It’s that time of the year when you are searching for a really good and affordable smartphone but you want to stay within your budget in the 20K range.
We’ve reviewed some of the best budget smartphones under 20K and here’s our definitive list of which ones to buy.
These phones come with brilliant scenes, dependable performance, more than good cameras, big batteries, and fast charging among other features.
The smartphones listed here can be found at their respective official and partner retail stores countrywide or on e-commerce platforms like Jumia.
Infinix Hot 30 Play – Ksh 19,400
We start off the list with Infinix Hot 30 Play, the company’s Gen Z-focused smartphone.
It comes with an eye-catching design, incredible performance, dependable cameras, and solid battery life.
- 6.82-inch screen rocking a 90Hz refresh rate and HD+ resolution
- Helio G37 chipset paired with 8GB of onboard memory and up to 8GB virtual RAM
- We also get 128GB of onboard storage as well.
- Android 13 and XOS 12.6
- 6000mAh battery
- 18W fast type-C charging
- 16MP main with a depth sensor for the rear cameras
- 8MP selfie camera for the front
- Video recording is capped at 1080p 30fps for both back and selfie videos.
All these features make the Hot 30 Play make a spot for itself as one of the best smartphones under 20K in Kenya right now – so if that’s your budget then I highly recommend checking it out.
Read our full review here.
TECNO Spark 10 – Ksh 20,000
TECNO Spark 10 series succeeds the Spark 9 series from last year and includes the regular Spark 10 and Spark 10 Pro. The Spark 10 series brings a slew of upgrades over the Spark 9 series.
The Spark series has been a favourite among the youth – from the first Spark launched in 2017 to now in its 10th generation.
- 6.6″ screen sporting a 90Hz refresh rate and HD resolution.
- 16GB of RAM which is 8GB onboard and 8GB virtual.
- Storage options starting at 128GB
- Android 13 and HiOS 12.6.
- Helio G37 chipset
- 50MP main camera and an additional VGA camera
- 8MP front-facing camera
- Video recording is capped at 1080p resolution.
- 5000mAh battery which supports 18W fast charging
I’ve liked the improvements TECNO has made across the Spark 10 series especially when it comes to photography.
Read our full review here. Our comparison review with the Redmi 12C here.
Samsung Galaxy A04 – Ksh 19,500
Samsung joins the chat with the Galaxy A04 that goes for Ksh 19,500. It was launched in August last year and its successor, the Galaxy A05 is scheduled to launch later this month or early September.
Here’s what you’re getting with the Galaxy A04:
- 6.5-inch 720p screen
- Android 12 upgradeable to Android 13
- OneUI Core 5.0
- Helio P35 chipset
- 4GB RAM and 64GB storage
- 50Mp main and 2MP depth
- 5MP selfie camera
- 5000mAh battery with support for 15W Type-C charging
OPPO A17 – Ksh 19,400
OPPO A17 is another really good option. It was launched late last year and we expect its successor later this month or next month. OPPO A18 certifications reveal that it will be similar to the A17 in terms of features.
OPPO A17 comes with:
- 6.56-inch 720p screen with Panda Glass protection and 600 nits brightness
- Android 12 and ColorOS 12.1
- Helio G35 chipset
- 4GB RAM and 4GB Virtual RAM and 64GB storage
- 50MP main and 2MP depth sensor
- 5MP selfie camera
- 5000mAh battery and 10W microUSB charging
- IPX4 water resistance
- Face unlock and side-mounted fingerprint reader
Realme C33 – Ksh 18,499
The Realme C33 is one of those devices that has been selling in the Kenyan market for some time now. It offers good specs for the price.
- 6.5-inch 720p screen
- Android 12, Realme UI S
- Unisoc Tiger T612 (12 nm) processor
- 4GB RAM and 64GB storage
- 50MP main and depth sensor
- 5MP selfie camera
- 5000mAh battery with 10W microUSB charging
Read our full review here.
vivo Y22 – Ksh 20,000
The Y series is a really beautiful lineup and that same trend is maintained with the Y22. Vivo Y22 is a really good smartphone and the company has crammed nice features – both hardware and software.
You are getting incredible camera performance, an alluring design, dependable performance and strong battery life. There’s nothing more you’d want in a phone.
- 6.5-inch display
- MediaTek Helio G85 processor paired with a Mali-G52 MC2 GPU
- 4GB RAM and 4GB of virtual RAM
- 64GB onboard storage
- 50MP main camera and a 2MP macro
- 8MP selfie camera
- Video is capped at 1080 30fps for both the main and selfie camera.
- 5000mAH battery and supports 18W fast Type-C charging
Read our full review here.
