Best Phones for Under ₹20,000 in India

Why the Xiaomi Mi A1 is the best

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

The Mi A1 has all the hallmarks of a Xiaomi device: great internal hardware, premium design, and outstanding value for money. Combine that with Google software and you get the best phone in the budget segment.

The Mi A1 gets everything right: it has a 5.5-inch Full HD panel, and is powered by the Snapdragon 625 platform. It also comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage as standard, and even has a dual camera setup at the back.

Then there's the 3080mAh battery, which provides a day's worth of usage from a full charge without breaking a sweat. With the phone sold under the Android One initiative, you get the promise of quick updates and a clean user interface that's unmarred by any customizations.

The Mi A1 is the perfect budget phone.

All this for just ₹14,999 makes the Mi A1 the deal of the year, and the phone to beat in this segment. Of course, with every new launch the bar kees getting high, but it's hard to see how phones in this category can get any better.

There isn't a single drawback with the Mi A1, with the phone holding its ground against the likes of the Moto G5S Plus and the Redmi Note 4 in every single area.

The phone offers the best cameras in this segment, with the quality of the primary sensor on par with the Mi 6, a device that costs over double that of the Mi A1.

Xiaomi will be handling updates to the phone, and in the two months it has been on sale, the device has picked up two security patches. As such, the Mi A1 is guaranteed to receive updates ahead of every other phone in this segment, with Android 8.0 Oreo set to roll out before the end of the year.

Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Best of both worlds

Conclusion

If there's one defining trend for 2017, it's Xiaomi's dominance in the budget segment. The company has launched eight devices in the country over the course of the year, each offering a differentiated feature aimed at a particular audience.

With the Mi A1, Xiaomi is targeting those looking for a clutter-free software experience and fast updates. If you want an all-rounder with a premium aluminum design, dual rear cameras, and clean software, look no further than the Mi A1.

Harish Jonnalagadda
Senior Editor - Asia

Harish Jonnalagadda is Android Central's Senior Editor of Asia. In his current role, he oversees the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, networking products, and AV gear. He has been testing phones for over a decade, and has extensive experience in mobile hardware and the global semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.