
Finding the best smartphone within your budget has become increasingly challenging due to the multitude of options available in every price segment. An ideal smartphone should offer an excellent display, a good processor that offers quick performance across day-to-day tasks, a decent set of cameras, and a robust battery life so that you can go about your day without worrying about a dying battery. In order to simplify your next smartphone purchase, we have meticulously curated a list of the best phones to buy across price ranges, ensuring you get the best value for your money.
Best phone under Rs 15,000
iQOO Z9x 5G
Price: Starting at Rs 12,999
Display: 6.72-inch FHD+ 120Hz LCD display, 1000nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 processor, up to 8GB of RAM & 128GB storage
Cameras: 50MP AI rear camera, 8MP front camera
Battery: 6000mAh + 44W fast charging
iQOO Z9x review at a glance:
Pros
- Impressive visual experience, both indoors and outdoors.
- The device is an excellent performer.
- Excellent battery life and charging speed.
Cons
- The cameras could have been better.
- Third-party apps.
Best phone under Rs 25,000
OnePlus Nord CE4
Price: Starting at Rs 24,999
Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, 1100nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, up to 8GB of RAM & 256GB storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 8MP ultrawide camera, 16MP front camera
Battery: 5500mAh + 100W fast charging
The OnePlus Nord CE4 (review) offers a well-rounded experience with an immersive display and stereo speakers for a great multimedia experience. It delivers smooth performance, making it one of the best in its price range. The camera captures natural-looking photos, with good performance in portraits and low-light shots, though the ultrawide sensor isn’t its strongest suit. With a 5,500mAh battery and 100W fast charging, it easily lasts a full day, making it a reliable choice for everyday use.
The Motorola Edge 50 Neo (review) and Vivo T3 Pro (review) are strong rivals to the phone in this price range. The Motorola Edge 50 Neo stands out with its unique compact design and more versatile cameras, thanks to a dedicated telephoto lens. However, it lags behind the Nord CE4 in battery life, charging speed, and overall performance. On the other hand, the Vivo T3 Pro shares the same chipset and battery size as the Nord CE4, delivering similar performance. But it falls short with a slower charging speed, a more cluttered UI filled with third-party apps, and slightly weaker camera quality compared to the Nord CE4.
Benchmarks | OnePlus Nord CE4 | Motorola Edge 50 Neo | Vivo T3 Pro |
AnTuTu | 819347 | 6,69,760 | 8,12,119 |
Geekbench single-core | 1138 | 1054 | 1147 |
Geekbench multi-core | 2950 | 3058 | 3117 |
PCMark | 16 hours, 2 minutes | NA | 15 hours, 52 minutes |
Charging time (20-100%) | 35 minutes (100W) | 37 minutes (68W) | 50 minutes (80W) |
OnePlus Nord CE4 review at a glance:
Pros
- The OnePlus Nord CE4 offers excellent battery backup.
- The software experience is clean and responsive.
- The camera performance in daylight and dim conditions is impressive.
Cons
- The two-year software update promise is behind the industry standards.
- The OnePlus Nord CE4 also offers average video stabilisation.
Best phone under Rs 35,000
Realme GT 6T
Price: Starting at Rs 30,999
Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED display, 6000nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor, up to 12GB of RAM & 512GB storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 8MP ultrawide camera, 32MP front camera
Battery: 5500mAh + 120W fast charging
The Realme GT 6T (review) is the best smartphone you can buy under Rs 35,000, offering a top-tier display with exceptional brightness and vibrant colours. While its cameras aren’t its strongest suit, they perform well in good lighting. The phone delivers smooth performance, handles demanding tasks effortlessly, and packs a solid battery with 120W fast charging for quick top-ups. If you’re after a powerful all-rounder in this price range, the Realme GT 6T is a good choice.
The Realme GT 6T faces tough competition in its price range, particularly from the Motorola Edge 50 Pro (review) and OnePlus Nord 4 (review). The Motorola Edge 50 Pro offers slightly better cameras and faster charging than the Realme GT 6T, but it falls behind in performance and battery life. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Nord 4 packs the same chipset and similar battery life as the Realme GT 6T, but its performance is a bit lower, and its cameras don’t quite match up to what the GT 6T delivers.
Benchmarks | Realme GT 6T | Motorola Edge 50 Pro | OnePlus Nord 4 |
AnTuTu | 14,50,949 | 8,27,231 | 11,69,622 |
Geekbench single-core | 1826 | 1142 | 1744 |
Geekbench multi-core | 4544 | 3119 | 4365 |
PCMark | 13 hours, 16 minutes | 12 hours, 30 minutes | 16 hours, 58 minutes |
Charging time (20-100%) | 32 minutes (120W) | 16 minutes (125W) | 24 minutes (100W) |
Realme GT 6T reveiw at a glance:
Pros
- The phone delivers solid gaming and multitasking performance.
- The 6000nits peak brightness level ensures the display is legible at all times.
- The primary camera exhibits high level of detail and good colours.
- The handset has an impressive battery life and rapid charging speed.
Cons
- The design looks a bit underwhelming
- Cameras are not the strongest point for the smartphone.
Best phone under Rs 45,000
OnePlus 13R
Price: Starting at Rs 42,999
Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED with 4500nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 50MP telephoto + 8MP ultrawide, 16MP front camera
Battery: 6000mAh + 80W fast charging
The OnePlus 13R (review) builds on the success of the OnePlus 12R, bringing some meaningful upgrades along the way. It comes with a more powerful chipset, a bigger battery, and an improved camera system with a telephoto lens—addressing one of the key weaknesses of its predecessor. The OnePlus 12R was a solid performer but fell short in the camera department. The OnePlus 13R fixes that by adding a telephoto lens, which delivers decent results.
Performance and battery life remain strong points for the phone, though in our review, we found it slightly behind the OnePlus 12R in battery life. In this price range, the OnePlus 13R goes up against the iQOO Neo 9 Pro (review) and the Realme GT 6 (review). The iQOO Neo 9 Pro is a great option from last year, but it lacks a telephoto lens, has a more cluttered UI, and comes with a smaller battery. Similarly, the Realme GT 6 doesn’t quite match up in performance, has a smaller battery, and its cameras feel limited without a telephoto lens.
Benchmarks | OnePlus 13R | iQOO Neo 9 Pro | Realme GT 6 |
AnTuTu | 17,09,077 | 16,11,015 | 15,01,830 |
Geekbench single-core | 2210 | 2023 | 1852 |
Geekbench multi-core | 6572 | 5564 | 4761 |
PCMark | 14 hours, 42 minutes | 14 hours | 14 hours, 36 minutes |
Charging time (20-100%) | 47 minutes (80W) | 23 minutes (120W) | 27 minutes (120W) |
OnePlus 13R review at a glance:
Pros
- Excellent performance for gaming and regular usage.
- Stunning display with Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support.
- Useful telephoto camera for portraits.
- Reliable battery life for gaming and streaming.
Cons
- The design might not appeal to all.
- It charges slower than the OnePlus 12R.
- The phone has underwhelming selfies and ultrawide cameras.
Best phone under Rs 55,000
iQOO 13 5G
Price: Starting at Rs 54,999
Display: 6.82-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED with 4500nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 50MP telephoto + 50MP ultrawide, 32MP front camera
Battery: 6000mAh + 120W fast charging
The iQOO 13 5G (review) is India’s most affordable Snapdragon 8 Elite-powered smartphone and one of the earliest to adopt the chipset. It delivers a smooth and immersive experience, backed by a capable camera system that captures detailed shots in all lighting conditions. The phone’s battery life easily lasts a full day, and with 120W fast charging, it powers up in no time. If you’re after flagship performance without the premium price tag, this device is worth considering.
Benchmarks | iQOO 13 | Motorola Edge 50 Ultra | Honor 200 Pro |
AnTuTu | 28,05,924 | 14,44,591 | 12,79,909 |
Geekbench single-core | 3093 | 1944 | 1619 |
Geekbench multi-core | 9854 | 5070 | 4714 |
PCMark | 13 hours, 9 minutes | 13 hours, 27 minutes | 9 hours, 28 minutes |
Charging time (20-100%) | 23 minutes (120W) | 15 minutes (125W) | 32 minutes (100W) |
iQOO 13 review at a glance:
Pros
- The iQOO 13 is a performance beast, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset.
- The phone ships with an impressive AMOLED display with a peak refresh rate of 144Hz.
- The iQOO 13 comes with top-notch durability, thanks to IP68 and IP69 ratings.
- The Night mode on the handset is quite capable of taking clear shots.
Cons
- The phone comes with a lot of pre-installed apps.
- The periscope lens from the last year’s model has been removed.
Best phone under Rs 75,000
OnePlus 13
Price: Starting at Rs 69,999
Display: 6.82-inch QHD+ 120Hz AMOLED with 4500nits peak brightness
Performance: Snapdragon 8 Elite processor with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 50MP telephoto + 50MP ultrawide, 32MP front camera
Battery: 6000mAh + 100W wired + 50W wireless fast charging
The OnePlus 13 (review) builds on its predecessor’s legacy with solid upgrades across the board. It brings a more durable design, a better chipset, an improved camera system, a larger battery, and now, wireless charging support. At its core, this is a well-rounded smartphone that does well in every aspect. It delivers great performance, captures stunning images, and runs a clean, responsive OS. The battery life is improved, and charging remains fast. Overall, the OnePlus 13 is a true jack of all trades.
Its main competitors are the Vivo X200 (review) and OPPO Find X8 (review), both solid, well-balanced phones in their own right. The Vivo X200, in fact, offers a more capable camera system, though its software experience and performance fall slightly behind the OnePlus 13. The OPPO Find X8, on the other hand, has a unique compact form factor but lags in battery life, performance, and software experience compared to the OnePlus 13.
Benchmarks | OnePlus 13 | Vivo X200 | OPPO Find X8 |
AnTuTu | 26,89,625 | 25,37,181 | 23,39,136 |
Geekbench single-core | 3109 | 2047 | 2203 |
Geekbench multi-core | 9474 | 6339 | 7295 |
PCMark | 17 hours, 34 minutes | 11 hours, 24 minutes | 17 hours |
Charging time (20-100%) | 29 minutes (120W) | 40 minutes (100W) | 30 minutes (120W) |
OnePlus 13 review at a glance:
Pros
- The OnePlus 13 features a tall, vibrant display.
- It offers long battery backup and fast charging speeds.
- Its durability has been improved with IP68 and IP69 ratings.
- There are loads of AI features for productivity and cameras.
Cons
- The OnePlus 13 utilises the same design with minor tweaks.
- Some proprietary apps aren’t useful and there’s no option to delete them.
Best flagship smartphone
Vivo X200 Pro
Price: Rs 94,999
Display: 6.78-inch FHD+ 120Hz AMOLED with 4500nits peak brightness
Performance: MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processor with up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage
Cameras: 50MP primary + 200MP telephoto + 50MP ultrawide, 32MP front camera
Battery: 6000mAh + 90W wired + 30W wireless fast charging
The Vivo X200 Pro (review) is a camera-focused phone that also does excellently as a flagship device. While it doesn’t introduce a lot major upgrades over the Vivo X100 Pro, it refines an already great formula. The camera system is among the best on any smartphone right now, delivering stunning shots in daylight, low light, and portraits. Performance is snappy, everyday usage feels smooth, and the larger battery pushes runtimes even further. There are also AI-powered features to enhance photography and streamline daily tasks. While 90W charging might not seem the fastest, it still tops up the battery in under 30 minutes — making it more than convenient.
Its main rivals include the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (review) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (review). The Galaxy S25 Ultra isn’t in contention yet, as it launched recently, and we’re still testing its full potential. Compared to its competition, the Vivo X200 Pro leads with a superior camera system, longer battery life, and significantly faster charging. It also outperforms both phones in performance, making it one of the best flagship options you can buy right now.
Benchmarks | Vivo X200 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | iPhone 16 Pro Max |
AnTuTu | 25,18,928 | 17,70,105 | 17,74,620 |
Geekbench single-core | 2685 | 2208 | 3285 |
Geekbench multi-core | 7741 | 6752 | 8021 |
PCMark | 13 hours, 43 minutes | 16 hours, 18 minutes | 8 hours, 1 minute (YouTube video loop) |
Charging time (20-100%) | 29 minutes (120W) | 40 minutes (100W) | 30 minutes (120W) |
Vivo X200 Pro review at a glance:
Pros
- Excellent and versatile camera system
- Fast and smooth performance
- Solid battery life
- Stellar display
Cons
- Low-light portraits and selfies tend to soften facial features
- Slower charging speeds compared to its predecessor