The year 2022 witnessed the release of some of the best value-oriented all-arounder smartphones in the sub-Rs 30,000 smartphone segment. The section has it all, from high performance to powerful cameras, and poses a challenging assignment for the Indian Gadget Awards’ expert judging panel. This year’s jury for the Indian Gadget Awards, the biggest tech award in the nation, is made up of 18 experts from the tech industry. They will be assessing over 28 award categories and more than 150 contenders to determine the best consumer electronics launched in 2022.
For this category, we had eleven nominees, but only one could be named the best under Rs 30,000. So without further ado, here’s the winner of the Best Phone Under Rs 30,000.
Winner: OnePlus Nord 2T
TECNO Camon 19 Pro Mondrian
The TECNO Camon 19 Pro Mondrian doesn’t offer state-of-the-art hardware that its competitors in the sub-30,000 price range have, but it does bring a one-of-a-kind design language. The phone’s quirky back is photosensitive and responds to UV light. Regarding the hardware, the Camon 19 Pro Mondrian offers a sizable 6.8-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and the MediaTek Helio G96 processor as its central processing unit. The device includes a versatile camera system that works well in most situations and is more than capable of doing day-to-day duties.
POCO F4 5G
The POCO F4 5G is a stylish and aesthetically pleasing smartphone with excellent design. Thanks to the established and trusted Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, it provides excellent gaming performance. In addition to gaming, the POCO F4 excels in other key areas as well. It has a stunning 6-inch+ AMOLED display with Dolby Vision HDR playback compatibility, a reliable 64MP rear camera system, good battery life with fast charging support, and an IP53 rating as the cherry on top.
Redmi K50i 5G
Redmi brought back their well-known K-series of smartphones to India, and the Redmi K50i 5G is the first model that was tasked with stepping into the shoes left by the K20 Pro. The phone performed admirably in our review and included some industry-first features that helped it get on our list. It includes an FFS LCD screen that can dynamically transition between 30Hz and 144Hz as a starting point, and it also contains the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 SoC, which has taken the industry by storm by providing really fantastic experiences without being prohibitively expensive. The streak continues further with a large battery, 67W fast charging support, and a 64MP triple camera system that does well in most scenarios.
OnePlus Nord 2T 5G
In terms of features and performance, the OnePlus Nord 2T is virtually the same as the Nord 2 from the previous year. The Nord 2T is a mid-range smartphone that doesn’t fall short in any area and fares fairly well with OnePlus devotees. The phone’s 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate is still there. The 32MP selfie camera and 50MP triple back cameras remain, while the processor has been upgraded to MediaTek Dimensity 1300. However, the handset now sports a larger battery, one that supports 80W fast charging as compared to 65W charging on Nord 2.
Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G
The greatest selling feature of the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G is its lightning-fast charging speed, which grabbed headlines this year. It seems impossible that a smartphone battery, especially one with a reasonably large capacity, can be fully charged with a 120W fast charger in under 20 minutes. Putting that aside, the 11i HyperCharge is a mid-range Xiaomi phone with a lovely AMOLED display, the latest MIUI software, a speedy MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor, and the tried-and-true 108MP triple camera arrangement the company has been utilising since the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max.
Motorola Edge 30
The Motorola Edge 30‘s best qualities are its flawless design and comfortable in-hand feel, which is one of the main areas on which Motorola appears to be fixated these days. This concern with design has led to a phone that is only 6.79mm thick and 155g in weight. Despite this, the device performs admirably in most areas, including performance, due to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC that powers it and the clean software that has won us over. The cameras are decent for the price, but the quality of the output and the battery life is at best average.
Samsung Galaxy M53 5G
The highest model in Samsung’s M series, which currently includes a variety of pricing points, is the Galaxy M53 5G. With a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC with vapour cooling, and a 108-megapixel main camera, Samsung’s newest smartphone has some intriguing hardware that the company had previously only offered in higher-end models. The Galaxy M53 5G has a significant advantage over the competition in this price range thanks to the promise of Android OS and security upgrades for at least three years.
Realme GT NEO 3T 80W
The Realme GT Neo 3T is, to put it plainly, a repacked Neo 2 with nearly identical internals. The handset sports a gorgeous 6.6-inch E4 FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC. Camera-wise, you get the same 64MP triple-camera setup on the back that consists of an 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro shooter while on the front there is the 16MP selfie snapper. Realme appears to have made some small adjustments to the camera settings, but the 80W charging capabilities on the Neo 3T are what really sets it apart from the Neo 2.
iQOO Neo 6
iQOO has become known as the brand that gamers turn to. Their smartphones come in any price range and provide the top hardware that a power user would desire. This is also true with the iQOO Neo 6. It is one of the three smartphones introduced this year that are powered by the beloved Snapdragon 870 SoC. The phone also comes with a stunning 120Hz refresh rate AMOLED display, a sizable battery that supports 80W fast charging, the most recent version of Android with the promise of two more upgrades in the future, and a 64MP triple camera configuration on the back that rivals other phones in this price range.
Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G
We cannot just consider the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G as a replacement for the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max, which is still a favourite among Redmi devotees, because the company has now moved the Redmi Note series into a higher pricing range. With a two-day battery life, 67W fast charging, a brilliant, colour-accurate 6.6-inch FHD+ 10-bit AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and practical performance, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a lot going for it.
Realme 9 Pro+
The company’s extensive portfolio of smartphones now includes the Realme 9 Pro+. While it may appear that the Realme 9 Pro and 9 Pro+ have similar features, they really fall into two distinct categories. The Realme 9 Pro+ boasts OIS technology and a flagship-grade sensor in the primary camera, which provide exceptional performance in both bright and dim light, and are the main factors in this situation. Aside from this, the Dimensity 920 SoC, a buttery-smooth OS, and a long battery life serve the Realme 9 Pro+ well.
