New year, new phone. If you’re on a budget but want something that isn’t in the “cheap and cheerful” category, then this guide is for you. This is SoyaCincau’s best smartphones under RM2,000.
Xiaomi 12 Lite
The Xiaomi 12 Lite is the first smartphone on our list. This device is powered by a Snapdragon 778G processor with 8GB of RAM and two storage configurations.
For RM1,699 you can get the variant with 128GB of storage while RM1,899 will net you 256GB of internal storage.
Up front, you’ll find a 6.55” Full HD+ AMOLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 240Hz. There’s also a 32MP selfie shooter tucked into a tiny punch hole at the top of the screen.
Keeping the lights on is a relatively small 4,300 mAh battery, but it has support for 67W fast-charging via USB-C. Other goodies include a pair of stereo speakers and an in-display fingerprint scanner as well as support for NFC, 5G and WiFi 6.
Honor 70
Honor’s new smartphone, the Honor 70, is next up on the list, with a Snapdragon 778G+ processor at its core. There is only one memory configuration available, and that’s with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for RM1,999.
Its key feature is the camera, as this smartphone sports a 54MP Sony IMX800 sensor with an f/1.9 aperture wide lens. Besides that there’s also a 50MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor.
In the front, you’ll find a 6.67” OLED curved display with a Full HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. You will also find a 32MP camera in the tiny punch hole at the top. Keeping this powered is a 4,800 mAh battery with support for 66W of fast wired charging.
Poco F4 GT
Now, at retail, the Poco F4 GT is a little over the budget, coming starting at RM2,299. However, this smartphone is often on sale for less than RM2,000, so we thought it was worth a shout.
At its core you’ll find a flagship-class Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor which is still really capable today. Two memory configurations are available, with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. Either for below RM2,000 would be a good deal.
There’s a 6.67” Full HD+ AMOLED display that pushes a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 480Hz. You will also find a 20MP selfie camera at the top.
Since this is a gaming-centric smartphone, it even features magnetic pop-up triggers that act as shoulder buttons when you game. It is also powered by a 4,700 mAh battery with support for 120W fast-charging via USB-C. For photography, you’re looking at a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide and a 2MP macro shooter.
Samsung Galaxy A73
Continuing the trend of phones that are slightly over budget at retail but are often on sale for less, we have the Samsung Galaxy A73. This smartphone retails for RM2,099, and features a Snapdragon 778G processor with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. However, it is often on sale for less, so you can keep an eye out for that.
It packs a 6.7” Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a punch hole at the top that sees a 32MP selfie camera. The screen also features a refresh rate of 120Hz.
For photos, the phone features a 108MP quad-camera setup where the main shooter is supported by a 12MP ultra-wide, a 5MP macro and a 5MP depth sensor.
Keeping the lights on is a generous 5,000 mAh battery, but it only supports 25W of fast-charging via USB-C.
Oneplus Nord 2T
Rounding out the list this time is the OnePlus Nord 2T. This smartphone packs a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 upper midrange processor mated to two different memory configurations.
For RM1,899 you can get this phone with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage while RM2,099 will net you 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Up front, this phone features a compact 6.43” Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. What makes this phone popular among its fans however is the relatively stock Oxygen OS based on Android 12 out of the box.
There are three cameras at the back, a 50MP wide camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camer and a 2MP mono camera. Keeping everything running is a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 80W fast-charging via USB-C. Apparently a full charge from 0% takes just 15 minutes. Other goodies include an in-display fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, NFC support and WiFi 6.
