5 productivity phones under ₹20,000

As the smartphone market expands, the demand for productivity centric devices has shot up. No longer is a consumer satisfied with just phone calls and messaging on his phone. Smartphones are now capable of replacing laptops for almost all basic tasks. Be it viewing and composing emails, reviewing office documents or even giving presentations from the phone itself! But, what if you’re on a budget? Read on to find out about the top 5 productivity enhancing phones under ₹20,000.

As the smartphone market expands, the demand for productivity centric devices has shot up. No longer is a consumer satisfied with just phone calls and messaging on his phone. Smartphones are now capable of replacing laptops for almost all basic tasks. Be it viewing and composing emails, reviewing office documents or even giving presentations from the phone itself! But, what if you're on a budget? Read on to find out about the top 5 productivity enhancing phones under ₹20,000.

The Nokia E6 is a portrait QWERTY toting smartphone. Running on the Symbian Anna OS, it brings the best of both worlds, i.e. touch screen and keyboard in a compact form-factor. Powering the phone is a 600 MHz processor which, along with the graphics chipset, allows for HD video playback.

The keypad is amongst the best in the market, though many users would believe that Symbian is passé (read the

full review here

). The phone supports viewing and editing of all types of Office documents and can view PDF files via the integrated Adobe Reader app. The video output port via the 3.5mm jack is genuinely useful to give presentations straight from the phone without relying on an extra laptop. Buy this if you value reliability and fantastic hardware over a massive application ecosystem.

Price: ₹17,499

The HTC Desire Z is one of the most popular keyboard enabled Android handsets in the mid-range segment. Powered by a 800Mhz, 2nd generation Snapdragon processor, the phone runs the latest Android 2.3 i.e. Gingerbread. HTC's own Sense UI can be seen overlaid but unlike other manufacturer designed skins, it brings genuinely useful additions. The unlocked bootloader means that there is no dearth of third party ROMs to flash onto your phone. The side sliding landscape QWERTY keyboard is genuinely useful when typing out long emails. Editing documents is also a breeze. Where the HTC does lack is the rather flimsy hinge mechanism for the keyboard.

Price: ₹19,499

For the Blackberry Messenger addicts out there, the Blackberry Curve 3G has to be the perfect productivity boosting upgrade without breaking the bank. Packing both 3G and GPS capabilities, the Curve 3G is a significant step up over the 8520. Never ending battery life and the legendary BlackBerry keypad ensures the best on-the-go email experience. The 2-megapixel camera on the handset detracts from the multimedia capabilities of the phone. In-built document editing capabilities and reliable push email are the key features here. Get this one if you are an email addict!

Price: ₹13,499

The HTC Mozart is one of the cheapest phones running Windows Phone 7. The fledgling OS is the new kid on the block. Considered the underdog in the mobile sphere, the upcoming Mango update goes a long way to alleviate the shortcomings. The phone comes with robust Office integration and works exceptionally well with Microsoft's SkyDrive service. WP7 brings a refreshing take on the user interface and puts information at the highest priority. Multiple exchange accounts are supported out of the box and so are remote wipe features. Decent multimedia features and a touch experience, which is second only to Apple's, make the Mozart a compelling buy.

Price: ₹16,499

After the recent price drop to make Apple's iconic product more accessible, the iPhone 3GS has become more enticing than ever. Apple has already pledged to bring iOS 5 to the iPhone 3GS, which should further extend the life of your phone, albeit at the loss of a few features. Apple's application catalog is second to none and there is no dearth of productivity enhancement apps. Apple's own iWork suite of productivity apps is available for the 3GS and so are millions of others. While the iPhone 3GS will be in its 3rd year of existence, following the launch of the next generation iPhone, it remains a viable option against mid range Android devices. Get this to be a part of the Apple ecosystem on a budget.

Price: ₹18,499 (16GB)