In this age of pandemic, nobody has the interest to go outside and loiter around chilling with friends, having beverages, or partying in discotheques. Cause if they do so, well it is only the inevitable that will occur. The COVID-19 pandemic has given birth to an entirely new digital era, where the Work-from-home culture, OTT-culture, Mobile-Gaming and of course Online Classes have become prevalent.
And to keep up with this new digital syndicate that people are after, we need reinforced and advanced tech that makes it possible for us to do so. But most importantly, the tech that we chose to buy shouldn’t burn our pockets! Speaking of which, the pandemic has led to a lot of unemployment too.
Enough Politicians’ wisdom, let’s get straight to the point and see what we can do to keep up the tempo of the Digital Era.
Below listed are the top 10 smartphones that are budget-friendly and provide you with a good or maybe a decent enough performance one can think of in a smartphone
Starting with,
Realme 8 Pro:
Although the Relame 7 Pro was quite a competition for this successor, the 8 Pro in simple language is the reinforced/developed version of the 7 Pro. The lower price starting price of INR 17,999 definitely works in the favor along with other positives such as remarkable battery life, fast charging, a sharp and vivid AMOLED display, and a pretty decent selfie camera.
It has a 6.4 inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It comes equipped with the Snapdragon 720G SoC with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB ROM. It has a battery of 4500 mAH with the all-new Android 11 on top.
The front camera has a 16 MP lens the rear camera has a quad-camera setup with a 108-MP main lens, 8-MP+2MP+2MP secondary telephoto, portrait, and wide-angle lenses.
For the cost-cutting the company has indeed done a lot in this phone, starting with no stereo speakers, which is not a good thing to do. No high-refresh rate for the display, and despite having a 108 MP main lens, the performance was not up to the hype. It comes equipped with the Realme UI 2.0, which indeed has a decent amount of bugs, ads, and bloatware, but it’s not something we can’t live without.
Rest assured, go for it, if you want performance rather than a clean-looking UI.
Check out the phone for yourself: Realme 8 Pro; Flipkart
Redmi Note 10 Pro Max:
That’s quite a long name for a phone, but does it keep up with its name?
The Redmi Note series has always been known for its budget-oriented smartphones, offering features that are a step or two Redmi series. The Redmi Note 10 Pro Max raises the bar by offering segment-leading features such a high-refresh rate of 120 Hz, an AMOLED display, a 108-MP main camera, a massive battery, and stereo speakers. The display is quite a showstopper in this phone surprisingly the back of the phone also feels premium in hand. The phone is priced at INR 19,999
It comes equipped with the Snapdragon 732G SoC out of the box, a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400. It has a 5020 mAH battery with 6GB Ram and 64GB ROM. It’s running on Android 11 out of the box and the all-new MIUI 12. It has a 16MP front-facing camera and has a quad-camera setup with a 108MP main lens, 8MP+5MP+2MP secondary telephoto, macro, and wide-angle lenses.
A few areas it could have improved though was with future software updates and the low-light camera performance. Not to forget the annoying Ui inclusive of a lot of bloatware, ads, and promotional content in the software. The Redmi Note 10 Pro also deserves a shoutout, since it mostly belongs in this price range and is identical to the 10 Pro max except for its lower-resolution camera, and is priced lower buy INR 3000.
Check it Out: Redmi Note 10 Pro Max; Amazon
Realme Narzo 30 pro 5G:
One of the goals for the Narzo 30 Pro 5G was to be the most affordable 5G smartphone in India, well it is. With the price range starting at INR 16,999, it features MediaTek’s Dimensity 700U SoC which is generally seen in phones costing above INR 20,000. Other things working in favor are its very good battery life, fast charging, a 120-Hz Refresh Rate display, and snappy overall performance.
It has a 6.50 inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. As mentioned before, it comes equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 800U Processor, with 8 GB RAM and 128GB ROM. It runs on Android 10.0 with Realme UI on top. For the cameras, it has a 16MP front-facing camera and has a triple camera setup with a 48MP main lens and 8MP=2MP macro and wide-angle lenses.
The phone does have unwanted ads and bloatware in its UI, but we will have to live with it if we buy this phone. The low-light camera performance is a bit underwhelming and the overall design is a bit too bland for our taste given Realme’s propensity for offering patterns on the backs of its phones.
Check it out for yourself: Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G; Flipkart
Realme X7 5G:
The RealMe X7 Pro 5G was the company’s most affordable 5G phone until the Narzo 30 Pro 5G came along. The X7 5G is designed to offer a premium experience without costing a lot, almost a “flagship killer”. The denizen color scheme of the phone is something that will catch one’s eyes. It offers great performance and great battery life with fast charging, and most importantly good value for money. It is also a light and compact smartphone which is not something seen commonly in the smartphone world. The phone will be priced at INR 19,999
It comes equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 800U Processor and with 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM. It has a 6.40 inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It runs on Android 10.0 with the Realme UI on top. Speaking of the camera, it has a 16MP front-facing camera with a triple camera setup rocking 64MP main lens and 8MP+2Mp macro and wide-angle lenses.
The dogma of RealMe having a bland and choppy UI exists in this phone too. It can get spammy real quick, if you haven’t checked the necessary boxes in the stock apps. The low-light camera performance also underwhelming, which was unexpected from the device.
Check out the phone: Realme X7 5G; Flipkart
Infinix Zero 8i:
Infinix has been launching new smartphones this year at a far greater rate than we can keep up with! However, a stand-apart of the entire lineup launched by them is the Zero 8i. This is a phone worth considering in this budget segment. Some of its strong points include a MediaTek Processor, a 90 Hz Refresh rate, and a set of cameras that work well provided the lighting conditions are bright. The phone also boasts a rather unique design on the back, which helps it stand out from the competition. It’s one of the few phones in this segment to offer an ultra-wide-angle selfie camera, which is something other phones should equip too. The phone is priced at INR 15,999
It comes equipped with the MediaTek Helio G90T and with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM. it has a 6.85-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080×2460 pixels. It has a battery of 4500 mAH and is running on Android 10.0 with Infinix’s self-developed UI on top. Speaking about the camera, it has a dual selfie camera with a 16MP+8MP setup and a quad-camera setup with a 48MP main lens and 8MP+2MP+AI, macro, and wide-angle lenses.
A few things to note are is the big size of the phone, which is unwieldy for normal hands. There is a lot of pre-installed bloatware, and the camera focus was a bit iffy at times with close-up shots. if you’re looking for something other than Xiaomi or a Realme, then this is worth a look.
Check it Out: Infinix Zero 8i; Flipkart
Realme 7 Pro:
Nothing much to say about this phone, although it’s a Realme Phone, so be ready to live with ads and bloatware if you’re choosing this to buy. Overall, it is well-built, the camera performance in daylight conditions is good, it comes equipped with stereo speakers that sound good too surprisingly. it supports fast charging and has good battery life. It is priced at INR 19,999
it comes equipped with the Snapdragon 720G SoC and with 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM. it has a 6.40-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It runs on Android 10.0 with the Realme UI on top. It has a battery of 4500 mAH which gives us half of a day’s battery life in a single charge. The camera module has a 32 MP front-facing camera, which surprisingly takes very good selfies and does a good job in providing detail, the rear has a quad-camera setup with a 64 MP main lens, 8MP+2MP+2MP, telephoto, macro and wide-angle lenses.
If you’re new to the Realme Ecosystem, then this phone will be the best for a headstart.
Check it out: Realme 7 Pro; Flipkart
Samsung Galaxy M31:
The Samsung Galaxy M31 is still a compelling option in this segment and is now available at a slightly reduced price. It has a Full HD+ AMOLED display that delivers resplendent colors and very good viewing angles. The big battery offers astounding battery life and this phone could easily go on for two days with normal/tactful usage. The camera is good in daylight and offers brilliant images.
It has an Exynos 9611 chip, which is a processor developed by Samsung themselves, and a 6GB RAM with 128GB ROM. It comes with Android 10 with the traditional Samsung UI on top. It comes equipped with a behemoth 6000 mAH battery. It has a 6.40-inch FHD+ s-AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Speaking about the camera setup, it has a 32 MP front-facing camera and the rear has a quad setup with a 64 MP main lens, 8MP+5MP+5MP telephoto, macro, and wide-angle lenses.
With Night mode enabled, the Galaxy M31 drivers better low-light shoots than other phones in this price segment. The Exynos 9611 chip is not a powerful as the competition offers, but it is capable of handling day-to-day tasks and moderate gaming with ease. Battery life is the main highlight of this phone, as it can outrun several devices in this list.
Check it Out: Samsung Galaxy M31; Amazon
POCO X3:
This mid-ranger from the POCO series boasts about a 6000 mAH battery as well as a 6.67-inch full HD+ display. POCO, which is a child company of the famous Xiaomi was manufactured to deliver elite-level performance, and this phone does get the job done. The phone is relatively bulky and heavy but the design is relatively fresh, with a very prominent round-camera module on the back. It is IP53 water and dust certified.
The POCO X3 comes equipped with the Snapdragon 732G and comes with 6 GB RAM with 64 GB ROM. it runs on Android 10.0 with the MIUI remixed version, which in simple language is POCO’s own UI. It also has a 6000 mAH battery, which easily lasts more than a day in moderate usage. It has a 6.67 inch AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1080×2340 pixels. Speaking of the camera, it has a 20 MP front-facing camera and the rear has a quad-camera setup with a 64 MP main lens, 13MP+2MP+2MP macro, telephoto, and wide-angle lens.
Overall, the performance is brilliant and the battery life in this device is remarkable. It is a good option for gaming and entertainment. The cameras are also adequate for everyday usage. And if you can work it out with a bulky smartphone, the POCO X3 still offers plenty of value for money.