Thanks to some exciting smartphone launches recently, buying a premium phone no longer requires to shell out huge money. With modifications, refinements and additions in the mobile industry, the smartphones phones under Rs 25,000 have in-display finger prints sensors, multiple camera setup and flagship-grade processors besides other attractive specifications. These phones are known to bring mid-range powerful processors to the table that excel in gaming, browsing and multi-tasking. These phones in sub-25K category offer a balanced set of software and hardware features. The manufacturing companies have improved overall performance of the mobiles in mid-segment. Many of these smartphones offer ad-free software experience, which is an added advantage. These smartphones are known to share all-round performance going toe-to-toe against some of the high-end smartphones. The fact remains that the buyers does not have multiple options available in sub-Rs 20,000 segment and thus, this article refers to Rs 25,000 bracket. The buyers looking to buy smartphones under Rs 20K need to stretch the budget a little to get a compact phone.
Look at our top picks under sub-25K category.
IQOO Z3: A better choice for gamers
IQOO is no stranger to 5G and all the four smartphones launched by the company in India support 5G. IQOO 3 was a gamer-centric phone while Iqoo Z3 does not follow into its footsteps. But it is an affordable smartphone that looks good. The phone has a mid-segment strong processor. The iQoo Z3 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 768G and its performance is noticeable. The phone has some other interesting hardware bits as well. The 4,400mAh battery charges to 100 percent in just 60 minutes using the 55W charging adapter. There’s a triple-camera setup that performs well in daylight. The offer price of this smartphone is around Rs 15,000. The top-class camera is a big plus. For gaming fanatics, it could be a good choice.
Poco X3 Pro: An unbeatable phone in this segment
Poco X3 Pro is really maintaining its supremacy in sub-20K range. With its eye-catching design and prominent camera bump, the Poco X3 Pro appeals to young buyers who look for the performance above all else. Its high-class gaming performance is making it more popular. It is a true successor to Poco F1. The full-HD+ screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is acceptable. As said, if you prioritise the cameras, the battery life and gaming performance, this is one of the most suitable smartphones. The main selling point of the Poco X3 Pro is its Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, a faster version of the erstwhile flagship Snapdragon 855. Thus, this smartphone works excellent in various benchmarks including high-end gaming. Poco X3 Prro has 20MP front camera and 48MP+8MP rear camera set up. It has 6GB of RAM with 128GB storage capacity. It is powered by 5160mAh battery. The battery life is also quite good; however, the large battery makes this phone heavy and bulky. A bid disadvantage is the absence of 5G, which makes this phone lagging behind some of other prominent players in the market. The other cons include its average camera performance.
Moto G71: A dependable pick for mobile enthusiasts
The Moto G71 comes with crisp AMOLED display, which is an advantage in this smartphone. The high refresh rate is making it popular. Average low-light camera performance is its weakness. The phone has 6.40-inch (1080×2400) display and the processor is Qualcomm Snapdragon 695. It has 16MP front camera for selfies while 50MP + 8MP + 2MP is the rear camera setup. It has 6GB of RAM and the storage is 128GB. The smartphone is powered by 5000 mAh battery. The mobile delivers very good battery life and easily lasts beyond a day of use. A 33W charger is bundled in the box. The display has good viewing angles and is bright enough when outdoors. The manufacturing company Motorola is adding budget 5G mobiles to its G series over the past few years. In fact, it is the first smartphone to sport the new Snapdragon 695 SoC in India. The compact dimensions and relatively light weight make the phone comfortable to use. All in all, the phone offers good performance and will suit casual as well as heavy users.
Xiaomi 11i 5G: A complete robust package
The Xiaomi 11i 5G has 6.67-inch (1080×2400) touch screen display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The smartphone runs on MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor. The front selfie camera is 16MP while rear Triple camera setup has 108MP + 8MP. The rear camera setup has autofocus. The phone comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage. The smartphone is powered by 5160mAh battery. The Xiaomi 11i 5G supports proprietary fast charging. It’s a dual-SIM (GSM and GSM) mobile. But for this smartphone, a user needs to stretch the budget of Rs 20K as this phone is available for Rs 21,500 in the Indian market. The phone is quite comfortable to use. The next level performance is much more pleasing. The camera performance is average. Overall, the phone is a good bet to buy.
Xiaomi 11 Lite NE 5G: A clean, light weight phone
Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE comes with a 6.55-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels and an aspect ratio of 20:9. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE on the rear packs a triple camera setup featuring a 64-megapixel primary camera, an 8-megapixel camera and a 5-megapixel camera. The rear camera setup has autofocus. It has a single front camera setup for selfies, featuring a 20-megapixel sensor. It is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor. It comes with 6GB of RAM. The Xiaomi 11 Lite 5G NE runs Android 11 and is powered by a 4250mAh battery. It supports proprietary fast charging. It’s refresh rate is 90 Hz while Xiaomi 11i 5G offers refresh rate of 120 Hz. Except camera quality, this smartphone is an all-rounder phone.
Realme GT Master Edition: Quality at competitive price
If you’re interested to buy Realme smartphone, then Realme GT Master edition is the better choice. Here too, camera performance is a bit disappointing otherwise, it offers everything that anyone could ask for in a mid-range smartphone. It has a high-quality Super AMOLED display, a new processor, and a battery that charges up from zero to 100 percent in about 35 minutes. The battery life is good for a slim mid-range smartphone and charging is quite fast. The GT Master Edition is much affordable. The high-quality Super AMOLED display is good for gaming and watching movies. Powering the gaming experience is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G: An all-rounder package
The top-class camera performance of Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is a major advantage of this budget-friendly phone. The perfect lock security is another plus. The mobile comes with a 5G-capable chipset, a large 120Hz AMOLED display, spec-heavy cameras, and a big battery. The M52 5G is equipped with the Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC. So, get ready for great performance in this class. Latest-gen connectivity, and potentially great battery life are another plus. It has 5,000mAh power pack battery. the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has 6.7-inch AMOLED display. There’s a 64MP primary camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera, as well as a 32MP one for selfies. Overall, this smartphone could be the best buy in this price segment of Rs 25,000.
