Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Budget Smartphone (Under ₹20K)

While the Western smartphone markets don’t have much in the way of competition when it comes to budget smartphones, the Indian market has always been rife with competition in this category. Smartphone OEMs across the board are making a conscious effort to provide users with an array of options that don’t break the bank, of course, but also don’t skimp out on performance. The sub-₹20,000 price segment has historically been the most favoured in India, and the trend continued in 2023.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Mid-Range Smartphone (₹20K to ₹35K)

This time around, we got to experience a lot more premium-esque features in this segment including bright AMOLED displays, high refresh rate, the addition of ultrawide cameras, fast charging, under-screen displays, and much more. The line between the specifications of high-end phones and budget phones continues to get more blurry, with some software sophistication in tow as well. The budget smartphone segment was, by far, our most competitive smartphone category with 12 fierce entrants vying for the trophy. But, in the end, only one can be crowned the winner…

Digit Zero1 Award 2023 Winner: iQOO Z7 5G (Buy now)

Price: ₹18,999

When it comes to raw power, the iQOO Z7 5G runs circles around its competition. The phone houses the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC that runs on a 6 nm process with a maximum clock speed of 2.5 GHz. The result is an almost unbridled, class-leading performance at a very affordable price. The iQOO Z7 5G consistently outperformed its challengers in CPU, GPU and even storage benchmarks. All while throttling very little. The gaming performance is extremely smooth and fluid as well. If you’re a mobile gamer looking for an affordable yet fast smartphone, the iQOO Z7 5G is your best bet in 2023.

Furthermore, the battery life is pretty decent and the charging speeds are one of the fastest in the segment. The 90 Hz AMOLED display also looks great with HDR10+ support and a high-rated peak brightness of 1,300 nits. The only downside here is the mediocre cameras. For everything else performance-related, the iQOO Z7 is the undisputed winner, which is why it takes the trophy for the Best Performing Budget Phone of 2023.

Runner-up: Samsung Galaxy M34 5G

Price: ₹16,999

While the iQOO Z7 5G reigned supreme in terms of performance under ₹20,000, one phone was only a smidge behind. That was the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G. With its super efficient and powerful 5 nm Exynos 1280 SoC, the Galaxy M34 gave the iQOO Z7 tough competition in all synthetic benchmarks and real-world performance. Sadly, it did lose out significant points in the storage benchmarks where it scored about half of what the iQOO Z7 was capable of. Naturally, app opening speeds and data transfer speeds suffered due to this.

Also read: Digit Zero1 Awards and Best Buy Awards 2023: Best Performing Premium Smartphone (Over ₹50K)

However, there are some areas where the Samsung Galaxy M34 takes the win over the iQOO Z7 – namely the camera quality and battery life. The Samsung Galaxy M34 clicks more detailed pictures and also lasts much longer courtesy of the massive 6,000 mAh battery. However, the point difference in raw performance was enough for the iQOO Z7 5G to pull ahead, making the Samsung Galaxy M34 5G the runner-up in the Budget Smartphone category.

Digit Best Buy Award 2023 Winner: Motorola Moto G54 5G (Buy now)

Price: ₹18,999

While not the fastest phone around the block, the Motorola Moto G54 5G does a lot of things well. It has speedy performance, courtesy of the MediaTek Dimensity 7020 chipset. The phone’s 6,000 mAh battery is one of the longest-lasting in the segment. In fact, with a single charge to 100 per cent, the phone lasted us more than two days. To top it off, 33 W fast charging means that it is also one of the fastest charging phones in the segment that is rife with slow 18 W, 20 W or 25 W charging speeds.

The cameras are also excellent for the price, with good detail retention and HDR performance in well-lit conditions. Overall, the Motorola Moto G54 provides great value for your hard-earned money. It is a solid mix of performance and features, making it a deserving winner of our Best Buy Award.

For more information on Digit Zero1 Award winners across various categories of products, please visit: https://www.digit.in/zero1-awards

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Dhriti Datta

Perpetually sporting a death stare, this one can be seen tinkering around with her smartphone which she holds more dear than life itself and stuffing her face with copious amounts of bacon. View Full Profile