‘Selfie’ has become a household term now, and is also recognised as a word in the Oxford online English dictionary. Smartphone manufacturers have improved the front-facing camera in order to provide the best-looking selfies to their customers. The front cameras used in modern smartphones can take clear and high-resolution photos as well as videos. Most phones feature at least a single front camera, with some even offering dual cameras with different lenses. If you’re looking to buy a mid-range smartphone with an excellent front camera, then we’ve got some listed down for you. Let’s take a look.
Things to consider when buying a mid-range selfie phone
Most people love taking selfies, especially with the improvements made on that front by phone makers. But how does one define a great mid-range selfie camera phone? There are a few things to notice over here and we suggest you read here to know what those are:
- Auto-focus is a must: It is a feature that has been ever-present on the main cameras of a smartphone. But now we are seeing many devices with front cameras that offer auto-focus. And with the number of selfies being clicked going up, you might need its support for quality images. Make sure that a selfie-centric phone gives you this option, making your lives easier to click blur-free images.
- In-screen LED flash helps: Again, LED flash is there to enhance a visual where light is limited. Even for selfies, you can rely on such options, especially when phones have managed to optimise it within the software. Flash helps you shoot selfies in low light, and most mid-range phones have it in the bank these days.
- Modes like portrait and bokeh: The importance of the front camera over the back one means you need all the basic features on both sides. Portrait and bokeh (where the background is blurred) modes on the front shooter are widely preferred these days.
- OIS wherever available: Optical image stabilisation is another handy tool that has made its way to the front camera. Brands like Vivo have equipped the feature for selfie lovers, and if its usage is vital to your buying decision, do consider OIS as a deal-breaker.
Best mid-range smartphones for selfie lovers
Vivo V23 5G
Vivo V23 5G is one of the best selfie smartphones, and we would go so far as to say it is one of the under the Rs 30,000 price range. In terms of optics, it gets a 50MP AF + 8 MP wide-angle dual selfie camera for stunning selfies. And its rear camera is powered by the 64MP AF + 8MP wide-angle + 2MP macro triple camera for versatile photography. It further gets Autofocus, AI Extreme Night, Steadiface Selfie Video, Multi-Style Portrait, Double Exposure, Live Photo, AR Stickers, and more for the front camera. Add to that, the rear camera gets Eye Autofocus, Bokeh Portrait, Portrait Filters, Bokeh Flare Portrait, High Resolution, and more for the rear camera. All this is to say, you won’t be disappointed with Vivo V23 5G optics performance.
Vivo V23 5G is powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 920 processor for smooth and lag-free performance. It sports a metal flat frame design and colour-changing Flourite AG glass for premium looks. It sports a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display for vibrant images. There is an in-display fingerprint camera for easy phone unlocking and authentication. It also gets a large 4,200mAh battery with 44W FlashCharge for quick recharge times.
Tecno Phantom X
Techno Phantom X is another excellent selfie camera smartphone. The smartphone gets a 48MP + 8MP (105° Wide) Dual Front Camera that supports 4K Time-lapse, Eye Autofocus, Super Night Mode, and Various Themes AI Portrait. The rear camera island is just as great, which includes the 1/1.3 inch large GN1 Sensor with a 50MP+13MP+8MP system, which also supports 108MP ultra HD mode. There is a 6.7-inch curved Flexible AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution. Further, it also gets a 90Hz refresh rate for fluid animations. It gets 256GB of large storage and 8GB (+5GB virtual) RAM. It is powered by the Mediatek Helio G95 for powerful day-to-performance. Add to that, the company has equipped the phone with heat pipes for heat dissipation. This one also gets an in-display fingerprint scanner for quick phone unlocking. The phone also gets a Silk Glass back cover for beautiful looks. It also gets a massive 4,700mAh battery with 33W fast charging. Other features include feature-packed HiOS 8.0, Always-on display, AI Voice Assistant, and Intelligent Translator.
OPPO F21s Pro
The Oppo F21s Pro sports the flagship 32MP Sony IMX709 front selfie shooter that captures up to 60 percent more light for more natural-looking selfies. Apart from that, it also gets a 64MP high-resolution AI triple rear camera for detailed shots. The camera system includes microlens that let you far away shots with up to 30x magnification and has a depth sensor to add more details to your shots. The phone sports a slim design and measures about 7.66mm in thickness. And the smartphone looks stunning with the Oppo Glow and Orbit light colours. It gets 8GB RAM with up to 5GB virtual RAM for smooth performance across the system. There is a 4,500mAh battery, which gives over two and a half hours of call time with just five minutes of recharge. It has a 6.43-inch AMOLED display for eye-catching colours. Further, it also gets an Eye Care Display, which reduces excess harmful blue light. You also get a Game Focus Mode for distraction-free gaming features. In terms of durability, F21s Pro is tested for 28,000 drops to ensure long-lasting durability. Add to that, it also gets an IPX4 rating to protect from water spills.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G
The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G ships with a 32MP front camera for high-resolution selfie shots. The rear camera is powered by the 64MP main camera system, which also includes 123 degrees 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP macro camera. Add to that, the company also includes filters such as Smart Crop, Original Video, Boomerang, Hyperlapse, and more for a feature-packed gaming experience. The smartphone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor and comes with 11 bands of 5G support. There is a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It also gets a slim 7.4mm body. Further, a massive 5,000mAh battery for long-battery backups. The phone supports 25W fast charging as well. In terms of security, it gets hardware root of trust and Samsung Knox as well as Alt Z folder functionality. Software-wise, the Galaxy M52 runs OneUI 3.1 based on Android 11 for a feature-rich and intuitive software experience. Lastly, it gets 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage.
OnePlus 10T 5G
OnePlus 10T 5G now sports the 50MP (OIS) main camera backed by the flagship sensor, which is paired with an 8MP ultra-wide camera with 120 degrees FoV and a 2MP macro shooter for a versatile photography experience. There is a 16MP (EIS) front camera for selfies. OnePlus also includes camera features such as Nightscape Mode, Smart Scene Recognition, Tilt-Shift mode, Long Exposure, Dual-View Video, Retouch, Movie Mode, Cat/Dog Face Focus, Timelapse, and more for an overall feature-rich camera experience. There is a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLE display with FHD+ resolution, which also supports sRGB, Display P3, HDR10+, 10-bit colour, and more for a cinematic viewing experience. Display features such as mage Sharpener, Video Color Enhancer, Bright HDR Video mode, Screen Color Pro Mode, and more take the viewing experience to the next level. In terms of software, it runs on Android 12 based on OxygenOS. Powering the handset is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor for super-fluid performance. There is a 4,800mAh battery with 150W SuperVOOC charging for extremely fast juice-up times. Gaming features include a 3D Cooling System 2.0 and Hyperboost Gaming Engine, which help your game smoothly.
Vivo V20 Pro
Vivo V20 Pro packs a 6.44-inch AMOLED FHD+ display and Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G octa-core processor. The phone runs Funtouch OS 11 based on Android 11 and comes with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. There is a 64MP+8MP+2MP rear camera setup with motion autofocus and a 44MP+8MP selfie camera. You get a wide range of filters and photography modes with V20 Pro such as eye autofocus, bokeh portrait, ultra-stable video, art portrait video, super night mode, and more. You also get dual SIM support with dual-standby 5G, 4,000mAh battery with 33W FlashCharge support, 3D sound-tracking, and more. Vivo V20 Pro features a 7.39mm slim design profile and is another selfie-focused smartphone worth considering.
OPPO Reno7
Oppo Reno7 comes with a 6.43-inch AMOLED FHD display with a 90Hz high refresh rate. It is 5G enabled and comes with 8GB RAM and a large 256GB storage capacity. In the camera department, you get a 64MP+8MP+2MP rear camera setup and a 32MP front camera setup. OPPO Reno7 features a Portrait Mode that promises to produce DSLR-like portraits with improved background blur and a Bokeh Flare Portrait Video mode that lets you blur the background while shooting the video. Along with this you also get a range of photography and videography features such as AI Highlight Video which activates Ultra Night or Live HDR to capture all the necessary details in low-light conditions to produce detailed videos, AI Color Portrait Video mode lets you keep the background black and white while keeping the subject vibrant colourful, Dual-View video lets you capture the video from both rear and front side simultaneously to let Vlog with ease, Portrait Retouching mode which applies various retouching effects to improve photo quality, and more. You also get a powerful Mediatek Dimensity 900 processor and a 4,500mAh battery which fully charges in approximately 31 minutes with the included 65-watt SuperVOOC charger. This is one of the best selfie-focuses smartphones you can get.
Realme GT Master Edition
Realme GT Master Edition is another selfie-focused smartphone you can get. It also features a range of photography features like street photography mode, a Pro Nightscape Mode that is great for night photography, a portrait mode that features Dynamic Bokeh & Neon Portrait modes along with a wide range of filters for a great photography experience. You get a 64MP rear snapper that clicks high-resolution images along with ultra-wide and macro lenses. Along with these you also get a 32MP selfie camera. The 120Hz 6.43-inch AMOLED display has a 360Hz touch sampling rate for a smooth and responsive navigation experience. Additionally, the display can go up to 1000nits of peak brightness for excellent sunlight legibility and features 100 percent P3 colour gamut support for a vivid and accurate colour profile. Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor is powering this phone. It has a 4,300mAh battery that charges in just 33 minutes with the included SuperDart charger. You also get an in-display fingerprint scanner, NFC, Android 11 based realme UI 2.0 as well.
Vivo V21e 5G
Selfie phones are Vivo’s big focus and its V series is an obvious choice that we can recommend to buyers. The Vivo V21e 5G is an interesting option, especially for those who like clicking a lot of selfies. This is another device that packs a 32MP selfie camera, which is capable of shooting night-time selfies. Vivo has also offered special features like dual-view video calls and double exposure on the front shooter. One of the best for its price. The V21e 5G comes powered by MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset, has been built in a 7.9mm sleek design and includes a 64MP camera at the back. The built-in 4,000mAh battery supports 44W fast charging speed. Selfie lovers are sure to like its overall capability, and using a lightweight phone allows them to shoot more photos, no matter how much light there is in the room.
OnePlus Nord 2 5G
OnePlus Nord 2 is another option with its selfie camera delivering on its promise. Its high-resolution 32MP selfie camera is pretty good with face detection which tends to be a challenge for mid-range devices. You will notice the facial features are more pronounced in selfies, matching the skin tones which is premium quality for many. OnePlus is offering the Dual View feature which lets you capture the scene but also see the other person reacting to it. Nord 2 supports portrait mode which delivers quality in bright conditions, while it also has the power to pull out low light selfies thanks to AI enhancements. You can also shoot 1080P videos at 30 or 60fps which makes the device even more appealing for buyers. Additionally, you have a phone that supports 65W fast charging to keep you going all the time. People buying the Nord 2 have found it to be a practical phone that delivers on the imaging front with flying colours.
Motorola Edge 20 Fusion
Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is another affordable smartphone on our list. It features a 108MP quad-camera setup for high-resolution shots. Addiotnlay, you also get ultra-wide and macro lenses as well. The 32MP camera features Quad Pixel technology for best-looking selfies. The 6.67-inch FHD+ OLED display has HDR10+ certification for bright and colourful images. With a 90Hz high refresh rate and DCI-P3 colour profile, you can be sure you get a great gaming experience. Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G processor. You get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, a 5,000mAh battery with TurboPower 30W fast charging, and more. The phone retains the beloved 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can use your favourite wired headsets. The phone also supports 13 5G bands making it future-proof as well. If you want an affordable phone that comes with all the essentials and offers a near-stock Android experience, this is what we recommend.
Redmi Note 10 Pro
We start the list with the Redmi Note 10 Pro, which is one of the most value-for-money handsets available out there even today. The variant with 8GB RAM carries the same features as other models. This phone offers a 120Hz AMOLED display along with a punch-hole design. It features a 64MP quad-camera setup that deserves a mention for its versatile quality and delivers in low light as well. While on the front, the 16MP selfie camera manages to get the best out of MIUI software to give you different filter effects and combine the AI prowess of the hardware to offer photos that make you look good. MIUI has a slew of features that helps enhance the image quality and add a layer of touch-ups to give you the perfect sheen. And even without its selfie features, you have a robust model that offers long backup, thanks to a 5,020mAh battery that sits inside and charges at 33W speed. Buyers have been impressed with its camera quality and the additional capabilities of MIUI that add further value.
Mi 11X 5G
The Mi 11X is a mid-range smartphone with a 20MP selfie camera that can click images with reliable accuracy in skin tones. The device offers a good depth-of-field spectrum in portrait mode, and you will find ample details in all the images clicked using the snapper. Xiaomi has enabled the beautification mode by default, so the skin smoothening levels are consistent in most cases. The phone has got a 120Hz AMOLED display, comes powered by Snapdragon 870 chipset, and delivers top-end photography thanks to the main 48MP triple camera, combined with ultra-wide and macro sensors at the back. People love the Mi 11X for its overall quality, along with the performance that is capable of matching phones in other price ranges. The selfie camera delivers as per expectations as well.
