BEST 5G MOBILE PHONES UNDER 30000 IN INDIA

The Realme 9 Pro+ elevates the 9 series from the mainstream segment to the mid-range. The 9 Pro+ is priced higher than the 9 Pro and offers some added features such as optical image stabilisation (OIS) in the camera, which has been missing from Realme’s lineup for a long time.

The Realme 9 Pro+ is available in a colour-changing Sunrise Blue finish. The back panel transitions from blue to red upon exposure to UV light if you choose this. It has a slim profile overall and is also quite light, which makes it comfortable for one-handed use.

The phone offers enough grunt with its MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC and it can easily handle demanding 3D games as well as take care of day-to-day tasks. Battery life is also quite good and it charges quickly using its bundled 60W charger.

Still camera performance is quite impressive. The primary camera with its OIS system captures clear and crisp photos in daylight and performs well in low-light conditions too. Android 12 also makes it here with Realme UI 3.0 and it brings most of its highlight features with it.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is a solid offering that’s hard to ignore at the lower end of the premium smartphone segment. While it’s not high on design, it makes up for this with raw performance and is almost a good all-rounder. It’s attractive price tag and added features (compared to the competition) make it an even sweeter deal.

The smartphone’s chassis is made of a polycarbonate mid-frame, sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Its AMOLED display showcases accurate colours and is also Dolby Vision certified. Accompanying the display is the stereo sound with Dolby Atmos support, which makes for an immersive video streaming experience.

Performance is not a problem thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC inside and the same goes for gaming performance. Battery life is also top notch and lasts up to two days of casual use on a single charge. What’s more impressive is the charging speed with the 120W fast charger that comes in the box.

Camera performance is also up there with the rest. Video recording quality is quite good, and the camera also offers HDR recording options. However, the quality of selfies in low light were well below the mark.

Some of the features of the Nothing Phone 1 that really stand out are its premium build quality, vibrant display, good primary camera, and clean Android experience. The glyph lights are a nice differentiator but you may or may not find them actually useful for daily use. The one thing that needs the most improvement right now is the secondary cameras, especially in low light. Video recording could also benefit from better stabilisation and features.

Phones such as the Xiaomi 11T Pro and iQoo 9 SE offer better specs and features for a simialr price. However, if you want a phone that looks completely unique while still having all the essential features, there's nothing quite like the Phone 1 right now.

The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G comes with minor upgrades over the previous model. Its design mostly remains the same as before, but has some minor changes around the back, which includes a new layout for the cameras.

Its processor has been upgraded to a Dimensity 1300 SoC, which brings some performance improvements. The display remains the same as before and offers a 90Hz refresh rate.

The phone offers OxygenOS 12.1 which is based on Android 12. It has minimal bloatware and comes with just one preinstalled third-party app. Software performance is smooth and it all feels fluid thanks to the 90Hz display.

Gaming performance is quite good as well. The phone still lacks a macro camera unlike the original Nord, but the primary camera can shoot decent close-up images. Low-light performance is quite good. Battery capacity remains the same as before, but OnePlus has amped up the charging to 80W.

The Pixel 6a is a big upgrade and a step up from the Pixel 4a, which was Google’s last smartphone to make it to India. It packs in plenty of upgrades over the previous model but also a higher price tag.

Its design utilises glass for the display and a plastic panel for the rear, both of which are held together by an aluminium frame. While it feels solid, it's far from premium since the plastic panel is a massive smudge and dust magnet.

Software performance does not feel as fluid because of its 60Hz refresh rate display, but you do get the latest and greatest from Google which is Android 13 with no added bloatware.

Camera performance in all kinds of lighting conditions is top-notch, but video quality seems a bit lacking. Battery life is good for a day’s worth of use but charging is quite slow.

The new design of the Oppo Reno 7 looks nice. The rounded frame and curved edges of the back gives the phone a sleek aesthetic. The Reno 7 also gets the same laser-etched pattern on the back like on the Reno 7 Pro, which looks good and does’t attract fingerprints. The 6.4-inch AMOLED display is similar to the one on the previous phone. It has a full-HD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Oppo hasn’t bothered refreshing the SoC in the Reno 7 as it’s still the MediaTek Dimensity 900, along with has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The software experience of the Oppo Reno 7 is identical to the 7 Pro. Day-to-day performance has been solid so far with the Oppo Reno 7. The SoC is plenty powerful for handling the usual productivity and social apps. The bump in battery capacity to 4,500mAh (from 4,300mAh) seems to have made a noticeable impact on battery life.

It’s a good phone overall without any glaring faults but just know that there are better feature-packed offerings available online, that offer a lot more bang for you buck.

The Realme GT Neo 2 is a solid contender as a mid-range gaming smartphone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor offers plenty of raw performance and the phone’s cooling system does a good job of sustaining that performance during long gaming sessions.

The Neo Green finish of the GT Neo 2 does stand out quite a bit and bright neon green colour can be a bit too much for some buyers. Thankfully, Realme offers two other subtle colourways that also look equally unique.

Battery life with the 5,000mAh battery is excellent and easily lasts a day and half even with some gaming sessions. The dual speakers are quite loud and clear and make for an immersive experience while gaming and are loud enough for watching movies as well.

Camera performance is a mixed bag at best. While daylight performance is good, it's not consistent. Low light camera performance isn’t great and the same can be said about video. And this also means that the GT Neo 2 is not an all-rounder.

The Samsung Galaxy A52s is a quality mid-range smartphone with a premium price tag. This makes it a hard sell, both to a premium smartphone buyer and someone who is looking for a solid mid-range smartphone.

The Galaxy A52s is positioned higher than the Galaxy A52 because it has a faster display, a new and updated processor with better overall performance, and 5G.

While its design is identical to that of the Galaxy A52, it retains the IP67 rating which appears to be the only standout feature against its competitors. The upgraded 120Hz display keeps up with the competition and offers deep blacks, while its stereo speakers deliver loud and clear sound.

Camera performance is quite good in daylight, but low-light photos and videos leave a lot to be desired. Battery life is quite good and charging speed is average, even though some competing smartphones priced much lower do better.

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is the top-of-the-line smartphone In the Edge 20 series. It has a 6.7-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. This smartphone is slightly thicker than its younger sibling, the Motorola Edge 20. The device is well built and has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 at the front and back and an aluminium frame in between. It is IP52 rated for dust and water resistance.

It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. paired 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Storage is non-expandable but you do have the option to extend RAM by 2GB.  It packs in a 4,500mAh battery and gets a 30W charger in the box. Motorola ships near-stock Android 12 with few of its customisations in the form of My UX. The Edge 20 Pro is powerful and can run almost every app on the Play Store.

The Edge 20 Pro has a triple camera setup, with a 108-megapixel primary camera, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera and an 8-megapixel 5X telephoto camera. Photos from the Edge 20 Pro were good in daylight and closeups were better.  Telephoto camera is useful when shooting far away objects. However, low light camera performance was not upto the mark.

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is the successor of the OnePlus Nord. It is a part of the affordable Nord series and is affordable compared to the OnePlus 9 Series. The OnePlus Nord 2 sports a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with fullHD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The smartphone has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 at the front and the back, giving it a premium look and feel. 

OnePlus has managed to keep the weight of the smartphone down to 189g. It packs in a 4,500mAh battery and supports 65W Warp charging., the charger is bundled in the box. At the back, it has a triple camera setup, comprising of a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera and a 2-megapixel mono camera.

The Nord 2 is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1200AI processor and is available in 6GB, 8GB and 12GB RAM options. OnePlus offers 128GB and 256GB storage options but these aren't expandable further Just like other OnePlus smartphones, the Nord 2 also gets OxygenOS and it is running on top of Android 11. You also get two years of software updates and three years of security updates. The Nord 2 is a good performer and can handle heavy tasks and apps without any issues. The 4500mAh battery can go for a day and a half without any issues. Charging is super quick and the phone can get topped up from a drained state in just 32 minutes.

Camera performance of the Nord 2 is good for the price. Daylight photos are good but shots from the ultra-wide angle camera aren't great. The Nord 2 manages close-ups and portrait shots very well. Low light camera performance was also good and with Nightscape mode, the phone can click better shots in lowlight. Overall, the OnePlus Nord 2 is a good pick for someone on a budget.

The Poco F3 GT is a successor to the original Poco F1 and focuses on delivering performance. The Poco F3 GT has a premium build quality, it has a metal frame and a glass back. This metal frame has “maglev” trigger buttons which can be engaged by sliders on the side.

You get a big 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has support for HDR10+ and can reach a touch sampling rate of 480Hz while in game turbo mode. Poco has picked the Dimensity 1200 SoC to power the F3 GT and has paired it with 6GB and 8GB of RAM. You do get 128GB and 256GB storage options with this device.

Poco has managed to pack in a 5,065mAh battery and had bundled a 67W fast charger in the box. The phone can go beyond a day and a half on a single charge and did manage to score well in our HD video loop test. The supplied charger too was quick to top the big battery off very quickly.

The Poco F3 GT has a triple camera setup consisting of a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle camera and a. 2-megapixel macro camera. The smartphone delivered average performance in daylight as well as lowlight. The macro camera managed decent details but had a lower resolution.

Overall, the Poco F3 GT is a gaming focussed smartphone that offers very good performance for the price. However, it isn’t a though all-rounder and could do with a few camera improvements.

The Poco F4 5G is a well-designed smartphone that looks and feels premium. It offers very good gaming performance, above-average battery life, quick charging, and a very nice display that supports Dolby Vision HDR playback. The IP53 rating also is a nice bonus. This phone offers better value than the Xiaomi Mi 11X (Review), which is essentially the same device but with slower charging.

If you're looking for good camera performance, phones such as the Realme 9 Pro+ (Review) and OnePlus Nord 2T (Review) would be better options.