January has been a busy month in the smartphone industry, with more than a dozen smartphone launches in India and even more globally. Some of the notable names in the list include the OnePlus 9RT, Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, Realme 9i, Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge, Vivo V23 series, and others. These gave users a wide range of options to pick from, including high-end premium to mid-range to budget models such as the Micromax IN Note 2 that has an AMOLED panel. Xiaomi has finally launched India’s first phone with 120W fast charging support, the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge. Then there’s the long-delayed Samsung Galaxy S21 FE with the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. Here’s a quick round up of the phones that launched in January.
Smartphones launched in India in January
Vivo V23 and V23 Pro
Vivo V23 and V23 Pro are the company’s fresh new launches of the year. These bring dual selfie cameras, triple camera sensors, led by up to 108MP primary camera, MediaTek chipsets, and Android 12 OS. The phones have an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and 44W fast charging support.
Price: Vivo V23 price in India is Rs 29,990 for the 8GB/ 128GB variant and Rs 34,990 for the 12GB/ 256GB option. The Vivo V23 Pro costs Rs 39,990 for the 8GB/ 128GB configuration and Rs 43,990 for the 12GB/ 256GB model.
Vivo V23 Pro: Vivo V23 Pro sports a 6.56-inch FHD+ 3D curved AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 2376×1080 pixel resolution, and flat edges. There is an in-display fingerprint sensor for security, Android 12 with Funtouch OS 12 out of the box, up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC and packs a 4,300mAh battery with 44W fast charging support. Connectivity features include 5G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, USB Type-C port, and NFC.
Vivo V23 Pro specs
- 6.56-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 90Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC
- Up to 12GB RAM, 256GB storage
- Android 12 based Funtouch OS skin
- 108MP + 8MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 50MP + 8MP dual selfie snappers
- 4,300mAh battery, 44W fast charging
Moving to optics, the Vivo V23 Pro has triple cameras on the back, with a 108MP Main lens, 8MP Wide-Angle lens and a 2MP Macro lens. On the front, it will have a 50MP primary lens with autofocus and an 8MP wide-angle lens.
Vivo V23: The Vivo V23 5G flaunts a 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 2,400 x 1,080 pixels resolution. It will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC paired with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB UFS 2.2 storage. It runs on Android 12 with Funtouch OS 12 custom skin out of the box and packs a 4,200mAh battery with 44W fast charging support. Connectivity options onboard include 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS and a USB Type-C port.
Vivo V23 specs
- 6.44-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 90Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC
- Up to 12GB RAM and 256GB storage
- Android 12 based Funtouch OS skin
- 64MP + 8MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 50MP + 8MP dual selfie snappers
- 4,200mAh battery, 44W fast charging
The Vivo V23 has a triple camera setup on the back, with a 64MP (f/1.89 aperture) main camera, an 8MP (f/2.2 aperture) ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP (f/2.4 aperture) macro camera, rounding off the triple camera layout. There’s a 50MP primary lens with autofocus and an 8MP wide-angle lens in the front for selfies.
Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge
Xiaomi’s first launch of the year is the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge with a massive 120W HyperCharge technology. There’s also the Xiaomi 11i with a slightly slower 67W charging speed. They are a rebrand of the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Note 11 Pro+ China models.
Price: Xiaomi 11i is priced at Rs 24,999 for the 6GB/ 128GB and Rs 26,999 for the 8GB/ 128GB version. The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge costs Rs 26,999 for the 6GB/ 128GB model and Rs 28,999 for the 8GB/ 256GB variant.
Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge share similar specifications. Both phones have a similar 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate, 2,400 X 1,080 pixels resolution, 360Hz touch sampling rate, 1200nits peak brightness, and a punch-hole cutout. They are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 920 chipset paired with the ARM Mali-G68 MC4 GPU.
The phones pack up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage that is further expandable via a microSD card. They run on Android 11-based MIUI 12.5 custom skin out of the box and have a 16MP snapper on the front. As for the cameras, the Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge have triple sensors on the back with a 108MP Samsung HM2 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP depth sensor.
Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge specs
- 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Dimensity 920
- Up to 8GB, 256GB storage
- Android 11 OS
- 108MP + 8MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 16MP selfie camera
- Up to 120W fast charging speed
The Xiaomi 11i and 11i HyperCharge are equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Hi-Res audio, 3.5mm audio jack, Dolby Atmos, and VC cooling The phones have an IP53 rating for dust and water protection. Connectivity options include 5G (8 bands and both SIMs), 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, IR blaster, GPS, and USB Type-C port.
Moto G71
Moto G71 is the latest G-series phone to launch in the country. It flaunts a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a standard 60Hz refresh rate and 1080 x 2400 pixels resolution. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 chipset paired with Adreno 619L GPU. The Moto G71 packs 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage that is further expandable via a microSD card.
Connectivity features include 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS/ GLONASS/ Beidou, NFC, and USB Type-C port. There is a 16MP snapper on the front and a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Moto G71 specs
- 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display
- Snapdragon 695 chipset
- 6GB RAM, 128GB storage
- 50MP + 8MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 16MP front camera
- 5,000mAh battery, 33W fast charging
The Moto G71 features a triple camera system on the back that includes a 50MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro camera. The ultra-wide-angle lens can also function as a depth sensor. It runs on Android 11 OS with a near-stock UI.
Price: The Moto G71 5G price in India is Rs 18,999 for the 6GB/128GB storage model.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE is the company’s long-delayed mid-range flagship. It comes as a successor to the S20 FE and there’s an Exynos 2100 variant as well.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE sports a 6.4-inch FHD+ Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 2340 x 1080 pixels resolution, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and punch-hole cutout. Connectivity features include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC, and USB Type-C port.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE specs
- 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
- Snapdragon 888/Exynos 2100 chipset
- Android 12 based OneUI 4.0
- 12MP + 12MP + 8MP triple cameras
- 32MP selfie snapper
- 4,500mAh battery, 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging
It has a triple camera setup on the back, with a 12MP primary camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and an 8MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The Indian model is powered by the Exynos 2100 chipset paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. It runs on Android 12 based OneUI 4.0 custom skin out of the box. There is a 4500mAh battery with support for 25W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging.
Price: The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE price in India is Rs 54,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB variant and Rs 58,999 for the 8GB RAM and 256GB model.
OnePlus 9RT
OnePlus 9RT is the successor to the OnePlus 9R from last year and it was originally unveiled in October in China. It brings significant upgrades over the OnePlus 9R.
OnePlus 9RT sports a 6.62-inch E4 AMOLED display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass layer, and 600Hz touch response rate. It runs on Android 11-based OxygenOS 12 custom skin out of the box and packs a 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support and an in-display fingerprint sensor for security. Connectivity options include 5G support, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX HD & LDAC and AAC, USB Type-C port, NFC, and GPS.
OnePlus 9RT specs
- 6.62-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, Adreno 660 GPU
- Up to 12GB RAM, Up to 256GB storage
- Android 11-based OxygenOS 12
- 50MP + 16MP + 2MP triple rear cameras
- 16MP selfie snapper
- 4,500mAh battery, 65W fast charging
The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with Adreno 660 GPU and it comes in two models: 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB version. It has triple cameras on the back, with a 50MP Sony IMX766 primary camera, a 16MP wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens.
Price: The OnePlus 9RT price in India is Rs 42,999 for the 8GB + 128GB variant and Rs 46,999 for the 12GB + 256GB storage model.
Tecno POVA Neo
Tecno POVA Neo specs
- 6.8-inch HD+ display
- MediaTek Helio G25
- 6GB RAM, 128GB storage
- 13MP + AI dual cameras
- 8MP selfie snapper
- 6,000mAh battery
Tecno POVA Neo flaunts a 6.8-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720×1,640 pixels. The display features a waterdrop notch, 20:9 aspect ratio, 480 nits of peak brightness, and 89.42 percent screen-to-body ratio. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G25 SoC paired with 6GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of eMMC 5.1 storage. There’s 5GB virtual RAM for better multitasking.
The Tecno POVA Neo has dual cameras on the back, with a 13MP f/1.8 primary camera paired and an AI lens. It has an 8MP selfie shooter with a dual-LED flash and boots Android 11 based HiOS v7.6 out of the box. There’s a 6,000mAh, a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, and IPX2 water resistance.
Price: Tecno POVA is priced at 12,999.
Xiaomi 11T Pro
Xiaomi 11T Pro has finally launched in India after debuting back in September 2021. The handset comes with a 6.67-inch FHD+ TrueColour display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, 480Hz touch response rate, Dolby Vision, and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus layer. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset paired with up to 12GB RAM and up to 256GB internal storage.
The phone runs on Android 11 based MIUI 12.5 Enhanced Edition custom skin out of the box and packs a 5,000mAh battery with 120W fast-charging support. There’s an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. Connectivity features include 5G, 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and USB Type-C port. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security and 16MP selfie snapper on the front.
Xiaomi 11T Pro specs
- 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 120Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, Adreno 660 GPU
- Up to 12GB RAM, Up to 256GB storage
- Android 11-based MIUI 12.5
- 108MP + 8MP + 8MP triple rear cameras
- 16MP selfie snapper
- 5000mAh battery, 120W fast charging
The Xiaomi 11T Pro has triple cameras on the back, with a 108MP Samsung HM2 primary sensor, an 8MP 119-degree ultra-wide-angle lens with a Sony IMX355 sensor, and an 8MP telemacro sensor.
Price: Xiaomi 11T Pro price in India is Rs 39,999 for the 8GB+128GB variant, Rs 41,999 for the 8GB+256GB model, and Rs 43,999 for the 12GB+256GB option.
Realme 9i
Realme 9i is the first 9 series phone from the brand and it comes with a 6.6-inch FHD+ display with a 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, 20:1:9 aspect ratio and a punch-hole cutout for the selfie snapper. Connectivity options would be 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and USB Type-C port for charging.
It is powered by the Snapdragon 680 chipset paired with Adreno 610 GPU, up to 6GB LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 128GB UFS 2.1 storage that is further expandable up to 1TB. Realme 9i has triple cameras on the back comprising a 50MP main Samsung S5KJN1SQ03 sensor with PDAF and f/1.8 aperture, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 2MP third lens with f/2.4 aperture.
Realme 9i specs
- 6.6-inch FHD+ display, 90Hz refresh rate
- Snapdragon 680 SoC
- 6GB/128GB
- 50MP + 2MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 16MP selfie snapper
- 5,000mAh battery (33W fast charging)
There is a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security. It runs on Android 11 based Realme UI 2.0 custom skin out of the box. There is a 16MP Sony IMX471 snapper on the front.
Micromax IN Note 2
After a brief break, Micromax is back with its IN series of phones and the latest to join is the IN Note 2. It has a 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels resolution, 466ppi pixel density, and Corning Gorilla Glass layer. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio G95 SoC paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage that is expandable via a microSD card. It runs on Android 11 OS with near-stock skin on top and packs a 5,000mAh battery with 30W fast charging.
Micromax IN Note 2 specs
- 6.43-inch FHD+ AMOLED display
- MediaTek Helio G95 SoC
- Android 11 OS
- 48MP + 5MP + 2MP + 2MP quad-cameras
- 16MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery, 30W fast charging
The Micromax IN Note 2 has quad-cameras at the back with a 48MP primary sensor, a 5MP wide-angle lens, and a couple of 2MP cameras. A 16MP snapper can be found on the front for selfies and video chats. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, and USB Type-C port. There is a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security.
Price: Micromax IN Note 2 price in India is Rs 13,490 for the sole 4GB + 64GB configuration. But it will be available for Rs 12,499 (till stocks last) as part of an introductory offer.
Vivo Y75
Vivo Y75 5G is the latest phone to launch in India in January. It comes with a 6.58-inch FHD+ LCD display with 2408×1080 pixels resolution, 20:07:9 aspect ratio, 2.5D flat edges, and Blue light filter. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 coupled with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB storage that is further expandable up[ to 1TB via a microSD card. The phone runs on Android 11-based Funtouch OS 12 custom skin out of the box and packs a 5,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging support.
Vivo Y75 specs
- 6.58-inch FHD+ display
- MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset
- 8GB RAM, 128GB storage
- 50MP + 2MP + 2MP triple cameras
- 16MP selfie snapper
- 5,000mAh battery, 18W fast charging
The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for security and a 16MP snapper on the front for selfies and video chats. Moving to optics, the Vivo Y75 has triple cameras on the back, with a 50MP (f/1.8 aperture) primary sensor, a 2MP sensor for depth, and a 2MP macro unit. Connectivity features include 5G, 4G, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, BEIDOU, GLONASS, and USB Type-C port.
Price: The Vivo Y75 5G is priced at Rs 21,990 for the single 8GB + 128GB model.
