With 5G services officially launched in India the fact that cannot be ignored is that 5G is currently available for a handful of consumers in select regions in the country. Bharti Airtel, one of the leading telecom operators in India launched 5G services in 8 cities on October 1, the same day when 5G was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Reliance Jio, the other top telco has also started beta trials in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.
This also means that this might be the right time to invest in a 5G smartphone. While handset majors Samsung, Apple and OnePlus have launched top-tier 5G phones, several flagship models need to be updated via OTA update to actually start supporting 5G airwaves. Also, investing in a flagship smartphone just to experience 5G may not be everybody's cup of tea. This is why we have compiled a list of capable 5G smartphones that you can buy for under Rs 20,000.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite (retailing for Rs 18,999 online)
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite is a smartphone that was launched under OnePlus' budget Nord lineup and it is a good 5G phone to buy for under Rs 20,000 right now. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, the Nord CE 2 Lite comes with a 5000mAh battery. There is a triple camera setup at the back of the phone which is led by a 64MP sensor.
Samsung Galaxy M33 (retailing for Rs 16,999 online)
Powered by Samsung's proprietary Exynos 1280 Octa Core 5nm processor, the Galaxy M33 comes with 12 band support for 5G. There's a 6.6-inch LCD display and the phone comes with a big 6000mAh battery. There is 128 onboard storage which can be expanded up to 1TB.
Redmi Note 11T (retailing for Rs 15,999 online)
The Redmi Note 11T is another good option to consider when looking for a 5G handset for under Rs 20,000. Powered by MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, the Redmi Note 11T also has a 3.5-mm headphone jack and a big 6.6-inch display.
Oppo A74 (retailing for Rs 14,990 online)
The Oppo A74 is another good alternative under Rs 20,000 with 5G support. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 SoC. For imaging, there's a triple camera system at the back led by a 48MP main sensor with a 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensor.
Poco X4 Pro (retailing for Rs 18,840 online)
The Poco X4 Pro is another decent option to consider when looking for a budget 5G smartphone. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, the main USP of the smartphone is its OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz.