In the present time, everybody needs a smartphone as we’re eventually moving towards a digital lifestyle where everything, if not the majority of the things that we require, can be either accessed by using a smartphone or can be ordered using them.
Apart from the basic uses of a smartphone for video calls, apps, to content consumption on sites like YouTube, Netflix, Hotstar, etc.
There are other uses of smartphones that have risen over the past couple of years like professional video & photography, content creation for social media sites, mobile gaming, online classes for school & college students, and many more.
In this article, I’m going to discuss the best smartphones that are available in India right now for purchase.
I’m adding the models based on the following criteria:
- Best smartphone in India under Rs 10000, 15000, 20000, 25000, 30000, 35000
- Smartphone with the best camera
- Best Snapdragon processor mobiles
- Best MediaTek processor mobiles
- Best battery backup
- With the best display for eyes
- Best mobile phones above 40000, 5000
- Best premium smartphones in India
So with no further adieu, let’s start our list…
Best smartphone under Rs 10000 in India
Redmi 9 Prime
In my list, the best under this category with 4Gb of ram. It has all the features that a mid-range smartphone must-have. The icing on the cake is its Helio G80 2.0 GHz processor along with 4 GB of ram and full HD+ IPS display protected by Corning gorilla glass 5.
If your budget is low and you want a phone that can do decent gaming, content viewing, and light multitasking then this is it.
At this budget you must not complain about the quality of the camera, take what you get. If it can take good pictures under enough light conditions then it’s good to go. And Redmi 9 pro falls under that category.
For serious mobile gamers, you can play COD mobile, Free Fire & Battleground India on medium settings.
And about the heating problem, this phone is not that unusual as its peers. The heat dissipation works just fine.
Battery: You’re getting a 5020 mAh battery that supports an 18W fast charger. You’ll get excellent screen time on this particular phone.
Verdict: for light multitasking & gaming, this is a complete winner.
Best smartphone under 15000
Samsung Galaxy M31
This model from Samsung is the clear winner ahead of its competitors like Realme Narzo & redmi Note 9.
This is a 6GB & 128GB model, ample ram & storage that will leave no room for any complaint. And its performance is backed by Samsung’s own Exynos processor 9611.
I know in the mid-range budget segment people always look for all-around performances and believe me this phone delivers that with no issues.
The camera setup is one of the best, if not the best under 15k in India right.
64MP Main Camera with an 8MP Ultra Wide Camera that is supported by 5MP Depth Camera & 5MP Macro Camera ANd the front facing camera is 32MP.
The screen is a sAmoled infinity U-cat design full HD plus display that has a 404PPI that most by any brand.
Samsung is cutting corners, even on the battery, they have equipped it with a 6000mAh battery for all day long performance with any compromise on the screen on time. You’ll also get a 15W fast charger in the box.
At last, coming to the Exynos 9611 processor, it’s quite a powerful processor on par with mid-range Snapdragon chipsets.
Verdict: For gaming, content consumption, clicking pictures, and multitasking, this device you want to have.
Also read: Top 8 Best Budget Smartphones in India
Best smartphone under 20000
iQOO Z3 5G
This is a sub-brand of Chinese smartphone maker Vivo, they first launched iQOO was a few years back, which received quite some positive response from buyers and this year launched back-to-back 4 smartphones.
iQOO Z3 5G as the specs says is a 5G ready smartphone, whenever 5G arrives in India you can start using the services ASAP.
Now coming back to its spec sheet, this phone is a complete package under 20K, in my opinion, the most technically sound smartphone under 20k INR.
You have 6GB of ram with 128GB as the storage option. There go the basic ones.
The processor you’re getting is the all-new SD768 processor which is the entry-level 5G chipset developed by SD.
The camera set is a 64MP AI main back camera that can effectively shoot 4k video at 60FPS and take clear images under optimum light conditions. I’m impressed by the camera performance!
The front camera is 16mp that also records video at higher resolutions.
Coming to the display, this is a sAmoled display where you’re getting 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate, though I was batting for 240Hz touch sampling at this price already Redmi has introduced that.
For gaming, you’d love this device, the processor is apt for intense gaming and it’s backed by a 5-layer liquid quality technology, that as per the company can decrease the temperature by 10 degrees. Isn’t it awesome?
Battery: 4400mah battery that supports 55w fast charging, which means the device will be 50% charged within 20 minutes. Low on battery, that is not even an issue anymore!
Verdict: I’m in love with this iQOO Z3, the best that you can buy right now, it’s a bang for the bucks, no doubt at all!
Best smartphone under 25000
Well, there are quite a few options in this segment like Mi 10i 5G, OnePlus Nord CE 5G, Samsung F62 but among them, I chose Samsung M51 as the top choice.
Samsung M51
Samsung with snapdragon processor is a killer combination. The device is powered by an SD730 chipset, though it seems quite old compared to it’d rival mentioned above.
But the mobile with the best specs on the paper is not always the best, Hints recent OnePlus devices xD.
Why I’m endorsing this particular smartphone? Because I purchased it a few months back and was just awestruck by its performance!
You’re getting a 64MP main back camera with a depth & macro camera. At the front, there is a 32MP camera.
The front camera is capable of recording 4k resolution video, it is perfect for video content creators and vloggers to shoot & record on the go. The best thing about the quad-camera setup is its ultra-wide camera and the image stabilization, record while moving with no issues.
By the way, this is also Indian’s fastest 7000Mah battery phone. If you’re someone looking for the best smartphone under 25000 with good battery backup and camera 2021, here you go.
To charge the mammoth battery, the company is giving a 25w fast charger that can fully charge the device in under 1hr 20 minutes.
Now coming back to daily usage, I mostly browse the internet, watch Netflix shows and play games like COD mobile, Battlegrounds India and Ginseng Impact.
The Samsung m51 has moderate heating issues, yes the mobile will heat up after 30 minutes or above gameplay. But it cools down even faster within minutes. So heating wasn’t an issue for me.
While gaming & multitasking, I never felt any lag, the display is sAmoled with HDR support but I feel it lacks a bit in providing a vivid color experience, it’s my personal opinion though!
The size of this device is 6.7inch. That is quite big, the single-hand operation is not that feasible, but having a 7000mah battery, this phone’s damn sleek and feels lightweight.
VERDICT: The best smartphone under Rs 25000 for multitasking with the best camera, & battery backup in India 2021.
Best smartphone under 30000 INR
Well, here we have some latest 5G enabled smartphones that are powered by Snapdragon & MediaTek Dimensity processors. The runners-up are Vivo V21 Pro, Vivo V20, OPPO F19 Pro+, Mi 11x. And the winner is:
Realme X7 Pro 5G
This segment is full of mobile phones that are powered by the latest SD & MediaTek Dimensity series chipsets which are 5G capable.
And Realme X7 pro 5G is powered by the latest generation MediaTek dimensity 1000 Plus chipset. The rest models have Dimensity 800U & SD 870 chipsets.
This is a top-notch device from realme that is on par with any premium series smartphone. They are quite sturdy and for day-to-day usage just awesome, I can vouch for the performance of realme as I’m an ex-realme smartphone user.
Coming to its specs, it has a super AMOLED screen with HDR, a refresh rate of 120Hz, and much needed 240Hz touch sampling rate.
Watching videos, scrolling through social media feeds, or playing games, you’ll have a rich experience on this device.
The camera is also laudable with 64MP being the main rear camera and a 32MP in-display front camera.
Realme is using the Sony IMX686 series of the camera lens for this smartphone. The night photography is quite good.
The features that impressed me a lot are vapor cooling & in-display fingerprint.
For gamers, the heating issue is negligible, play games for longer with no lag or concerns, also because of vapor cooling, you’ll notice no heating while charging this device.
Now coming to charging this device supports a massive 65w super dart charger. Charge the device in no time.
Apart from all of these, Realme has also provided Dolby Atmos with a rich music experience. Watching movies or playing games the sound output will be much better.
Verdict: The best 5G smartphone powered by MediaTek dimensity 1000 plus processor in India.
Best Smartphones Under 35000 in India
Now, this is a tough category where you’ll find some of the best premium killer smartphones. The mobiles that are considered in this price category are Google Pixel 4a, Apple iPhone SE, LG velvet & iQOO 7 5G.
Runners-up are Google Pixel 4a & Apple iPhone SE.
Winner: iQOO 7 5G
iQOO 7 5G
This is the second smartphone I’ve added to this brand. iQOO 7 5G has one of the best tech features that won’t even find in any premium smartphones like OnePlsu or Samsung per se.
So you can start imagining how ruthless this device is, the specs and features that you’re getting are mind-boggling.
I mean if you’re looking for the best smartphone for gaming under 40K INR then here it is right in front of you.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, the best gaming processor for high-end graphics-intensive mobile gaming like ginseng impact, Garena free fire, battlegrounds India, etc.
Now playing games like these for more than 30 minutes some of the smartphones will heat up like crazy, to save from such situations and to ensure a smooth gaming experience iQOO 7 has 3 l6000mm² graphite layer full coverage along with its liquid cooling technology. So heating is not an issue here.
Now coming to other specs like the camera, it has a 48MP main camera which has OIS i.e. optical image stabilization, even if your hands shake while capturing any video or photo the image will be stable and not blurry all thanks to its Sony IMX598 sensor.
In this segment, Google Pixel 4A is the best camera smartphone but iQOO 7 is not much far behind it can take very good pictures in low light conditions. Analyzing some of the pictures taken by this device, I can say that it is the second-best in this segment.
Display: sAMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate with enhanced frame rate & HDR support for rich media viewing experience. Also has a 300 Hz sampling rate for smooth gaming & day to day usage like surfing & scrolling through apps.
The brightness can go up to 1300nit most by any device till now mentioned in this article. So even under the sunlight, you’ll have no problem viewing the screen. Hats off!
Battery: It has a 4400mAh battery that is enough to last a day. Thi phone also supports 66W Flash Charging and gets fully charged in under 45 minutes.
Verdict: The best smartphone for gaming, display, and camera is under 35000 INR right now in India 2021.
Best Premium Smartphones Powered By Latest Snapdragon Processor in India
Runners-up in this segment are: OnePlus 9 Pro, Apple iPhone Mini & Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
LG Wing
As you may know that LG has permanently shut down its mobile business, this LG Wing is the last smartphone to be launched by LG.
Now coming back to the phone, this is not a typical design device that you can find in the market. LG was doing a lot of experiments with smartphone designs lately, hints: dual screen.
LG Wing’s design has surprised everybody in the tech fraternity, especially the tech reviewers. It has wings xD.
The wings are to be used as a gimbal for video recording. This I think was targeted to modern-day travel bloggers/vloggers & video content creators to help them record videos on the go with gimbal stabilization.
To be honest they nailed it with perfection.
The specs of this device are also on par with any premium device, like OLED display, Adreno 620 GPU, Snapdragon 765 chipset to name some.
There is a triple camera setup with 64 MP being the main back camera.
Display: You’re getting to display: Mian 6.8 inch, secondary 2.8 inch both OLED.
The secondary screen is also very productive like you can use it as a controller for gaming, do some calculations, etc.
The price of this device is currently at 59,990INR approx. But a few weeks ago, it was selling it at a discount of about 30,000INR on Flipkart.
So if you want to buy it, wait for Flipkart Big Billion Days for the price to drop.
Apple iPhone 12
A champion phone from the tech giant. iPhone 12 has many improvements over iPhone 11 [I’m currently using the latter], like the OLED display, ceramic shield, Night camera, and battery backup.
The design is very ergonomic to hold in our palm & excellent for single hand users unlike for newer generation devices that have up to 6.8inches of screen.
The only drawback I feel is that the presence of a big notch gets in the way of watching video content. Else I have no complaints.
The A14 Bionic chipset as you know is the fastest smartphone chipset in the world. While multitasking you won’t notice a second of a lag in performance.
They have improved a lot in the mobile gaming segment too. Play any game using the ultra settings, you’ll be hooked to it, just like currently I’m.
Now the camera, well you can refer to the youtube videos to see the actual results. The camera performance is second to none in this premium category even surpassing Samsung Galaxy S21 in many aspects.
You can shoot 4k videos with Dolby audio, it is available only on this phone.
Battery performance: This worries every Apple iPhone buyer, well things have changed drastically due to their a14 bionic chipset.
This chipset consumes less power than other chipsets on android smartphones, even with a 2950mah battery you can get 6 hours of S.O.T.
Samsung S21
If you want to buy a premium android smartphone then this is it. Don’t have to look elsewhere.
Though Samsung S21 Ultra is the baap of every android phone in the market that is priced over a lac, this model is no less.
It is a hyper-fast 5G smartphone that you can buy in India and for your information, only Samsung smartphones support the highest number of 5G brands than any other manufacturer.
It is currently on my wishlist.
The camera setup is the best with 64 MP as the back camera, you can 30X zoom using the camera with very little blur.
A dedicated 33MP camera for taking 8K videos, is a future-ready feature because 8K isn’t that much popular now. Well having it means you’re not missing it out.
It is powered by Samsung’s own Exynos 2100 5nm processor chipset. That is quite powerful.
Coming to the display, it has a new type of AMOLED display, “Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display”, an upgrade from sAMOLED, I think.
Now two of my favorite features for daily to day usage are, Gorilla glass victus, the hardest gorilla glass currency. And lastly, IP68 certified means it can withstand water splashes, sweat, and dust.
Verdict: For gaming, multitasking, and business purpose use, this is the best smartphone in the business baby.
Must Read: 6 Best Non-Chinese Smartphone Brands in India
Some FAQs
Do iPhones last longer than androids?
Yes, iPhones last longer than android phones, though I cannot comment on the battery life. iPhones typically get iOS updates for at least 5 years whereas android devices can get updates for 2 years only.
What phone should I buy in 2021?
In 2021 we will have so many options to choose from different brands for specific price segments. For android devices go with smartphones with snapdragon processors for the best performance. And if you’re looking for iOS, then iPhone 12 is the best.
Is Apple better than Samsung?
It’s a tie. In some areas, iPhone has led over Samsung like Chipset and Samsung leads over Apple on specs like their AMOLED displays. Both have their equal pros & cons.
What is the fastest chipset for smartphones?
Currently, the Apple A14 Bionic chip is the fastest smartphone chipset in the world. The 5nm chipset has a 16-core Neural Engine. It has an AnTuTu score of 1591 points, over 260 points higher than the A13 chipset.
Which is the best smartphone with a Snapdragon processor?
Currently, the OnePlus 9 series has the best snapdragon processor 888. Its AnTuTu score is about 735,439, which is 193540 higher than its previous premium chipset 865’s score of 541,899.
Which smartphone has the best processor?
Apple’s iPhone 12 series has the best processor currently. The A14 Bionic chipset is 40% more powerful than other chipsets in the market. It can perform 11 billion tasks in a sec.
Which is the best Samsung phone with a snapdragon processor in India?
Samsung S20 FE which is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Octa-Core processor is the best Samsung phone with a snapdragon processor in India.
Is the MediaTek processor better than the Snapdragon?
Snapdragon has an edge over the MediaTek processor but the gap is decreasing with their newer generation Helio & dimensity series of the chipset. Snapdragon processors are better performers when it comes to heavy tasking & gaming. Their heat management system is way better than that of MediaTek.
Is the MediaTek processor good or bad?
A few years ago MediaTek processors were considered for low-end Android smartphones due to their low cost and performance while they’re making chipset on an older architecture.
Now times have changed, MediaTek with their new chipset series are performing better and in some segments surpassing that of snapdragon.
MediaTek is now making 5G chipsets for flagship smartphones. So we can see that MediaTek processors are not that bad, they are improving each day.