Seven octa-core Android smartphones you can buy under Rs. 20,000

Samsung brought octa-core smartphones to the limelight with the launch of the Exynos variant of the Galaxy S4. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 followed suit, and the recent launch of Samsung Galaxy S5 did continued the same trend.

Late last year, MediaTek unveiled what it called "the world's first octa-core" processor, an obvious dig at the Samsung Galaxy S4, which has only four active cores at a time. This enabled budget smartphone manufacturers to launch their own octa-core smartphones. While the jury is still out on whether these phones offer a real performance advantage ( See: Octa-core processors: Real advantage or marketing myth?), here are seven octa-core smartphones you can buy today without burning a hole in your pocket.

1. Intex Aqua Octa

The Intex Aqua Octa is a dual-SIM (GSM+GSM) device which runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It comes with a 6-inch (720x1280 pixels) HD OGS (One-Glass Solution) IPS display. The Intex Aqua Octa is powered by the MediaTek's much-touted MT6592 octa-core chipset clocked at 1.7GHz with 2GB of RAM.

2. Micromax Canvas Knight

The highlight of the Micromax Canvas Knight is its octa-core MediaTek (MT6592T) processor clocked at 2GHz, coupled with 2GB of RAM. The Canvas Knight offers dual-SIM (both Micro-SIMs) support and runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean out-of-the-box. It comes with a 5-inch (1080x1920 pixels) full-HD IPS display with a pixel density of 443ppi.

The Canvas Knight comes with 32GB of inbuilt storage, which is non-expandable. It sports a 16-megapixel rear camera with OmniVision CameraChip sensor and M8 Largan Lens, while there is a secondary 8-megapixel front-facing camera.

3. Gionee Elife E7 Mini

The Gionee Elife E7 Mini runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with the company's custom Amigo 2.0 UI layer on top. It comes with 4.7-inch IPS IGZO display with a 720x1280 pixels resolution. The Gionee Elife E7 Mini is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6592 processor alongside a Mali 450MP4 GPU and 1GB of RAM. It is available for Rs. 19,500.

4. WickedLeak Wammy Passion X

The WickedLeak Wammy Passion X was launched at Rs. 22,500 but is now available for Rs. 18,500. It is powered by a MediaTek (MTK6592) processor clocked at 1.7GHz and runs on Android 4.2 out-of-the-box. It is a 'water-resistant' phone that comes with 'super hydrophobic' coating, offering protection for components if the phone is exposed to water or any water-based liquid for up to 30 minutes.

5. Wickedleak Wammy Titan 3 Octa

The Wickedleak Wammy Titan 3 Octa is powered by a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor with a Mali 450 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The handset includes a 13-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 1080p videos, and a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter.

6. Karbonn Titanium Octane

The Karbonn Titanium Octane features a 5-inch HD IPS display, and runs on a 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor with 1GB of RAM. It features a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone is expected to be available later this month for Rs. 14,490.

7. Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus

The Karbonn Titanium Octane Plus features a 5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixel) IPS display, and runs on the 1.7GHz MediaTek MT6592 octa-core processor, however, with 2GB of RAM. It features a 16-megapixel autofocus rear camera with an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The smartphone is expected to be available later this month for Rs. 17,990.