Today, we can spend some time with the new Realme Narzo 20A, completing the Realme Narzo 20 family. We have already talked about the brothers of this phone, the Narzo 20 and the Narzo 20 Pro, which cost more and are positioned higher. This series is meant to prioritize processor power, especially for gaming, which is why the Narzo 20A, which starts at Rs. 8,499 could be a pretty compelling option. This model undercuts the Narzo 10A for Rs. 500 and also potentially collides with the Realme C12.
While the Narzo 20 (Review) looks almost identical to the Realme C15 (Review) and the Narzo 20 Pro shares much of its design with the Realme 7 (Review), what we have with the Narzo 20A is the Narzo 10A (Review) all once again … which is itself an updated Realme C3 (Review). I suppose this recycling and duplication should no longer surprise us, but it does create a world of confusion.
The new Narzo 20A has the same V-ribbed “Victory design” pattern at the rear as its siblings. The plastic casing is matte and you can see a slight color change when tilting the phone. You get the same Victory Blue and Glory Silver color options as with the Narzo 20. The camera module at the rear is vertical, which is the main design element that separates the two models. You will also notice that the Narzo 20A is slightly thinner and lighter as it has a smaller battery.
The Realme Narzo 20A has a 5000mAh battery
Externally, there is nothing new or innovative about the Narzo 20A. You get a 6.5-inch HD + 720×1600 pixel display with rounded corners, a waterdrop camera notch, and relatively thick edges.
There’s an old-fashioned Micro-USB port at the bottom, which is somewhat of a disappointment to see, with a 3.5mm audio jack and speaker on either side. The power button is on the right and the volume buttons are on the left, with a fingerprint sensor on the back. Everything is within reach.
What does stand out is the use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor. This is the first time for the Narzo series, which so far has only used MediaTek G series processors. Considering that the Nokia 5.3 (Review) with the same processor starts at Rs. 13,999 and the Realme 5 (Review) launched at Rs. 9,999 just over a year ago, it looks like it could be good value for money, but there are likely compromises elsewhere.
You get 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for Rs. 8,499, or 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage for Rs. 9,499. There are two Nano-SIM slots and a separate microSD slot for storage expansion. You get 10W of charge for the 5000mAh battery. Other specs include Wi-Fi n, Bluetooth 4.2, and GPS.
When it comes to cameras, some people may be disappointed. Realme claims that the Narzo 20A has three cameras, which is a selling point, but two of them are basically fillers on the spec sheet. There’s the main 12-megapixel camera that should come in handy, but the other two are 2-megapixel cameras described as “retro lens” and “black and white lens” that are used only for specific filter effects. You don’t get a wide angle or macro camera, not even a depth sensor, so “triple camera” might not mean what you think it does. That said, the 8-megapixel front camera seems adequate. Very soon I will be testing all of these to assess photo quality under various conditions.
True to its positioning, the Narzo 20A prioritizes CPU performance and there’s very little else to say about the spec sheet. It will be interesting to see how the Qualcomm processor and its integrated GPU perform, relative to the Narzo 20 and even the Narzo 10A. Realme has made navigating their product stack very difficult, but there may be buyers for whom this exact combination of specifications is just right.
If you’re confused about the Realme lineup, stay tuned to Gadgets 360. A full review of the Narzo 20A will be posted very soon, with details of its gaming performance, general use, camera quality, battery life, software, and much more. .
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