Listing the best smartphones below RM2000

It’s March 2020, and it maybe too early to claim the best smartphones below RM2000, but here I am putting up a list for my own use.

You see, with my Samsung Galaxy Note9 damaged, and the Malaysian Movement Control Order (MCO) limiting my options for repairs, I’ve opted to buy a new phone online.

I figure it would be easier to buy a new phone than wait for the MCO to end.

That said, I’ve quickly made a list of smartphones I consider worth to buy now, making them among the best smartphones below RM2000.

BEST SMARTPHONES BELOW RM2000 OPTIONS

When choosing a smartphone, three things are important to me namely the phone’s camera ability, the ease of using the phone, and of course it’s pricing.

That said, I’ve listed the Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite, the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro, the OnePlus 7T, and the Huawei Mate20 Pro as options.

Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite

The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite comes into my list because I would only use Samsung smartphones if it came with a stylus (S-pen).  The only Samsung smartphones that came with a stylus were the Note Series and the Note10 Lite is the cheapest in the new range.

The other ranges are significantly higher in price and after my experience with the Note9, I am stringly considering if I should splurge more than RM3,000 on a smartphone.  The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite cost about RM2,000 in Shopee.

Despite known as the lowest range in the Note10 series, the Note10 Lite comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.  The rear cameras come in the form of a 12MP wide-angle photo camera, a 12MP telephoto camera and a 12MP ultra wide camera.

Add in the S-Pen, and the phone could prove to be a winner.  However, the Note10 Lite isn’t waterproof and I dislike software’s version of Android.  On top of that, Bixby is still pretty annoying to me.

Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro

This Mi Note 10 Pro was a last minute entry into my list of the best smartphones below RM2,500.  While Xiaomi had always been at the back of my mind, their lack of waterproof phones had made me shun them for a while.

However, with the Mi Note 10 Pro priced from RM1,875 on Shopee, I placed the phone into my list of the best smartphones below RM2,000.

Based on reviews, the Mi Note 10 Pro seems well rounded. It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space. It also is the first smartphone with 108MP Penta lenses with the a 48 MP wide angle camera, a 8 MP telephoto camera, and a 16 MP ultra wide camera.

Since I can’t exactly tell much more about the camera, the Mi Note 10 Pro wins when it comes to pricing and I am favorable of the MIUI Android version.  However, the lack of waterproofing turns me off greatly.

One Plus 7T

I have never owned a OnePlus phone and this was probably a chance for me to own one.  Since I can easily get the OnePlus 7T from RM1,900 on Shopee I figured I could give it a try.

Like the Mi Note 10 Pro, the One Plus 7T shares similar amount of RAM and storage. The rear cameras are also high-end with a 48 MP wide-angle camera, a 12 MP telephoto camera, and  a 16MP ultrawide camera.

The OxygenOS Android version used by the OnePlus phones makes this phone very much desirable, but the phone doesn’t have an official IP rating which makes its waterproofing questionable.

Huawei Mate20

The Huawei P20 Pro I’ve used before was awesome.  I loved the EMUI Android, and the camera was just amazing.  Since the Mate20 is a newer model to the P20 Pro, I expect the Mate20 to be much better. – FYI, I am not considering the P30 or Mate30 series because they don’t have the Google PlayStore support.

Despite being almost a year old, the Huawei Mate20 still goes from RM1,999 on Shoppee.  Compared to the other phones here, the Mate20 isn’t current in its set-up but I am confident in it’s camera’s ability due to the use of Leica optics.

On top of that, EMUI is a very refined version of Android, and it comes with an IP53 rating.  This makes it dust and splash proof which is ahead of the other three phones above.

SO THE BEST SMARTPHONES BELOW RM2000 IS?

After careful considering and ‘some’ panic buying, I decided to go for the Mi Note 10 Pro.

Several reasons led to this.

First and foremost, it is one of the newer phones out there.  When it comes to smartphone purchases, it is always best to buy the latest version as technology goes by fast.  The Mi Note 10 Pro is the highest phone version in the Xiaomi Mi Series.  The Mi Series is the top series for Xiaomi.

Secondly, the price.  At only RM1,875 on Shopee, the phone can be considered a complete steal.  Not only does it have a huge storage space, the RAM is also above average.  Aside from that, the camera set-up is as good as Samsung’s.  You can see what I mean by that here.

Also, I am very favorable towards the MIUI, which is Xiaomi’s version of Android.

I did mention that the Mi Note 10 Pro had a disadvantage which it is not waterproof.  However, this disadvantage could be neglected since most smartphones below RM2000 don’t have any IP rating, except for the Huawei Mate20, which is óld’.

That said, I’ve already ordered the Mi Note 10 Pro after considering the best smartphones below RM2000 and I can’t wait for it’s arrival soon.