We’re halfway into the year 2018, and the smartphone market in India has continued to amaze us. From constantly redefining the budget segment to bringing some innovative handsets, the past six months seem to have witnessed it all. But at the end of the day, the real question is which phones really caught consumer attention. To find that out, we’ll take a look at the most searched for mobiles on 91mobiles. While these searches may or may not have resulted in actual purchases , it does give an insight into the prospective buyers’ psyche about devices that stand out from the crowd. So without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 most popular smartphones in the Jan-Jun period.

Xiaomi Redmi 5: 10th position

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The Redmi 5 (review) is Xiaomi’s most affordable smartphone with a bezel-less display, and perhaps that seems to be the major pull factor for users. Built around a 5.7-inch HD+ display, the smartphone comes powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor, which is paired with 2,3 or 4GB of RAM depending upon the variant you choose. For imagery, the handset offers a single 12-megapixel sensor at the back and a 5MP front camera. Fuelling the phone is a 3,300mAh battery.

OPPO F7: 9th position

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OPPO was among the first set of Android phonemakers to fully embrace the notch design with the launch of the F7 (review). That design decision has allowed the brand to pack a large 6.23-inch 19:9 display in the same form factor as a 5.5-incher. The phone is equipped with MediaTek’s flagship chipset, the Helio P60. The octa-core processor is based on the power-efficient 12nm fabrication process and is mated to either 4 or 6GB of RAM. The high-res 25-megapixel selfie shooter is among the biggest highlights of the handset, while the rear camera is rated at 16MP

Xiaomi Mi A1: 8th position

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The first Android One offering from Xiaomi’s stable comes with powerful specs and dual rear cameras. And the fact that the rumours are swirling around for the alleged Mi A2 smartphone suggest how eagerly consumers are waiting for its successor, considering the Mi A1 (review) doesn’t seem to be available to buy in the market officially at the moment.

Honor 9 Lite: 7th position

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Huawei’s sub-brand has been beefing up its smartphone portfolio, and the 9 Lite (review) is arguably the best device in its lineup. Clad in a shiny glass-sandwich body, the smartphone instantly grabs attention. It’s also among the most affordable smartphones with dual cameras both on the front and the back. Other specs of the handset include a 5.63-inch 18:9 display, Kirin 659 octa-core chipset, 3 / 4GB RAM, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Xiaomi Redmi 5A: 6th position

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Released towards the end of 2017, the Redmi 5A (review) is the cheapest smartphone you can buy in the market. But that’s not the only thing that seemed to have struck the chord with consumers. The brand offered the handset at a discount of Rs 1,000 for the first 500,000 units, bringing its price down to Rs 4,999… making it the perfect choice for first-time smartphone users.

OnePlus 6: 5th position

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While it’s not strange to see a OnePlus device in the list of most popular smartphones, it surely is interesting to note that the device ranks among the top 5, especially if you consider the fact that it was launched very recently, in May to be specific. But the OnePlus 6 (review) surely deserves this popularity and not just because of its powerful specs and affordable pricing. It’s also the first smartphone in India to pack the beastly Snapdragon 845 processor, which is paired with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Samsung Galaxy J6: 4th position

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The South Korean giant seems to be on a mission of bringing its signature Infinity Display to budget smartphones. As it stands, the Galaxy J6 (review) is the most affordable smartphone from the brand that offers an 18.5:9 display. Other specs include a Exynos 7870 octa-core processor, 3 / 4GB RAM, 32/ 64GB storage, 13-megapixel rear camera, and a 3,000mAh battery.

Vivo V9: 3rd position

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The V9 (review) is yet another notch display-toting smartphone, and seems to have caught the users’ fancy with an advertising blitzkrieg. The smartphone is armed with a 6.3-inch, 19:9 display which bears a resolution of 1,080 x 2,280 pixels. The phone also boasts capable cameras, with 16+5MP shooters at the rear and a high-res 24MP snapper up front. Powering the show is the Snapdragon 626 SoC, which is paired with 4GB of RAM.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro: 2nd position

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The Redmi Note 5 Pro (review) is easily among the most powerful smartphones priced south of Rs 20k. The device ships with a 5.99-inch, 18:9 display and utilises the Snapdragon 636 SoC. It’s also among the best selfie-oriented phones in this price bracket, as it packs a 20-megapixel sensor on the fascia. At the rear, the handset offers dual cameras with 12MP and 5MP sensors.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5: 1st position

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If there was any doubt of Xiaomi’s popularity, this list put them all to rest. Launched alongside its powerful sibling, the Redmi Note 5 (review) brings similar specs as last year’s Redmi Note 4… in a bezel-less avatar. That means you get reliable performance with the SD625 chip and great battery thanks to a 4,000mAh cell – all at the same price tag as its predecessor.

Xiaomi’s dominance doesn’t go unnoticed, but it’s interesting to see offline-centric smartphones as well as Samsung’s budget-oriented Galaxy J6 among the top 10 phones in the first six months of this year. Whether that changes during the rest of 2018 is something that remains to be seen, so stay tuned.