Xiaomi Redmi K20

Most ‘non-Pro' models have a clear tell – they're either smaller in size, have a lower number of cameras on the back, or have been constructed using inferior components such as plastic. To that extent, buyers opting for the Redmi K20 will enjoy the same aesthetic appeal which is associated with its pricier sibling. From the size of the phone, to the handset's overall build quality and even the choice of colours, the Redmi K20 is indistinguishable from the K20 Pro.Therefore, if you want to read up on the design of the handset, I'll recommend you head over to my colleague Nitansh's review of the K20 Pro. But, long story short, both, the Redmi K20, as well as the K20 Pro, are gorgeous devices with excellent ergonomics and a stunning gradient back.As for the ports and buttons, both, the Redmi K20 as well as the K20 Pro ship with the same in-display fingerprint sensor, a pop-up selfie camera (which supports face unlock), a headphone jack and a USB Type-C port for charging. Unsurprisingly, the fingerprint sensor on the K20 was just as responsive as the one on the Pro model and I didn't face any issues with the unit during my time with the device. The face unlock software worked well too, albeit there's no option to turn off the LED light which perimeters the selfie camera module.

Well, broadly speaking, two things - the processor, and the rear-facing camera module. Let's talk about the CPU first.While the Redmi K20 Pro is backed by Qualcomm's latest flagship SoC in the form of Snapdragon 855, the Redmi K20 settles for a newer, yet slightly less powerful Snapdragon 730 chip. Now, the performance delta between the two CPUs is significant, but it's only evident when you're pushing the K20 to its limits. For instance, while PUBG defaulted on the highest graphics preset on the phone, the game played much better on the Pro variant than it did on the K20. In a similar fashion, while the K20 could comfortably multitask between a half a dozen apps, the animations and the app opening times were a tad bit faster on the K20 Pro.Interestingly enough, the Snapdragon 730 processor is the third-fastest chip from Qualcomm behind the SD 855 and SD 845 mobile platforms. This puts the Redmi K20 in a tough spot since you can spend less than the K20 and get the POCO F1 (review), which per Xiaomi, is a faster phone. Or, if you can extend your budget, then you can instead opt for the K20 Pro, which will not only offer faster performance to boot but will also increase the smartphone's longevity.As for the rear-facing camera module, you'll be hard-pressed to find any differences in the image quality when compared to the K20 Pro. As baffling as it might sound, the K20 clicks pretty much the same photos as its pricier sibling, with a tad bit less vibrancy. So, what gives? Well, the 48MP shooter on the K20 makes use of a Sony IMX 582 sensor, as opposed to the tried and tested IMX 586 sensor on the Redmi K20 Pro.Now, the reason why I didn't notice any major differences in the image quality is because the IMX 586 sensor only has an edge when it comes to shooting videos over the IMX 582 sensor. Therefore, with the K20 Pro, you'll be able to shoot 4K videos at 60fps, whereas the K20 locks the video frame rate at 30fps when shooting in 4K resolution. And that's it, really. Even the assisting cameras on the K20 are like the ones on the K20 Pro, and the phone ships with an 8MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture, as well as a 13MP, f/2.4, wide-angle lens with a 125-degree field of view.On the whole, I was greatly impressed with the cameras on the K20 and below is the pudding for proof.As can be seen from the sample images, the Redmi K20 clicks stunning photos during the day which have an abundance of details in them. The handset boasts excellent dynamic range too, which makes scenes with a cloudy sky pop. I will admit that the handset doesn't bring up the details in the shadows all that much, but other than that, the K20 is a very reliable shooter when the sun's out.Also, a word of advice – if you're shooting in good lighting conditions, then the AI engine will do little to spruce up the photos. Therefore, you might as well turn it off when it's sunny outdoors and just stick to clicking images with the HDR enabled.I was quite satisfied with the smartphone's ultra-wide angle and telephoto shooters as well, which help you get up close or further from a subject without moving an inch from your position. Moreover, unlike the ultra-wide angle lens on some competing devices, the K20's 13MP shooter clicked sharp, cinematic shots too. As for portrait mode, the smartphone struggled to tell the subject from the background and consequently, parts of my hair were also blurred in the shot.The 48MP mode, on the other hand, works as advertised and it betters the details in a scene by a considerable amount. What's more, unlike most other camera apps, the Redmi K20 ships with a dedicated 48MP mode which can be accessed easily by swiping left or right on the viewfinder.I hate to end the camera section on a bad note, but the Redmi K20's lowlight performance felt amiss. While the handset clicked decent photos for the most part, there was considerable lens flaring in the shots. Lowering the exposure does help keep a lid on the issue, but it also results in the overall scene turning much darker.