note 8 is a better option, or Realme 5s if you need a bigger battery instead of an FHD+ display).

• Read More: Realme 5s with 48MP quad cameras, 5,000mAh battery and SD665 launched for Rs. 9,999 (~$139)

Vivo U20 vs Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 vs Oppo Realme 5s: PROs and CONS

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8

PROs

• Affordable price
• Nice cameras
• Good display
• Faster charging

CONS

• Smaller battery

Oppo Realme 5s

PROs

• Huge battery
• Wide display
• Good cameras
• Splash resistant

CONS

• HD display

Vivo U20

PROs

• Nice display
• Wide display
• Nice front camera
• Huge battery

CONS

• Worse rear cameras

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If you thought Redmi and Realme had the best budget smartphone options in India, Vivo is here to change your opinion. The Chinese smartphone company has announced the new Vivo U20 model that features a Snapdragon 675 processor along with a very large 5000mAh battery with 18W fast charging. The U20 has the hardware and pricing to take on both, Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5S smartphones.

The Vivo U20 Specs include a Snapdragon 675 processor

While Redmi Note 8 and Realme 5S feature Snapdragon 665 chipset, the new Vivo U20 takes things a step forward with Snapdragon 675. There are 4GB and 6GB RAM options with 64GB of storage and a hybrid MicroSD card slot onboard. For display, the Vivo U20 comes with a 6.5-inch FHD+ 2340 x 1080p IPS LCD screen and a 90.5 percent screen to body ratio. Since its a budget device, the phone is built out of plastic.

At the back, the Vivo U20 features a triple camera setup. The primary camera is the Sony IMX499 16MP sensor with f/1.8 aperture while there are two other sensors: a 120° degree 8MP super wide-angle lens and a 2MP macro lens that can shoot objects as close as 4cm. Upfront, the phone features a 16MP selfie camera housed in a waterdrop notch.

Editor’s Pick: Realme 5 vs Realme 5s vs Realme 5 Pro: Specs Comparison

One of the biggest highlights of the Vivo U20 is the battery on board. The phone features a 5000mAh battery that comes with an 18W fast charger right inside the box. Even with such a large battery, the phone is both lighter (193 grams) and thinner (8.9mm) than the Realme 5S.

For software, the Vivo U20 comes with Android 9 Pie with Funtouch OS 9 skin on top. The company also confirmed support for Widevine L1 certification, so streaming HD content on Netflix and Prime Video apps shouldn’t be an issue. As for the other connectivity features, you get a fingerprint sensor at the back, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo. Available sensors include an accelerometer, proximity sensor, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, and gyroscope.

Vivo U20 Pricing & Availability

Vivo U20 will go on sale on November 28 at 12 PM in India via Amazon.in and Vivo’s online store. The 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant starts at Rs. 10,990 ($153) while the 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM variant is priced at Rs. 11,990 ($167).

There are two color options at launch: Racing Black and Blaze Blue.

UP NEXT: Vivo S5 with diamond-shaped quad cameras now on sale in China

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Vivo is all set to launch the Vivo U20 smartphone in India on Friday. The Amazon India landing page of the phone has been revealing the key specs and features of the Vivo U20 as the launch date nears. PriceBaba has shared hands-on shots of the Vivo U20 before its launch. Moreover, the Vivo India YouTube channel has new promo videos of the smartphone.

Here's your first look at the upcoming #VivoU20. Any guesses on the price? pic.twitter.com/d3E9cc3E8s

— Pricebaba (@Pricebaba) November 16, 2019

Vivo U20 hands-on images show that its frontside is fitted with a waterdrop-style notch screen. The chin of the device is a bit thick whereas the side bezels are thin. The back panel of the phone seems to be made of polycarbonate material. The rear shell that has a glossy appeal has a fingerprint scanner and a vertical camera module that houses three lenses and an LED flash. The right edge of the device a volume rocker and a power key.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo S5 Hands-on pictures in review: Truly Immersive display!

Vivo U20 Specifications and Features

The first promo video revels that the Vivo U20 has a 6.53-inch Halo FullView display that offers full HD+ resolution. The phone comes with Widevine L1 certification which makes it capable of playing streaming content on Netflix and Prime Video. In other video, the smartphone is backed by a 5,000mAh battery that carries support for 18W fast charging. The U20 promises 273 hours of standby time, 21 hours of Instagram, 17 hours of Facebook and 11 hours of YouTube.

The landing page of the phone has Snapdragon 675 mobile platform with up to 6 GB of RAM. The device will be coming with 128 GB of native storage. Rumors have it that the phone may come in two editions such as 4 GB RAM + 64 GB storage and 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage.

The Vivo U20 has a triple camera system with LED flash. It is equipped with some other features such as microUSB, a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone and an external speaker. A fingerprint scanner is available on the backside of the device.

The Vivo U20 is the rebranded version of the Vivo U3 phone that was unveiled in China. Hence, the U20 could be equipped with 16-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 2-megapixel triple camera system and it has a front camera of 16-megapixel. It may come with FunTouch OS 9.2 based Android 9 Pie OS.

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The landing page for the upcoming Vivo U20 smartphone recently popped up on Amazon India. It revealed that the smartphone will go official in India on Nov. 22 at 12 PM (local time). Some details on the specs of the phone was also revealed through its landing page. Fresh details on the battery capabilities of the phone have surfaced now on the Amazon listing.

New details reveal that the Vivo U20 has a mammoth 5,000mAh battery. To ensure that it charges quickly, the phone will carry support for 18W dual engine fast charging technology. A closer look at the bottom edge of the device reveals that it does not feature a USB-C port. The bottom side of the phone has a 3.5mm audio jack, a microphone, a microUSB port and an external speaker.

The behemoth battery of the Vivo U20 will allow the phone to deliver a standby time of 273 hours, 21 hours of Instagram usage, 17 hours on Facebook and 11 hours of video watching on YouTube. It was previously revealed that the Vivo U20 will be sporting a display with waterdrop notch. A fingerprint scanner is available on the back panel which also features an LED flash enabled triple camera setup at its top-left corner.

The Vivo U20 is powered by Snapdragon 675 mobile platform. After the Vivo V17 Pro and Vivo V15 Pro high-end phones, the U20 will be third phone from the Chinese firm to feature the SD675 chipset. The SoC is coupled with 6 GB of RAM. The smartphone is equipped with UFS 2.1 storage.

The Vivo U10 smartphone that had gone official in September in India is a rebadged version of China’s Vivo U3x phone. It is speculated that the Vivo U3 phone that had recently debuted in China could be rebranded in India as Vivo U20.

Editor’s Pick: Vivo S5 with an OLED Punch-hole display, Diamond-shaped Quad cameras Official!

Vivo U3 Specifications

The Vivo U3 has a 6.53-inch IPS LCD display with waterdrop notch. It supports a tall aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and 1080 x 2340 pixels full HD+ resolution. The Snapdragon 675 chipset powers its 4 GB and 6 GB RAM variants. Both models have 64 GB of native storage and carries support for external storage.

Its back has a 16-megapixel + 8-megapixle + 2-megapixel triple camera system. On its front is a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. The 5,000mAh battery of the phone supports 18W dual-engine fast charging. The FunTouch OS 9.2 UI flavored Android 9 Pie OS runs on the device. A fingerprint scanner lies on the back panel of the phone. The 3 GB and 4 GB RAM variants of the Vivo U3 are respectively priced at 999 Yuan (~$142) and 1,199 Yuan (~$171) in China.

UP NEXT: Vivo V17 spotted in a music video

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A couple of months ago, in September this year, Vivo launched its first U-series smartphone in the Indian market — Vivo U10. Now, the company is all set to launch its successor in the country — Vivo U20.

Vivo has confirmed that the upcoming U-series smartphone, Vivo U20, will be launched in India on 22nd November. Further, it has been revealed that the device will be available for purchase exclusively through Amazon.

Along with revealing the launch date, the company has also revealed some of the key specifications and features of the smartphone. From the teaser image, it is confirmed that the smartphone will have a waterdrop notch on top of the display.

While details about the phone’s display is not yet known, we are expecting the smartphone to come with Full HD+ screen resolution. The company has confirmed that the device will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 octa-core chipset.

This is an upgrade over the Snapdragon 665 SoC found in the Vivo U10 smartphone. The U20 will also be the third smartphone from the Chinese company to come powered by SD675 SoC, after Vivo V15 Pro and V17 Pro.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi Mi CC9 Pro teardown showcases the internals of the feature-packed smartphone

The company has also revealed that the smartphone will have up to 6GB of RAM. While not yet confirmed, we expect the phone to come in at least two variants based on the memory configuration — 4GB RAM + 64GB storage and 6GB RAM with 128GB internal storage.

The image shared by Vivo also shows that the phone will have a triple-camera setup on the back, where the sensors are aligned vertically in the top-left position, along with an LED flash. There’s also a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security.

To know for sure about the phone’s full specifications as well as the variants, color options, pricing and availability information, we’ll have to wait for a few more days until the Vivo U20 goes official in India on 22nd November.

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