Realme Narzo 20A: The Good, The Bad, And The X Factor

The device is somewhat identical to the standard Realme Narzo 20; except for the rear camera design. The Realme Narzo 20A is priced at Rs. 8,499 for the base model with 3GB+32GB configuration and Rs. 9,499 for the 4GB RAM+64GB storage option.

The smartphone comes as the company's answer of the Redmi 9 series which is currently the most well-equipped series in the sub Rs. 10,000 segment. In our last article, we did the first impressions of the standard model. This article focuses on the initial impressions of the Realme Narzo 20A. Let's have a look.

Realme Narzo 20A: The Good

Mid-Range Snapdragon 665 Chipset, New Firmware

The Realme Narzo 20A derives its power from the 2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 which has eight cores. The chipset is accompanied by Adreno 610 GPU, 3GB/4GB RAM, and 32GB/64GB storage option. This mid-range chipset powers some other popular budget smartphones such as the Redmi Note 8, Realme 5s, and the Vivo U10.

The device ran apps without any lags during our testing. Even with up to four apps running in the background, the device's functionality is swift. Gaming also is decent, but we are yet to test its full potential.

Software-wise, the Realme Narzo 20A has the same Android 10 OS with a Realme UI skin layout on top. The UI is identical on all the three variants. The handset comes with all the Android 10 elements including Dark Mode, gesture-based navigation, and Digital Wellbeing.

New Design With Dedicated MicroSD Card

The Realme Narzo 20A has the same ‘Victory' design as the standard Narzo 20. The rear panel has gradient appeal but with a textured pattern that reflects patterns with light rays falling on it. But unlike the standard model, this one has a thinner profile. Also, the placement of the volume and the power keys is on either side.

You get the former on the left and latter on the right edge. This model also has a dedicated microSD card slot which allows you to use two nano-SIM cards and one microSD card at the same time.

This is one of the positive aspects of this handset. It supports up to 256GGB microSD card. Complementing the new design is a tall 6.5-inch Minidrop notch display upfront which offers an HD+ resolution, and 20:9 aspect ratio. It is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 3.

Realme Narzo 20A: The Bad

Dated MicroUSB port, Not Comfortable To Use With Single Hand

The Realme Narzo 20A is some modern set of features, but it still packs a dated microUSB port. The company could have used a USB Type-C port as the other models.

Also, the smartphone might have a thin profile compared to the standard Narzo 20; however, it is still difficult to operate with a single hand. You can work around with texting, calling, or surfing through a browser or an app. But for gaming and to reach the corners you will need both your hands.

No Fast Charging Support

The Realme Narzo 20A has a big 5,000 mAh battery unit. While this is smaller compared to the smaller model, it is powerful enough to store a backup of an entire day. But the device comes void of fast charging support and has a 10W charging speed.

Since the company has started shipping its budget smartphones with Quick charging technology, we expected the same on this model as well. Nevertheless, the device still is well equipped in terms of battery capacity.

Realme Narzo 20A: The X Factor

The Realme Narzo 20A's highlight is its triple-lens AI rear camera setup. The smartphone offers a 12MP primary sensor which has an f/1.8 aperture, a 2 black and white sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, and another 2MP retro sensor with an f/2.4 aperture.

The camera app has all the shooting modes as the standard model such as HDR, Portrait, Panorama, Time-Lapse, and Slow-Motion. It's good to see that the company is offering these additional features on the low-end model as well. While we haven't yet tested the camera completely, the initial impressions deem it to be fit for daylight imaging. We will be coming up with a detailed camera review soon.