The smartphone market in India is in its most turbulent time yet, with new phones launching at roughly 40 percent higher price points than their predecessors, only to sit even higher with a follow-up price hike. That is all because of the ongoing RAM price inflation worldwide, pushing manufacturers to pass the increased costs to consumers. The OPPO Reno16c, which I'll be discussing in this review, is also part of the new wave of launches suffering the same fate. 

The new Reno16c is the entry point into the latest Reno16 series lineup, and like all Reno phones before it, it is focused more on camera output and design than other aspects. On offer is a robust camera system, complete with a telephoto lens, an eye-catching design, a big 7,000mAh battery and the polished ColorOS, among other things.  In this review, I'll walk you through my everyday experience with the Reno16c and whether the device delivers enough value at its new price point.

Short verdict

The Reno16c is an extremely specialised phone that focuses on a few things. It looks good, feels comfortable, lasts easily through the day, and offers a very capable camera setup with a telephoto lens. On top of that, you get a polished OS, a vibrant AMOLED display, stereo speakers, and fast charging, which helps add balance to the formula. However, its performance feels less impressive, but for buyers who value design, battery life, and imaging, the Reno16c is still worth a serious look.

Design: unique and comfortable

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The Reno 16c's design is pretty special, with a subtle 3D back-panel effect that gives it a distinctive, eye-catching look. The handset feels well balanced in hand at 197g, with a comfortable grip despite the 8.4mm thickness. Good IP protection, a TPU case, and attractive colour options make the phone's design one of its key highlights. 
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The Reno 16c carries over its design elements from its predecessor, the OPPO Reno15c, with the back-panel effect that creates a subtle 3D look, and it is certainly eye-catching. A lot of people will probably like it, though I will admit it did make me feel a little off at first since I am prone to motion sickness. Still, as a visual idea, it is quite striking and gives the phone a more distinctive character.

What also works well is how well the phone's weight is balanced. At 197g, it does not feel heavy in the hand, and the weight is spread out nicely for comfortable use during prolonged use. It is a little thick at 8.4mm, mainly because of the large battery, but the smaller 6.6-inch body helps offset that somewhat. The Starry White finish I got for review looks quite nice, and the phone also comes in Stellar Purple and Twilight Violet if you want something a bit more vivid.

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OPPO has also given the device a lot of protective features. You get a transparent TPU case in the box, along with IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K certification, so the phone should handle dust, water and rougher conditions quite well. There is also Crystal Guard protection on the front, which should add another layer of reassurance against accidental drops. All in all, I'm quite fond of the design of the new Reno16c.

Cameras: a capable system complete with telephoto lens

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The Reno16c's cameras are its strongest aspect by far. The 50MP main camera delivers sharp, detailed daylight shots with good dynamic range, while the 50MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom adds flexibility. The ultrawide camera is also capable, and the 50MP selfie camera does a good job with skin tones and overall detail. In low light, the results turn out well too, with good exposure control, reduced flare, and great detail retention.
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Now, let's move on to the key pillar of this device: cameras. On offer is a 50MP OIS primary camera, a 50MP OIS telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom, an 8MP ultrawide lens and a 50MP selfie shooter with Autofocus. The setup makes OPPO Reno16c one of the few phones under Rs 50,000 (right now) to offer you a camera system that includes a telephoto lens.

The 50MP primary camera handles most everyday shots best, delivering sharp images, good dynamic range, and pleasing colours that stay lively without looking too unnatural.
The 50MP telephoto lens is great for portraits and zoom shots, while the 8MP ultrawide lens works best for landscapes, although it tends to output darker colours compared to the primary lens.

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The 50MP selfie camera with autofocus also does a strong job, especially when it comes to keeping faces clear and skin tones looking natural. Overall, it is a well-rounded setup that covers almost every kind of shot well.

To give you a better idea of the phone's camera output, I compared it against the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review), which is one of the best camera phones in this segment. 

Daylight

In daylight conditions, the Reno16c's results are quite competitive with the Edge 70 Pro+. The former has better sharpness and detail level across the frame, and its dynamic range is superior. The Edge 70 Pro+ does take the lead when it comes to colour reproduction. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Reno16c-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Edge-70-Pro-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OPPO Reno16c" after="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+"]

Ultrawide

For ultrawide shots, the Edge 70 Pro+ outputs results that are more consistent in colour science compared to their daylight counterparts than the Reno 16c. When it comes to detail, however, the Reno smartphone takes the lead.  

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Reno16c-ultrawide-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Edge-70-Pro-ultrawide-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OPPO Reno16c" after="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+"]

Portrait

If you like capturing human shots, the Reno16c outputs results with pleasing colours, although the skin tones are not entirely accurate. The Edge 70 Pro+ delivers results that are more consistent with reality. The Edge 70 Pro+ captures better facial details, but its edge detection falls a bit behind the Reno16c. 

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Reno16c-portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Edge-70-Pro-portrait-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OPPO Reno16c" after="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+"]

Selfie

The situation is reversed in selfies as the Reno16c now delivers more accurate skin tones compared to the Edge 70 Pro+. The colours are a bit more vibrant on the Motorola's image, making it more likeable. In terms of details, both phones are almost on par with each other.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Reno16c-selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Edge-70-Pro-selfie-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OPPO Reno16c" after="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+"]

Low light (nightmode)

With night mode enabled, both phones take some impressive shots. The Reno16c, however, is in the lead since it controls lens flares and exposure better compared to the Edge 70 Pro+. Even the detail level is a lot higher in the Reno16c's shots, although its colours aren't as accurate as its rival.  

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Reno16c-nightmode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Edge-70-Pro-nightmode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OPPO Reno16c" after="Motorola Edge 70 Pro+"]

Display and speakers: vivid visuals and full-bodied sound

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The Reno 16c has a vivid 6.57-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and thin bezels that make it feel premium. The display is excellent for indoor use, while outdoor visibility feels decent. The stereo speakers sound full and make the media experience more enjoyable.
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The Reno 16c gets a 6.57-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, and the setup makes a great first impression. Colours look vivid, thanks to the 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, making the content look lively and pleasing straight away. The display also feels quite premium due to the thin, almost symmetrical bezels.

Indoors, the panel gets extremely bright at 1400nits HBM, and feels great to use, but the outdoor experience is a bit more mixed. The brightness level is not weak by any means, but it also isn't the best, so visibility can be a little less convincing under harsh sunlight. At 1400 nits, it remains quite usable, but I would have liked a bit more brightness when I'm out and about.  

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The stereo speaker setup on offer here adds a lot to the overall multimedia experience. It sounds loud, full-bodied, and well suited for videos, shows, and casual gaming. Put together, this makes the display and audio combo a very enjoyable part of the phone.

Battery: excellent longevity and fast top-ups

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The Reno 16c's battery life is one of its biggest strengths. The 7,000mAh cell easily lasts a full day, and lighter users can stretch it close to 1.5 days. PCMark also crossed 21 hours, which is excellent, while 80W charging takes it from 20 to 100 percent in about an hour.
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Battery life is easily one of the strongest strengths of the OPPO Reno 16c. The 7,000mAh capacity is especially impressive in a phone this size, and it gives the device a real advantage without making it feel overly bulky. In everyday use, it should comfortably last a full day even for the most heavy users, while lighter users can stretch it close to 1.5 days without worrying too much about finding a charger.

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Even our PCMark battery benchmark result crossing 21 hours shows that the phone has the stamina that puts it right up there with some of the better battery performers of the year. That seems to be helped by the Dimensity 7300 Energy, which appears to do a good job of keeping power use in check, along with Oppo's own battery optimisation in ColorOS.

Even after an hour of gaming, the battery drop was only around 5.5 percent, which is a good result and suggests the phone manages heavy use quite sensibly.

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Then there is the 80W fast charging, which rounds things off nicely by taking the battery from 20 to 100 percent in about an hour. The efficiency and charging speed combined make the whole experience feel very well thought out.

Performance: just about enough

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The Reno 16c is fine for everyday use, but it is not for heavy usage. The handset manages browsing, multitasking, and light gaming smoothly enough, though demanding usage and games may expose it to its limits.
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Oppo has clearly kept performance modest here, and that feels like a deliberate choice to balance costs. The Reno 16c is powered by the Dimensity 7300 Energy SoC, paired with up to 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which is not especially exciting on paper but still gives the phone enough to handle day-to-day use properly.

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With the optimised software doing some of the heavy lifting, browsing, multitasking and general navigation stay smooth enough, and you do not really run into trouble unless you start pushing it harder.

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Although, the limits do show up once you move into heavier use. Gaming performance is what I'd call decent enough, and while the phone keeps temperatures fairly controlled with an average rise of just 4.5 degrees over 30 minutes, it does not go far enough to feel truly allow care-free gaming in terms of smoothness. 

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There is also no 120fps support in popular titles like BGMI and COD Mobile yet, which makes the experience feel a little more restrained than it could have been. However, future OTA updates will likely improve that. Since this is a camera-first device, that is not a deal-breaker, but I do think Oppo could have pushed performance a bit further here, especially given the pricing.

If you're someone who can't compromise on performance, the iQOO 15R (review) and POCO X8 Pro Max (review) are alternatives that are more performance-focused in this price range. But, at the expense of relatively average cameras.

Software: butter-smooth OS, rich AI suite

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The Reno 16c runs ColorOS 16 on Android 16, and it feels smooth and polished. The software comes preloaded with some apps, but most can be removed, and it also includes useful AI features for notes, shortcuts, and everyday tasks.
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The Reno 16c runs ColorOS 16 on top of Android 16, and the experience feels smooth, polished, and very much in line with what Oppo is doing across its newer phones. It does come with a fair number of pre-loaded apps out of the box, so the interface can feel a little crowded at first.

The good thing is, most of the pre-installed apps can be removed if you do not want them. Once you get past that, the software feels responsive and nicely tuned, with plenty of customisation options for both the home screen and lock screen.

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There are also a few new AI features this time like: AI bill manager for organising expenses, an AI Snap Key for quick capture and shortcuts, and an AI Mind Pilot feature that connects you to AI tools in a more guided way. While I am not someone who relies on AI tools very often, I can see the appeal for users who do.

Oppo seems to have built in enough utility here for people who want quick help with organisation, capture and everyday tasks, without making the phone feel like it is forcing AI into every corner. It is a pretty complete software package overall, that makes for a refined user experience, post the initial setup.

Furthermore, the Reno 16c's software support is pretty great for the price, with 5 OS updates and 6 years of security patches. This is better than the 4-year level that most other phones in this bracket offer, and should help the phone stay relevant for longer.

Final Verdict

OPPO has clearly designed the Reno16c around the things it knows how to do well and chosen carefully where not to focus. The handset looks good, feels comfortable to hold, lasts through the day with ease, and brings a camera setup that is quite strong for this segment. The telephoto lens has now become a rare treat at this price, and the overall experience feels polished, which should appeal to buyers who care about design and imaging capabilities the most.

The software also helps the phone feel a lot more premium. ColorOS is smooth, intuitive to use, and well suited for most general users. Rounding off the package with a vivid AMOLED display, stereo speakers, and fast charging into the mix. All of these aspects make the Reno16c a good case for itself as a phone that gets the essentials right. 

The challenge, though, is that the competition is just as good. The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review) feels like the more complete package overall, with similar camera strengths and a more balanced approach. The Nothing Phone 4a Pro (review) also looks more rounded in this space, especially for users who want a camera-focused phone without giving up on too much performance. Against those phones, the Reno16c starts to feel a little more specialised, rather than versatile.

Despite all that, the Reno16c does what Oppo intended it to do, putting design, battery life and camera output front and centre, and it does that with enough confidence that translates into real-world use. For buyers who want a stylish phone with a strong focus on cameras, longer software support than rivals, and a very easy everyday experience, the phone still warrants a serious look.

The OPPO Reno16c is priced in India starting at Rs 46,999.

Editor's rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• Capable camera system with a telephoto lens
• Eye-catching design with good in-hand comfort
• Excellent battery life and fast charging
• Smooth ColorOS with a lot of customisation

Reasons not to buy:

• Performance is only average for the segment 
• Is a little pricey for what it offers

Thirty peripherals across three months. This quarter (April - June) covered everything from a Rs 2,199 Bluetooth speaker to a Rs 99,990 soundbar with first-of-its-kind Dirac Live room correction, with TWS earbuds, gaming monitors, smartwatches, mechanical keyboards, streaming amplifiers, smart glasses, and a health ring in between.

The clearest theme was value moving upward faster than price. The EvoFox Ronin X75 puts gasket-mount keyboard acoustics under Rs 5,000. The OPPO Enco Air5 Pro puts 55 dB ANC and Hi-Res audio under Rs 5,000. The CMF Watch 3 Pro puts dual-band GPS in a sub-Rs 10,000 smartwatch. Each would have required twice the budget as recently as 2024.

At the premium end, the BenQ MOBIUZ EX271QZ, a 27-inch 2K QD-OLED at 500Hz, is the quarter's most technically distinctive product. Not everything landed cleanly: the HUION Note E has hardware that earns its price and software that does not, and the Noise Master Buds 2 have a fit issue worth knowing about before buying.

Klipsch ProMedia Lumina

The ProMedia Lumina is the most sonically accomplished desktop speaker system we reviewed this quarter. The satellite speakers use Klipsch's Microtractrix horn with a 1-inch tweeter and 3-inch midrange driver. The compact MDF subwoofer houses a 6.5-inch side-firing woofer. The output is genuinely cinematic for a desktop footprint, and the Klipsch Control app adds 6-band EQ, Night Mode, and input switching. The two limitations to know about: the satellite-to-subwoofer cables use proprietary connectors that cannot be swapped for standard speaker wire, and there is no HDMI eARC for TV connection.

Editor's Rating: 9.4 / 10

Pros

• Sublime Audio Quality
• Premium Build & Design
• Robust App Integration
• Customizable RGB Lighting
• Compact Subwoofer

Cons

• Proprietary Cables
• Basic Bluetooth Codec

Read the full review here

WiiM Amp Ultra

The Amp Ultra replaces a standalone streamer, DAC, and amplifier in a single chassis. Roon Ready certification, Hi-Res audio up to 24-bit/192kHz, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Spotify Connect, and TIDAL Connect are all on board. Output is 120W per channel into 4 ohms. Build quality and app support are both strong. For anyone with passive speakers who wants a clean, capable, and well-supported streaming stack, this eliminates three devices and their cables in one purchase. The best all-in-one streaming amp available in India under Rs 50,000.

There are a few drawbacks, such as the limited advanced room correction and no headphone out/phone input.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros

• Excellent value for performance
• Stable, intuitive app experience
• Strong wireless connectivity
• Clean, balanced sound signature

Cons

• Limited advanced room correction
• AirPlay seekers will be left wanting
• No headphone out/phono input

Read the full review here

OPPO Enco Air5 Pro

OPPO returned to the Enco Air lineup after three years and immediately set a new benchmark for the sub-Rs 5,000 segment. The 55dB ANC Rating holds up in real-world use: traffic noise, train tunnels, and office chatter all dropped to near-silence in testing. It has 54 hours of battery.

The 12mm titanium-coated driver delivers a V-shaped sound signature, strong highs and lows, slightly recessed mids, that suits most popular genres. LHDC 5.0 delivers Hi-Res audio on compatible phones. Bluetooth 6.0, dual-device pairing, and an IP55 Rating complete a package that leaves the competition with very little to point to.

Editor's Rating: 9 /10

Pros

• Great ANC
• Full-bodied, exciting sound quality at Rs 4,999.
• Solid battery life
• Premium matte case finish
• Bluetooth 6.0 with dual-device connectivity

Cons

• Mids are slightly recessed

Read the full review here

Onkyo Muse Y-50 Network Integrated Amplifier

Onkyo's return to India under the Premium Audio Company umbrella, and it makes a strong case. The Axign Class-D module produces none of the grain or sterility associated with the topology. The Y-50 sounds energetic, poised, and muscular, with a wide soundstage and a solid centre image.

At 250W into 4 ohms, it drove a pair of KEF Blade 2 Metas without complaint. Connectivity is comprehensive: three RCA inputs, HDMI ARC, a dedicated MM/MC phono stage, subwoofer output, and full streaming via Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, Qobuz Connect, and AirPlay 2. The front display doubles as a VU meter, which is a nice touch. The remote is a cluttered relic, and the display should have been a touchscreen, minor gripes around an otherwise coherent package.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros

• Commanding power easily drives large speakers
• Plenty of physical and wireless connection options
• Useful display features analogue-like VU meters

Cons

• Large screen completely lacks touch capabilities
• Included remote control is excessively cluttered
• Bluetooth limits streaming to basic codecs

Read the full review here

Dell 27 Plus S2725QC Monitor

A 27-inch 4K IPS monitor at 120Hz with a USB-C port that delivers 65W charging. The ash-white design is genuinely attractive and pairs naturally with premium laptops. 4K at 27 inches produces excellent text sharpness for productivity work. The 120Hz panel makes everyday navigation noticeably smoother than 60Hz. HDMI 2.1 and VRR allow clean PS5 and Xbox Series X connection. The limitations are typical IPS: contrast is unremarkable, and HDR without local dimming produces grey rather than black in dark scenes. Not for competitive gaming.

Editor's Rating: 8.8 / 10

Pros

• Sharp and vibrant 4K IPS display
• Smooth 120Hz refresh rate for work and gaming
• Excellent USB-C connectivity with 65W charging
• Surprisingly good built-in speakers

Cons

• HDR performance feels underwhelming
• Not ideal for competitive esports gaming

Read the full review here

EvoFox Ronin X75

A 75% layout mechanical keyboard with gasket mounting and five-layer sound dampening at Rs 4,999. That combination typically appears at Rs 8,000 and above. The result is a keyboard that sounds noticeably deeper and softer than anything competing at this price, with a thocky keystroke that mechanical enthusiasts spend considerably more chasing. Tri-mode connectivity covers USB-C, 2.4GHz wireless, and Bluetooth, with a 1000Hz polling rate in wired and wireless modes. The 4,000mAh battery lasts several days with RGB enabled, although the RGB brightness could have been better along with the keycap finish.

Editor's Rating: 8.8 / 10

Pros

• Excellent typing feel with gasket mount and dampening
• Smooth, pre-lubed switches with minimal scratchiness
• Versatile tri-mode connectivity
• Great value with solid accessories and features

Cons

• RGB lacks brightness and punch
• Minor keycap legend and finish inconsistencies

Read the full review here

Klipsch Flexus Core 300

The Klipsch Flexus Core 300 is the world's first soundbar with built-in Dirac Live room correction. The Core 300 packs 13 drivers into a 54-inch chassis, including horn-loaded tweeters, side and top-firing drivers, and a pair of 4-inch subwoofers per side, making an external subwoofer optional for most content.

With Dirac engaged, the midbass cleans up noticeably, restoring the spaciousness and air you would expect from a traditional stereo setup. Without it, the sound is thick in the low-mids. The walnut veneer and aluminium grille finish is genuinely premium. Connectivity covers HDMI 2.1 passthrough, eARC, Spotify Connect, TIDAL Connect, and AirPlay. The remote lacks a Dirac on/off toggle, which becomes a minor frustration when making comparisons.

Editor's Rating: 8.7 / 10

Pros

• Beautiful finish adapts to any decor
• Spacious, authoritative, clean sound
• Built-in Dirac Live
• Ease of use and connectivity

Cons

• Substantial width and weight
• Dynamics are a bit tame
• Remote lacks Dirac on/off

Read the full review here

BenQ EW270Q

A 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor at 200Hz is a combination that makes the BenQ EW270Q genuinely useful for both productivity and gaming without compromising either. The IPS panel delivers accurate colour coverage suitable for photo editing and content consumption.

At 200Hz, competitive titles feel responsive and fluid. The BenQ Color Shuttle app adds game-specific colour profiles that are more useful than they sound. HDR support is present but limited without local dimming. The strongest single-display solution in the sub-Rs 20,000 monitor segment.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Excellent balance of 200Hz gaming and QHD productivity
• USB-C with 65W power delivery enables a clean single-cable setup
• Good colour reproduction and sharp text clarity
• Surprisingly capable built-in speakers

Cons

• No height adjustment on the stand
• HDR performance is limited and not true HDR
• Competitive gamers may prefer ZOWIE monitors

Read the full review here

OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro

The easiest TWS recommendation under Rs 4,000 in India right now. The 12.4mm titanium-coated dynamic driver produces clear, balanced sound with good mid presence, something many competitors at this price sacrifice for bass. ANC is strong for the segment. Total battery life reaches up to 44 hours with the case. Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity is stable. The companion app handles EQ and ANC mode control without friction. A small negative for the TWS is the lack of proper mids.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Likeable design
• Punchy, engaging, and customisable sound
• Effective ANC for the price
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• BassWave feels redundant next to Bass mode
• Mids could have been better

Read the full review here

Oakley Meta HSTN

A collaboration between Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses platform and Oakley's sport optics. Two 12MP cameras, five-microphone audio, open-ear speakers, and Prizm lens technology in Oakley's O-Matter sport frame.

The camera output is genuinely usable, not just functional. Meta AI integration for quick answers and image description works as advertised. The sport frame makes this more comfortable during active use than the standard Ray-Ban Meta. Of course, the price is a point of contention for some, and the design may not appeal to all.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Stylish & sporty
• Decent image quality
• Good audio
• Useful AI prowess

Cons

• Pricey
• Design might not appeal to everyone
• Shot framing can be problematic

Read the full review here

Fire TV Full HD Streaming Stick (2026)

30% slimmer than the previous generation and now USB-powered from the TV itself, eliminating the wall socket requirement. The new Vega OS is clean and fast, but it removes APK sideloading, a significant trade-off for users who relied on that. Wi-Fi 6 keeps streams stable. HDR10 and HDR10+ support improves content on compatible displays. The stick tops out at 1080p, making it the right choice only for HD displays or secondary screens and is redundant for newer TVs. Anyone with a 4K TV should spend the extra Rs 1,000 on the 4K Select.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Wi-Fi 6 and HDR10+ support
• Genuinely useful companion app
• Powers directly via TV's USB

Cons

• Caps out at 1080p HD
• No OTT logo on thumbnails
• Redundant on newer smart TVs

Read the full review here

TP-Link Deco BE25 (3-pack)

The most accessible Wi-Fi 7 mesh system in India. The three-pack covers a large area, each node carries two 2.5 Gbps ports, and setup via the Deco app takes minutes. In testing on a 200Mbps connection, it delivered near-full speeds in every room, with stable connectivity even for cameras placed on a balcony and a floor below.

The Deco app adds QoS, guest network, IoT isolation, and parental controls. Advanced HomeShield security features sit behind a paid subscription. No 6GHz band and no web interface are the two honest limitations for power users.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Easy to set up
• Large coverage area
• Supports Wi-Fi 7 & up to 150 devices
• Lots of useful features

Cons

• No web interface
• Advanced security features are paid

Read the full review here

EarFun Air Pro 4+

The Air Pro 4+ carries the Snapdragon Sound certification and delivers on it. Sound is rich, detailed, and consistent across genres, with good instrument separation and a wide soundstage for the price. Bass is punchy without dominating the mix. ANC handles background environmental noise well but leaves voices at close range audible, which is the one area where it falls short of expectations. Call quality is good. Battery life is competitive at around 9 hours per earbud. The best Hi-Res wireless earbuds available in India under Rs 10,000.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Great sound quality
• Advanced codec support
• Loaded with features
• Good battery life

Cons

• ANC could be better
• Touch controls are iffy

Read the full review here

Amazon Echo Dot Max

Amazon's most capable Echo Dot and the only one with a built-in Zigbee hub, Thread border router, and Matter support. The 2.5-inch woofer delivers more bass than the standard Echo Dot. The Omnisense sensor adds temperature, ambient light, and ultrasound presence detection for home automation triggers. For smart home users building a Zigbee or Matter network, the ability to control devices without a separate hub is a genuine convenience gain. The limitation here is that the price tag still remains a bit high for what it offers.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Audible acoustic upgrade with deeper bass.
• Native Zigbee, Thread, and Matter hub.
• Proactive room automation via Omnisense radar.

Cons

• High price tag for mono sound.
• Alexa response speeds remain unchanged.

Read the full review here

Tribit PocketGo

A compact Bluetooth speaker that produces louder, more full-bodied sound than its size suggests. The 10W driver is well-tuned, IPX7 waterproofing is genuine, and the 24-hour rated battery held up in testing. Bass extension and soundstage width are constrained by physics at this size, and that is expected.

The XBass mode adds low-end presence at the cost of some mid clarity. For a bathroom or day-bag outdoor speaker, this is hard to beat at the price. There are limitations as well, though, with this being a single-driver speaker and the charging speeds a bit on the lower side.

Editor's Rating: 8.4 / 10

Pros

• Extremely compact
• Solid build quality + durability
• Impressive sound quality for the price
• Tribit app with EQ customisation

Cons

• Single driver limitations
• Modest charging speed (around 3 hours)

Read the full review here

BenQ MOBIUZ EX271QZ

A 27-inch 2K QD-OLED monitor at 500Hz. The QD-OLED panel delivers self-illuminating blacks and infinite contrast alongside 99% DCI-P3 colour coverage. Spend time with the BenQ Color Shuttle app, which downloads game-specific colour profiles from BenQ's server, and the picture quality climbs to a level that is difficult to describe in spec terms alone. Anti-burn-in features including Pixel Orbit, Idle Dimmer, and Logo Dimming run quietly in the background. At Rs 84,998, the positioning is specific: for buyers who want the maximum refresh rate combined with OLED panel quality, there is currently no alternative.

Editor's Rating: 8.4 / 10

Pros

• Gorgeous QD-OLED panel
• Blistering 500Hz refresh rate
• Excellent HDR performance
• Colour Shuttle app support

Cons

• Premium price tag
• Overlaps awkwardly with BenQ EX271UZ
• Niche appeal

Read the full review here

HUION Note E

An 8.4-inch Android 15 digital notebook with an anti-glare nano-etched LCD panel that mimics the tactile feel of paper. It is not e-ink, the colour LCD is faster and more vibrant, but the matte surface makes writing with the PenTech 3.0 stylus genuinely close to pen on paper. The battery-free magnetic stylus with 8,192 pressure levels is excellent. The hardware earns its price, but it has average speakers and slow charging is something that holds it back.

Editor's Rating: 8.3 / 10

Pros

• Compact and portable
• Effective anti-glare display
• Engaging writing experience
• Bundled PW510 pen

Cons

• Average speakers
• Slow charging speed

Read the full review here

Realme Buds T500 Pro

Under Rs 3,000, the Buds T500 Pro is Realme's most complete TWS offering. The 10mm dynamic driver delivers a warm, bass-forward sound that works well for pop and hip-hop. ANC is solid for the price, IPX4 covers daily use, and battery life holds at around 8 hours per earbud. The companion app adds EQ customisation. The main concession is a plastic build that feels its price, and the spatial audio that could have been a bit better.

Editor's Rating: 8.2 / 10

Pros

• Exceptional battery life
• Effective ANC for the price
• Sound quality will appeal to most buyers.
• Design is fun and compact

Cons

• Not ideal for all music genres.
• Spatial audio could have been better

Read the full review here

ASUS ROG Strix XG248QSG Ace

A 24-inch 610Hz Fast IPS monitor built for competitive FPS players. The refresh rate is not marketing. At this frame count, motion clarity in Valorant and CS2 is measurably smoother than at 360Hz or 500Hz, and the input lag at this speed is relevant at tournament level. For everyone else, this is a significant amount of money for a 1080p display. The Rs 89,990 price reflects how narrow the audience is, the lack of USB ports on the machine is another drawback.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Ultra-fast refresh rate
• Low input latency
• Sturdy build quality
• Excellent motion clarity
• Windows app for OSD controls

Cons

• Meant for a niche audience
• No USB ports
• Overpriced

Read the full review here

boAt Aavante Prime X

This is boAt's first premium soundbar and the brand's most ambitious product to date. The 7.1.4-channel Dolby Atmos configuration with wireless detachable rear satellites and a wireless subwoofer at Rs 39,999 is a genuinely different proposition from anything else at this price. The wireless satellite design is the standout feature: the rear speakers detach from the main bar and run on internal 4,500mAh batteries, making proper surround placement possible without running cables across the floor. Audio performance is strong, with deep bass and clear vocals even in chaotic action scenes. The front Dot Matrix display cannot be dimmed, and individual rear speaker volume calibration is not available.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Versatile design
• Immersive sound
• Ample connectivity options
• Easy setup

Cons

• Display can't be dimmed or turned off
• Limited Calibration for rear speakers
• Echo Effect requires manual intervention

Read the full review here

CMF Watch 3 Pro

Nothing's most refined budget smartwatch. The 1.43-inch AMOLED at 670 nits is sharp and readable outdoors. Dual-band L1+L5 GPS locks in seconds and tracks accurately, a feature typically found in watches at twice the price. Battery life runs well past a week in mixed use. The Nothing X app is well-designed, and 131 sport modes cover essentially every activity. The swappable bezels from the Watch Pro 2 are gone, which is a step back. No NFC means no contactless payments, and the watch is IP68 rated but not cleared for swimming.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Bright AMOLED display
• Smooth and responsive
• Reliable tracking
• Strong battery life

Cons

• Strap comfort issues
• Some features need refinements
• No Swim tracking

Read the full review here

Klipsch Miami

A large party speaker that takes a different approach to the category. Where most competitors in this segment lead with maximum bass, the Miami uses a horn-loaded compression tweeter with dual 5.25-inch woofers to prioritise clarity and balance. The Ultra Bass mode and in-app EQ offer flexibility for those who want more low-end, and there are plenty of connectivity options

At around 18kg with trolley wheels and a retractable handle, it is portable in the luggage sense rather than the backpack sense. IPX4 covers light splashes but not poolside use. The bundled microphone is functional but lacks clarity at high volumes. The battery life is a weakness, while the price could be better.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Solid build, practical design
• Clean, balanced, and loud sound
• Useful EQ and Ultra Bass modes
• Versatile connectivity

Cons

• A bit pricey
• Battery could have been better
• Average app experience

Read the full review here

Wzatco Yuva Go Ultra

A compact Google TV projector with 1080p native resolution, auto focus, and 4-point digital keystone correction. In dark rooms, the image is sharp and vibrant across 40 to 200 inches. Auto focus and keystone correction require minimal manual adjustment after initial setup. Google TV provides full Play Store access and clean streaming integration. The honest limitations: claimed brightness is undermined by any ambient light, and Bluetooth audio pairing suffers from latency that made it impractical for video viewing during testing. The aux port also failed to output audio in our unit.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Compact, lightweight
• Reliable auto focus and keystone correction
• Sharp visuals in dark rooms

Cons

• Audio quality could have been better
• Noticeable Bluetooth latency

Read the full review here

UltraProlink Boost Unity 105W

A six-port GaN desktop charging station delivering up to 105W total output via 5th-generation GaN technology. It has four USB-C ports, two at 100W and two at 65W, alongside two USB-A ports at 18W each. Supports AVS for iPhone 17, PPS up to 105W for laptops, Samsung SFC 2.0, and QC 3.0/4.0. At Rs 6,999, it replaces multiple chargers on a desk with a single BIS-certified unit. However, it does not come with a charging cable included in the box.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Can charge up to 6 devices
• Fast charging
• Supports multiple protocols
• Safety features

Cons

• No charging cable included

Read the full review here

Realme Watch S5

Realme's most well-rounded smartwatch. The 1.43-inch AMOLED at 1,000 nits is vivid and readable in direct sunlight. Independent GPS covers 110 sport modes. Battery life reaches up to 16 days in standard mode, among the best in the segment. Heart rate, SpO2, sleep, stress, and women's health tracking are all present. Two honest concessions: the UI displays time in 24-hour format in menus even when the main face is set to 12-hour, a software inconsistency, and the haptic feedback is not the best.

Editor's Rating: 7.9 / 10

Pros

• Bright and vivid AMOLED display
• Elegantly designed and lightweight
• Exceptional battery life
• Accurate tracking with loads of workout modes

Cons

• Software requires polish and refinement
• Haptic feedback could've been stronger

Read the full review here

WD Black P10 Game Drive (6TB)

The P10 solves one problem cleanly: running out of console storage. The rugged corrugated metal chassis keeps the 5,400 RPM drive cool under sustained use. Sequential read and write speeds average around 120 to 130 MB/s, adequate for archiving and loading last-gen titles. It is not fast enough to run native PS5 or Xbox Series X games those still require an internal SSD. The Micro-B USB connector is the most dated element on an otherwise well-suited product. Plug-and-play with both PS5 and Xbox.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros

• Massive 6TB capacity for game hoarding
• Stays remarkably cool under pressure
• Rugged, container-chic metal design
• 3-year limited warranty

Cons

• The archaic Micro-B port is a proper faff

Read the full review here

Qubo Q400 Air Purifier

The Q400 is an IoT-connected air purifier with PM2.5 monitoring, Alexa compatibility, and a responsive app. The hardware is competent: quiet at lower speeds, adequate coverage for a mid-sized room, and clean smart home integration. The harder question the review raises is sensor accuracy. Without independent calibration data, the PM2.5 readings are difficult to act on with real confidence. For a product where the data is the core value proposition, that gap matters.

Editor's Rating: 7.7 / 10

Pros

• Competitively priced at Rs 8,990
• Manages to rid the space of foul smells
• Quiet operation

Cons

• The Qubo app only connects to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network
• Fires directly upwards, so it cannot be used as a fan
• App disconnection issues

Read the full review here

Noise Master Buds 2

Sound by Bose tuning, 51dB adaptive ANC, LHDC Hi-Res audio, Bluetooth 6.1, and 360-degree spatial audio with head tracking at Rs 7,999 is a strong specification on paper. The sound quality delivers balanced, musical, and detailed audio without the over-boosted bass common in this segment. ANC is effective, and the battery life is also pretty decent for the price. The fit is the honest problem: the larger earbud size causes discomfort in some ear shapes after 30 to 40 minutes of extended wear.

Editor's Rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Segment's best noise cancellation
• Impressive sound
• Good battery life
• LHDC 5.0 support

Cons

• Slightly uncomfortable earbuds design
• Case design

Read the full review here

Moto Buds 2 Plus

Sound by Bose tuning, an 11mm dynamic driver with Knowles balanced armature, 40-hour total battery life, Bluetooth 6.0, and LHDC Hi-Res audio at Rs 5,999. The comfort is genuinely good, a secure fit that holds through extended sessions without fatigue. Sound quality is pleasant but stops short of what the Bose association implies: bass lacks punch and depth, and the overall output feels constrained relative to what the hardware suggests it should deliver. There's also no iOS app for this.

Editor's Rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Comfortable and compact design
• Great battery life
• App customisation
• Decent ANC

Cons

• Sound quality could be better
• No app for iOS

Read the full review here

Oura Ring 4

The Oura Ring 4 is the most discreet health wearable on the market, and the most accurate passive sleep tracker we have tested. The titanium ring packs heart rate, SpO2, skin temperature, and HRV sensors in a form factor that is comfortable enough to wear continuously. Readiness and Sleep scores correlate well with subjective wellbeing over time. The ongoing Rs 499 per month subscription sits behind the most meaningful data, which is the honest limitation of the ownership model. The hardware costs Rs 24,990; the full value of the platform costs more. Also, the app AI needs to be tuned better

Editor's Rating: 7 / 10

Pros

• Durable and premium build
• No bumps on the inner lining
• Plenty of finishes and sizes
• App is really well curated
• Detailed breakdown of sleep

Cons

• Monthly subscription adds to the expensive ring cost
• Competition doesn't have subscription
• Four colours are Rs. 11,000 more for no reason
• App AI needs to be better

Read the full review here

Three months in, and this quarter (April to June 2026) has been one of the more interesting periods to cover in the laptop space. AMD's Ryzen AI Max platform arrived in force, Intel's Core Ultra 300H series established itself as the new mid-range productivity baseline, and the RTX 5060 and 5070 made their first real-market appearances inside gaming laptops you can actually buy in India.

Sixteen laptops passed through our test bench across the three months, ranging from a Rs 40,990 budget Acer to a Rs 3,49,990 ASUS ExpertBook with 64GB of soldered LPDDR5x. The range is wide enough that a single recommendation is useless, which is the point of this roundup.

What are brands really aiming for this quarter?

Beyond specs and benchmark numbers, the laptops reviewed this quarter reveal clear strategic directions from the brands competing for attention in the Indian market.

AMD is the most interesting story. With Ryzen AI Max+ appearing in both the ASUS TUF A14 and the ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition, the company is making a direct argument that a unified memory architecture with a powerful integrated GPU can replace the traditional CPU-plus-discrete-GPU formula. The results from both machines support that argument, and neither has a meaningful direct competitor at the same price tier.

ASUS is running multiple playbooks at once. The TUF A14 targets gaming buyers, the ProArt PX13 goes after portable workstation users, the Zenbook S14 competes in the premium ultrabook space, and the ExpertBook Ultra is built for enterprise requirements. It is a deliberately broad approach, and this quarter suggests it is working.

Dell's quarter reflects a brand covering every segment without a single standout narrative. The XPS 14, the Alienware 16X Aurora, and the budget Dell 15 all deliver credible products in their respective categories. None are category-defining, but none disappoint either.

Samsung made the most confident single-product statement this quarter with the Galaxy Book 6 Ultra. At Rs 3 lakh, it is asking buyers to pay a premium for a machine that earns it across every metric, which is a different bet than the multi-SKU approach most brands default to.

HP is betting on battery life as a differentiator. The OmnibookX 14's 20-hour result and the Omnibook Ultra 14's 14.6 hours are not coincidences. Both machines sit meaningfully ahead of the competition in a segment where most brands still treat endurance as a secondary concern.

So now let's get into the top laptops we have reviewed this quarter.

ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (B9406CAA)

This is the priciest laptop in this roundup. The ExpertBook Ultra packs Core Ultra X7 358H, 64GB LPDDR5x, 2TB Gen 5 NVMe, and Intel Arc B390 in a 14-inch 120Hz OLED chassis certified to MIL-STD-810H. The Gen 5 storage delivers Q8T1 sequential reads of 11,378 MB/s, the fastest storage throughput of any machine we tested this quarter.

PCMark 10 at 10,105 and CB R23 MT at 17,199 reflect consistent, sustained performance. The battery life at 13.8 hours is strong. DaVinci Resolve Puget at 3,876 is solid for an iGPU machine. Its audience is narrow: enterprise professionals who need certified durability, 64GB RAM, and maximum NVMe speed in a portable 14-inch form factor.

Editor's Rating: 9.3 / 10

Pros

• Stunning matte OLED panel
• Premium lightweight yet durable build
• Excellent keyboard and haptic touchpad
• Exceptional performance for an ultralight laptop

Cons

• Matte finish reduces OLED's cinematic feel
• Brand perception is still catching up

Read our full review here

Dell XPS 14 (2026)

The 2026 Dell XPS 14 is Dell's aims to challenge the MacBook Pro on its own terms. The Core Ultra X7 358H at 25W and Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics sit inside a thin, well-built 14-inch chassis with a 120Hz OLED panel that is genuinely excellent.

PCMark 10 at 10,365 reflects consistent real-world productivity performance; Cinebench R23 MT at 12,500 trails the Ryzen AI Max machines but is appropriate for a 25W efficiency-first chip. Battery life at 11.1 hours is good. The argument against is the price: at Rs 2,57,890, you are paying partly for the XPS pedigree, and the ASUS Zenbook S14 delivers higher CPU numbers for Rs 7,900 less.

Editor's Rating: 9.2 / 10

Pros

• Brilliant 120Hz OLED touchscreen display
• Outstanding battery life
• Premium, robust build quality with a highly comfortable keyboard
• Great overall CPU and iGPU performance

Cons

• Glossy display can get quite reflective in bright environments
• No physical privacy shutter for the webcam

Read the full review here.

Asus Zenbook S14 UX5406AA

The Zenbook S14 carries Intel's most powerful thin-and-light chip, the Core Ultra 9 386H, and the benchmark results show it: CB R23 MT at 15,558 is the strongest Intel-based result on this list. PCMark 10 at 9,069 and 10.2 hours of battery are appropriate for a 25W machine.

The 14-inch 120Hz OLED is sharp and colour-accurate, the keyboard is among the best on any 14-inch laptop this quarter, and the 77Wh battery edges Dell's 70Wh. Its limitation is the same as the XPS 14's: no discrete GPU, no GPU compute ceiling relief for heavy creative workflows.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros

• Stunning 3K OLED display
• Sleek, lightweight design
• Strong performance
• Excellent battery life

Cons

• No SD card slot for creators
• Supports 100W, but the fast charger is sold separately

Read the full review here

Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Ultra

The Galaxy Book 6 Ultra is the best all-around laptop in this quarter's roundup. It combines a Core Ultra 7 356H with an RTX 5070 at 90W TGP inside a 16-inch AMOLED chassis, and it achieves something most competing machines at this class fail at: doing all of that without sacrificing battery life. Our video loop test returned 12.9 hours from the 80.2Wh cell.

Gaming performance is strong - GTA V at 157 fps, Cyberpunk FHD DLSS at 89 fps, Valorant at 299 fps, while PCMark 10 at 9,579 confirms it handles productivity without compromise. The 16-inch AMOLED at 120Hz, 2TB Gen 4 NVMe, and 32GB LPDDR5x round out a spec sheet that is hard to argue with at this price.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros

• Stunning AMOLED touchscreen
• Powerful yet slim design
• Excellent thermal management
• Top-tier speaker system

Cons

• Shallow keyboard feel
• GPU not fully unleashed

Read the full review here

HP OmnibookX 14 (14-ka0068TU)

The HP OmnibookX 14 returned the best battery result of the entire quarter: 20 hours flat in our video loop test, and this is a 70Wh cell, not an unusually large battery. The result comes from platform-level efficiency gains in the Core Ultra 7 356H, and it is a meaningful real-world differentiator.

CB R23 MT at 16,328 and PCMark 10 at 8,234 are strong for a 25W machine. The 14-inch 120Hz OLED is excellent. The one limitation that will frustrate users upgrading from heavier configurations: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM is soldered with no upgrade path.

Editor's Rating: 8.8 / 10

Pros

• Stunning 14-inch 3K OLED 120Hz VRR display
• Exceptional keyboard
• Fantastic build quality with plenty of ports
• Compact, pocket-sized 100W GaN charger included

Cons

• Audio performance lacks bass and depth compared to some high-end competitors
• No built-in SD card reader

Read the full review here

Apple MacBook Neo

Apple's cheapest laptop to date is the MacBook Neo. The A18 Pro on a 13-inch 60Hz IPS chassis with 8GB unified memory and 256GB Gen 3 storage is the entry-level MacBook configuration stripped to its essentials.

We did not benchmark this under our standard Windows toolchain, so no CB R23 or PCMark figures. What we can say is that macOS Tahoe runs smoothly on the A18 Pro for productivity and light creative tasks, and Apple's published battery figures of up to 18 hours are realistic.

The 256GB storage fills fast, and 8GB unified memory will hit swap limits sooner than users expect on heavier workloads.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Compact, lightweight, and well-built
• Good display, performance & battery life
• Delivers the core MacBook experience
• Value for money

Cons

• Can't handle heavy workloads
• No keyboard backlight
• Limited ports

Read the full review here

HP Omnibook Ultra 14 (14-kd0083TU)

The Omnibook Ultra 14 is the strongest machine in the June lineup. Core Ultra 7 356H at 25W, 16GB LPDDR5x, a 1TB Gen 5 NVMe, and a 14-inch 120Hz OLED panel. CB R23 MT at 14,096 and PCMark 10 at 8,349 are strong for a 25W chip, and the Gen 5 drive delivers Q8T1 sequential reads of 10,341 MB/s.

Battery at 14.6 hours from the 70Wh cell is excellent. It sits between the OmnibookX 14 and the Zenbook S14, and it is meaningfully better than the former on performance and Rs 28,000 cheaper than the latter.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Premium aluminum design
• Sharp, vibrant 3K OLED with 120Hz VRR
• Portable 65W GaN charger
• Speedy PCIe Gen 5 SSD

Cons

• Sharp edges
• Limited port

Read the full review here

HP HyperX OMEN 15 (15-ga0028TX)

The HyperX OMEN 15 marks the first time HP has put the HyperX brand on a gaming laptop. The Intel Core i7-14650HX is a last-generation chip in a market moving fast toward Core Ultra, but the 55W TDP gives it enough headroom when paired with a full-power 115W TGP RTX 5070. In gaming, GTA V at 1080p averaged 170 fps, Cyberpunk 2077 FHD with DLSS hit 97 fps, and Forza Horizon 5 native FHD came in at 99 fps.

Those are honest, sustained RTX 5070 results, not the throttled outputs that plague thinner machines. The trade-offs are exactly what you would expect: 2.8 hours of battery life in our loop test, a chassis that runs hot under load, and a 180Hz IPS panel that will disappoint anyone coming from an OLED screen.

Editor's Rating: 8.2 / 10

Pros

• Clean, minimal design that doesn't scream "gaming laptop"
• Exceptional thermal performance even under sustained gaming load
• Bright, colour-accurate 2K 180Hz display with VRR support
• The high TGP RTX 5050 competes well above its tier

Cons

• RTX 5060 competitors are available at the same price
• Fingerprints and smudges show easily
• Inconsistent touchpad response

Read the full review here

Dell Alienware 16X Aurora (AC16250)

The Dell Alienware 16X is the most affordable Alienware on the market right now. The Core 7 240H at 45W paired with an RTX 5060 at 80W TGP makes this the only mid-range discrete GPU laptop in this quarter's lineup. Gaming performance is competitive: Cyberpunk FHD native at 81 fps, DLSS at 96 fps, and FH5 FHD native at 102 fps are honest RTX 5060 results. Black Myth: Wukong at 38 fps native is mid-range territory and is playable at medium settings, demanding at high.

The 96Wh battery produced 14.6 hours in our loop test, which is exceptional for a gaming laptop. No OLED at this price is a notable absence, and the 120Hz IPS is functional without being exciting.

Editor's Rating: 8.2 / 10

Pros

• Effortless 1080p gaming and does well at 2K resolution
• Premium build quality with an understated design
• Exceptional 240Hz QHD+ display with 500nits brightness
• Good variety of ports

Cons

• The processor tends to heat up
• No OLED variant

Read our full review here

ASUS TUF A14 (FA401EA)

The Asus TUF A14 is the value pick of the quarter, and it is not particularly close. AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 392 with Radeon 8060S integrated graphics in a 14-inch 165Hz IPS chassis at Rs 1,79,990 is a configuration that has no direct competitor right now.

CB R23 MT at 27,026 is the second-highest in this roundup. PCMark 10 at 10,948 is the highest of any machine we tested. Gaming benchmarks are real: GTA V averaged 150 fps at 1080p, Cyberpunk FHD native hit 81 fps, FH5 FHD native 104 fps, and Black Myth: Wukong FHD native at 42 fps is playable.

Battery life at 8.7 hours is strong for a 55W TDP machine. Ray tracing performance drops sharply on integrated graphics, which is the honest caveat for anyone who prioritises RT effects.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Excellent performance for its size
• Lightweight, portable, and efficient
• RTX 4060-level GPU performance

Cons

• Not for gaming enthusiasts

Read the full review here

Lenovo V15 (2026)

The Lenovo V15 is a budget productivity machine reviewed in June and has recently been given an Indian price of Rs 77,500. This puts it in the budget category, and it has the benchmark numbers to back it.

CB R23 MT at 8,539 and PCMark 10 at 6,078 are entry-level numbers in line with the V-series positioning. The Battery at 7.7 hours from the video loop is modest enough for 1 day of usage. As for graphics, the laptop packs in a standard integrated Intel Arc setup.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros

• Strong Core i5-13420H performance for office and multitasking
• Useful port selection with USB-C, HDMI, RJ45, and USB-A
• Fast NVMe SSD and solid everyday responsiveness
• Practical business-laptop design with privacy shutter and TPM 2.0

Cons

• TN display has limited viewing angles and modest colour
• The keyboard is not backlit
• Basic speakers with little bass
• No card reader or fingerprint reader

Read our full review here

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Gen 11

The IdeaPad Slim 3i is a mainstream 15.3-inch productivity laptop built around the Core Ultra 5 322 at 25W. CB R23 MT at 7,620 and PCMark 10 at 6,422 are modest, reflecting the lower-tier chip's efficiency-first tuning.

The standout is battery life: 12.5 hours from the 60Wh cell is the strongest result among the June batch and good for the price bracket. The 60Hz IPS panel and 512GB Gen 4 NVMe are appropriate for Rs 1.1 lakh. GTA V at 63 fps on the integrated graphics covers light gaming titles.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros

• Comfortable keyboard with numpad
• Good battery backup
• Bright IPS display
• Reliable everyday performance

Cons

• Dated port implementation
• Build feels less premium than expected
• The value proposition could be stronger

Read the full review here

Acer Aspire 5 A514-54H

The Aspire 5 is Acer's mainstream offering for the Rs 75,000 tier, built around the Core Ultra 5 125H at 28W. CB R23 MT at 9,350 and PCMark 10 at 7,118 place it above the budget Aspire 3 and the entry-level Lenovo machines.

Battery at 11.3 hours is the standout result for this price tier, driven by the LPDDR5x memory's lower power consumption. The 60Hz IPS panel is functional; GTA V at 45 fps covers casual gaming. Against the Dell 15 D15260 at Rs 77,890, the Aspire 5 wins on battery life and loses on raw CPU headroom.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros

• Intel Core Ultra 5 125H delivers well above-average performance for the price
• Exceptional NVMe SSD speeds
• Great battery life
• Good keyboard with comfortable travel and backlight

Cons

• FHD IPS panel is serviceable but unambitious
• Plastic chassis feels budget-grade
• Speakers lack bass and sound flat at volume

Read the full review here

Dell 15 D15260

The Dell 15 is a mainstream 15.6-inch productivity machine with the Core Ultra 5 225H at 28W. CB R23 MT at 11,013 and PCMark 10 at 7,975 are above the average for this price tier. The real problem is the 41Wh battery, which produced just 5.1 hours in our test, a serious limitation for a laptop sold on portability grounds. The 60Hz WVA panel is functional but unremarkable. This is a desk-anchored machine; treat it like one.

Editor's Rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Reliable performance
• Not too bulky
• Bright and consistent display

Cons

• Battery life
• Single-channel memory
• Plastic chassis with dated design

ASUS ProArt GoPro Edition PX13 (HN7306EAC)

The ProArt PX13 GoPro Edition is the most unusual machine in this quarter's lineup. It runs AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 395 with 128GB LPDDR5x unified memory in a compact 13.3-inch OLED chassis.

That RAM figure is not a typo. The benchmark results are the highest CPU numbers of any non-gaming machine this quarter: CB R23 MT at 28,576, PCMark 10 at 10,313. The Radeon 8060s integrated graphics delivers results that embarrass most mid-range discrete GPUs in creative workloads.

We have figures like Cyberpunk FHD native at 76 fps, FH5 FHD at 94 fps, and the DaVinci Resolve Puget score of 6,231 confirms its credentials as a portable video editing workstation. Battery at 8.4 hours is reasonable for the performance envelope.

Editor's Rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Solid build quality
• Punchy 3K OLED display
• Best-in-class performance
• 128GB of unified memory
• Solid keyboard and touchpad

Cons

• 60Hz refresh rate
• Loud fans under load
• Very expensive
• Poor webcam performance

Read our full review here

Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 (UN.34RSI.004)

At Rs 40,990, the Aspire 3 A324-53 is the most affordable machine in this roundup, and it earns its place by being exactly what a budget 14-inch laptop should be.

The Core i5-1334U at 15W and 16GB DDR4 deliver CB R23 MT of 6,209 and PCMark 10 of 6,342 are baseline numbers sufficient for browsing, documents, and video calls. The 14-inch TFT at 60Hz is functional and honest about its limitations. The 7.4-hour battery is acceptable.

A genuinely positive note: the 512GB Gen 4 NVMe is superior storage to most competing laptops at this price, which still frequently ship with Gen 3 or slower storage.

Editor's Rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros

• Light and slim enough to forget it's in your bag
• No dongle needed, ever
• Clicky, satisfying keyboard
• Chews through everyday multitasking easily

Cons

• Display colours are just okayish
• Subpar Audio and webcam

Read the full review here

The gaming chair market in India has matured considerably over the past few years, offering a growing selection of options from brands such as Green Soul, Drogo, Ant Esports, and Cybeart alongside international players like Razer, Corsair, and Cooler Master. Despite the increasing competition, few names carry the same legacy as DXRacer.

Widely credited with creating the first modern gaming chair by adapting racing car seats for desktop use, the company helped define a category that has since become a staple of gaming setups around the world. Although DXRacer products are not officially sold in India, the company does have an India-focused web presence, hinting at broader plans for the market. In fact, the company reached out to give us an experience of the DXRacer Martian Pro, its most premium gaming chair offering.

Bringing together a host of comfort-focused features alongside a familiar gaming-chair design, the Martian Pro stands out with unique additions such as an electric reclining mechanism and integrated airbag lumbar support— features that are still uncommon even in the premium gaming chair segment. Having spent a couple of weeks using the Martian Pro as my primary chair for both work and gaming, here are my thoughts.

From box to battle station

The Martian Pro arrives in a large, hefty box that's definitely a two-person job to carry. In fact, it feels noticeably heavier than most gaming chairs on the market, including my current Green Soul Monster Ultimate. That's largely due to its premium metal construction and the additional electronics that power the chair's smart features.

The chair is available in two sizes—L and XL—and I received the L variant, which is designed for users up to 185cm tall and weighing up to 125kg. Opening the box reveals a neatly organized package with all the components securely packed. You also get a large insert listing all the included accessories, along with a quick-start assembly guide.

Assembling the Martian Pro is fairly straightforward and much like putting together any other gaming chair. Plus, it doesn't require any special tools, as everything needed is included in the box. The instructions are easy to follow, and the entire process took me around 40-50 minutes. There's even an instruction video in case you need visual assistance. The only part where you might appreciate an extra pair of hands is attaching the backrest to the seat, as both pieces are quite heavy. Once the chair is assembled, you need to slot in the battery pack at the bottom of the base, and connect all the wiring, which are clearly marked.

Engineered to stand out

The Martian Pro is unlike any gaming chair I've used before. While it retains the familiar racing-inspired DNA that DXRacer is known for, it's the technology packed within that immediately sets it apart. Despite housing a motorized recline mechanism, airbag lumbar support, massage system, seat ventilation, heating elements and a removable battery, the chair doesn't look overly complicated. Everything is neatly integrated into the design, giving it a premium and surprisingly clean appearance.

It comes in a black EPU leatherette finish, which feels softer and more refined than the PU leather found on most gaming chairs. There's also a distinctive red stitching pattern running down the centre of the backrest, accompanied by geometric triangular accents that give the chair a unique identity without being overly flashy. The back and base of the chair feature perforations that aren't just for aesthetics. They allow the integrated ventilation, heating, and airbag massager functions to work effectively while also improving breathability during long sessions.

According to DXRacer, the chair uses a steel frame paired with high-density cold-cure foam, giving it a reassuringly solid feel without sacrificing comfort. Even the five-star wheelbase is constructed from metal rather than plastic, adding to the chair's excellent stability and premium feel.

The chair comes with two traditional levers right underneath the seat for the gas-lift height and tilt angle adjustments. A rocker switch on the left controls the electronic recline, while the right side houses directional buttons for adjusting the 4D airbag lumbar support along with dedicated massage controls. Separate buttons positioned on the seat activate the built-in heating and ventilation systems, while a magnetic memory-foam headrest and 4D armrests complete the package. It's a solid design that blends premium materials with genuinely useful technology, making the Martian Pro feel more like a high-end piece of smart furniture than a conventional gaming chair.

Luxury at the push of a button

The Martian Pro is designed for comfort. At the same time, it redefines what a premium gaming chair can offer. You get all the adjustments you'd expect at this price point, including 4D armrests (which are removable), height adjustment, and a backrest that reclines electronically from 90 to 135 degrees. Unlike conventional gaming chairs that use a mechanical lever, the Martian Pro uses an electronic motorized recline that feels smooth and allows for precise positioning. Unfortunately, it does take around 20 seconds to move from fully upright to fully reclined.

Then there is the electronically adjustable lumbar support. Instead of a fixed cushion or mechanical dial, the Martian Pro uses internal airbags that can be independently adjusted in four directions using the controls on the right side of the chair. This allows you to fine-tune the amount and position of lumbar support far more precisely than most gaming chairs.

The built-in ventilation and heating come with three intensity levels. During extended gaming sessions, the ventilation proved useful in keeping the seat cool, especially in the ongoing summer season. The heating function is also a welcome addition and should be suitable for colder weather. The eight-point massage system is what I used the most, as it helps during long gaming sessions to ease your back.

Additionally, there are multiple massage modes that can be cycled through using the dedicated massage button. However, I do wish the chair would remember the last selected preset. Instead, each time you turn the massage function on, it resets to the default preset, requiring you to cycle through the modes again. Notably, the ventilation, heating, and massage features have a 10-minute duration after which they switch off automatically. 

Powering everything is a removable 5,000mAh battery that slots in underneath the seat, which can last up to 360 hours before needing a recharge. The battery can be charged using the bundled wall charger; however, it is important to note that all the electronic functions rely on the battery, so they won't function if the chair runs out of charge.

Combined with the chair's wide seat base, which is comfortable even when sitting cross-legged, and generous cushioning, the Martian Pro successfully delivers a feature-rich and comfortable seating experience.

Verdict

If there's a gaming chair that truly justifies the term flagship, it's the DXRacer Martian Pro. It takes the familiar formula of a premium gaming chair and elevates it with features that are usually reserved for luxury car seats. More importantly, these aren't gimmicks as they genuinely enhance the overall sitting experience, especially during long hours of work or gaming. Add to that the excellent build quality, premium materials, and thoughtful ergonomics, and the Martian Pro stands out as one of the most premium gaming chairs currently available.

That said, let's address the elephant in the room. Priced at $899 (roughly ₹85,000 before import duties and taxes), the Martian Pro is also firmly in luxury territory. This makes it difficult to recommend for the average buyer when there are plenty of capable gaming chairs available for a fraction of the price.

Perhaps the biggest caveat for Indian buyers is availability. As of now, the DXRacer Martian Pro is not officially available in India, which means purchasing one would require importing it at a significantly higher cost. However, if DXRacer eventually launches the Martian Pro in the Indian market at a competitive price, it has the potential to become the benchmark for premium gaming chairs. Until then, it's best viewed as a showcase of what's possible when comfort, technology, and build quality take priority over affordability.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros:

• Built-in back massager
• Sturdy construction
• Seat heating and cooling
• Highly customisable 
• Magnetic headrest

• Expensive
• Electronic features rely on a battery

The April to June 2026 quarter was a quietly important one for the Indian TV market. No single launch dominated the conversation, but taken together, the five TVs we reviewed this period tell a clear story: the value segment is getting genuinely good, the mid-range has never been more competitive, and Sony remains the brand that earns the most loyalty from people who have actually used one.

Mini LED arrived in force at prices that felt impossible eighteen months ago. The Lumio Vision 9 2026 brought native 4K 144Hz QD-Mini LED to under Rs 73,000. Xiaomi put 512 local dimming zones and 1,200 nits peak brightness in a 75-inch panel for under Rs 1 lakh. And at the budget end, the Hisense E7Q Pro offered QLED with Dolby Vision, 144Hz, and VRR for Rs 37,999. The question for each machine was not just what it could do, but whether it delivered on its spec sheet in actual use.

What also stood out this quarter was Xiaomi's ambition in the large-screen segment. Two Xiaomi TVs made it into our review slate in a single quarter, targeting very different buyers at very different price points, and both made a credible case. On the other end, Sony did what Sony does: offered a TV that loses on spec comparisons and wins on experience. Five TVs, three months, and one recurring theme: the gap between affordable and good is narrowing faster than anyone expected.

Xiaomi X Pro QLED TV (2026): Rs 69,999

There is something immediately arresting about a 75-inch TV at under Rs 70,000. The Xiaomi X Pro QLED 2026 has that effect. The 4K QLED panel, branded MagiQLED, covers 94% of the DCI-P3 colour space and supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and in bright, well-lit content it delivers the punchy, saturated visuals that QLED is known for. Reds pop, greens are lush, and the sheer scale of the 75-inch panel transforms everyday streaming into something that genuinely feels different from a smaller screen.

The compromises are real but predictable. The refresh rate is a native 60Hz, with DLG (Dual Line Gate) technology simulating 120Hz by dropping to 1080p resolution, so 4K 120Hz gaming is not available here. The quad-core Cortex-A55 chip with 2GB RAM and 32GB storage is a budget chipset, and it shows in occasional sluggish app switching and animation stutter under heavier use. Audio from the 34W system is adequate for everyday streaming but lacks the bass and width to match the screen's cinematic scale.

Where the X Pro earns its recommendation is in focus. Xiaomi has not tried to build a flagship at this price. They have built a TV for buyers whose priority is a large, vibrant screen for OTT streaming and casual viewing, running a clean Google TV interface with PatchWall alongside it. For that specific buyer, it delivers exactly what it promises. The 4-year warranty is a genuine value-add. The lack of native 4K 120Hz means serious gamers should look elsewhere.

Editor's Rating: 8.3 / 10

Pros:

• Massive 75-inch immersive display
• Vibrant QLED colors and HDR
• Smooth Google TV experience
• Excellent value for money

Cons:

• No true 120Hz panel
• Average built-in audio output

Read the full review here

Hisense E7Q Pro 55-inch QLED TV: Rs 37,999

The Hisense E7Q Pro arrives at Rs 37,999 with a specification list that reads like it belongs in a TV twice its price. A 55-inch QLED panel with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 144Hz with VRR, ALLM, Game Bar, and Filmmaker Mode, alongside 8 years of promised software support from Vidaa OS. On paper, it challenges everything you thought a sub-Rs 40,000 TV could offer.

In real-world use, the picture holds up well for its price, particularly in HDR and gaming. Connected to a PS5, the TV handled Dirt 5 at 120 fps with noticeably better HDR processing than competing budget TVs. Dark scenes from Harry Potter with Filmmaker Mode on retained reasonable shadow detail, and while it cannot match the inky blacks of a panel with proper local dimming, it delivered an immersive experience in a dimly lit room. The Vidaa OS is refreshingly clean. No mandatory account sign-in, a straightforward app grid, and 8 years of software updates in a market where most brands offer 2 to 3.

The limitations are equally clear. Peak brightness is rated at just 330 nits, and in a well-lit room the panel looks muted, with colours losing punch against ambient light. The 144Hz panel is not consistently available across all games. It applies to select supported titles only, and the reviewer found 60 fps on FC 24 and 120 fps on Dirt 5.

Editor's rating: 8/10

Pros

• Satisfactory picture quality
• Good HDR performance
• 144Hz panel with VRR for gaming
• Clean, easy-to-use Vidaa OS

Cons

• Motion handling during sports could be better
• Average speaker output

Read the full review here

Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 75-inch (2026): Rs 99,999

A 75-inch QD-Mini LED panel with 512 local dimming zones, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and 1,200 nits peak brightness at Rs 99,999. The Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 75 makes a provocative case for itself on paper, and it mostly delivers. Dark scenes from The Batman and Dune show the Mini LED advantage immediately; blacks look genuinely deep, highlights punch harder, and the sense of depth is a step above anything a standard QLED can manage at this price. HDR content gets impressively bright, and the 75-inch scale amplifies every bit of that contrast improvement.

The X Pro QLED reviewed in April was about making 75 inches accessible. The S Mini LED 75 is about what happens when you spend Rs 30,000 more: better contrast, better HDR, and a more cinematic baseline. The 34W quad-speaker system is a genuine positive, performing better than most large TVs in this range without a soundbar. Google TV with PatchWall+ runs cleanly for streaming, and AirPlay 2 and Chromecast cover both Apple and Android households well.

The caveats carry weight. The 120Hz Game Boost is DLG-based, dropping to 1080p for higher frame rates. This is not a native 4K 120Hz panel, and serious console gamers looking for flawless 4K 120fps should look at the Lumio Vision 9 2026 instead. The quad-core Cortex-A55 chipset and 2GB RAM are the same budget hardware as the cheaper X Pro, and the same sluggishness in app switching surfaces here too, especially in prolonged use. This is a panel that deserves a faster processor underneath it.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros:

• Excellent Mini LED picture quality for the price
• Bright, vibrant HDR performance with strong contrast
• Surprisingly good built-in speaker setup
• Great value for a 75-inch premium-style TV

Cons:

• Not a true native 120Hz panel
• Can feel sluggish at times

Read our full review here

Lumio Vision 9 65-inch (2026): Rs 72,999 (effective Rs 64,999 with launch offers)

Lumio's Vision 9 had a strong debut in 2025, and a long-term review six months later confirmed it had not slowed down. The 2026 iteration addresses the two most common requests from the first generation: a larger screen size and higher gaming refresh rates. The result is a 65-inch QD-Mini LED panel built on Lumio's EVA (Enhanced VA) technology with native 4K at 144Hz, two full HDMI 2.1 ports at 4K 144Hz, VRR, ALLM, and an input lag of 9.7ms. For a TV at Rs 72,999, that gaming specification is remarkable.

The display uses a VA panel with Mini LED backlighting and quantum dot colour, with a 7,000:1 native contrast ratio and a claimed 100,000:1 dynamic contrast. SDR performance is where the Vision 9 2026 shines most consistently: IPL on JioHotstar had greens that looked vivid without being fake, natural skin tones, and local dimming that kept the scoreboard bright without washing out the rest. HDR is where calibration matters. Out of the box, dark and demanding HDR scenes can look slightly dimmer than the punchy SDR experience suggests, and colour accuracy in HDR benefits from manual tuning. The panel hardware is clearly capable; software updates could close this gap.

The MediaTek Pentonic 700 chipset, 3GB DDR4 RAM, and faster storage make this the quickest Google TV interface at its price point. Boot time is measured in seconds. App switching between Netflix, YouTube, and JioHotstar is immediate. The 50W hexa-driver audio system with dual subwoofers is exceptional for a built-in TV speaker, with bass extending to 38Hz. Port placement is outward-facing, making wall mounting genuinely convenient.

Editor's Rating: 8.8 / 10

Pros:

• Superb SDR performance
• Two full HDMI 2.1 ports with support for 4K/144Hz or 1080p/240Hz
• The TLDR app is a great USP
• Punchy audio output
• Super smooth UI

Cons:

• Real-world HDR brightness could be better
• Local dimming deactivates on console inputs
• PS5 HDR needs manual tuning

Read the full review here.

Sony Bravia 3 II 55-inch (K-55XR35M2): MOP approx. Rs 95,000 (Rs 1,50,000)

The Sony Bravia 3 II does not win spec comparisons. It is a Direct-LED panel with frame dimming and no local dimming zones. Its peak brightness is not the highest in its price bracket. On paper, several cheaper TVs offer more. And yet, the most common reactions from people who walked past it without knowing the brand or price were: 'Is this a Mini LED?', 'The colours look incredible', and, most pointedly, 'It's a Sony, naturally, the picture quality is excellent.'

That reaction is the product of two things: the Cognitive Processor XR and XR Triluminos Pro. Sony's picture processing is in a different class from what competing brands offer at this price. In SDR, the Bravia 3 II covers 99.8% of the Rec. 709 colour space and delivers skin tones, shadow detail, and colour accuracy that make even 720p upscaled content look composed and watchable.

HDR content in Dolby Vision, Top Gun: Maverick was the test title, produces punchy highlights in the final dogfight without blooming in the dark opening sequences. Sony's XR Clear Image upscaling is the best in this price class, and the Cinema preset with Motionflow off is the correct starting point for movie watching.

The gaming story is the biggest upgrade over previous Bravia models: all four HDMI ports are now HDMI 2.1, supporting 4K 120Hz with VRR and ALLM. A PS5 is auto-recognised, calibrated for HDR, and the Game Menu consolidates all gaming settings in one place. Games like Spider-Man 2 and Gran Turismo 7 looked exceptional.

The 20W X-Balanced speakers are deceptively capable, vocal clarity in particular stands out, to the point where subtitles felt optional. The included remote is designed for blind navigation and works well in the dark. Google TV runs cleanly, with Sony's overlay for settings.

Editor's Rating: 8.8/10

Pros:

• Excellent SDR picture quality and colour accuracy
• All four HDMI ports are 2.1
• Crisp and clear vocal audio
• Premium build quality
• Very good picture upscaling

Cons:

• Port placement can get awkward when the TV is wall-mounted
• Google TV UI can occasionally stutter

Read the full review here.

The Infinix Smart 20 is the company's latest offering in the sub-Rs 15,000 segment. Launched at a starting price of Rs 12,499, the handset is aimed at users seeking a slim design with good looks, a variety of built-in AI options, and workable performance with the MediaTek Helio G81 Ultimate at an affordable price. With the smartphone missing out on 5G, is it a major deal breaker or do the other aspects make up for it? Find out in this review where I daily drove the Infinix Smart 20 for more than a week.

Quick verdict

The Infinix Smart 20 excels with its slim design, polished software featuring several AI tools, decent cameras, and reliable battery life that easily lasts a full day for most users. On the other hand, the lack of 5G support limits future-proofing, while the display doesn't get as bright as its rivals.

Design: cohesive with striking colour options

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The orange shade of the Infinix Smart 10 offers a strong, poppy appeal, while the camera module is highly reminiscent of the higher-priced Infinix Note Edge and Note 60 Pro. This ensures cohesiveness across Infinix's phone lineup.
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Much like the brand's previous two releases, the Infinix Note Edge and Note 60 Pro, the Smart 20 comes in a striking Sunlike Orange colourway, alongside other tones. If you do happen to grab this particular colour, it's a sure shot to grab eyeballs in public places due to its strong, poppy appeal. The other colour tones include Shadow Black, Polaris Titanium, and Cloudline Blue, which appear more subtle and understated compared to orange.

Now, focusing particularly on the plastic rear design, I really like how Infinix maintains visual cohesiveness across its lineup with the camera module. Even though it features a single camera, the squircle-shaped lenses match those on the Note Edge and Note 60 Pro, with the exception being that the top-half area doesn't protrude. Compared to the Smart 10, the Smart 20 has shaved off some thickness, making it the slimmest smartphone to launch under Rs 15,000 this year at just 7.7mm.

With all the recent new launches weighing over 210g, such as the Lava Shark 2 5G, HMD Vibe 2, and Realme C83, the Smart 20 weighs 189g, making it more comfortable to hold for long periods, even though the height and width are just as chonky. With an IP64 rating, the handset is well protected against water and dust exposure.

Display: doesn't get bright enough

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While the display's detail levels are manageable, it doesn't get as bright as other phones in its segment. 
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The Infinix Smart 20 sports a large 6.78-inch IPS LCD display with a 720p resolution and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. Getting the refresh rate aspect out of the way first, only a handful of first-party and third-party apps run at 120Hz, including Instagram, Facebook, Phone, Settings, etc., while all other apps are restricted to 90Hz. On the positive side, the display gets a punch-hole cutout instead of a U-shape notch found on others, resulting in a modern appearance.

As for how the display performs, I found the colour saturation to be slightly lower compared to the HMD Vibe 2 and Lava Shark 2, while the viewing angles aren't the best, as the colours fade when tilting the phone sideways. Even though the 720p panel's sharpness is justified for the price, it doesn't get as bright as its rivals, be it indoors or outdoors. The HMD Vibe 2 fares considerably better in this regard.

A peculiar aspect of the Smart 20's design is that the single speaker is placed at the top, instead of the bottom like most phones. As for its quality, it doesn't get loud enough even at the maximum volume.

Performance: well-suited for casual gamers

[pdp-expert-review]
The Smart 20 falls behind in raw performance compared to its rivals, but it holds up well during daily use, with no major stutters encountered in regular tasks.
[/pdp-expert-review]

In a segment where most manufacturers are increasingly adopting 5G-capable Unisoc processors, the Infinix Smart 20 settles for the MediaTek Helio G81 Ultimate, a 4G chipset. This is paired with 4GB LPDDR4X RAM and either 64GB or 128GB EMMC storage, depending on the variant you opt for. The internal storage is further expandable up to 2TB using a microSD card.

In benchmarks, the Helio G81 Ultimate trails behind the popular chipsets commonly found on phones priced around Rs 15,000, as you can see in the AnTuTu and Geekbench charts below. On the contrary, I found the Infinix Smart 20 performs well during everyday use. Unlike the Lava Shark 2 5G, which I reviewed recently, the Infinix smartphone didn't show any signs of stuttering when pushed by loading multiple apps in the memory or filling up the storage with new apps.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41802,42191,41369,41754," ][/comparative-benchmark]

[comparative-benchmark type="11" title="Geekbench multi-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41802,42191,41369,41754," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Infinix Smart 20 can provide a modest gaming experience for the price. In our lab tests, we ran BGMI at the 'HD' graphics and 'High' frame rate settings for 30 minutes straight, and the device offered an average frame rate of 28.4, with the temperatures seeing a rise from 27.5 degrees Celsius to 31.4 degrees. Similarly, in Call of Duty: Mobile, I played the 'Hardpoint' Multiplayer mode on the Nuketown map, in which the Smart 20 constantly delivered 40 to 45 FPS throughout the match's duration.

While you'll have to shell out more for more capable processors to have a better gaming experience, the Infinix Smart 20's performance should be well suited for those who engage in games casually for a few minutes a day.

Camera: fares better than the competition

[pdp-expert-review]
The 8MP primary and rear camera manage to deliver pleasing colours without going overboard with the saturation, while the dynamic range in particular fares better than the newly released sub-Rs 15,000 smartphones.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Infinix Smart 20 is one of the few phones in its segment to feature the exact same camera sensors on both the front and rear, an 8MP 1/4-inch unit with an f/2.0 aperture.
Therefore, users can record videos in up to 2K resolution at 30 FPS using the primary and selfie cameras. Some of the key camera modes include Dual Video, Time-Lapse, Documents, and Panorama.

As for how the cameras actually perform, the outputs from the primary camera don't go overboard with the saturation and generally deliver pleasing colours, at least in daylight captures. What I particularly liked about the outputs is the dynamic range, in which the phone tries its best to maintain the blue hues of the sky. The details in shots are average, which is to be expected, while the contrast levels are mostly balanced.

During night, the small sensor of the Smart 20 does its level best to gather light and expose the scene for an appealing look, even though the shots carry noise and softness.

[smartslider3 slider=2150]

To check how the cameras of the Smart 20 fare against the competition, I compared it against the HMD Vibe 2 (review) in various scenarios.

Daylight

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Infinix-Smart-20-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-daylight-2-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Infinix Smart 20" after="HMD Vibe 2"]

In the comparison above, despite the lower megapixel camera sensor, the Infinix Smart 20's shot carries slightly better details. On top of that, it not only accurately depicts the actual scene but also delivers better dynamic range. The only advantage the HMD Vibe 2 seems to carry is the wider field of view, allowing users to fit more elements in the frame.

Portrait

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Infinix-Smart-20-portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-portrait-2-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Infinix Smart 20" after="HMD Vibe 2"]

In portrait mode, the HMD Vibe 2 has completely blown out the background, while the Smart 20 does a decent job in maintaining the colours of the subject and background. When zooming into the images, the Smart 20's output carries better details, and the edge detection is also superior compared to the Vibe 2.

Selfie

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Infinix-Smart-20-selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-selfie-2-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Infinix Smart 20" after="HMD Vibe 2"]

In selfies, the Vibe 2 turns the tide in its favour by delivering a more detailed image, while not going overboard with the exposure on the face. It also manages to maintain the colours of the scene better. However, the Smart 20 once again comes out on top when it comes to dynamic range, delivering more accurate colours in the sky and background.

Night mode

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Infinix-Smart-20-nightmode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/HMD-Vibe-2-nightmode-1-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Infinix Smart 20" after="HMD Vibe 2"]

In low-light conditions with Night mode enabled, the Infinix Smart 20 captures more light, resulting in better-exposed images. When zoomed in, it's clear that the Smart 20 retains slightly more detail. In terms of colour accuracy, however, the HMD Vibe 2's shots look more realistic.

Software: polished, refined, and AI-enabled

[pdp-expert-review]
XOS 16 is one of the biggest highlights of the Infinix Smart 20, delivering a polished, well-designed, and feature-packed UI.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Infinix Smart 20 boots on Android 16 with XOS 16 layered on top. Having used most of the recently released budget smartphones, I'd say the Smart 20 offered the most polished and refined software experience. Even though it isn't as smooth as the much higher-priced Infinix Note Edge (review), which we got our hands on to cover XOS 16 in detail, the software's design, layout, and transitions look and feel complete, which is something that can't be said for newer releases from Lava, Ai+, and HMD.

[gallery link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="706732,706731,706733"]

For instance, every pop-up menu has proper padding, the buttons across the interface have subtle lighting effects on the borders, and the quick settings panel smoothly summons from the top. Apart from that, it also carries several AI features within the "Infinix AI' section in the Settings, offering features like AI writing and summarisation, AI translation, Folax Voice, and more. More importantly, Smart 20 also comes with Google's Circle to Search, which I dearly missed on Lava Shark 2 5G and HMD Vibe 2.

The Infinix Smart 20 is set to receive two years of security patches, though there are no details regarding major OS upgrades at the time of drafting this review.

Battery: serviceable battery endurance

[pdp-expert-review]
The 5,200mAh battery is well capable of delivering at least one full day of battery life, while the 15W bundled adapter juices up the phone in about 2.5 hours.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The Smart 20 runs on a 5,200mAh battery and comes with 15W charging support using the bundled power adapter. As for the endurance, the phone's idle drain is kept at a minimum even on 4G mobile data. During my time with it, the phone lasted four days on a single charge when using it occasionally for checking WhatsApp messages, email, and Instagram reels.

As for battery benchmark numbers, we ran the PCMark Battery drain test on the Infinix Smart 20, in which the device managed to provide a respectable runtime of 11 hours and 24 minutes. While this endurance isn't the highest in its price class, phones with 6,000mAh batteries offered just slightly higher results in the said test.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41802,42191,41369,41754," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Since the Smart 20 has a smaller battery than the Lava Shark 2 5G and HMD Vibe 2, it takes less time to fully charge its 5,200mAh cell. In our charging tests, the handset fully topped up from 20 to 100 percent in 2 hours and 12 minutes, while the Shark 2 and Vibe 2 took 3 hours and 14 minutes and 2 hours and 17 minutes, respectively. All things considered, the Smart 20 delivers at least one full day of battery life even with heavy usage, while charging typically takes under 2.5 hours.

Final verdict: Is it worth getting the Infinix Smart 20, a 4G phone above Rs 10,000?

The Infinix Smart 20 is quite a polarising phone. Meaning, while the handset excels in various aspects, such as delivering a polished software experience, a strong primary camera, and a slim design, it completely falls behind the competition in departments like display brightness, speaker output, raw performance, and connectivity.

At Rs 12,499 with no 5G support, the Infinix Smart 20 struggles against competitors offering 5G at prices as low as Rs 11,499 (Lava Shark 2 5G). You'll miss out on faster download speeds and smoother streaming on YouTube and OTT platforms. To give a perspective, since 5G's rollout, I've been able to download hour-long episodes of 1 to 1.5GB on Prime Video in just seconds. Additionally, you won't be able to take advantage of the unlimited 5G data which most recharge plans include.

On the positive side, the Infinix Smart 20 makes a strong case for itself by offering a well-designed, refined UI that carries several AI features for daily workflows. Moreover, the cameras perform better than similarly priced competitors like the HMD Vibe 2 5G, which in turn offered better results than the Lava Shark 2 5G. So, if you're seeking serviceable cameras and a rich software experience under Rs 13,000, the Smart 20 could be well worth it.

Editor's rating: 7.9/10

Reasons to buy the Infinix Smart 20

• Slim design with attractive colour options.
• Refined and polished software with several AI features.
• Primary camera fares better than the competition.
• Battery life is well-suited for light to casual use cases.

Reasons to skip the Infinix Smart 20

• Lacks 5G connectivity, limiting future-proofing.
• The display doesn't get bright enough, and colours fade when viewed from the side.

The Indian TV market is better than it has any right to be. Even the entry-level segment now comes with 4K labels, smart platforms, and feature lists long enough to distract buyers from the basic question: what will actually look good in a real room? The answer depends less on brand slogans and more on a TV's panel type, processor, operating system, and the kind of trade-off it is built to make.

In 2026, Rs 25,000 buys you a credible 43-inch 4K LED with a decent smart platform, while Rs 50,000 unlocks QLED with Dolby Vision and genuine gaming features. Beyond that, Mini LED is now accessible under Rs 75,000, and OLED is no longer the preserve of six-figure budgets. 

In this guide, we cover the best TVs in India for 2026 at every meaningful price tier. Prices in this guide reflect verified market rates as of June 2026. TV pricing in India fluctuates frequently, particularly around sale events, so treat these as reference points rather than fixed figures.

Rs 20,000 to Rs 30,000

Samsung UE81A 43-inch Crystal 4K (UA43UE81AFULXL)

Price: Rs 30,490

• Display: 43-inch Crystal LED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)
• HDR Support: HDR10+
• Refresh Rate: 50Hz
• Operating System: Tizen OS
• Ports & Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, eARC
• Audio Output: 20W Speakers

Samsung's entry-level Crystal 4K lineup represents the brand at its most pragmatic. The UE81A carries a 43-inch 4K panel with Samsung's Crystal Processor 4K for upscaling, HDR10+ support, and runs on Tizen OS. Connectivity is reasonable: three HDMI ports, one USB, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, and HDMI eARC. Sound output is 20W with Q-Symphony support if you pair a compatible Samsung soundbar.

The picture quality story is familiar for this tier. Native 4K content looks clean, but the lack of local dimming means blacks are grey in dark scenes, and the 50Hz panel refresh rate is a limitation. The Tizen OS is responsive and includes Samsung TV Plus for free live TV. This is a comfortable second-room or guest-room TV. For a primary living room screen, you will want to stretch your budget.

Xiaomi FX 43-inch 4K Fire TV (L43MB-FIN)

Price: Rs 24,999

• Display: 43-inch LED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)
• HDR Support: HDR10
• Operating System: Fire OS with Alexa
• Ports & Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 2 x USB
• Audio Output: 24W Speakers with Dolby Audio

Xiaomi's FX series runs Amazon's Fire OS instead of Google TV, which means Alexa integration, access to Prime Video natively, and a home screen that leans toward Amazon's content ecosystem. If you are already in the Amazon household, this integration works well. The TV carries a 4K LED panel with HDR10 support, 24W box speakers with Dolby Audio, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, and three HDMI ports.

The Fire OS experience is fluid at this price point, and the PIP (picture-in-picture) mode is genuinely useful for monitoring security cameras while watching content. The picture quality is typical 43-inch LED territory: acceptable for streaming, weaker in darker scenes. Worth noting: the UI is Alexa-first, so users invested in Google Assistant or Google Home may find it limiting. 

Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000

Sony Bravia 2 II 43-inch Google TV (K-43S22BM2)

Price: Rs 47,990

• Display: 43-inch Direct LED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)
• Processor: 4K Processor X1
• HDR Support: HDR10, HLG
• Operating System: Google TV
• Ports & Connectivity: 4 x HDMI (eARC, ALLM), 2 x USB, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3
• Audio Output: 20W Speakers with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X
• Gaming Features: Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)

Sony's Bravia 2 II is the most capable standard LED TV under Rs 45,000 in India right now. The 43-inch variant runs on Google TV with the 4K Processor X1 for upscaling and scene optimisation via X-Reality Pro.

It supports HDR10 and HLG, with Motionflow XR 100 for motion handling. Audio is 20W via open baffle speakers with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. Connectivity is strong: four HDMI ports with eARC and ALLM, two USB ports, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3.

Google TV gives you a clean, well-organised home screen with access to the full Google Play Store, Chromecast built-in, and Apple AirPlay. The Bravia name still carries real weight at this price: Sony's post-processing is conservative and accurate, meaning the picture avoids the oversaturated look some budget TVs default to. The trade-off is that picture quality is still constrained by the panel itself. This is an edge-lit LED without local dimming, so contrast is limited. 

Lumio Vision 7 2026 55-inch QLED Google TV (FTW3-ADSJ)

Price: Rs 39,999

• Display: 55-inch QLED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160), 60Hz
• Processor: BOSS Processor
• Memory & Storage: 3GB RAM, 64GB Storage
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Colour Gamut: 108% DCI-P3, 78% Rec. 2020
• Operating System: Google TV
• Ports & Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 3 x USB, Bluetooth 5.0, Chromecast built-in
• Audio Output: 30W Quad Driver Speakers with Dolby Atmos

Lumio is the most interesting TV brand to emerge in India in years. Founded by former Xiaomi and Flipkart executives, the company has built a reputation for punching well above its price class. The Vision 7 (2026) 55-inch is a QLED panel running Google TV on the company's BOSS processor platform with 3GB DDR4 RAM and 64GB storage. 

The display is said to deliver 78% Rec. 2020 colour coverage and 108% DCI-P3, which is genuinely impressive for a sub-Rs 40,000 TV. Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos are present. The quad-driver speaker setup (two tweeters and two full-range) outputs 30W. The Vision 7 does run at 60Hz, so it is not a gaming-first TV, but ALLM is supported, and the input lag is managed well.  

Samsung Vision AI UE85AH 55-inch Crystal 4K (UA55UE85AHULXL)

Price: Rs 47,990

• Display: 55-inch Crystal LED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)
• HDR Support: HDR10+
• Operating System: Tizen OS with Vision AI
• Ports & Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, eARC
• Audio Output: 30W Dynamic Sound
• Smart Features: Solar Remote, Samsung TV Plus, SmartThings Support

Samsung's Vision AI lineup for 2026 brings the AI-oriented feature set down to a Crystal 4K panel. The UE85AH is a 55-inch Crystal 4K running Tizen with Samsung's Vision AI Companion features, HDR10+ support, and a 30W Dynamic Sound Pack.

The Vision AI features include content-type detection, ambient sound optimisation, and a deeper SmartThings integration. The Solar Remote is included.

As a practical TV, the UE85AH sits firmly in the upper end of standard LED territory. The picture quality improvements over Samsung's cheaper UE81A are noticeable but not transformative: same panel class, stronger processing, and a better audio system. 

LG AI NANO NU87 55-inch 4K (55NU870BPLA)

Price: Rs 47,990

• Display: 55-inch LED, 4K UHD (3840 × 2160), 60Hz VRR
• Processor: Alpha 7 AI Processor Gen 9
• HDR Support: HDR10 Pro, HLG
• Operating System: webOS 2026
• AI Features: Gemini, Microsoft Copilot
• Gaming Features: 60Hz VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Audio Output: 20W Speakers with Dolby Atmos and AI Sound Pro
• Software Support: 5 Years of OS Upgrades

LG's NU87 is the 2026 NanoCell successor, now rebranded under the NANO AI lineup. It uses the Alpha 7 AI Processor Gen 9 and LG's Nano Detail Enhancer for sharpening and upscaling. The NU87 runs webOS 2026 with Multi-AI support, meaning both Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are accessible through the platform. 

HDR10 Pro (LG's dynamic tone mapping applied to HDR10 content) is present alongside HLG. Gaming support includes 60Hz VRR and ALLM.

Sound output is Dolby Atmos with an AI Sound Pro system rated at a virtual 9.1.2 channel spread, which is marketing language for a 20W two-channel speaker with processing. LG also guarantees five years of webOS OS upgrades, which is a meaningful long-term commitment. 

Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000

Lumio Vision 9 2026 55-inch QD-Mini LED Google TV (EPIC3-ADSI)

Price: Rs 51,999 

• Display: 55-inch QD-Mini LED (EVA), 4K UHD, 144Hz (240Hz at 1080p)
• Processor: MediaTek Pentonic 700
• Memory & Storage: 3GB RAM, 64GB Storage
• Peak Brightness: Up to 800 nits
• Contrast Ratio: 7,000:1 Native, 100,000:1 with Local Dimming
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10
• Colour Gamut: 110% DCI-P3, 82% Rec. 2020
• Gaming Features: 144Hz VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), HDMI 2.1
• Audio Output: 50W Hexa-Driver Speakers with Dolby Atmos

The Vision 9 2026 is Lumio's flagship and the most technically ambitious TV in India under Rs 55,000. It uses a QD-Mini LED panel with EVA (Enhanced VA) technology that Lumio claims delivers a native 7,000:1 contrast ratio. The backlight system runs 1,920 Mini LEDs with precise local dimming. 

Colour coverage is 82% Rec. 2020 and 110% DCI-P3. The display is native 4K at 144Hz, with 240Hz at 1080p resolution. VRR, ALLM, and HDMI 2.1 are present, making this a legitimate gaming-capable TV.

The heart of the Vision 9 is Lumio's BOSS architecture, running a MediaTek Pentonic 700 chipset on 3GB DDR4 RAM and 64GB storage. Google TV is the smart platform. Sound output is 50W from a hexa-driver configuration (four full-range drivers plus two subwoofers) tuned by Lumio's DGS 2.2 system, with low-frequency extension down to 38Hz. 

The 2026 model also adds a DVB-S2 satellite port, allowing free-to-air channels via DD Free Dish.

Samsung QN70F 55-inch Neo QLED (QA55QN70FAULXL)

Price: Rs 72,999

• Display: 55-inch Neo QLED (Mini LED), 4K UHD
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen 2 Processor
• HDR Support: HDR10+, HLG
• Operating System: Tizen OS with Vision AI
• Gaming Features: 4K at 60Hz, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Audio Output: 20W Speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Ports & Connectivity: 4 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Samsung's Neo QLED QN70F is the brand's accessible Mini LED entry point in India. It uses Quantum Mini LED backlighting with Quantum Matrix Technology Slim for finer dimming control, paired with the NQ4 AI Gen 2 processor across 20 neural networks. The panel supports HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision. The Vision AI feature set is present: content-type detection, ambient adjustments, and SmartThings integration.

The QN70F is a meaningful step above Samsung's Crystal series in picture quality, particularly in contrast and HDR performance. A notable limitation: the QN70F has no Dolby Vision support. 

Dark scene handling is noticeably better, and bright HDR highlights are rendered with more precision. That said, at Rs 72,990, it is a bit steep for the specs on offer, but the QN70F earns its place through Samsung's brand trust, mature service network, and tight ecosystem integration.

Rs 75,000 to Rs 1,25,000

Sony Bravia 3 II 55-inch 4K 120Hz Google TV (K-55XR35M2)

Price: Rs 94,990

• Display: 55-inch Direct LED, 4K UHD, 100Hz
• Processor: Cognitive Processor XR
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG
• Operating System: Google TV
• Gaming Features: 4K at 120Hz, 4 x HDMI 2.1, VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Dolby Vision Gaming
• Audio Output: 20W Speakers with Sound Positioning Tweeters, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
• Ports & Connectivity: 4 x HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3

The Bravia 3 II is Sony's 2026 mid-range flagship and the most capable LED TV in Sony's lineup below the Bravia 7 series. It is powered by Sony's XR (Cognitive Processor XR) platform and produces noticeably more natural motion and better object-level depth than standard AI processing.

The key specifications: 4K Direct LED panel with XR Triluminos Pro for colour, Motionflow XR 400 for motion handling, and support for HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision. For gaming, the Bravia 3 II has four HDMI 2.1 ports running 4K at 120Hz, VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming. 

The 20W speaker system includes Sound Positioning Tweeters that track on-screen movement, and Acoustic Centre Sync allows a connected Sony soundbar to act as a true centre channel.

At Rs 99,990, this is a premium ask for a Direct LED panel without Mini LED. However, Sony's processing refinement is genuinely class-leading, and the four full-speed HDMI 2.1 ports make it the best console gaming TV under Rs 1,20,000.  

Xiaomi MagiQ S 75-inch QD-Mini LED Google TV (L75MC-IN)

Price: Rs 99,999

• Display: 75-inch QD-Mini LED, 4K UHD, 60Hz
• Peak Brightness: Up to 1,200 nits
• Local Dimming: Up to 512 Dimming Zones
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
• Operating System: Google TV
• Audio Output: 34W Quad Driver Speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Ports & Connectivity: 3 × HDMI, 2 × USB, AirPlay, Chromecast Built-in

If screen size is the priority, Rs 1 lakh now buys a 75-inch QD-Mini LED TV in India, and the Xiaomi MagiQ S is the most accessible way to get there. The MagiQ S uses Quantum Dot Mini LED technology with up to 512 local dimming zones, depending on the panel size, delivering brightness levels up to 1,200 nits peak.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are both supported. The speaker output is 34W quad-driver with Dolby Atmos. Google TV is the smart platform with Chromecast built-in and AirPlay support.

At 75 inches, the visual impact of that improved contrast is more pronounced than on a 55-inch screen. The trade-off is refresh rate: the MagiQ S is a 60Hz panel, which limits its gaming credentials.  

Hisense E8S 65-inch Hi-QLED Mini LED (65E8S)

Price: Rs 76,990

• Display: 65-inch Hi-QLED Mini LED, 4K UHD, 144Hz
• Native Contrast Ratio: 6,000:1
• Peak Brightness: Up to 700 nits
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HLG
• Colour Gamut: Hi-QLED Colour, Pantone Validated
• Gaming Features: 144Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium, VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Audio Output: 40W Speakers with Built-in Subwoofer, Devialet Tuning, Dolby Atmos

Hisense's E8S brings together a rare combination at this price: Devialet-tuned audio, a native 144Hz panel, Dolby Vision IQ, and Hi-QLED colour with Pantone validation. The Mini LED backlight uses Full Array Local Dimming with a 6,000:1 native contrast ratio.

Peak brightness is rated at 700 nits. AMD FreeSync Premium is certified, making this one of the few TVs under Rs 80,000 that is properly validated for variable refresh rate gaming.

The Devialet audio partnership produces a 40W speaker system with a built-in subwoofer that is meaningfully better than the flat speaker arrays on most competing TVs.

The Hi-View AI Engine adjusts picture quality, contrast, and colour in real time based on content type, with Filmmaker Mode available for accurate colour playback. 

Premium

LG OLED evo AI C6 55-inch (OLED55C6PLA)

Price: Rs 1,40,490

• Display: 55-inch OLED evo, 4K UHD, 144Hz
• Processor: Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, HGiG
• Operating System: webOS 2026
• AI Features: Gemini, Microsoft Copilot
• Gaming Features: 4 × HDMI 2.1, 4K at 144Hz, VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Audio Output: 60W Speakers with Virtual 11.1.2 Channel Audio and Dolby Atmos

The LG C6 is the 2026 iteration of the C-series, which remains the most recommended OLED TV for most buyers. It uses LG's Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3 for picture and sound processing, with the OLED evo panel. The C6 supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, and HGIG for gaming.

For gaming, the C6 has four HDMI 2.1 ports all running at 4K 144Hz, with VRR, AMD FreeSync Premium, and ALLM. This is the most capable gaming TV in its price range, period. The Alpha 11 Gen 3 processor enables AI Super Upscaling, AI Picture Pro for scene-by-scene optimisation, and virtual 11.1.2 channel audio from the 60W speaker system.

LG's webOS 2026 integrates Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, and comes with the AI Magic Remote for gesture and voice control.

Though LG has significantly improved burn-in management with pixel refreshers and panel maintenance routines, OLED brightness is lower than premium Mini LED in daylight conditions, making it less suitable for bright living rooms. 

LG QNED evo AI QNED85 65-inch Mini LED (65QNED85BLA)

Price: Rs 1,49,990

• Display: 65-inch QNED Mini LED, 4K UHD, 144Hz VRR
• Processor: Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 3
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10 Pro, HLG
• Colour Gamut: 100% Colour Volume (DCI-P3, Intertek Certified)
• Operating System: webOS 2026
• AI Features: Gemini, Microsoft Copilot
• Gaming Features: 144Hz VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), AMD FreeSync Premium

The QNED85 is LG's 2026 flagship Mini LED TV and the correct answer for buyers who want a bright living-room TV rather than a dark-room OLED. It uses Mini LED with Precision Dimming, Dynamic QNED Colour Pro with 100% Colour Volume certified by Intertek, and the Alpha 8 AI Processor Gen 3. The panel runs at 144Hz with VRR support, making it a capable gaming TV as well.

The QNED85 carries Dolby Vision, HDR10 Pro, and HLG. webOS 2026 is the platform with Multi-AI (Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot). The 20W speaker system with Dolby Atmos handles everyday viewing but will benefit from a soundbar in a large room. The Super Slim Design keeps the panel remarkably thin, which is relevant if wall-mounting in a living room. 

Sony Bravia 7 II 55-inch True RGB Mini LED (K-55XR70M2)

Price: Rs 3,59,990

• Display: 55-inch True RGB Mini LED, 4K UHD, 120Hz
• Display Technology: RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro with Independent Red, Green, and Blue LEDs
• Processor: Cognitive Processor XR
• HDR Support: Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG, Dolby Vision Gaming
• Operating System: Google TV
• Gaming Features: 4 × HDMI 2.1, 4K at 120Hz, VRR, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)
• Audio Output: 40W Speakers with Sound Positioning Tweeters, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X

The Bravia 7 II is Sony's most ambitious TV launch in India in recent memory, and the first True RGB TV available to Indian consumers. Unlike conventional Mini LED televisions that use white LEDs filtered through colour layers, the Bravia 7 II independently controls red, green, and blue LEDs through Sony's RGB Backlight Master Drive Pro.

The Bravia 7 II carries Sony's XR Cognitive Processor, Dolby Vision, HDR10, and HLG. For gaming, four HDMI 2.1 ports handle 4K at 120Hz with VRR, ALLM, and Dolby Vision Gaming. PS5 optimisation includes a dedicated Game Menu with a real-time FPS counter and latency display. 

The 40W quad-driver audio with Sound Positioning Tweeters and Acoustic Centre Sync is among the best built-in TV audio at this price. IMAX Enhanced, Studio Calibrated modes for Netflix, and Auto Calibration via CalMAN round out the premium content credentials.

Samsung S95F 55-inch QD-OLED (QA55S95FAULXL)

Price: Rs 1,60,990

• Display: 55-inch QD-OLED, 4K UHD, 144Hz
• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen 3 Processor (128 Neural Networks)
• HDR Support: HDR10+, HLG
• Operating System: Tizen OS with Vision AI
• Gaming Features: 4K at 144Hz, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, VRR, Gaming Hub
• Audio Output: 60W Speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Design: One Connect Box

The S95F is Samsung's QD-OLED flagship for 2025, combining OLED's self-illuminating pixel structure with a Quantum Dot layer for dramatically improved colour volume and brightness compared to conventional WRGB OLED. The result is an OLED TV that is measurably brighter than LG's OLED evo panels, with colour accuracy that competes with anything on the market.

The S95F is powered by Samsung's NQ4 AI Gen 3 processor with 128 neural networks. It supports Dolby Atmos and HDR10+, though it does not support Dolby Vision. The gaming credentials are strong: 4K 144Hz, FreeSync Premium Pro, VRR, and the full Samsung Gaming Hub with cloud gaming access. 

For users who stream content primarily through HDR10+ sources (Amazon Prime Video is notable here) and game heavily, it is a strong choice.   

Over the last quarter, we reviewed a wide range of smartphones across the Indian market, from affordable daily drivers to high-end flagships. Due to the ongoing memory shortage, smartphone prices have been shifting upward across every bracket this year. Hence, we've updated our price ranges to reflect where devices actually sit in the market today. We've sorted these phones into five price bands:

• Around Rs 15,000
• Around Rs 30,000
• Rs 30,000-50,000
• Rs 50,000-80,000
• Above Rs 80,000

Using this guide, readers can quickly find the right options for their budget from the latest launches in the Indian market. But instead of just listing the phones, we've focused on what each one does best. That could mean the best camera phone in a segment, the strongest performer, the most well-rounded all-rounder, or the phone with the best battery life.

The aim is to keep the article easy to navigate while still adding useful context for readers who are actively looking to buy a new smartphone. This should help you quickly identify which phones deserve a closer look based on their budget and their specific strengths. Before we begin, here's a list of all the phones we reviewed this quarter, sorted by price:

Phones around Rs 15,000

Tecno Spark 50 — Best overall

The Tecno Spark 50 (review) gets the basics right for everyday use, with a sturdy build, decent daylight cameras, and 45W charging that keeps things moving. It does fall a bit short under heavy multitasking, and low-light photos could be better. But for someone who wants a dependable daily driver without expecting too much, it is a good choice.

HMD Vibe 2 — Best value

The HMD Vibe 2 (review) delivers good value mainly because it gives you 5G at a sensible price in today's market. It also brings a neat design, a tall display for entertainment, clean software, and cameras that keep things fairly realistic. If performance or fast charging matters more to you, though, there are better options to consider.

Phones around Rs 30,000

OnePlus Nord CE6 Lite — Best overall

The OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite (review) feels like the most well-rounded phone here. It gives you good battery life, smooth everyday performance, and stereo speakers that make watching videos or listening to music more enjoyable. The display and cameras are not the strongest in the segment, but as an overall package, it does enough right to be the best pick here under Rs 30,000.

Vivo T5 Pro — Best cameras

The Vivo T5 Pro (review) is also a very good all-rounder, but its best strength is the camera. It handles daily use comfortably, offers excellent battery life, and gives you a great multimedia experience in a very easy-to-use form factor. It just misses out on the overall title because the OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite is more affordable, but if cameras matter more, the Vivo T5 Pro is the one to look at.

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POVA 8 — Best battery

The POVA 8 (review) is all about the battery, which is easily its biggest strength. It also has a bold design and smooth everyday performance, but the LCD display and pricing stop it from feeling like a complete package.

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Phones between Rs 30,000 - Rs 50,000

OnePlus Nord 6 — Best overall

The OnePlus Nord 6 (review) is the most complete Nord phone OnePlus has made so far. It brings better performance, a sharper display, bigger battery life, and stronger durability all at once, which makes it a very easy pick in this price range. The lack of a 512GB option and the plastic build are still small trade-offs, but the overall package is hard to ignore.

Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ — Best cameras

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review) is one of the most balanced phones under Rs 50,000, but its strongest appeal is the camera system. It gives you a capable periscope setup, good performance, and a bright 144Hz display in a slim and durable design. Battery life and software support are not quite at the top, but if you want the best camera phone in this price range, this is the one to go for. Check out the samples below:

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Redmi Turbo 5 — Best battery

The Redmi Turbo 5 (review) is an easy pick if battery life is your main priority. It also brings strong gaming performance, 100W fast charging, and a premium build with good durability. The cameras are not its strong suit, but for endurance and performance, it is one of the best, most affordable choices in this segment.

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POCO X8 Pro Max — Best performance

The POCO X8 Pro Max (review) is the best pick for performance in this price bracket. It delivers excellent speed, with a solid battery life and a good viewing experience. The software and cameras are not its biggest strengths, but for users who care most about raw performance, those trade-offs are easy to accept.

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Samsung Galaxy A37 — Best software

The Samsung Galaxy A37 (review) is the ideal choice if software support matters most to you. It feels premium in hand, handles everyday use comfortably, and its 50MP main camera is reliable for regular shots.

The biggest highlight is its long software support, which includes six years of OS updates, making it a great choice for users who want their phone to stay current for a long time.

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Phones between Rs 50,000 - Rs 80,000

Xiaomi 17T — Best value 

The Xiaomi 17T (review) is an excellent value-for-money choice in this price range. It offers good all-round value, with a capable camera system, dependable battery life, and a design that feels premium. It is not the fastest phone in the segment, and charging could be quicker, but the overall package and its competitive price make it an easy phone to recommend.

OPPO Find X9s — Best cameras

The OPPO Find X9s (review) is a great camera phone, thanks to its Hasselblad-tuned cameras that deliver reliable results across most situations. It also feels smooth in everyday use, with good performance, a refined software experience, and a polished display. The only real letdown is that the large battery could have been optimised a little better.

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Vivo X300 FE — Best battery

The Vivo X300 FE (review) is a compact phone that makes a lot of sense if you want excellent battery life and great cameras. It is not the most powerful option in the segment, but it feels like one of the more practical and well-rounded choices overall.

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Samsung Galaxy A57 — Best overall

The Galaxy A57 (review) is the most well-rounded phone in this price range. It pairs excellent software with one of the best camera performances, along with decent day-to-day performance and well-optimised battery life. If you want a premium smartphone experience without spending flagship-level money, this is an excellent choice.

Phones over Rs 80,000

OPPO Find X9 Ultra — Best overall

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra (review) is the best overall pick if you want an ultra-premium phone that does almost everything at a very high level. It combines an excellent camera system with smooth software, a top-class display, blazing fast performance, and even better battery life than the Vivo X300 Ultra.

Vivo X300 Ultra — Best cameras

The Vivo X300 Ultra (review) is one of the best camera phones you can buy right now, even without the ZEISS teleconverter kit. It also brings flagship-level performance and a great display, making it an excellent overall device too. The only real downsides are that battery life could be better.

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Final thoughts 

These are the phones that stood out to us the most across the quarter, whether for performance, cameras, battery life, software, or simply offering the most complete package in their price range.

If you are planning to buy a new phone soon, this list should help you narrow down the options and focus on the models that are actually worth a closer look. You can also go through our comprehensive reviews linked with each phone to get a better sense of the device and make a more informed buying decision. 

For Mac users, the Apple Studio Display has long been the benchmark for a seamless desktop experience. The catch, however, is its eye-watering price tag, which climbs even higher if you want a height-adjustable stand. That's enough to make even serious creators think twice before hitting the checkout button. Enter the BenQ MA270S.

Designed specifically for Macs, this 27-inch 5K monitor promises Retina-sharp visuals, excellent color accuracy, Thunderbolt connectivity, and a fully adjustable stand -- all at nearly half the price of Apple's offering. But is it simply the cheaper alternative, or does it actually bring enough to the table to earn a spot on every Mac user's desk? Let's find out in our in-depth BenQ MA270S review.

Design: Even Apple would approve

The moment I pulled the MA270S out of the box, I knew exactly who this monitor was designed for. The silver finish, minimalist bezels, clean lines, and understated branding make it look perfectly at home next to a MacBook Pro. It doesn't scream for attention. Instead, it quietly blends into the setup, almost like it was always meant to be there.

Thankfully, BenQ didn't borrow Apple's habit of prioritising aesthetics over practicality. The bundled stand is easily one of my favourite aspects of the monitor. Unlike Apple, which treats height adjustment like an expensive luxury upgrade, BenQ includes a fully adjustable stand as standard. It offers up to 150mm of height adjustment, along with tilt, swivel, and even a full 90-degree pivot into portrait mode. Everything feels reassuringly sturdy too. The stand doesn't wobble, every adjustment feels smooth, and it genuinely feels like a premium piece of hardware rather than an afterthought.

BenQ has also sprinkled in a few thoughtful touches that made me smile. The base features a rubberised pad that's perfect for resting a closed MacBook, an iPhone, or even an AirPods case without worrying about scratches. There's also enough clearance underneath to tuck away a Mac mini, which helps create an incredibly clean desktop setup.

One of my favourite surprises wasn't even the monitor itself. Inside the box, BenQ includes cleverly designed cardboard packaging that folds into a laptop stand. It's such a simple idea, but it immediately becomes useful if you're pairing your MacBook with the monitor. It's one of those small details that tells me someone on the product team actually thought about how creators use their desks instead of simply designing another cardboard box destined for the recycling bin.

Connectivity and software: This is where BenQ pulls ahead

If there's one area where the BenQ MA270S comfortably outclasses Apple's Studio Display, it's connectivity. Instead of offering just enough ports to get by, BenQ has turned this monitor into a full-fledged desktop hub. You get a Thunderbolt 4 port with 96W Power Delivery, a second Thunderbolt 4 port with 15W output for daisy chaining, a USB-C port with 35W charging, dual HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports offering 10Gbps speeds, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In short, one cable is all it takes to drive the display, charge a MacBook, and connect all your peripherals.

In my testing, I had my MacBook Pro connected over Thunderbolt, a Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro hooked up via the other Thunderbolt port, and a PlayStation 5 plugged into one of the HDMI ports. Everything worked exactly as expected, with no compatibility quirks or display issues. More importantly, the MA270S completely avoids the scaling problems that plague most 27-inch 4K monitors on macOS. Thanks to its 5K resolution and 218 PPI pixel density, it perfectly matches Apple's Retina scaling, making the transition between my MacBook display and the monitor feel completely seamless.

Another standout feature is Thunderbolt daisy chaining. If you're using a Mac powered by Apple's Pro, Max, or Ultra chips, you can connect a second compatible 5K monitor directly through the MA270S. It's a simple feature, but it makes a huge difference in keeping the desk tidy, with fewer cables hanging off the laptop and more hidden neatly behind the monitors.

Smart features that actually matter

My favourite feature, however, is SmartKVM. I've used several KVM-enabled monitors over the years, but Mac compatibility has often been hit or miss. BenQ's implementation is refreshingly seamless. I could control both my MacBook Pro and Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro using the same keyboard and mouse, while Picture-by-Picture mode even let me copy files and text between macOS and Windows as if they were part of one large desktop. I've used Logitech Flow before, and while it's genuinely useful, it still feels like switching between two computers. BenQ's implementation feels much closer to using one incredibly large workspace.

To unlock these features, you'll need BenQ's Display Pilot 2 software, and unlike most monitor companion apps, this one is genuinely useful. iKeyboard Control lets the MacBook's brightness and volume keys control the monitor directly, making it feel like a native Apple display.

Display Pilot 2 also adds a Desktop Partition tool for easier multitasking, automatic colour profile switching, and the Visual Optimizer Sensor, which adjusts brightness based on ambient lighting. It's one of the rare pieces of monitor software that genuinely improves the overall experience rather than simply replacing the monitor's on-screen controls.

Display: This is why 5K matters

BenQ has built a solid reputation for display quality, and the MA270S certainly lives up to it. The 27-inch 5K IPS panel (5120 x 2880) delivers an incredibly sharp 218 PPI pixel density, which also happens to be Apple's sweet spot for Retina scaling. Unlike most 27-inch 4K monitors that can make macOS text appear slightly soft or the interface oddly scaled, everything here looks crisp, natural, and perfectly proportioned.

That sharpness is complemented by excellent colour accuracy. With 99% coverage of both the Display P3 and sRGB colour gamuts, the MA270S is equally at home editing photos on a Mac or working on Windows-based projects. Since it's factory calibrated and tuned for Apple's colour profile, moving content between my MacBook Pro and the monitor felt completely seamless, with no noticeable colour shift.

The panel also impresses with its 2000:1 native contrast ratio, which gives darker scenes more depth, richer blacks, and brighter highlights than a typical IPS display. Pair that with a peak brightness of 450 nits, and the MA270S is more than bright enough for indoor use—I rarely found myself pushing it anywhere near maximum brightness.

A few tiny asterisks...

The glossy finish is definitely a caveat here. Personally, I love glossy displays because they preserve perceived sharpness and make colours look richer than matte panels. But physics is physics. If your desk sits opposite a bright window or under harsh lighting, the MA270S will happily remind you of every light source in the room. Unlike BenQ's 4K MA-series monitors, there's currently no matte option for the 5K model, so it's worth keeping your workspace lighting under control.

BenQ also bumps the refresh rate to 70Hz over Apple's standard 60Hz. It's not a game-changer, but scrolling, animations, and everyday navigation do feel slightly smoother. That said, the 5ms response time makes it clear this isn't a gaming monitor, and coming from my 120Hz MacBook Pro, the difference was immediately noticeable. It's a nice upgrade over 60Hz, just don't expect ProMotion-like fluidity.

The trade-offs behind the price tag

At roughly half the price of Apple's Studio Display, compromises were inevitable. The dual 3W speakers are perfectly serviceable for YouTube videos, the occasional Spotify playlist, or video calls, but they're nowhere close to Apple's exceptional six-speaker setup. Similarly, there's no built-in webcam, which means Mac mini and Mac Studio users will need to budget for an external camera if they spend most of their day on Zoom or Google Meet.

Honestly, though, I don't see either of these as dealbreakers. Most creators I know already use a good pair of studio headphones or dedicated speakers for editing work, and I'd happily sacrifice an average built-in webcam if it meant saving a significant amount of money on a display this good. They're smart compromises, not cheap ones.

Verdict: More than just an alternative

When I first started testing the BenQ MA270S, I looked at it purely as an Apple Studio Display alternative. By the time I unplugged it, I realized that I was selling it short. It may have entered the conversation as a clone, but it leaves as something much more compelling.

At Rs. 94,998, it nails the essentials with a gorgeous 5K Retina display, excellent colour accuracy, and seamless macOS integration, while throwing in genuinely useful extras like an ergonomic stand, SmartKVM, daisy chaining, and one of the best monitor companion apps I've used. In some ways, it doesn't just match Apple's offering; it actually outsmarts it.

Sure, you miss out on premium speakers and a built-in webcam, but those feel like smart compromises rather than dealbreakers. If you've been eyeing the Studio Display but couldn't justify its asking price, the BenQ MA270S is an easy recommendation. It's not just one of the best alternatives out there. Instead, it confidently earns its place as one of the best productivity monitors I've used this year.

Editor's Rating: 9.2 / 10

Pros:

• Exceptional 5K Retina display
• Excellent Mac software integration
• Versatile ports with SmartKVM
• Ergonomic stand included

Cons:

• The glossy panel reflects light
• No built-in webcam
• Speakers lack depth

Smartphone cameras have long since become the primary way most people take photos today. For a lot of users, this is the only camera they use, whether it is for travel, social media, or even semi-professional work. That shift has pushed brands to treat cameras as a key feature set, especially in the ultra-premium segment, where the focus is no longer just on versatility but on outright image quality. The industry is seeing a clear split: some brands like Xiaomi are pushing massive sensors, while others like Apple refine computational photography. The integration of AI for scene recognition and post-processing is also becoming paramount, influencing how brands tune their cameras.

This list is for those who care about getting the absolute best results, with price taking a back seat. Instead of picking one overall winner, we have broken things down by shooting scenarios. While all of these phones offer excellent cameras, each has one specific area where it delivers the most consistent results. The idea is simple: a phone that is excellent in daylight may not be the best for portraits or low light, and this format helps highlight those strengths more clearly. 

Here are the winners across categories:

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is our best overall camera phone, thanks to consistently strong results across every shooting scenario. The iPhone 17 Pro Max leads in daylight photography with natural colours and reliable point-and-shoot output, while the Vivo X300 Ultra takes the crown for portraits with its people-friendly focal lengths and neutral skin tones. The OPPO Find X9 Ultra is our pick for ultrawide shots thanks to its autofocus-equipped lens, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra dominates low-light photography with its 1-inch sensor and LOFIC technology, and the Galaxy S26 Ultra also takes the win for selfies with its wider front camera.

Each of these phones stands out in its own way, and together, they represent the best camera experiences you can get on a smartphone right now. Updated for June 2026 with the latest flagship launches and fresh testing across daylight, portrait, ultrawide, low-light, and selfie scenarios.

How do we test cameras?

Our recommendations are built on extensive, hands-on testing. We not only look at spec sheets, but we also take these phones out and shoot with them, comparing each one directly against its closest rivals in a variety of situations. Our evaluation focuses on different aspects that we consider make a good image:

• Colour and detail: How accurately are colours reproduced? Are the photos sharp and full of detail, or do they look soft and muddy?
• Portraits and selfies: We look closely at how well the camera handles skin tones and captures fine details like hair and facial texture. We also check how cleanly it separates the subject from the background.
• Low Light: This is the ultimate test for any camera phone. We pay special attention to how well a phone performs in dimly lit environments, looking at its ability to control stray light and lens flares, manage noise, and maintain clarity.

To make our rankings as objective as possible, our review team follows a careful scoring process. For every key scenario like daylight, ultra-wide, portrait, selfie, and low light, each phone is rated on multiple factors. These individual ratings are then averaged to create a final, comprehensive score that gives a clear picture of each phone's true imaging capabilities based on our parameters.

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — Best overall

Starting price: Rs 1,39,999 

Why we chose it

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (review) takes the crown as the best flagship camera phone in our list. The Galaxy S26 Ultra delivers excellent zoom performance with better long-distance detail than most of its rivals, good selfies, and reliable results across the board.

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The device being consistently good across every use case makes it the most dependable shooter among its peers, which may have more specific strengths. The phone is ideal for general users who may not be camera-savvy and helps them take some spectacular shots, ideal for beginners. On top of that, the new camera-specific features, like the horizon lock stabilisation, are a useful addition for video, and in real-world use, they rarely disappoint.

Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, anti-reflective
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Charging: 60W wired, 25W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope + 10MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB / 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

iPhone 17 Pro Max — Best in daylight

Starting price: Rs 1,49,999 

Why we chose it

The iPhone 17 Pro Max (review) is easily one of the most reliable cameras you can use in daylight. Apple's trio of 48MP sensors delivers sharp, well-balanced images with very little effort. You can just point and shoot, and the results almost always come out right. The colours look natural without feeling dull, and the highlights are controlled well, even in harsh light. Dynamic range is also good, so you get good detail in both shadows and bright areas. It does not try too hard, and that works in its favour.

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What stands out most is consistency. Whether you are shooting landscapes, buildings, or people, the phone rarely gets things wrong. It avoids heavy processing and keeps images looking clean and true to life.

The telephoto camera also helps tremendously in daylight. The new 48MP sensor enables up to 8x zoom using cropping, and in good light, the shots hold up well. You will not get extreme zoom like some rivals, but what you do get is usable and dependable. The iPhone 17 Pro Max does not chase flashy results but instead delivers stable, predictable image quality every single time, which makes it one of the best choices for daylight photography.

Key specs

• Processor: Apple A19 Pro
• Display: 6.9-inch  FHD+ Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 4,832mAh 
• Charging: 40W wired, 30W wireless
• Camera: 48MP main + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP periscope + 18MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB, 256GB/ 512GB/ 1TB/ 2TB

Vivo X300 Ultra — Best in portrait

Starting price: Rs 1,59,999 

Why we chose it

The Vivo X300 Ultra (review) feels like it was built with portrait photography in mind, and it shows in the way its focal lengths and processing come together. The 50mm focal length is where most people will feel at home. It captures subjects with very natural proportions while still offering enough background separation to make photos look intentional without even needing Portrait mode.

When you move to the 85mm telephoto, the results get even more refined. This is where the X300 Ultra really pulls ahead of its competitors, with good framing and stronger subject isolation. Headshots, in particular, come out looking crisp and detailed, with a pleasing sense of depth that looks impressive even on closer inspection.

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In ZEISS Natural mode, the phone keeps skin tones and colours neutral and true to life, avoiding the overly warm or beautified look. The result is portraits that feel more realistic, even if they are slightly less "ready-made" for social media at first glance.

Whether you are shooting at 50mm or 85mm, the colours and overall rendering stay in sync, so you are not left adjusting for colour shifts between shots. Put it all together, and the X300 Ultra delivers a portrait experience that feels closer to using a proper camera than most smartphones. It gets all the fundamentals right, and that is exactly why it dominates this category.

Key specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.82-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz
• Battery: 6,600mAh
• Charging: 100W wired, 40W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 200MP telephoto + 50MP ultrawide + 5MP multispectral + 50MP front
• RAM/Storage: 12GB/16GB RAM, 256GB/512GB/1TB storage

OPPO Find X9 Ultra — Best in ultrawide

Starting price: Rs 1,69,999 

Why we chose it

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra (review) is exceptional for ultrawide photography, and a big part of that comes down to how seriously OPPO has treated this lens. The 50MP ultrawide uses a relatively large sensor and, more importantly, includes autofocus, which immediately makes it more versatile than most rivals.

In daylight, the results are consistently impressive, as you get wide dynamic range, good detail across the frame, and colours that feel lively. OPPO's tuning is slightly biased towards brighter and more contrasty images, which works well for landscapes and city shots, especially under harsh light.

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Even towards the edges of the frame, the camera holds detail well, and when you zoom in, there is a great level of clarity in elements like foliage, buildings, and distant textures. 
The addition of autofocus also makes a big difference in everyday use. You can move in closer for shots of food, objects, or architectural details, and the camera locks focus reliably, something fixed-focus ultrawide lenses often fail at.

Put simply, the Find X9 Ultra delivers one of the most complete ultrawide experiences on a smartphone right now. It combines sharpness, reliable focus, and pleasing colours in a way that makes it easy to trust, whether you are shooting wide landscapes or more creative close-up frames.

Key specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
  
• Display: 6.82-inch 2K LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz
  
• Battery: 7,050mAh (typical)
  
• Charging: 100W SUPERVOOC wired, 50W AIRVOOC wireless
  
• Camera: 200MP main + 200MP 3x telephoto + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP 10x telephoto + 3.2MP mono + 50MP front
  
• RAM/Storage: 12GB + 512GB, 16GB + 1TB

Xiaomi 17 Ultra — Best in lowlight

Starting price: Rs 1,39,999 

Why we chose it

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra (review) is in a league of its own when it comes to low-light photography, and a lot of that comes down to how its hardware works rather than how aggressively it processes images. This is one of those rare phones where you can actually see the difference good sensor tech makes.

The 1-inch main sensor plays a big role here, pulling in plenty of light while keeping noise under control. Shots come out detailed and clean, without looking overly processed, which you often get in night mode images. What really sets it apart, though, is how it handles dynamic range in low light with the help of LOFIC technology. The camera captures more tonal information in a single shot, meaning there are fewer artefacts like ghosting or haloing around light sources.

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Bright light sources, like street lamps or fire, are controlled and do not have light bleeding around them, while the darker parts of the frame still retain detail. The telephoto camera also performs surprisingly well in low light, especially within its optical range. Being able to shoot at 75mm or 100mm at night and still get highly detailed images is not something most phones manage consistently.

Overall, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra tries to be more like a camera that gets the shot right in the first place. That is what makes it the best choice for low-light photography right now.

Key specs

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 6,000mAh
• Charging: 90W wired, 50W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope + 10MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 16GB/ 1TB

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra — Best in selfie

Starting price: Rs 1,39,999

Why we chose it

A repeat ranker in this list, the Galaxy S26 Ultra (review) is the best phone for selfies, and the wider 23mm front camera plays a big role in that. It lets you fit more people or background into the frame, which is very useful for group shots and travel photos.

The camera's image quality is consistently strong in multiple different scenarios. You get sharp results, wide dynamic range, and colours that look lively without feeling too processed. Even the faces are exposed well in tricky lighting, which is difficult for most selfie lenses.

With autofocus, the device has a key advantage, keeping selfies crisp whether you are shooting up close or at arm's length. The low-light selfies are also quite reliable, with good detail level and controlled noise. All these taken together make the S26 Ultra a very dependable choice for selfie photography.

Winners at a glance

FAQs

Which phone has the best overall camera in this list?

There is no single "best at everything" pick here; each phone wins a specific category, but the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comes closest if you want a do-it-all camera-first flagship.

Which phone is best for daylight photography?

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is our top choice for daylight, thanks to its reliable 48MP triple-camera setup and natural-looking output.

Which phone is best for portraits?

The Vivo X300 Ultra takes the lead for portraits, with its people-friendly focal lengths and neutral skin tones that hold up well under scrutiny.

Which phone is best for ultrawide shots?

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra is our pick for ultrawide photography, offering sharp images, autofocus on the ultrawide, and punchy but pleasing colour.

Which phone is best for low light?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra is best in low light, pairing strong hardware with processing that preserves detail and dynamic range without going overboard.

Which phone is best for selfies?

If you care most about selfies, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the one to get, with its sharp front camera, wider field of view, and reliable autofocus.

The OnePlus N6 is the brand's most affordable smartphone at present. It is also the first device in the newly introduced N-series, which targets younger buyers with its "New, Neo, Never Off" philosophy. Staying true to that approach, the OnePlus N6 packs a massive 8,000mAh battery, which the company claims can deliver up to three days of usage on a single charge while retaining over 80 per cent battery health even after seven years.

While only time will tell whether those long-term claims hold up, I spent a week using the phone to see how it performs in everyday use. In this review, I'll discuss where the OnePlus N6 fits in the current smartphone market, who it is best suited for, and whether it's worth buying.

Verdict

The OnePlus N6 isn't a typical OnePlus smartphone. Instead of leading the segment in performance, the handset offers a dependable everyday performance. Its battery life remains the standout feature. If battery endurance is your top priority, the N6 deserves a place among the best options in its segment and even beyond. However, buyers looking for stronger cameras, a sharper display, or higher performance will find more balanced alternatives at this price.

Battery life: simply outstanding

[pdp-expert-review]
The OnePlus N6's 8,000mAh battery comfortably delivers close to two days of regular use, offers excellent standby efficiency, and posts impressive endurance in benchmark testing. While the 45W charging speed isn't particularly fast by today's standards, it remains sufficient for overnight charging. Unless rapid top-ups are a priority, the N6's outstanding battery life more than makes up for its slower charging, making it one of the strongest performers in its segment.
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The OnePlus N6's massive 8,000mAh battery is attributed to Silicon-Carbon tech, which can hold more juice than traditional Lithium-ion batteries without being bulky or heavy. While not the biggest, it has a larger capacity than the flagship OnePlus 15 series and delivers well in both synthetic benchmarks and real-world tests.

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The OnePlus N6 delivered an impressive result in the PCMark Battery test, lasting 19 hours and 17 minutes, comfortably outperforming many of its rivals. The handset, however, isn't optimised well for continuous video streaming and gaming. In our testing, the phone consumed around 20 percent of its battery after an hour of YouTube video playback and an hour of gaming. That's slightly higher than expected for a smartphone equipped with such a massive battery.

That said, the OnePlus N6 is built to comfortably last for days on a single charge with regular use. OnePlus claims up to three days of battery life, and while that is achievable with light, cautious use, most users can realistically expect close to two days on a charge, which is still impressive. During my testing, the phone easily handled navigation, web browsing, social media, messaging, calls, and other everyday tasks without needing a top-up. Standby performance is equally impressive, with the battery dropping by just 2–3 percent overnight.

Part of the phone's long-lasting battery life is also attributed to its performance, which I'll get to in a bit.

The trade-off, however, is charging speed. If you're someone who's constantly on the move and relies on quick top-ups, the 45W charging support may feel underwhelming. But most people charge their phones overnight, and for that use case, it's perfectly adequate. In my testing, the OnePlus N6 took around an hour and a half to charge from 20 to 100 percent, making overnight charging a hassle-free experience. The compatible charger is provided in the box.

OnePlus claims that the battery inside the N6 is designed to retain up to 80 percent of its health even after 7 years with 1,600 charge cycles.

Design: clean, but bulky

[pdp-expert-review]
The OnePlus N6 delivers a clean, modern design that closely resembles the brand's more expensive smartphones, making it look more premium than its price suggests. The frosted finish does a good job of resisting fingerprints, and features such as MIL-STD-810H certification and ArmorShell protection add peace of mind. However, the polycarbonate construction, lack of the Plus Key, and IP65 rating remind you that this is a budget offering. Moreover, its battery makes the phone noticeably bulky and heavy.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The OnePlus N6 follows the brand's latest design language, closely resembling its more expensive siblings, including the flagship OnePlus 15. The handset features flat edges and a squarish rear camera module. However, to keep the price affordable, OnePlus has made compromises in both materials and durability.

The N6 boasts a polycarbonate body, which doesn't feel as premium as an aluminium-and-glass frame. Credit where it is due, the back panel has a frosted finish to keep fingerprints and smudges at bay.

Furthermore, unlike the more expensive OnePlus offerings, the smartphone lacks a Plus Key for AI Mind, shortcut controls, and more. Durability is another area where the OnePlus N6 falls a little short. Although standard for the segment, the phone carries an IP65 rating, which offers protection against dust and minor splashes of water.

The massive battery also comes with a compromise in ergonomics. The handset has a noticeably large footprint, making it feel bulky in the hand and quite prominent in the pocket. I even found it uncomfortable while sitting in a car with the phone in my front jeans pocket, as its size made its presence hard to ignore.

At 208 grams, the OnePlus N6 is also on the heavier side. While the weight is manageable during everyday use, it makes the phone less appealing for active users like me who enjoy jogging or running outdoors. Carrying it in a pocket while on the move can be distracting, as its size and weight are noticeable enough to interrupt the experience.

The OnePlus N6 also comes with military-grade durability, with MIL-STD-810 certification and ArmorShell protection, safeguarding it from minor drops and falls. However, I'd strongly recommend using the bundled case or a good-quality protective case (like the one provided in the box) from day one. With its large battery and polycarbonate construction, an accidental drop onto concrete could cause some damage.

We received the OnePlus N6 in Fresh Mint colour, which has a nice, serene feel to it. There is a Pitch Black colour option of the phone for those who like things black.

Display: functional

[pdp-expert-review]
The OnePlus N6's display is perfectly adequate for everyday use, delivering smooth scrolling, decent colours, and sufficient brightness for indoor viewing. However, the HD+ resolution, inconsistent high refresh rates across apps, average outdoor visibility, and single-speaker design make it less appealing to multimedia enthusiasts. If your usage revolves around browsing, social media, and messaging, the display gets the job done.
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Moving on to the display, the OnePlus N6 features a 6.8-inch LCD panel with HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 1,200 nits of peak brightness. On paper, these specifications are fairly modest by OnePlus standards. The overall viewing experience is respectable for the price, offering decent colour reproduction and sufficient brightness for indoor use.

The 120Hz refresh rate remained consistent while navigating the system UI, but it frequently dropped to 90Hz or 60Hz across several apps, including some pre-installed system applications. Gaming performance was also limited, with the phone's built-in FPS monitor reporting a maximum of just 40fps during gameplay.

Outdoor visibility, however, is slightly compromised under direct sunlight. The HD video playback on streaming platforms limits video sharpness, and the relatively thick bezels make the experience less immersive. Like many other smartphones in the segment, the N6 also relies on a single bottom-firing speaker for audio output that can easily get blocked while holding the phone horizontally for gaming and watching videos. The speaker is best enjoyed at a 50-60 percent volume level, where it doesn't lose its sharpness.

Performance and software: good for everyday usage

[pdp-expert-review]
The OnePlus N6 delivers dependable everyday performance without trying to punch above its weight. Routine tasks such as browsing, messaging, social media, and light multitasking run smoothly, while OxygenOS 16 offers a clean, stable, and polished software experience. The inclusion of Google Gemini and useful AI-powered editing tools adds value, even if some premium OnePlus features, such as AI Mind Space, are missing.
[/pdp-expert-review]

At the core of the OnePlus N6 lies the MediaTek Dimensity 6360 Apex chipset, paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.0 storage. This is the first time we are seeing the chipset on a smartphone. Launched earlier this year, the SoC offers near-identical CPU cores, GPU, memory support, and more as the Dimensity 6300. While the OEM promises an AnTuTu score over 6.5 million, the N6 achieved only 5.8 million in our internal testing. Several sub-Rs 20,000 smartphones, including OPPO K14 and Moto G37 Power, have scored identically.

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On the Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests, the OnePlus N6 scored 788 and 1,993 points, respectively. These results are in line with other budget smartphones, meaning the handset doesn't stand out in terms of performance. While it isn't snappy, the handset feels reliable enough for routine tasks such as browsing, messaging, and social media. The N6 packs a 5,600mm² vapour chamber cooling system, which keeps it running cool for basic use. While playing games, its thermals increased by an average of 4.5 degrees Celsius after 30 minutes during our internal testing, which is pretty generous.

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The OnePlus N6 can also handle a bit of multitasking without much trouble, but demanding games such as BGMI and COD: Mobile are beyond its comfort zone. Noticeable lag and frame drops appeared almost immediately when playing graphically intensive titles. Despite achieving a respectable 68.7 percent in the Burnout CPU Throttle test, the phone is better suited to casual usage and lighter titles such as Subway Surfers.

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Software-wise, the OnePlus N6 runs on Android 16-based OxygenOS 16 out of the box. The software experience is on par with other OnePlus smartphones launched lately; however, a few trade-offs have been made. The most prominent being the absence of AI Mind Space, which saves, organises, and summarises on-screen content and more into one single place.

That is not to say the phone lacks AI features altogether. There are a few photo-editing options available, including Portrait Glow, Perfect Glow, Eraser, Unblur, Reflection Remover, and more, that get the job done. Moreover, with Google Gemini, users can also search what's on their screen, get writing assistance, generate images, and interact with the AI assistant through natural conversations. The software looked well-baked on the device, with no unusual app crashes or screen freezes.

On the updates front, the OnePlus N6 is promised to receive two major OS upgrades and three years of security updates. This is on par with other contemporary smartphones within the segment, keeping the phone relevant until 2029.

Cameras: point and shoot

[pdp-expert-review]
The OnePlus N6 cameras cater to casual photographers who prefer natural-looking photos over aggressively processed images. The handset delivers accurate colours and skin tones, but its cameras struggle with detail retention, dynamic range, and low-light performance.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The OnePlus N6 packs a dual-rear camera system, with a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP auxiliary lens. The front camera is an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calling in the punch-hole setup. The handset offers a pretty straightforward camera experience, with limited modes and features. Having said that, the cameras are quick to focus and latch onto the subject, even though it might not be the most favourable for capturing multiple shots, which is the case with most other smartphones in the segment.

Here's the camera analysis of the OnePlus N6 with the Moto G96, which is known for its photography in the segment.

Daylight

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/OnePlus-N6-daylight.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-G96-daylight.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OnePlus N6" after="Moto G96"]

The OnePlus N6 captures images with close to accurate colours, but leaves room for improvements in contrast, dynamic range, and details. The Moto G96 delivers more contrasty images with good exposure to bright and shadowy areas.

Portrait

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/OnePlus-N6-portrait.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-G96-portrait.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OnePlus N6" after="Moto G96"]

The Moto G96 has an edge with multiple focal points and superior edge detection. However, the OnePlus N6 outperforms by capturing near-accurate skin tones and colours. The handset also offers a relatively natural-looking bokeh effect.

Selfies

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/OnePlus-N6-selfie.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-G96-selfie.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OnePlus N6" after="Moto G96"]

The OnePlus N6 continues to outshine with accurate skin tones and colours, but smooths out facial details and exposure to the background. The Moto G96 might be a better fit for that, even if it oversaturates the colours.

Low light (night mode)

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/OnePlus-N6-low-light.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-G96-low-light.jpg" offset="0.5" before="OnePlus N6" after="Moto G96"]

In low light, the Moto G96 outperforms the OnePlus N6 with better detail retention, more balanced exposure, and improved control over light flare. While the OnePlus smartphone delivers colours and lighting that are closer to reality, it falls short in preserving fine details and keeping image noise under control.

[smartslider3 slider=2149]

That was our analysis of the OnePlus N6 cameras. The handset isn't clearly defined for photography enthusiasts. It is better suited for casual point-and-shoot photographers, who like things natural instead of artificial processing. The handset performs particularly well in portraits and selfies, offering realistic skin tones and a pleasing bokeh effect. However, the images may appear soft, with visible noise and less balanced exposure. For videos, too, the experience remains pretty average, with 720p recording at 60 fps offering the most balanced results. 

Final verdict

The OnePlus N6 plays it safe rather than reinventing the wheel. Its polycarbonate build, IP rating, and military-grade durability inspire confidence, while the overall multimedia experience is serviceable rather than standout. Performance is reliable for everyday use, but the real highlight is the massive 8,000mAh battery. It can comfortably deliver up to two days of usage on a single charge, making it one of the best options in its segment for battery life.

If you prioritise a sharper display, better cameras, or stronger performance, rivals such as the Moto G96 offer a more rounded experience. However, the G96 has already received its final major Android update and will only get security patches until 2028. Other alternatives include the Moto G37 Power (review), which offers similar performance with a 7,000mAh battery, and the iQOO Z11x (review), which packs a superior MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Turbo SoC but with a 7,200mAh battery.

Priced from Rs 19,999 with offers (actual price starts at Rs 22,999), the OnePlus N6 is eligible for Android 18, which is due to release next year. Furthermore, if long battery life is your top priority, it's an easy recommendation. Paired with a clean OxygenOS experience and dependable day-to-day performance, the N6 is an excellent choice for users who value endurance over outright power.

Editor's rating: 8.2/10

Reasons to buy

• 8,000mAh battery can easily last up to two days.
• Performance is reliable for everyday use.
• Cameras capture natural-looking images.

Reasons not to buy

• 45W charging feels slow for such a large battery.
• The phone feels bulky in the hand, with a noticeably large footprint.

The Samsung Galaxy A27 5G is the third phone in the A series to launch in India after the Galaxy A37 and Galaxy A57. As the naming scheme suggests, the Galaxy A27 is more affordable than the other two with a starting price of Rs 31,999 (effectively Rs 28,999 with a Rs 3,000 cashback offer). For this price, the phone promises a complete package that includes a triple camera system and a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 powering everything. On top of that, it touts a reliable software experience with 6 years of OS and security updates.

I spent a brief amount of time with the Galaxy A27 to be able to share my first impressions with you. A detailed, in-depth review will follow in the days to come.

Familiar Samsung design language, practical build

The Galaxy A27 5G follows Samsung's well-established mid-range design language, which means flat sides, a centred punch-hole camera, and a clean rear panel without anything too flashy. We had the Light Green variant with us, which is subtle and pleasant without being as eye-catching as the name might suggest. Light Pink and Black are the other options.

Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the front is a meaningful upgrade over what you typically see at this price, and the IP64 rating covers dust and water splashes. Samsung has also tested the A27 against a 2-metre drop, which is a specific and confidence-inspiring claim. The 3.5mm bezels around the display aren't the slimmest you'll find, and the chin bezel is noticeable, but it's not a dealbreaker, as you do get a very attractive display panel, which I'll talk about in a second. It is a comfortable hold for a 6.7-inch device, though one-handed use will still require some adjustment.

120Hz Super AMOLED looks attractive

The 6.7-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate is one of the strongest selling points of the A27 5G, and it shows in the brief time I spent with it. Colours are vivid, blacks are deep, and scrolling through apps feels smooth. The 1,400-nit peak brightness is a decent number and should mean outdoor legibility is not an issue, and the 800-nit HBM figure is a practical indicator of how the screen will perform on an average day. I will test brightness more rigorously in the full review, including in direct sunlight.

Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 brings performance gains

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a 4nm chip that Samsung claims brings a 47 percent CPU uplift, 38 percent GPU improvement, and 13 percent NPU gain over the previous generation. The LPDDR5X RAM with UFS 3.1 storage, which Samsung says offers 50 percent higher memory speeds than the previous gen, is a good combination for this price band. In the brief time I spent with the phone, app switching felt responsive, animations were smooth, and there was no major lag during initial setup. The real performance test will come in the full review when I run benchmarks and test the phone under sustained load, including gaming and multitasking.

Cameras look capable on paper

The triple rear camera system on the A27 5G comprises a 50MP wide camera with OIS, a 5MP ultrawide, and a macro lens. The absence of a telephoto is the most obvious omission at this price. Samsung's rationale that the macro lens, ultrawide, and 10x digital zoom cover most real-world zoom use cases is reasonable if the digital zoom output holds up in practice. OIS on the primary camera is a welcome inclusion and should make a meaningful difference for video and low-light stills. The 12MP HDR front camera is a solid spec for the segment.

I will need more time with the cameras in varied conditions before saying anything definitive. The full review will cover daylight, portrait, low-light, and video in detail. Worth noting: 4K video is available on the rear cameras but not the front, which is a limitation for creators who rely heavily on selfie video.

One UI 8.5 with a full six years of support

The Galaxy A27 5G ships with One UI 8.5 on top of Android, and its six OS updates plus six years of security patches are among the most competitive software support commitments in the mid-range segment right now. That alone makes it a more future-proof buy than many alternatives at this price.

The AI features are more comprehensive than you would expect from a phone at this price. Circle to Search has been upgraded to support multi-object search within a single circle, which is a practical improvement over the single-object version. The photo editing tools, including a faster eraser, My Filter, and nine AI-suggested edits, are all native rather than relying on third-party apps, which means they do not require uploading photos to a cloud service. AI call features, including live transcription, voice focus, and call captions, are useful additions for accessibility and productivity. On-device Gemini, Bixby, and Perplexity round out the AI suite.

Early impressions

The Galaxy A27 5G makes a strong first impression, but it is more expensive than its predecessor, which arrived at Rs 24,999, understandably due to the ongoing memory crisis driving smartphone prices up. The combination of a 120Hz Super AMOLED display, Gorilla Glass Victus+, IP64 durability, OIS on the primary camera, and six years of software support at around Rs 30,000 looks like a solid offering. The questions that remain are around camera quality in real-world conditions, sustained performance under load, and battery life, all of which the full review will address. Stay tuned.

The POVA 8 is one of those phones that try to grab your attention before you've even switched it on. It's bold, a bit chunky, and very clearly taking inspiration from Nothing's design language, a look that wants to feel a bit more "designed" than the usual offerings in the mid-range segment.

And to be fair, that is what's doing most of the heavy lifting here. In a market where hardware upgrades have slowed to a crawl and spec sheets don't quite look like they used to, Tecno seems to be betting big on design to carry the POVA 8 forward.

But the catch? It's also priced higher than you'd expect, which makes that bet feel a lot riskier. In this review, I'll share my thoughts on the device based on my experience so far, supplemented by a lot of data, to see if the phone justifies its value.

Short Verdict

The POVA 8 has a bold design, a large battery, and cameras that do well enough for everyday use. It also feels smooth in normal use and has a playful character. But the LCD panel is a missed opportunity, storage options are limited, and the pricing feels a little ambitious. Taken as a whole, the phone may not be an easy recommendation, but it has enough charm.

Design: an all-new aesthetic

[pdp-expert-review]
Tecno's POVA 8 goes all in on attention-grabbing design, with a transparent-style back, geometric detailing, and a circular rear display that makes it stand out instantly. The "Alive Matrix Display" adds a playful, Glyph-like twist, but the phone is a little chunky at 225g and 8.8mm thickness.
[/pdp-expert-review]

Tecno is very clearly chasing attention with the POVA 8, and to be fair, it works at first glance. The transparent-style rear panel, sharp geometric accents, and that circular secondary display sitting next to the camera module immediately set it apart from the usual mid-range crowd. The phone definitely makes you look twice, even if you're not entirely sure how you feel about it yet.

It does carry similarities to Nothing's design language, from the exposed aesthetic to the way the back is meant to feel interactive. Tecno calls the secondary display "Alive Matrix Display", and it's essentially their take on turning the rear panel into a visual playground. You get multiple lighting elements, notification cues, and what are essentially Glyph-style features.

[comparative-benchmark type="1000" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Once you get past the visual flair, however, the POVA 8 weighs in at 225 grams and 8.8mm thick. The phone is a little on the heavier, chunkier side, but that is because it has such a large battery. It does have a refined in-hand presence, and you get used to the weight in time. The phone's design is meant to be bold, a bit loud, and unapologetically trying to be the centre of attention.

Tecno seems to be making a clear statement: this phone is meant to be seen as much as it is used.

Display: things could be better

[pdp-expert-review]
The POVA 8's display feels like a bit of a compromise at this price. With rising costs pushing more OEMs towards LCD panels in this segment, the move is understandable, but it still does not feel as satisfying as AMOLED. Even so, an OLED screen would have been nicer, especially since the Tecno Curve 2 already offers one.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The display is one area where the POVA 8 does miss the mark a bit. At this price, not having an AMOLED panel is a clear disadvantage, especially when AMOLED has become the more expected choice in this segment.

[comparative-benchmark type="2000" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The colours do not look like what you get on rival phones with OLED panels, so this is not the most satisfying screen for watching videos or scrolling through photos. The brightness is also lacking outdoors, making it hard to see in harsh lighting. It does get the job done, but it lacks that bit of punch you'd expect at around Rs 30,000.

The 144Hz refresh rate helps keep things feeling smooth, but it's not implemented across the board. From what I've seen, that higher refresh rate is limited to just a handful of system apps like Messages, Phone, and Settings, and games do not seem to support it yet. So while it sounds impressive, the actual experience is a little more restrained than you'd hope. With time and future OTA updates, the phone is likely to have improved support for 144Hz in games and other third-party apps.

Alive Matrix Display

[pdp-expert-review]
The Alive Matrix Display is one of the POVA 8's most unique, playful touches. It is easy to customise, lets you choose from different patterns or even draw your own, and adds a bit of character to the phone. The shake-to-launch toys are fun, though not always perfectly controlled.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The real talking point here is the Alive Matrix Display, which can be configured in the settings. Under the badge "Status light" in settings, you can dig into the customisation options, tweak the matrix display, and play around with the phone's more playful side. Right now, there are only two toys available: a rotating microphone mode that works a bit like a flip-the-bottle game and a lucky number pull, both of which can be triggered by shaking the phone three times.

[gallery link="file" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" size="large" columns="7" ids="706185,706184,706182,706183,706181,706180,706179,706178"]

It is an interesting idea, but the implementation is not quite as polished as what I've seen on Nothing Phone (3) (review). There, the rear-panel interaction felt more intentional because you had to physically press a button to activate the toys. Here, the shake-to-launch approach is easy to access, but I did run into situations where it triggered randomly in my pocket or during an auto ride. That takes away some of the charm.

On the plus side, you do get plenty of customisation, whether that means choosing from a wide range of matrix patterns or even drawing your own image, and the brightness controls are easy to use and keep the rear display quite visible.

Battery: an easy 1.5 days of use

[pdp-expert-review]
POVA 8's battery is one of its biggest strengths. The 8,000mAh cell easily lasts around 1.5 days in normal use, and the bundled 45W charger tops it up from 20 to 100 percent in a little over an hour. It is not the most efficient under heavy load, but the overall endurance is still great.
[/pdp-expert-review]

One of POVA 8's biggest strengths is, without a doubt, its massive 8,000mAh battery, and in day-to-day use, it lives up to the promise. In my testing, it comfortably pushed through around 1.5 days with roughly 5 hours of screen-on time each day, which is pretty good if you are a fairly casual user. More demanding users will still get good endurance, but realistically, you are looking at closer to a full day of use.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

That is mostly because the battery efficiency is a little lacking here. During heavier tasks like gaming, the battery drain becomes more substantial, with around 8 percent gone in 30 minutes. If you play games often, you'll feel the pinch. The PCMark result also reflected that, although it was still decent at 17.5 hours.

Charging, however, is a pleasant surprise. I expected a battery this large to take a fair bit longer, but the bundled 45W charger gets the phone from 20 to 100 percent in a little over an hour, which is very impressive. So while the battery is not flawless in terms of efficiency, the overall experience is still very good for most users.

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

POVA 8: middling performance, decent OS

[pdp-expert-review]
The POVA 8 runs on the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 with 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It handles everyday tasks well enough, but it does not feel especially quick and the lack of a higher storage option or microSD expansion makes it less flexible for long-term use.

The phone also warms up under stress, especially during gaming. However, the gaming experience is still decent, and HiOS remains one of the better parts of the package, feeling clean, responsive, and nicely polished in daily use.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The POVA 8 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7100, paired with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. In recent launches, brands have generally been a bit more measured with their processors to keep costs in check, and this phone follows that trend. For casual use, it does the job well enough, handling browsing, social media, and light multitasking without much fuss, but it does not feel especially quick or polished all the time.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

What also hurts its appeal is the lack of a higher storage option. You only get the 6+128GB and 8+128GB variants, which feels a bit limiting when there is no microSD card expansion either. That may not bother everyone on day one, but it is something that becomes more relevant if you plan to keep the phone for a while. If you want a more performance-focused device with better storage options, the OnePlus Nord CE6 Lite (review) and Motorola Edge 70 Fusion (review) are better choices under Rs 30,000.

[comparative-benchmark type="10" title="Geekbench single-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Thermals are another area where the phone could have done better. It does get quite warm under load, with temperatures rising by more than 8 degrees Celsius in around 30 minutes of gaming.

[comparative-benchmark type="11" title="Geekbench multi-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41996,41782,41949,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Gaming performance itself is decent, though, and Tecno seems to have done a fair job of tuning the software for popular titles. So while the hardware is not particularly exciting, it does hold up better in games than the specs might suggest.

HiOS is one of the better parts of the POVA 8 experience. It feels clean, responsive and nicely put together in day-to-day use, with Tecno's refreshed Glow Space design language giving the interface a more polished look across key areas like quick settings, first-party apps, and call screens. It also brings a decent set of AI tools, along with useful customisation options.

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="41996,41782,41949,," pias="46,41,68,,"][/comparative-benchmark]

Although there are some things I wish to improve. A few first-party apps still do not fully match the new design language, which makes the experience feel a little uneven in places. The software update policy could also be better, but despite that, HiOS still does enough to earn praise at this price point.

Cameras: great colours, low detail

[pdp-expert-review]
The POVA 8's camera setup is one of the weaker parts of the package. It has a 50MP main camera with an auxiliary lens at the back and a 13MP selfie camera up front, but for the price, it feels a bit limited without OIS or an ultrawide lens.

Its actual performance, however, is pretty decent. In daylight, the main camera does a good job with colour and keeps tones looking fairly natural. The trade-off is detail, which is only average and becomes even more obvious in low light. The selfie camera is also decent, especially outdoors, but it softens images a little too much once the light drops.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The POVA 8's camera setup is one of the weaker parts of the package. You get a 50MP main camera with an auxiliary lens at the back and a 13MP selfie camera up front, but for the price, that feels a bit underwhelming, especially without OIS or an ultrawide lens to give the setup some proper flexibility.

In daylight, the main camera actually does a decent job. Colours look natural, and Tecno seems to have kept the output fairly close to what you see in real life, which I appreciate. The problem is that details are soft, and that softness becomes more obvious once the light drops. Low-light shots lose quite a bit of texture once you zoom into the images, so this is not the camera for anyone expecting strong night performance.

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The selfie camera is fairly similar. It handles daylight reasonably well, with pleasing colours and decent facial detail, but once you move indoors or into dimmer light, it starts smoothing things out a bit too much, and detail takes a hit.

To get a better idea, I compared the phone's cameras against the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion (review). Check it out below:

Daylight

In regular daytime images, the POVA 8's advantage lies in its colour reproduction, which is a lot more faithful to the actual scene compared to the Edge 70 Fusion. Where it falls behind, however, is in terms of details. The Edge 70 Fusion's image is a lot sharper and more detailed.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/POVA-8-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-Edgde-70-Fusion-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="POVA 8" after="Motorola Edge 70 Fusion"]

Portrait

The portrait shots from both phones come out looking fairly good, with the POVA once again dominating in terms of colour accuracy. The Edge 70 Fusion does better in terms of details and has better edge detection, cleanly separating the subject from the background.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/POVA-8-portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-Edgde-70-Fusion-portrait-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="POVA 8" after="Motorola Edge 70 Fusion"]

Selfie

The selfie camera is where the POVA 8 absolutely outperforms its peers. Its detail level is a lot better, and it doesn't beautify the image to make it look more appealing. The handset offers better skin colour rendition and facial details, making it the clear winner.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/POVA-8-selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-Edgde-70-Fusion-selfie-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="POVA 8" after="Motorola Edge 70 Fusion"]

Low light (night mode)

This is an aspect where the POVA 8 struggles a little since it is unable to capture as many details. However, it does have better exposure and lens flare control compared to the Edge 70 Fusion, while also leading in terms of colour accuracy.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/POVA-8-nightmode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/06/Moto-Edgde-70-Fusion-nightmode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="POVA 8" after="Motorola Edge 70 Fusion"]

Final Verdict

The POVA 8 has some clear strengths, and its design is one of the first things that stand out. It looks distinctive, draws attention, and the battery life is capable enough to handle a full day and then some. Even the cameras are fairly good for everyday use, which makes the phone more rounded than it first appears.

At the same time, there are a few compromises that are hard to overlook. The LCD panel feels like a miss at this price. The lack of a 256GB variant is another limitation, since storage expansion is also missing, and that can affect long-term use. Pricing also feels a little ambitious for what the phone offers overall.

Compared with the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion (review), the POVA 8 finds it harder to justify itself on value alone. The Motorola may not be as eye-catching, but it does many things well: the design is still good, the camera system is more versatile, the battery life is decent, the phone is thinner, and performance is stronger, all at a lower price. That makes it the more complete option for most buyers.

And then there is the Nothing Phone (3) (review), since Tecno's design clearly borrows some cues from it. The Phone (3) usually sells for around Rs 43,000-45,000 during sales, which does make it look like a more compelling bargain. So while the POVA 8 has personality and some very strong points, its value depends on whether you prioritise design above everything else.

Editor's Rating: 7.8/10

Reasons to buy

• Eye-catching design that clearly stands out from the crowd.
• Battery life is strong and easily lasts through the day.
• Cameras are surprisingly decent for everyday daylight use.
• Software feels smooth, clean, and fairly well optimised.

Reasons not to buy

• LCD display feels misplaced for a phone at this price.
• No 256GB storage option makes future use less comfortable.
• Pricing feels high for the overall package.

Why we chose it

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (review) is one of our top choices for a flagship smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. In fact, Samsung goes a step further by putting the 'Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy' on the smartphone, which features an overclocked 4.7 GHz Oryon CPU, whereas the standard 8 Elite Gen 5's CPU is limited to 4.6 GHz. The extra uptick in clock speeds allows the Galaxy S25 Ultra to churn out slightly higher scores in benchmarks, even though the real-world difference is negligible.

Speaking of which, in our in-house tests, the Galaxy S26 Ultra delivered single-core and multi-core Geekbench scores of 3,733 and 11,407, respectively, and an AnTuTu total score of 39,05,605, indicating absolute top-notch performance. In real-world use, such as gaming, the Galaxy S26 Ultra ran Call of Duty: Mobile at 'Max' graphics and 'Ultra' frame rate settings, achieving an average frame rate of 116.6 and only a 4-degree Celsius increase in temperature after a 40-minute gaming session.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41205,41607,41259,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

[comparative-benchmark type="11" title="Geekbench multi-core score" caption="Geekbench assesses the efficiency of the CPU's single and multiple cores (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41205,41607,41259,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Similarly, in Battlegrounds Mobile India, at 'Ultra HDR' graphics with 'Max' frame rates, the device delivered 88.8 FPS on average with only a 2.2-degree temperature rise when running the game for 40 minutes. The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy not only delivers high frame rates in CODM and BGMI but also helps keep thermals in check even during continuous gameplay. Furthermore, with the One UI 8.5 software on board, the day-to-day operations are snappy and smooth.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
  
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: Up to 16GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: Up to 1TB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.0

OPPO Find X9 Ultra - Best Battery Life Among Snapdragon 8 Elite Phones

Why we chose it

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra (review) is another of our top smartphone choices powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, thanks to its excellent benchmark numbers, large vapour chamber, and ultra-smooth day-to-day performance. Speaking of which, in our lab tests, the Find X9 Ultra outputted tremendous scores of 40,33,382 AnTuTu, while in Geekbench's single-core and multi-core tests, it delivered 3,522 and 10,574, respectively.

In terms of gaming performance, the device can run CODM at 144 FPS. During our tests, the Find X9 Ultra saw a temperature rise of just 3.2 degrees from 25.6 degrees after playing the game for 40 minutes in 'Max' frame rate and graphics settings. It delivered a similar experience in BGMI, with the temperatures rising just 3 degrees. Furthermore, thanks to the massive 7,050mAh battery, the Find X9 Ultra clocked over 17 hours in our PCMark battery drain test, the highest we've achieved so far on a premium flagship phone.

[comparative-benchmark type="3" title="PCMark Battery score (in hours)" caption="PCMark battery test measures phone battery life from 100% to 20% (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41607,41434,41565,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivers sufficient performance for fast camera processing, which proves especially useful when capturing RAW images. It also powers ColorOS 16 to deliver exceptionally fluid animations, smooth transitions, and highly responsive touch performance during daily use.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: OPPO Find X9 Ultra
  
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: 12GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: 512GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.1

Vivo X300 Pro - Best Dimensity 9500 Phone in India

Why we chose it

Rivalling the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 is the MediaTek Dimensity 9500, an equally great flagship processor built for high-end gaming, fast AI processing, and advanced camera capabilities. Currently, since there are only a few options available with this chipset, the Vivo X300 Pro (review) remains our top choice running Dimensity 9500.

In AnTuTu, the X300 Pro scored 35,36,552, while in Geekbench's single-core and multi-core tests, the handset posted scores of 3,452 and 10,279, respectively. On the gaming front, the device comfortably runs COD Mobile at an average FPS of 57.7 in 'Max' graphics and frame rate during a 30-minute gaming session, with a 5.2-degree temperature rise. When it comes to BGMI, it didn't perform as efficiently as its Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 counterparts, as it raised temperatures by 7 degrees Celsius while delivering an average FPS of 39.2.

In terms of day-to-day performance, the Vivo X300 Pro is just as smooth to operate as the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra thanks to OriginOS 6's revamped animation framework compared to Funtouch OS 15. Furthermore, you get a wide range of AI features, customisation options, and productivity tools with the software.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Vivo X300 Pro
  
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: Up to 16GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: Up to 512GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.1

OPPO Find X9 Pro - Best Value Flagship Processor Phone

Why we chose it

Trailing behind the Vivo X300 Pro is the OPPO Find X9 Pro (review), a solid flagship smartphone pick for anyone seeking appealing camera outputs, strong battery endurance, and most importantly, flagship-grade performance to run even the most intensive tasks out there. The Dimensity 9500 in the Find X9 Pro, paired with its massive 7,500mAh battery, delivered around 16 hours in our PCMark battery test, placing it just behind the Find X9 Ultra while still offering exceptional runtime in this synthetic benchmark.

In benchmarks, the Find X9 Pro scored 34,06,260 on AnTuTu. In Geekbench tests, it achieved 2,826 in the single-core test and 7,811 in the multi-core test. Playing games on the Find X9 Pro is a breeze since in a 30-minute session of CODM, the handset managed to run the game at an average of 59.9 FPS in the 'Max' frame rate and graphics settings, while in BGMI, it achieved 39.4 FPS in the 'HDR + Ultra' configuration. In both games, the temperatures stayed lower than the Vivo X300 Pro by at least 2 degrees Celsius.

Just like the OPPO Find X9 Ultra, the Find X9 Pro offers an excellent software experience, handling everyday tasks with outstanding UI smoothness and refined details. On top of that, the Dimensity 9500's ISP is well integrated with OPPO's software, delivering sharp images with near-perfect dynamic range.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: OPPO Find X9 Ultra
  
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: Up to 16GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: Up to 512GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.1

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max - Best Single-Core Performance and Efficiency

Why we chose it

Apart from Qualcomm and MediaTek, Apple's proprietary A-series mobile processors are what you get if you opt for an iPhone. That said, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (review), featuring the A19 Pro chipset, continues the tradition of offering exceptional power efficiency, class-leading single-core performance, and seamless integration with iOS.

Delivering a total AnTuTu score of 25,21,699, the iPhone 17 Pro Max falls behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Dimensity 9500, but pulls ahead in Geekbench, where it gained 3,834 and 9,921 in single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. The efficiency in games is as good as that of others, since it saw under 4.5 degrees Celsius rise in temperatures in both CODM and BGMI after 30-minutes of gameplay each.

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What makes the latest 'Pro Max' iPhone stand out is the new vapour chamber, which genuinely made a difference during our use, offering high levels of sustained performance. Furthermore, the phone remained cool even while charging or shooting images and videos outdoors. 

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
  
• Processor: Apple A19 Pro
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: 12GB
  
• Storage: Up to 1TB

Conclusion

Given our hands-on experience with all top-of-the-line smartphones running on the latest-gen flagship processors, it's safe to say that the performance levels have reached a new height. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, with its overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, nails gaming and top benchmarks, while the OPPO Find X9 Ultra with the same Snapdragon chipset offers exceptional battery life and all-around balance. On the other hand, the MediaTek Dimensity 9500-powered Vivo X300 Pro and OPPO Find X9 Pro stand tall by delivering strong efficiency and camera capabilities. The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max leads with its class-leading single-core performance, ecosystem benefits, and efficiency. Overall, each device delivers outstanding real-world results.

Ultimately, the best processor for you depends on your priorities, raw power and gaming for Android enthusiasts, battery endurance and software polish for heavy daily users, or ecosystem integration and efficiency for Apple users. No matter which one you pick from this list, you're getting a future-proof device capable of handling demanding tasks.

FAQs

Which phone has the best processor in India in 2026?

Given the technical specifications, in-house test results, and our hands-on experience, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy currently offers the best processor performance available in India. The phone crosses the 3.9 million mark on AnTuTu, the second-highest we've recorded so far, while in Geekbench's multi-core test, it surpasses every other flagship with an 11,000+ score. In games, the heating is minimal compared to its rivals, while in everyday use, the phone flies through every use.

Is Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 better than Dimensity 9500?

Both the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen and the Dimensity 9500 deliver flagship-level smoothness and power by 2026 standards. On paper, both chipsets are based on a 3nm fabrication process and boast ultra-fast CPU clock speeds. Even though the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 yields slightly higher benchmark scores, one can't go wrong with the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 either, since these chipsets deliver competitive real-world performance, excellent efficiency, and strong capabilities in camera processing and AI tasks.

Which smartphone offers the best gaming performance?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and OPPO Find X9 Ultra, both running on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, are strong contenders for delivering the best mobile gaming experience. In our tests, the Galaxy S26 Ultra achieved 116.6 FPS in COD Mobile and 88.8 FPS in BGMI, with excellent thermal control, while the OPPO Find X9 Ultra reached up to 144 FPS in CODM. The OPPO flagship also benefits from stellar battery life, ensuring you can game longer without reaching for the charger. In more intensive games, such as Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves, both smartphones should be able to sustain high frame rates for several minutes on a stretch.

Which flagship smartphone has the best battery life?

The OPPO Find X9 Ultra stands out with its massive 7,050mAh battery, delivering over 17 hours in the PCMark battery test. Similarly, the OPPO Find X9 Pro, with its 7,500mAh battery, also performed strongly, delivering around 16 hours of battery life. Both OPPO flagships deliver around 1.5 to 2 days of battery on a single charge, which is impressive for a performance-hungry flagship.

Which phone is best for day-to-day smoothness and software experience?

Given the meticulous attention to detail in software optimisation, all flagship smartphones deliver excellent smoothness. However, if you're to pick the absolute best, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and Find X9 Pro stand out for their refined animations and fluid experience on ColorOS, while the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra boasts an expansive list of features, customisation options, and AI functions. The Galaxy S26 Ultra also promises 7 years of software support, which is among the longest for a flagship, alongside the iPhone 17 Pro Max.

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4 have been launched in India at Rs 3,299. Aimed at the crowd who seek an enjoyable listening experience with a strong focus on ANC and battery life, these TWS cut down on several aspects found on the Nord Buds 4 Pro (review), such as LHDC and advanced tuning. So, how do the Nord Buds 4 perform in real-world use? Find out in this review, where I used them as my daily drivers for over a week.

What's inside the box

Kicking off the review with unboxing the OnePlus Nord Buds 4, upon pulling out the tray from the box, you're greeted with the charging case with the earbuds inside wrapped in a plastic sheet. Below the case sit the user guide and safety manual, ear tips of different sizes, and an orange sticker.

Unlike the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, the Buds 4's box doesn't include a Type-C charging cable, likely due to its affordable pricing.

A familiar design

The OnePlus Nord Buds 4's case highly resembles the OnePlus Buds 4 Pro, meaning you get a pebble-shaped design with curved side edges. It features a soft-touch matte finish with a freckle-like pattern that feels nice in the hand and resists fingerprints well. Up front, there's a 'OnePlus' branding along with a charging indicator, while the bottom of the case houses the Type-C port and pairing button. The Nord Buds 4 come in two colourways: Astral Teal, which we received for review, and Stellar Black.

Thanks to the solid hinge, the lid offers a satisfying click when opening and closing it. Further, the earbuds don't fall out of the case that easily. Coming to portability, the case with the buds included weighs 42.5g, making it lighter than its predecessor, the Nord Buds 3, which weighed 46.2g. Apart from that, at just 22.6mm thick, the charging case is slim enough to comfortably fit into the watch pocket of most jeans.

Coming to the earbuds, the stem features a lean design and an adequately wide indent for touch-based controls, such as a single tap to play or pause, a double-tap to switch to the next track, touch and hold to activate ANC, and more. In my experience, the touch controls worked as expected and always triggered the associated actions. With an IP55 rating, the earbuds should be well-protected against sweat and moisture, making them safe for workouts and running.

Comfortable to wear with a strong fit

Wearing the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 isn't a hassle, even for hours on a stretch. The earbuds fit snugly and securely in the ears, with no sensation that they might loosen or fall out during walking or running. I used the default-sized eartips that come pre-attached, and they fitted my ears perfectly.

The only issue I came across with the earbuds is their finish. It is too slippery, so taking them out of the case can often be challenging if not held firmly. Similarly, holding them with a pinch grip feels risky, as they can easily slip from your fingers.

Straightforward app with adequate features

The key specifications of the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 include a 12mm titanium-coated dynamic driver, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) of up to 52dB using three mics on each earbud, 47ms ultra-low latency (using Gaming mode), and OnePlus 3D Audio. For easy connectivity, the TWS feature Google Fast Pair and Microsoft Swift Pair, while technical aspects include 5,000Hz ultra-wide frequency range, Bluetooth v6.1, SBC and AAC codecs.

In order to control and play around with the settings of the Nord Buds 4, users can download the HeyMelody app from the Play Store and App Store on their non-OnePlus smartphones. As for OnePlus users, they can access all the app functions through the Bluetooth settings within the 'Earbuds function' section. Thankfully, unlike Realme Link, HeyMelody requires no sign-up or login and features a clean, straightforward user interface.

Here are some of the key features found on the app, along with my experience of using them:

OnePlus 3D Audio: This is OnePlus' version of Spatial audio, which claims to create an immersive sound experience by outputting sound from all directions. I found this feature to create hollowness in the songs I listened to; therefore, I didn't use it for the most part.

Sound Master EQ: By default, the buds feature three sound profiles: Balanced, Serenade, and Bass. Let's explore these settings in depth in the ‘Sound' section of this review.

AI Translate: When paired with a OnePlus phone with the AI Translate app installed, the Nord Buds 4 can serve as a real-time translator by simply double-tapping the touch area on the earbuds. While I didn't get the chance to use this feature, it could turn out to be handy when travelling abroad.

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Game mode: This is where the 47ms ultra-low latency kicks in. I manually set the double-tap on the left earbud to trigger ‘Game mode', and while it did activate, the difference was negligible in games like Brawl Stars. Though OnePlus claims the mode is supported only in certain games, without providing the exact names.

Sound Space: Similar to the O-Relax app on OnePlus and OPPO phones, this mode offers a variety of sounds and music to help calm your mind when needed.

Other features: Some other settings found in the HeyMelody app include Find my earbuds, dual connection, auto-play/pause upon removal of earbud, earbud fit test for the perfect seal, and adjusting the alert sound volume.

Bass-focused sound and strong ANC

As stated above, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 support three sound profiles: Balanced, Serenade, and Bass. Below these options, the section features ‘BassWave' to control the amount of bass you wish to experience. One can also control the lows, mids, and highs using the custom equaliser within this setting.

Sound quality

Coming to the sound experience, while I was satisfied with the bass output in the ‘Default' preset, many may find it slightly overpowering. And if you think the bass isn't enough, enabling the ‘BassWave' setting significantly boosts the lows, which was honestly too overwhelming at the maximum setting.

If you're someone who prioritises vocals and treble, the heavy bass is instantly noticeable during the initial few seconds of playing Starboy by The Weeknd. As for the vocals, they were clear and sharp, but they lacked the crispness found in higher-end TWS earbuds, including the older OPPO Enco Air3 Pro.

When listening to the ‘Serenade' preset, the Nord Buds 4 diminish most of the bass in favour of keeping vocals upfront, and the instruments are also not as impactful as the Default preset. This is prominently evident when listening to Nemesis by RYLLZ, a bass-heavy track. Lastly, the ‘Bass' preset offers little benefit, as the Nord Buds 4 already deliver a prominent bass response by default, making this preset the least favourable to me.

Personally, boosting the last three frequencies in the custom 10-band EQ delivered the most balanced and enjoyable sound for my taste, which made the trebles and instruments more impactful.

ANC

The 52dB active noise cancellation (ANC) lives up to the expectation. While it doesn't completely isolate you in your own space, the six microphones in total do a decent job of blocking distant noises in traffic, metro trains, parks, and other public places. Indoors, when listening to media with the air conditioner (AC) and fan running at full blast, the TWS shuts most of the sound.

Given that it costs Rs 700 less than the Rs 3,999 worth OnePlus Nord Buds 4 Pro, which bears 55dB ANC, the Nord Buds 4 won't disappoint with its ANC performance in most listening scenarios. As for Transparency mode, it worked as intended by allowing ambient sound to pass through without sounding overly robotic.

Superb battery endurance

The charging case carries a 530mAh battery, while the earbuds' battery capacity stands at 62mAh. OnePlus claims the case and earbuds can deliver 54 hours of battery in AAC mode with ANC turned off at 50 percent volume.

During my use, the charging case lasted an entire week on a full charge, with the earbuds being used for listening to music and watching YouTube videos or shows on Amazon Prime Video.

When the charging case was fully drained, I plugged it into OnePlus's 100W charger, which topped up the battery from 1 to 100 percent in about 45 minutes. Knowing that the case and earbuds combo will last at least five days on nominal use, a full top-up in just 45 minutes is quite impressive.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 3,299, the OnePlus Nord Buds 4 deliver strong value in the budget segment. With excellent ANC performance, impressive battery life, quick charging, and a comfortable, lightweight design, they check most of the boxes for everyday use.

The sound signature offers clear vocals and impactful instruments, though the heavy bass tuning might not appeal to everyone who prefers a more neutral profile. The lack of LHDC support is a minor drawback compared to some rivals, such as the Realme Buds Air 8, but it doesn't take away from the overall experience.

The bottom line is that if you prioritise strong ANC, comfort, and battery life in an affordable package, the Nord Buds 4 stand as a great pick for most at this price point.

Editor's rating: 8.4/10

Pros

• Clear vocals and fairly impactful instrumental tunes
• Excellent ANC performance
• Tried and tested, lightweight design
• Great battery life, impressively quick charging speeds

Cons

• Slippery finish of the earbuds
• May sound too bassy to some
• No LHDC support like its rivals

No matter how advanced rear camera systems become, with their versatile lenses, larger sensors, and ever-growing list of features, the front camera remains just as important for many smartphone users. However, the best selfie phones in 2026 are no longer defined solely by megapixel counts. What makes a good selfie camera ultimately depends on individual preferences and usage patterns. Some users prioritise accurate skin tones and natural-looking images, while others prefer sharper selfies with punchier colours that are ready to share on social media.

There is a specific smartphone for all such use cases. To help you find the right device, we have compiled a list of the best selfie smartphones that you can buy right now.

How we tested the selfie camera

Before diving into the list, it's worth noting that we tested each smartphone across a range of real-world scenarios, including daylight selfies, indoor shots, group photos, and front-camera video recording. We then evaluated the results on colour-accurate monitors, comparing them against competing devices to determine which smartphone excels in:

• Skin tone accuracy
• Facial detail and texture retention
• Dynamic range performance
• Portrait mode quality
• Front-camera video recording
• Social media readiness

Winners at a glance

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - Best overall selfie phone

Starting price: Rs 1,39,999

Why we chose it

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (review) ships with a 12MP front-facing camera with f/2.2, dual-pixel PDAF, and up to 4k@60fps video recording. The combination ensures one of the most complete selfie experiences available on a smartphone today. There might be competitors offering better performance in individual scenarios, but the Galaxy S26 Ultra stands out for its consistency.

Whether shooting outdoors under harsh sunlight, indoors under artificial lighting, or recording a quick video for social media, the handset rarely disappoints. The selfies turn out detailed with excellent dynamic range and exposure. This could also be attributed to the phone's HDR processing, which helps preserve details in bright backgrounds without overprocessing the subjects. Furthermore, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra tones down its tendency to over-sharpen facial features, resulting in a natural-looking shot.

Video recording is another strong point. The front camera delivers stable footage with reliable autofocus and consistent colours, making it suitable for everything from video calls to content creation.

If you're looking for a selfie phone that excels in nearly every scenario without major compromises, the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is currently the safest recommendation.

Key specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, anti-reflective
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Charging: 60W wired, 25W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope + 10MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB / 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Xiaomi 17 Ultra - Best for skin tones

Starting price: 1,39,999

Why we chose it

Many smartphones prioritise punchy colours and aggressive beauty processing, often at the expense of realism. The Xiaomi 17 Ultra (review) takes a different approach by focusing on natural-looking results and accurate skin tone reproduction. The handset features a powerful 50MP selfie camera, backed by a f/2.2 aperture lens, auto focus, and 4K video recording support at 60 fps.

During testing, the phone consistently delivered flattering selfies without making subjects appear overly smoothed or artificially brightened. Facial textures remain intact, helping images retain a more authentic look. This becomes particularly noticeable when photographing people with different skin complexions, where colour consistency remains one of Xiaomi's strongest traits.

The phone also performs well in difficult lighting situations, maintaining realistic colours while preserving details in both shadows and highlights. That said, its video quality looks relatively underwhelming, with less stable shots while walking or in challenging lighting conditions. Additionally, some users may find the images less vibrant or social-media-ready compared to phones that apply more aggressive sharpening, skin smoothing, and colour enhancement by default.

If natural-looking selfies matter more than social-media-ready processing, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is the phone to beat.

Key specs

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 6,000mAh
• Charging: 90W wired, 50W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope + 10MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 16GB/ 1TB

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Best for video and vlogging

Starting price: Rs 1,49,900

Why we chose it

While many smartphones can capture excellent selfies, few can match the iPhone 17 Pro Max (review) when it comes to front-camera video recording with its 18MP front-facing camera. The camera has a relatively larger f/1.9 aperture lens. Similar to the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, the iPhone also offers autofocus and 4k video recording at 60 fps.

The handset manages to outperform its rivals when it comes to capturing videos. The 17 Pro Max leads with dependable autofocus, excellent exposure control, and industry-leading stabilisation. Whether you're filming a vlog while walking, recording reels, or attending virtual meetings, the front camera consistently delivers sharp footage with natural colours and balanced exposure. Moreover, instead of standard HDR, the smartphone supports Dolby Vision, resulting in rich colours, bright highlights, and deep shadows for a more "lifelike" look.

Another major advantage is colour consistency between the front and rear cameras. This makes it easier for creators to switch between lenses without noticeable shifts in colour or white balance. While the iPhone 17 Pro Max's front camera captures admirable selfies, they aren't class-leading, with facial details occasionally appearing softer than on some rivals.

Content creators, vloggers, and users who frequently record themselves will find the iPhone 17 Pro Max difficult to beat.

Key specs

• Processor: A19 Pro
• Display: 6.9-inch FHD+ Super Retina XDR, 120Hz
• Battery: 4,832
• Charging: 40W wired, 30W wireless
• Camera: 48MP main + 48MP ultrawide + 48MP periscope + 18MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB, 256GB/ 512GB/ 1TB/ 2TB

Vivo V70 Elite: Best value selfie phone

Starting price: Rs 58,999

Why we chose it

The Vivo V70 Elite (review) can be your pick if you want a good selfie smartphone without the premium tag. The handset sports a 50MP f/2.2 front-facing camera with auto focus and 4K video recording support.

The sensor is capable of capturing detailed selfies with pleasant colour reproduction and reliable portrait mode performance across lighting scenarios. On top of that, Vivo's image processing is tuned to produce attractive social-media-ready images without becoming overly aggressive. The wide field of view also makes the phone suitable for group selfies and travel photography.

While it may not match flagship devices in challenging conditions and video quality, the gap is smaller than many users might expect.

For buyers seeking the best balance between price and selfie performance, the Vivo V70 Elite is an easy recommendation.

Key specs

• Processor: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• Display: 6.59-inch FHD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 6,500mAh
• Charging: 90W wired
• Camera: 50MP main + 8MP ultrawide + 50 periscope + 50MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 8GB/ 12GB, 256GB/ 512GB

FAQs

What to look for in a selfie phone in 2026?

Before buying a selfie-focused smartphone, pay attention to more than just megapixel counts. Features such as HDR processing, sensor size, video capabilities, and colour science often have a greater impact on image quality than resolution alone.

Moreover, if you are a content creator, prioritise a smartphone that delivers excellent video quality and stabilisation from the front camera. Selfie lovers, meanwhile, should look for a smartphone that delivers natural skin tones and realistic facial details.

Which phone has the best selfie camera in India?

Currently, that title goes to the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, which strikes an excellent balance between still photography and video performance. However, if you prioritise natural skin tones over all-around performance, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra is worth considering, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains the top choice for creators and vloggers.

Which phone is best for Instagram creators?

While Android phones are catching up, the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains the safest bet for Instagram creators. Besides its excellent stabilisation, reliable autofocus, and true-to-life colours, the handset benefits from strong app optimisation, resulting in consistently dependable video quality across Stories, Reels, and feed posts.

Which phone has the most natural skin tones?

The Xiaomi 17 Ultra tops this list with near-accurate selfies without making subjects appear overly smoothed or artificially brightened. It is followed by iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Is autofocus important for selfies?

Absolutely. Autofocus helps keep the subject sharp without requiring you to manually tap on the screen. A good selfie smartphone should be able to lock onto the subject automatically and maintain focus, even when the frame is in motion.

Which budget phone takes the best selfies?

If you are looking for a good selfie camera phone in the budget segment, the iQOO Z11x and Moto G96 are worth exploring in the under Rs 25,000 segment. Both phones ship with a 32MP front-facing camera and can capture decent selfies in good lighting conditions.

The most direct answer to the Oura Ring 4 yet, Ultrahuman Ring Pro goes a step further with a titanium unibody, dual-core chip, a charging case that warrants its own review and an AI-assistant called Jade to make sense of all the data it keeps collecting from your digit. After a month of daily wear, mostly against an Apple Watch Series 11 on the same hand, the picture that emerges is excellent hardware sitting on top of software that occasionally overpromises.

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Design & Build 9.5/10

Swapping the Ring Air's part-titanium, part-resin shell for a proper unibody build, the Ring Pro gets a "fighter jet-grade titanium" wrap, with resin kept to a small window over the PPG sensor. The four available finishes (Raw Titanium, Aster Black, Bionic Gold, Space Silver) can be specified in sizes 5 to 14, weighing 3.3 to 4.8 grams depending on size, with a free sizing kit shipped ahead of the ring itself.

Water resistance is rated to 100mts and even in terms of emergency safety, the Ring Pro comes with a ProRelease feature that lets the ring be cut off quickly should your finger be swollen beyond recognition. As long as you order it in the right size, it's a pretty comfortable all-day wearable, but call it muscle memory, I had an easier time leaving the Apple Watch on than the Ring Pro. It's never intrusive enough to wake you up, though, and that is the real win for smart rings over watches, which could have a tendency to get entangled in duvets, blankets or hair, depending on the strap type. At 2.65mm it's only marginally thicker than the Air's 2.4mm, but feels more substantial thanks to its build.

Tech & Sensors 9/10

The lower inner-half of the ring houses a redesigned PPG sensor, a 6-axis IMU (inertial measurement unit) and a temperature sensor. A more powerful dual-core chip with on-device machine learning helps with faster processing of real-time data and is a big step up from the Ring Air's single-core variant. One of its strongest attributes is sleep tracking. You can review sleep stages (Awake, REM, Light, Deep), heart rate variability, restfulness, tosses and turns through the night, and a morning alertness score, folded into a Sleep Index that goes well past just hours slept.

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Time in Bed as a number means little on its own, since almost nobody falls asleep the moment they lie down, and Ultrahuman wisely leans harder on sleep efficiency instead. Nap detection triggers reliably without any input, and it was convenient when I was trying to make up for the sleep debt. Although I would've also liked auto Workout detection, it isn't supported, and Jade confirmed it needs manual intervention. Cardiovascular and metabolic data arrive as derived scores like Ultra Age (built from Brain, Pulse and Blood Age), Dynamic Recovery and Stress Rhythm rather than raw figures, elegant when it works and a touch opaque when it doesn't.

The real flex here, though, is the charging case. Designed and built to resemble a storage device for a world-saving vaccine that Ethan Hunt is coming for, it doubles as a 45-day power bank too. It packs a built-in speaker for chimes and Find My-style proximity tracking, an LED strip for charge status, and holds a year of ring data if you forget to sync for a while. It latches onto the ring through magnetic pogo pins, which keep it both convenient and secure during firmware updates, and those updates now route through the case's direct connection rather than Bluetooth, with a reset button if one fails. The ring itself is rated for 12 days in Turbo Mode and 15-plus days in Chill Mode, and in the month during testing, it is turning out to be accurate because I haven't charged the charging case yet and already for two charges for the Ring Pro in Turbo mode.

App and Data 7.5/10

Let's start with the good news first: there is zero subscription cost attached to the Ring Pro so if the upfront asking price feels steep, there is at least a silver lining. Instead, they give users the autonomy to buy add-ons dubbed "Power Plugs" which act like plugins, unlocking specific data sets for your use case scenarios such as GLP-1 tracking, advanced cycle monitoring, or mapping your personal caffeine windows.

The app is enormous, arguably too enormous, throwing sleep tags (based on food, alcohol, mood, dozens more), recovery scores, stress rhythm and metabolic markers at you fast enough to tip from informative into overwhelming if you're the obsessive type. Jade AI exists largely to triage this and it can make sense of studying endless data points. Just ask it what's going on and it'll summarise weeks of data into something resembling a conversation, with a deeper research mode pulling from the ring, the M1 glucose monitor and Blood Vision biomarkers. It's a smart fix for a problem the app created for itself.

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Accuracy is the bigger issue. Sleep scores came in consistently kinder than the Apple Watch's, which felt far more willing to dock points for a rough night. Step counts were stranger still with an hour of genuinely active housework around the house once logged as four steps, which isn't a rounding error so much as the ring being somewhere else entirely. It syncs to Apple Health, but only to display that readout inside its own app, not to cross-reference the two, so don't expect the ecosystems to actually talk to each other. And the MacOS app simply refused to load for the entire testing month, an unforced error for a company this far along.

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The wider ecosystem is where the real ambition of Ultrahuman shows. Pair the ring with the M1 continuous glucose monitor, and workout goals start talking to blood sugar trends. Pair it with the Ultrahuman Home device on the nightstand, and sleep data gets weighed against air quality, UV, blue light, humidity and noise in the room itself. None of it needs a monthly subscription. Ultrahuman sells individual Power Plugs (AFib detection, cycle tracking, migraine prediction, even a Tesla driving-habits add-on) rather than gating the whole experience behind a recurring fee the way Oura does. For anyone tired of subscription creep on a piece of jewellery, that's worth something on its own.

Verdict

On paper, the Ring Pro is close to unbeatable with its titanium build, the best charging case in the category, an app stuffed with more data than most people know what to do with, and zero subscription tax. In practice, a month of wear turned up real gaps between claim and measurement, particularly on steps and activity, against a watch that's stayed accurate across ten generations. If you want sleep tracking with minimal intrusion and simply can't wear a watch to bed, or you're an athlete whose coach will actually use this volume of data, it earns its Rs. 44,999 price tag. For someone chasing eight hours of sleep and a few workouts a week, though, it's a lot of ring for not a lot of extra clarity, and the data alone can send an overthinker into a spiral if they let it.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros

• Genuinely brilliant 45-day charging case
• Zero subscription fees
• Deep, genuinely useful sleep data

Cons

• Inconsistent step and workout tracking
• App can feel genuinely overwhelming
• Pricier than most key rivals

The iQOO 15R launched in India earlier this year as the brand's performance-focused sub-flagship smartphone. Its biggest highlight was being the most affordable smartphone powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, delivering flagship-grade performance at a competitive price.

Four months later, the smartphone is now Rs 5,000 more expensive, with its price now starting at Rs 49,999 due to rising component and memory costs across the industry. So, with the price increase and a highly competitive market, does the iQOO 15R (review) still make sense in 2026? Here's our long-term review.

Design and the sweet spot for size

iQOO has largely stuck to a clean and understated design language for its flagship lineup, and the 15R follows the same philosophy. The standout Triumph Silver colour variant features a tiled pattern on the rear panel. While the design certainly grabs attention, it may not appeal to everyone and can resemble bathroom tiles at first glance. The Dark Knight variant, meanwhile, offers a more classic and understated black finish.

What impressed me far more than the design was the phone's size. The 6.59-inch display hits a sweet spot between compact and large-screen devices. It's comfortable to hold, easy to use with one hand, and still offers an immersive experience for watching videos, scrolling through social media, and gaming. The slim bezels further enhance the viewing experience and make the device feel more premium.

Performance remains a strong selling point

The iQOO 15R is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, paired with the in-house Supercomputing Chip Q2, LPDDR5X Ultra RAM, UFS 4.1 storage, and a large 6,500mm2 vapour chamber cooling system. Even after four months of usage, performance remains one of the phone's biggest strengths. Whether it's streaming content, multitasking, browsing social media, gaming, or everyday productivity, the iQOO 15R handles everything with ease.

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="product_1" products="41748,41310,41718,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Benchmark scores remain competitive against rivals such as the OnePlus 15R and Motorola Signature, both of which are priced higher. While it doesn't quite match the raw power of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite found in flagship devices, the difference is negligible in day-to-day use. For most users, there's more than enough performance on offer here.

Outstanding battery life

Battery life continues to be one of the iQOO 15R's standout features. The phone packs a massive 7,600mAh battery with support for 100W FlashCharge and bypass charging. In real-world usage, the phone consistently delivers close to two full days of battery life with moderate use, including video streaming, social media, casual gaming, hotspot usage, and messaging. Even power users should comfortably get through a full day without reaching for the charger.

When you do need to top up, the 100W fast charger takes the battery from empty to full in roughly 45–50 minutes, which is impressive considering the battery's size. What's even more remarkable is that iQOO has managed to fit such a large battery into a device that still feels relatively compact and comfortable to use.

Good cameras, but not the main attraction

Cameras aren't the primary focus of the iQOO 15R, but they are more than capable for casual photography and social media use. The phone features a dual-camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor and an 8MP ultra-wide lens, while selfies are handled by a 32MP front camera.

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While the hardware is solid, the absence of a dedicated telephoto or periscope lens limits the phone's zoom capabilities and portrait photography compared to some rivals in the segment. That said, the 50MP primary camera performs well, capturing punchy colours and plenty of detail in both indoor and outdoor lighting conditions. You can also switch to the full-resolution 50MP mode for sharper images when needed.

Although the camera system lacks the versatility offered by more photography-focused smartphones, it delivers reliable results for everyday shooting, social media uploads, and casual content creation. If you want a more versatile camera setup, then the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ (review) is an option as it offers a 3.5x telephoto lens and is also more affordable at Rs 47,999.

OriginOS 6: smooth but not perfect

The iQOO 15R runs Android 16-based OriginOS 6 and is currently on the May 2026 security patch. OriginOS 6 offers a polished and smooth UI, making the whole experience of using the phone a delight. Animations are fluid, the interface feels responsive, and there is plenty of room for customisation.

Features such as Origin Island, iQOO's take on Dynamic Island, add a layer of convenience and visual appeal. However, the feature still needs some refinement. While using music apps, Origin Island occasionally struggles to switch correctly to the active app, resulting in an inconsistent experience. It's a minor issue, but one you'll likely encounter regularly if you use the feature often.

Speakers could be better

One area where the iQOO 15R left me wanting more was audio output. The stereo speakers offer a decent listening experience, but they require higher volume levels before they start sounding truly loud and impactful. The issue isn't immersion or audio quality itself; rather, the speakers lack the punch and power seen on some competing devices. A similar observation applies when using Bluetooth and wired earphones, where the volume output could have been stronger.

iQOO 15R vs competition

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If your priorities are performance, battery life, and everyday usability, the iQOO 15R remains an easy recommendation even months after its launch. However, recent market shifts and aggressive rival pricing have shaken up the segment. Enter the POCO X8 Pro Max (review). This performance-focused competitor offers a massive 9,000mAh battery. While its chipset isn't as powerful as the iQOO 15R's, it still handles intensive tasks with ease. If you're looking for a wallet-friendly alternative, the POCO is a compelling choice, just keep in mind that its colossal battery comes with a much bulkier form factor.

The iQOO 15R also remains more affordable than its closest competitor, the OnePlus 15R (review), at least when comparing the 8GB + 256GB variant, which the former doesn't have. For most users, this configuration offers more than enough performance, making it an excellent value proposition. Things get more interesting with the 12GB + 256GB models, as both phones are now priced identically.

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Even so, the iQOO 15R continues to stand out thanks to its superior performance, more compact design, and larger battery capacity. The OnePlus 15R does have an edge with its 165Hz display, which can deliver higher frame rates in select games. However, the real-world difference is unlikely to be noticeable for most users unless gaming is a top priority. As a result, even at the same price, the iQOO 15R still appears to be the more compelling choice overall.

Still worth purchasing?

Four months later, the iQOO 15R continues to be one of the strongest value-for-money performance smartphones in its segment. Despite the Rs 5,000 price hike, it still delivers excellent performance, class-leading battery life, fast charging, and a comfortable form factor. The speakers could be louder, and Origin Island still needs a few refinements, but these are relatively minor compromises in an otherwise well-rounded package.

Whether you're upgrading from a two-year-old device, switching from iOS to Android (or vice versa), buying your first flagship, or hunting for the best value under a fixed budget, this article has a clear recommendation for you. It covers phones across all major price segments, with specific picks for camera quality, battery life, gaming performance, and a clean software experience.

We tested and compared over 50 smartphones across flagship, mid-range, and budget segments this year to identify the best phones currently available in India. Our rankings are based on real-world usage, benchmark performance, camera consistency across lighting conditions, battery endurance, display quality, software experience, and long-term value for money. You can read more about our testing methodology here.

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is our best overall Android pick for its class-leading camera system, display, and 7-year software support, among other things. The iPhone 17 remains the top choice for iOS users and video creators looking for the best value-for-money iPhone. The OnePlus Nord 6 wins on battery life with its massive 9,000mAh cell, the Vivo X300 Ultra and OPPO Find X9 Ultra are tied for the camera-first crown; the Nothing Phone (4a) is the strongest value pick under Rs 40,000, while the Motorola Edge 70 is a perfect all-rounder under Rs 30,000.

Winners at a glance

*Winners and prices as of June 24, 2026

Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra - Best Overall Android Phone in India

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra (review) is the most complete Android smartphone you can buy in India right now. Across every metric we tested - camera versatility, sustained performance, display quality, and software reliability - it consistently led or matched the best in each category rather than excelling at one and compromising on another.

Its quad-camera system, anchored by a 200MP primary sensor, produced sharp, colour-accurate results in daylight, low-light, portrait, and telephoto scenarios across our testing. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chip delivered top-tier benchmark scores and maintained stable thermal performance even during extended gaming sessions. Samsung's 7-year OS update commitment also makes this a safe long-term purchase in a segment where software longevity matters.

If you want one phone that handles everything without a significant weakness, this is the default recommendation.

Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, anti-reflective
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Charging: 60W wired, 25W wireless
• Camera: 200MP main + 50MP ultrawide + 50MP periscope + 10MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB / 256GB, 512GB, 1TB

Test Data:

• AnTuTu score: 3,905,605
• PCMark battery: 14 hours 26 minutes
• Charging test (20-100%): 37 minutes

iPhone 17 - Best iPhone in India

You might wonder why I haven't mentioned the iPhone 17 Pro Max here. While that is the absolute best iPhone in terms of features, the base iPhone 17 is the best value-for-money iPhone for the masses. On the latest base iPhone, Apple has added a few Pro-level features that make it more appealing than ever, including a 120Hz ProMotion display, upgraded ultrawide and front cameras, a slightly larger battery, and faster charging.

For most people looking for a reliable iPhone, the iPhone 17 checks far more boxes and makes far fewer compromises than the iPhone 16 did last year. As I said in my review back in October, "the 120Hz ProMotion display makes it as smooth and premium as its Pro siblings, the dual 48MP cameras deliver consistent results across lighting conditions, and the new 18MP selfie camera is genuinely delightful to use. The A19 chip continues Apple's streak of class-leading performance, and despite only modest battery gains, efficiency remains solid with faster charging to sweeten the deal."

For buyers who prioritise platform stability, seamless device integration, and long-term OS updates over raw spec comparisons, the iPhone 17 represents one of the safest purchases available at this price point in India.

Key Specs

• Processor: A19
• Display: 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 120Hz ProMotion
• Battery: 3,692mAh
• Charging: Up to 50 percent in 20 minutes
• Camera: 48MP Fusion primary + 48MP Fusion Ultrawide
• Storage: 256GB, 512GB

Price: Rs 82,900

Vivo X300 Ultra and OPPO Find X9 Ultra - Best Camera Phones in India

Deciding a clear winner between the Vivo X300 Ultra (review) and OPPO Find X9 Ultra (review) is tough. Both flagships are among the best camera phones in India today, but the choice comes down to the kind of colour tuning and professional-grade setup you're looking for. I reviewed both devices, so trust me when I say that there is no wrong choice here.

Vivo X300 Ultra

The X300 Ultra's three-lens system delivers class-leading consistency across focal lengths. Vivo's colour science continues to be top-notch. The processing is naturalistic rather than punchy, avoiding the oversaturated look that some rivals lean on to make photos appear impressive at first glance. For professional photographers, Vivo takes it up a notch by offering a ZEISS Telephoto Extender Kit, which includes a 200mm Gen 2 and a 400mm Gen 2 Ultra, along with a camera grip, lanyard, tripod mounting rings, and swappable camera rings. Together, they cost a whopping Rs 2,10,000, though you can buy the lenses separately if you don't need both.

Vivo X300 Ultra Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.82" LTPO AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 6,000mAh
• Charging: 90W wired
• Camera: 50MP + 200MP Zeiss Periscope + 50MP ultrawide
• RAM/Storage: 16GB/512GB

OPPO Find X9 Ultra

OPPO's flagship also offers an excellent quad-camera system too, but with one main difference: it doesn't need an additional telephoto lens kit. OPPO has built the teleconverter directly into the phone. The 10x lens uses a 1/2.75-inch JNL sensor customised alongside Samsung, making it the largest sensor ever used at 10x zoom. The result is that you can shoot at 230mm without carrying a separate lens, without a setup process, and without committing to a specific shooting style in advance.

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Overall, the Find X9 Ultra (review) delivers a stellar camera system across a range of lighting conditions. The primary camera delivers attractive colours, wide dynamic range, and impressive detail retention. Hasselblad's colour science leans towards contrasty and saturated shots, compared to the X300 Ultra's more true-to-life colour tuning.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Display: 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz
• Battery: 7,005mAh
• Charging: 100W wired
• Camera: 200MP primary, 200MP 3x telephoto, 50MP ultrawide, 50MP 10x telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 12GB/512GB

OnePlus Nord 6 - Best Battery Life Phone in India

The OnePlus Nord 6 (review) is the answer if battery anxiety is your primary concern. Its 9,000mAh cell is one of the largest shipped in a mainstream smartphone in India, and it delivered over two days of moderate-to-heavy usage in our testing without requiring a top-up, a meaningful differentiator in a market where daily charging is the norm.

The Nord 6 lasted just over 20 hours from 100-20 percent in the PCMark battery test, which simulates real-world usage non-stop. This is the best time yet for a phone under Rs 40,000.

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Importantly, OnePlus achieved this capacity without making the phone unwieldy. It weighs around 217 grams and is about 8.5mm thick, which is decent for phone with such a large battery. The Nord 6 also carries an IP69K rating, offering strong protection against dust and high-pressure water exposure. OxygenOS 16 remains one of the cleaner Android implementations available in the mid-range segment.

Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
• Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 165Hz
• Battery: 9,000mAh
• Charging: 80W SuperVOOC (charger included)
• Camera: 50MP main + 8MP ultrawide
• RAM/Storage: 8GB/256GB, 12GB/256GB

Test Data:

• AnTuTu score: 2,366,913
• PCMark battery: 20 hours 46 minutes
• Charging test (20-100%): 65 minutes

POCO X8 Pro Max - Best Gaming Phone Around Rs 40,000

The POCO X8 Pro Max offers the closest thing to flagship gaming performance available around Rs 40,000 in India. Running on the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s, it posted an AnTuTu score of over 3 million, comparable to phones priced over Rs 70,000, and sustained those performance levels across extended BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile sessions without significant thermal throttling.

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Not only that, but it also features a massive 9,000mAh battery, which performed extremely well in our PCMark test, nearly on par with the Nord 6. For competitive mobile gamers who want stable FPS performance and top-tier processing headroom without flagship pricing, this is the strongest option currently available in this segment.

Key Specs:

• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9500s
• Display: 6.83-inch AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 9,000mAh
• Charging: 100W (charger included)
• Camera: 50MP main + 8MP ultrawide
• RAM/Storage: 12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB

Test Data:

• AnTuTu score: 3,022,675
• PCMark battery: 21 hours 21 minutes
• Charging test (20-100%): 65 minutes

Nothing Phone (4a) - Best Phone Under Rs 40,000

The Nothing Phone (4a) (review) is the strongest all-round choice under Rs 40,000 in India, despite a recent price hike. Nothing OS is one of the cleanest Android implementations in the budget segment, free of aggressive bloatware, fast in day-to-day use, and backed by a credible software update track record relative to competitors at this price. The new Glyph Bar interface remains a genuinely distinctive design feature rather than a gimmick

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="41523,38944,41255,41555," pias="30,64,72,53,"][/comparative-benchmark]

Overall, the Nothing Phone (4a) stands out with its unique design, clean software experience, capable performance, and genuinely useful telephoto camera.

Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
• Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 5,400mAh
• Charging: 50W (charger included)
• Camera: 50MP main + 8MP ultrawide + 50MP telephoto
• RAM/Storage: 8GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB

Test Data:

• AnTuTu score: 1,176,492
• PCMark battery: 14 hours 42 minutes
• Charging test (20-100%): 71 minutes

Motorola Edge 70 - Best Phone Under Rs 30,000

Fortunately, the Motorola Edge 70 (review) hasn't seen a price increase since its launch, so it's still available starting at Rs 29,999. At this price point, the Edge 70 is one of the most well-rounded smartphones you can buy. Its highlight is its slim, lightweight build, which makes it one of the best-designed phones in the segment. Additionally, the phone offers a vibrant display, full-day battery life, fast charging, and capable cameras.

The Edge 70 might not be the fastest phone in the segment, with faster alternatives like the OnePlus Nord 5 and even Motorola's own Edge 60 Pro. But they are a year older now. The Motorola Edge 70 is best suited to those who prioritise comfort, style, and a balanced device rather than raw performance.

Key Specs:

• Processor: Snapdragon 7 Gen 4
• Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED, 120Hz
• Battery: 5,000mAh
• Charging: 68W (charger included)
• Camera: 50MP main + 50MP ultrawide
• RAM/Storage: 8GB/256GB

Test Data:

• AnTuTu score: 14,02,932
• PCMark battery: 11 hours 13 minutes
• Charging test (20-100%): 44 minutes

FAQs

Which is the best phone in India right now?

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra is the best overall Android phone in India in 2026, offering the strongest combination of camera performance, display quality, processing power, and long-term software support. For iOS users, the Apple iPhone 17 is the top recommendation for its Pro-grade features and value-for-money.

Which phone has the best camera in India?

The Vivo X300 Ultra and OPPO Find X9 Ultra are our top picks for camera performance, thanks to their stellar camera systems, which include impressive telephoto lenses for long-distance shots and portraits. The X300 Ultra gives you the option for attaching additional telephoto lenses, while the Find X9 Ultra features a built-in 10x telephoto lens.

Which phone has the best battery life in India?

The OnePlus Nord 6, with its 9,000mAh battery, delivered the longest endurance of any phone we tested in its segment, consistently crossing two days of moderate to heavy usage. It's the clear pick if battery life is your primary buying criterion.

What is the best phone under Rs 40,000 in India?

The Nothing Phone (4a) at Rs 37,999 is our top recommendation under Rs 40,000. It offers a clean, bloatware-free Android experience, a capable 50MP dual-camera system, and a distinctive design.

What is the best gaming phone around Rs 40,000 in India?

The POCO X8 Pro Max offers the strongest gaming performance around Rs 45,000, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s with sustained FPS stability in titles like BGMI.

Do phones in India come with chargers in the box?

It depends on the brand. OnePlus, Vivo, and POCO typically include fast chargers in the box. Samsung, Apple, and Google do not. You should budget an additional Rs 2,000–3,000 for a compatible fast charger if you choose one of those brands.

If TVs delivered truly immersive audio, there would be little reason to invest in a separate home theatre system. No matter how much manufacturers increase their audio power output, most televisions, especially in the mid-range segment, still fall short of delivering a cinematic sound experience. While there are plenty of sound systems available in the market, the choices narrow considerably if you're looking for something suitable for a compact living space.

That's where the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C comes in. This 5.1-channel home entertainment system aims to bring surround sound to smaller rooms without demanding a hefty investment, making it one of the more compact and affordable options in its segment. After using the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C for over two weeks, here are my thoughts on the soundbar and what it brings to the table.

Specifications checklist

• Power output: 380W (165W soundbar + 150W woofer + 55W satellites)
• Channels: 5.1
• Connectivity: Bluetooth v5.4, HDMI ARC, Optical In, AUX, USB
• Audio technology: Dolby Audio
• Dimensions (W x D x H):
  • • Soundbar: 40.6 x 9.8 x 6.1 cm
    • Subwoofer: 15.2 x 18.6 x 32 cm
    • Satellites: 9 x 6.6 cm (Dia x H)

Design

The compact design is one of the standout features of the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C. Beyond its space-saving form factor, I was particularly impressed by how well the system has been put together. The matte finish does an excellent job of masking the plastic construction, giving the setup a far more premium appearance than its price suggests. Branding has also been handled tastefully, with subtle white lettering on the soundbar and subwoofer, while the satellite speakers feature the Zebronics logo. The overall aesthetic is clean, understated, and surprisingly elegant for a budget-friendly audio system.

The two cylindrical satellite speakers are not wireless and remain connected to the soundbar via long cables measuring approximately 20 metres. This gives you the flexibility to place them at the far end of the room for a more immersive surround-sound experience. The Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C soundbar and satellite speakers can be placed on a table or mounted on a wall using the supplied mounting accessories. The subwoofer, however, is best positioned on the floor to deliver optimal bass performance.

Connections & setup

All connectivity ports are located at the rear of the soundbar. These include dedicated inputs for the satellite speakers and subwoofer, along with a power connector, 3.5mm AUX input, USB Type-A port, optical input, and HDMI ARC. For wireless connectivity, the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C supports Bluetooth 5.4. These are all the essential wired and wireless options most users could have asked for in a sound system.

While there seems to be very little clearance at the rear of the soundbar for a wall-mounted setup, accessories have been provided in the box to make it easier to connect the subwoofer and satellite speaker cables, along with bulkier connectors such as HDMI cables and USB drives.

The Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C features basic controls on the soundbar, including an option to power it on/off, select the sound source, and adjust volume. For basic usage, these controls seem more than sufficient. There is even a small display, behind the grille, at the front of the speaker, to check the status. However, I wish the display were better utilised, which I'll get to in a bit.

Controls

For users who prefer more precise control from a distance, Zebronics bundles an IR remote with the Juke Bar 9300C. However, the required batteries are not included in the box, so you will need to purchase two AAA cells before using it. The remote itself is compact and ergonomically designed, featuring rounded edges and a slight curve in the middle that makes it comfortable to hold. It also keeps things simple with a limited number of buttons, making navigation and day-to-day operation intuitive.

In addition to the basic controls, the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C lets you adjust the EQ settings. There is a dedicated EQ button for this, and you get three presets out of the box: Music, Movie, and Game. Furthermore, users can customise the sound experience by adjusting the bass, mids, and treble levels using the settings button and the plus/minus keys on the purple keypad of the remote.

While the controls are comprehensive, the display can be slightly confusing, especially during the initial setup. Zebronics could have made better use of the display by showing a clear power status instead of just two horizontal lines when the soundbar is in standby mode. I initially assumed the system was ready to use as soon as it was plugged in, only to realise it was still on standby and required me to press the power button first. A simple "ON" or "OFF" indicator would have made the experience far more intuitive.

Similarly, the EQ implementation could have been more user-friendly. The sound profiles are displayed simply as EQ1, EQ2, and EQ3, without indicating which preset corresponds to Music, Movie, or Game mode. Users will have to memorise these modes from the user manual first.

The Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C delivers a total audio output of 380W. Of this, 165W comes from the soundbar itself, which houses three front-firing drivers of equal output. The two satellite speakers also feature drivers with the same output capacity as each individual driver in the soundbar. The remaining 150W is delivered by the 13.33cm down-firing subwoofer.

Performance

The system adopts a 5.1-channel configuration and does not include dedicated upward-firing drivers. As a result, while it can deliver a convincing surround-sound experience, it cannot match the immersion of a 5.1.2-channel setup, which uses additional height channels to create a more expansive, three-dimensional soundstage. That said, expecting such a setup from a budget-oriented home theatre system would be unrealistic.

The Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C, however, comes with Dolby Audio support. While this should not be confused with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Audio processing improves dialogue clarity and overall sound separation, making vocals easier to distinguish on supported content.

It was indeed the case with Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C in general as well.

Design & vocal clarity

I listened to a variety of content through the speaker setup, including podcasts, movies, TV shows, and sports broadcasts. Throughout my testing, dialogue remained crisp and easy to follow, even during complex scenes. This was particularly evident while watching the first episode of House of the Dragon Season 3, where conversations remained clear and intelligible without being drowned out by the background score. The soundbar did a commendable job of maintaining vocal presence, ensuring that important lines retained their impact. You could clearly hear the character of Sharako Lohar's command, "Hold the course and f***ing row!", despite the surrounding chaos and ambient effects in the scene.

The experience was equally impressive while watching the first episode of India's Got Latent Season 2. Despite the constant laughter, audience reactions, and on-stage banter, punchlines and offhand remarks were easy to catch. In comparison, I often found myself rewinding scenes when using my MacBook's built-in speakers or a pair of budget earphones, particularly when trying to make out quieter background comments.

The cricket commentary follows a similar observation. Switching between the respective sound profiles for music, movies, and sports enhances the experience, but the soundstage still feels constrained.

Bass & soundstage

While the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C delivers impressive vocal clarity, it fails to reproduce the finer details that can draw you into the scene, such as the battle sequence on House of the Dragon. Effects such as swords clashing, boats colliding, and ropes straining under tension did not sound as crisp or distinct as they could have. Part of this can be attributed to the absence of dedicated tweeters or height channels, which limits the system's ability to reproduce high-frequency details and create a more expansive soundscape. As a result, while the overall presentation remains enjoyable, it falls short of delivering the level of immersion offered by more premium home theatre setups.

The subwoofer performs well for its size and has no trouble filling a room measuring around 10x12 feet. During testing, it capably reproduced the low-frequency elements of intense movie soundtracks and bass-heavy tracks such as Diljit's "Case". The bass tuning is more balanced than aggressive, and there is enough depth and punch to let you feel the impact of drums, basslines, and other instruments, making music enjoyable without sounding overpowering.

Now, the Zerbronics Juke Bar 9300C performs its optimum at 70-80 percent volume level, which should be plenty to fill the room it is designed for. There is a slight distortion at maximum volume.

Verdict

Currently retailing for under Rs 10,000 on Amazon.in, the Zebronics Juke Bar 9300C is a solid choice for small rooms and TVs up to 50 inches. Its compact design, powerful audio output, and budget-friendly pricing work strongly in its favour. There are competing options from more established audio brands, such as Sony's HT-S20R and JBL's Cinema SB190, which offer a more refined and immersive listening experience with better sound separation and finer detail retrieval.

However, those alternatives are either more expensive or less compact than Zebronics. While the Juke Bar 9300C cannot match the immersion of premium home theatre systems, its 5.1-channel setup does a commendable job of delivering a surround sound experience that makes movies, TV shows, and music more engaging.

Editor's rating: 8.5/10

Pros

• Compact and well-built design
• Clear dialogue reproduction
• Convincing surround effect
• Good connectivity options, including HDMI ARC

Cons

• Display & EQ indicators are not intuitive
• Slight distortion at maximum volume
• Limited high-frequency detail

Nearly 20 years ago, I went out and purchased the Bose AE2 (Around-Ear) headphones. They were 3.5mm headphones and a one-stop solution to my music, movies, and gaming needs. Since then, I have shared a relationship with numerous headphones, both wired and wireless, but none of them struck the charm, charisma, and feel of using the AE2. There are a couple of reasons I loved those headphones: lightweight, easy to wear, breathable material for my ears, and comfortable to wear with glasses. They weren't noise-cancelling, which I appreciated, as it meant that I could wear them for hours on end. Since then, I've used some amazing pairs of headphones, but the Bose AE2 felt like the long-lost love that wouldn't return. I'm glad to say that all changes today.

I have with me the Sony InZone H6 Air Open-back headphones, built on the components that made the Sony MDR-MV1 a favourite for those who used it. They are wired, which means no Bluetooth or dongle support. They sound too good to be true and, apart from one minor gripe, are perfect for those like me looking for one pair of headphones for gaming as well as entertainment needs. Let's dive in.

Floating on Air: Build, Design, and That 199g Magic

Sony says that the InZone H6 Air is "Made with aluminium and a Graduated Hole Design, INZONE H6 Air is our lightest gaming headset yet, with an ultra-lightweight of only 199g without the detachable mic." And boy oh boy, are they light. At first glance, you'd be forgiven for thinking the earcups are plastic, when they in fact aren't.

The ear cushions are also very comfortable, and the clamp pressure from the headband is almost nonexistent, which is great for those of you who wear glasses. This means that there is no noise cancellation, and the open-back nature means there is a lot of sound leakage. But that's okay, as these aren't designed to be noise-cancelling. Considering the sweltering heat in Delhi, while my ears did get sweaty, I did not mind wearing these headphones, playing games, and consuming content for hours on end without feeling the nauseating vacuum that comes with using noise-cancelling headphones. Furthermore, the ear pads are replaceable, ensuring long-term longevity if the original cushions ever wear out.

The headband, too, has this braided, sturdy finish with thicker bead padding, adjustable for a comfortable fit. In black, these headphones not only look stealthy but are quite attractive as well, thanks to the "Graduated Hole Design."

The mic is detachable, which is great, and if you leave the mic in, there is a physical mute button on the left earcup, the only physical button there is. Apart from that, you have a volume wheel, the port for the 3.5mm cable, and the mic port. That's it.

It comes with a really long 6.6-foot cable with a simple tie in case you need to reduce the length, very thoughtful. However, it is worth noting that the cable can sometimes produce slight microphonics (cable noise) if it rubs aggressively against your clothing. There is also a 3.5mm to USB-C DAC in the box, which makes a difference when consuming content via a PC or smartphone.

Overall, the build of the headphones is near perfect. My only gripe is that it doesn't come with a carrying case, which is a bit of a bummer.

Levelling Up the Immersion: Gaming and Mic Performance

Since these are gaming headphones, let's start with their gaming performance.

I played games on my PS5 and Xbox Series X by connecting the 3.5mm cable to the respective controller, and via the PC using the included DAC. On the PS5, I played the following games: Marvel's Spider-Man 2, DiRT 5, Gran Turismo, Ratchet & Clank, and Resident Evil Requiem. On the Xbox, I played Doom: The Dark Ages, Gears 5, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. On the PC, I was limited to Forza Horizon 6 and 007: First Light.

One tip before we get into the performance: keep the system volume (be it either of the consoles or the PC) at full volume and use the dial on the headphones to control it. It gave a much better experience that way.

In all the games, the sound output of the headphones was phenomenal. Because of the open-back design, the soundstage is remarkably wide, giving you a true sense of physical space and distance that closed-back headphones struggle to replicate. Before one of the big sequences in 007, when the signature 007 tune plays, all the brass instruments kick in with superb clarity, keeping a very good separation between the action, dialogue, and music. Phenomenal performance. It was the same in racing games like DiRT 5, Gran Turismo, and Forza, offering impressive grunt for the audio of the vehicles as well as channel separation that is very clear when cars are overtaking each other.

Even the background score in a game like Doom: The Dark Ages, which is challenging on most headphones, sounded sublime without feeling unbalanced on these headphones. And the emotional soundtrack of Ori is one to behold. Grace's breath in my ears levelled up the fear of playing Resident Evil Requiem. I cannot emphasise how "neutral" and well-balanced these headphones sound when gaming! They also do a fantastic job of highlighting directional audio, making enemy footsteps and environmental cues incredibly accurate.

My only advice is don't go into the InZone app to change the profile or enhance the bass, as that does more damage than good to the performance of the headphones. Leave them as they are out of the box. Pretend the app doesn't exist. You'll thank me for this one!

I am not big into multiplayer gaming, so the performance of the mic was serviceable for me. It did pick up my kids screaming, but to be fair, they were standing 6 inches away from my face. The audio is clear and clean from the mic, featuring a pickup pattern that attempts to isolate your voice, though it clearly has its limits in loud environments.

Beyond the Controller: Cinematic Music and Entertainment

I listened to the following tracks on my M1 MacBook Pro as well as my Pixel 10 smartphone via YouTube and Apple Music: "Dracula" (JENNIE Remix), "Bad Dreams" by Teddy Swims, a lot of Daft Punk, some Coke Studio, a bunch of classic Bollywood, and some of my favourite tracks from Dhurandhar Parts 1 and 2. For movies, there is the race at the 11-minute mark in Ready Player One, a lot of the dogfights from Top Gun 1 and 2, The Batman trilogy, and some Lord of the Rings as well. Most of the content was consumed via the Apple TV app on my Mac with the headphones connected via the USB-C DAC.

The channel separation, dialogue clarity, and well-balanced bass are all noteworthy. The drivers deliver a surprisingly punchy but controlled bass response, which is a rare treat for open-back headphones of this weight. The channel separation is especially noticeable when an inverted plane goes right-side up, and the entire left and right channel perspective changes in Top Gun. The same applies to the race in Ready Player One, where the channel separation and directional audio of the race, along with all the mayhem, completely surround you. I only wish I could connect these headphones to my Apple TV box to enjoy the movies on the big screen. The closest I came was connecting them to the 3.5mm port on the PS5 and using the Apple TV and Netflix apps to consume content on the big TV.

In the past, I've said that there are gaming headphones that sound good enough for music and movies, and multimedia headphones that sound good enough for gaming. But here I am saying that if you are okay with a wired solution, the H6 Air is a dream for those looking for one pair of headphones to do everything without having to rely on an "app" to tweak settings for different use cases.

The mic is serviceable for taking calls as well. I attended a few online meetings using this mic, and while I was told my audio sounded muffled at times, I would like to think there were network issues involved there as well. I went for a walk wearing these headphones, connected to my phone, and took a few calls. This is the only use case I wouldn't recommend for these headphones: taking calls outdoors. Going for a walk and listening to music is enjoyable, but the absolute lack of passive noise isolation means traffic, wind, and ambient city noise will easily bleed into your audio experience - something I was OK with.

Verdict: Should You Buy the H6 Air?

Priced at about Rs 18,000 as of me writing this review, the headphones aren't cheap. But whether they are value for money for you is something you will need to judge based on your use case. What the InZone H6 Air has going for it is very good sound output, a very lightweight and comfortable design, a long 3.5mm cable, and a DAC in the box. However, the open-back nature of the headphones means your colleague sitting next to you in the office can eavesdrop on what you are listening to, and I wish the headset came with a carrying case. But apart from these points, if a wired pair of headphones for gaming and entertainment is what you are looking for, you can't go wrong with the H6 Air.

Editor's Rating: 9 / 10

Pros

• Exceptional Comfort
• Ultra-lightweight
• Wide Soundstage
• Plug-and-Play Excellence
• Generous 6.6-foot cable and 3.5mm to USB-C DAC in the box

Cons

• An open-back design means zero noise isolation
• The mic struggles to block out ambient noise
• No carrying case

ASUS has spent years trying to bridge that gap with its Zephyrus lineup, and the new ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) is perhaps its most refined attempt yet. What's interesting is where this laptop sits within ASUS' own ecosystem. The company already has the ROG Strix series for hardcore gamers chasing maximum performance and the ProArt lineup for creators who prioritise colour accuracy and professional workflows. The Zephyrus G16 sits right in the middle, aiming to offer the best of both worlds without leaning too heavily in either direction.

Powered by Intel's latest Core Ultra 9 386H Panther Lake processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) packs serious gaming and content creation capabilities into a chassis that weighs under 2kg. On paper, it ticks all the right boxes, but with a price tag of around Rs 4.5 lakhs, the real question is whether its blend of performance, portability, and premium features is worth the asking price.

Design and Build Quality

ASUS hasn't dramatically changed the Zephyrus formula for 2026, and honestly, that's perfectly fine. The Zephyrus G16 remains one of the best-looking gaming laptops available today.

Unlike many gaming-focused machines that rely on aggressive styling and excessive RGB lighting, the G16 takes a far more mature approach. It looks equally comfortable in a gaming setup, an editing studio, or a corporate boardroom. That said, the signature Slash Lighting element returns on the lid, adding a touch of personality without making the laptop look overly flashy.

What continues to impress me most is just how portable this machine feels. Despite featuring a 16-inch display and high-end internals, the laptop never feels large or cumbersome. At 1.95kg, it's surprisingly easy to carry around, making it a practical option for creators and professionals who frequently travel.

More importantly, the chassis feels even sturdier than before. During my usage, there was no noticeable flex in the keyboard deck, no creaking when lifting the laptop from a corner, and no concerning movement in the display lid. The CNC-machined aluminium construction feels exceptionally solid, and ASUS' military-grade durability certification should provide additional confidence for users who frequently work on the move.

Port selection remains excellent, too. ASUS has managed to include everything most users could ask for, including USB-A ports, USB-C connectivity, HDMI, a headphone jack, and most importantly, a full-sized SD card reader. For photographers and videographers, that's a genuinely useful addition that eliminates the need for an external dongle.

Display and Audio

If there is one area where the Zephyrus G16 immediately justifies its premium positioning, it's the display.

The laptop features a 16-inch 2.5K OLED ROG Nebula HDR display with a 240Hz refresh rate, G-Sync support, and excellent factory colour calibration. Quite simply, this is one of the best laptop displays available right now. Whether I was gaming, editing photos, grading videos, or simply binge-watching content, the panel consistently impressed. Colours look vibrant without appearing oversaturated, contrast is exceptional thanks to OLED technology, and blacks are as deep as they come.

For content creators, colour accuracy is excellent, making the panel suitable for professional workflows. At the same time, the 240Hz refresh rate and near-instant pixel response times make it equally appealing for competitive gaming. This is one of those rare displays that genuinely excels at both creation and entertainment.

The display is stunning, but the six-speaker setup deserves equal applause. Audio is loud, detailed, and surprisingly punchy, with enough bass to make movies, music, and games genuinely enjoyable without reaching for headphones. In fact, it's one of the few Windows laptops that can comfortably go toe-to-toe with a MacBook Pro, making the Zephyrus G16 an absolute multimedia powerhouse.

Keyboard and Touchpad

The Zephyrus G16 continues to offer a comfortable typing experience. The keyboard feels responsive and well-spaced, making it suitable for everything from long writing sessions to gaming marathons. Key travel remains satisfying, while the large glass touchpad is smooth, accurate, and among the best you'll find on a Windows machine.

That said, there are a couple of decisions that feel slightly odd. The first is the continued use of single-zone RGB lighting. While this won't bother everyone, some buyers spending this much money may have expected per-key RGB lighting or at least a more advanced implementation. My bigger complaint, though, is the arrow key layout.

This is a 16-inch chassis that doesn't even include a numpad, yet ASUS still opted for half-height up and down arrow keys. There's more than enough space available to accommodate full-sized arrow keys, making this feel like a design choice driven by aesthetics rather than practicality. Will it bother everyone? Probably not. But if your workflow relies heavily on navigation keys, it's something worth keeping in mind.

Performance

Under the hood, the Zephyrus G16 packs Intel's new Core Ultra 9 386H processor alongside NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop GPU with 12GB of GDDR7 memory. Rounding things off is 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 RAM and a spacious 2TB PCIe Gen4 SSD, which is about as flagship as laptop specs get in 2026. Unsurprisingly, performance is excellent across the board.

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The real star of the show, however, is Intel's new Panther Lake architecture. To put its improvements into perspective, I've compared the laptop against last year's Zephyrus G16 as well as the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10. The results speak for themselves. Whether it's synthetic CPU benchmarks, everyday productivity workloads, or creator-focused tasks, the new G16 consistently pulls ahead of its predecessor while putting up a respectable fight against the much bulkier Legion.

The GPU story is equally interesting. On paper, moving from last year's RTX 5080 to an RTX 5070 Ti might sound like a step backwards, but that's only half the story. The previous-generation model ran its GPU at a relatively conservative 120W, whereas the new Zephyrus pushes the RTX 5070 Ti up to 140W, putting it in the same league as the Legion Pro 5i. As a result, the laptop delivers strong graphics performance across demanding 3DMark workloads and modern games alike, while the 12GB GDDR7 framebuffer also provides a welcome boost for newer AAA titles.

Of course, a thicker gaming laptop like the Legion still has an advantage when it comes to brute-force performance. But that's also missing the point. The Zephyrus G16 isn't trying to win benchmark charts at any cost; it's trying to deliver as much performance as possible without turning into a 2.5kg desktop replacement. And when you consider that ASUS has managed to squeeze this level of performance into a sub-2kg chassis, the achievement becomes a lot more impressive. In many ways, that's the Zephyrus G16 in a nutshell: a laptop that prioritises performance per kilogram rather than performance at all costs.

Thermals and Battery Life

Packing a Core Ultra 9 processor and an RTX 5070 Ti into a chassis this slim is a bit like fitting a V8 engine into a hatchback: something's bound to get loud. Under heavy loads, temperatures can cross the 85°C mark, and the fans certainly make their presence known. However, ASUS deserves credit for keeping the heat away from the areas that matter. While the internals are working overtime, the keyboard deck and palm rests remain surprisingly comfortable, with most of the warmth confined to the area above the keyboard.

More importantly, real-world usage is less dramatic than synthetic benchmarks suggest. During gaming, the laptop remains composed and delivers consistent performance without excessive throttling. Similarly, content creation workloads such as timeline editing, colour grading, and asset management are handled effortlessly. The fans mostly become noticeable during exports and rendering workloads, where sustained performance matters most.

Battery life is another area where Panther Lake makes a strong case for itself. The biggest upgrade this year isn't immediately visible on a spec sheet. It's the fact that the Zephyrus G16 feels far more comfortable being used as an everyday laptop rather than just a gaming machine that occasionally leaves the desk. For creators and professionals who spend as much time working as they do gaming, that's a meaningful improvement.

Verdict

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) is the kind of laptop that makes a fantastic first impression and somehow keeps getting better the longer you use it. From the gorgeous OLED display and powerful speakers to the premium build quality and impressive portability, it's one of the rare machines that feels equally at home rendering videos, crushing deadlines, or running the latest AAA games.

The catch, however, is the price. At around Rs 4.5 lakh, the G16 finds itself competing not just with rival gaming laptops, but also with its own predecessor. Last year's Zephyrus G16 with an RTX 5080 can be found for Rs. 3.5 lakhs, which translates to savings of almost a lakh. On the other hand, even cheaper options like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i offer more raw horsepower if portability isn't a priority.

That said, ASUS has done enough to make the new G16 feel like a genuine upgrade. Panther Lake brings meaningful efficiency gains, performance remains excellent, and the overall experience is about as polished as gaming laptops get. It's not the fastest laptop in its class, nor the best value-for-money option, but if the goal is to own a premium machine that can seamlessly switch between creator laptop and gaming powerhouse, the Zephyrus G16 makes a compelling case for itself.

The asking price remains steep, though ASUS does soften the blow with offers such as instant discounts, no-cost EMI options for up to 18 months starting at Rs. 11,111 per month, and extended warranty plans. While these won't make the laptop any cheaper, they do make stepping into ASUS' flagship ecosystem a little easier on the wallet.

Editor's Rating: 8.5 / 10

Pros:

• Premium design that's both portable and practical
• Best-in-class multimedia experience
• Excellent balance between gaming and content creation
• Strong all-round performance with improved efficiency

Cons:

• Very expensive compared to alternatives
• Fan noise can get aggressive under heavy loads
• Limited upgradeability

Lenovo V15 has always been a straightforward business laptop rather than a fashionable one, and that is still the point of the 2026 configuration. This is a machine built for office work, long browser sessions, spreadsheets, video calls, and all the unglamorous tasks that make up most real laptop use. 

The specific configuration reviewed here is priced at Rs 64,200 on Amazon. The Lenovo V15 G4 packs in a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H processor, integrated Intel UHD Graphics, 8GB DDR4 memory, and 512GB NVMe storage.

That defines the V15 neatly. This is not a creator laptop or a sleek ultrabook but more of a dependable work machine with a few genuinely useful strengths, especially in performance and connectivity. The important question is whether those strengths outweigh the compromises. Here is our complete review.

Built for work, not for show

The Lenovo V15 takes the standard business-laptop route and does not deviate from it. The design is plain, black, and highly functional. Lenovo lists the chassis at 359.2 x 235.8 x 19.9mm with a starting weight of 1.65kg, which places it firmly in the large mainstream 15.6-inch category rather than the ultra-portable one. The body uses PC-ABS construction, which is entirely expected in this class. It is not metal, but it does not feel flimsy either. Lenovo also treats this as a utilitarian product, and the physical design reflects that. 

There is a certain honesty to the build. No unnecessary surface drama, no decorative cutouts, no fake luxury cues. The texture on the shell helps hide handling marks better than glossy plastics usually do, and the overall look is professional enough for office environments without trying too hard. The Lenovo V15 is the kind of laptop that disappears into the background, which is often exactly what a business machine should do.

Connectivity is where the V15 earns some real points. Lenovo gives it a useful mix of legacy and modern ports: one USB 2.0, one USB 3.2 Gen 1, one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 with data, Power Delivery, and DisplayPort 1.2 support, HDMI 1.4b, Ethernet, a 3.5mm combo jack, a round-tip power connector, and a Kensington Nano security slot. That is a very practical spread for office users because it means you can plug in a mouse, storage, external display, wired network, and charger without constantly reaching for dongles.

There is also the less glamorous but more important business-laptop stuff: firmware TPM 2.0, a camera privacy shutter, and the option to drive up to three displays, including the native panel. Lenovo also lists Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 support for this platform. In other words, the V15 is not flashy, but it is built with the basic realities of office life in mind.

A display that prioritises function over flair

The display is the weakest part of the package, and there is no way around that. The V15 configuration here uses a 15.6-inch Full HD TN panel with 250 nits of brightness and anti-glare coating. With 45% NTSC colour coverage and a 60Hz refresh rate, this is definitely not a machine for creative users. Viewing angles are also typical TN territory, with much narrower vertical headroom than an IPS panel.

That spec sheet tells you almost everything you need to know. The panel is fine for office work, web browsing, documents, and spreadsheets, but it is not a display you buy for visual pleasure. Colours are restrained, contrast is modest, and off-axis viewing is limited. If you tilt the lid too far back or share the screen with someone sitting beside you, the image starts showing its TN limitations pretty quickly.

The upside is that the anti-glare coating does help in a bright room, and the panel is at least honest about what it is. It is not pretending to be a creator display or a media-first screen. For the use case this machine targets, that matters. You would rather have a plain panel that behaves predictably than a glossy but awkward one that looks better in a product photo than on a desk. Lenovo does offer IPS options on the wider V15 G4 IRU platform, but the unit you shared is clearly the entry TN configuration.

Familiar Lenovo ergonomics with a few compromises

The keyboard is functional, with a 6-row spill-resistant keyboard with multimedia function keys, a numeric keypad, 1.3mm key travel, and no backlight. The lack of backlighting is the bigger annoyance here than the key feel itself. On a laptop meant for office use, not having a backlit keyboard makes late-evening work or dim conference rooms more awkward than they need to be. 

The numpad is useful if you spend your day in sheets, billing software, or data entry, and the 1.3mm travel is enough to keep typing from feeling flat. Still, this is a typing deck that prioritises utility over comfort.

The trackpad is modestly sized at 62 x 104mm and uses a buttonless Mylar surface with Precision TouchPad support. It is accurate enough for standard productivity work, but it does not feel like a standout feature. That is fine, because Lenovo clearly expects most users to rely on a mouse in this class anyway. On a desk, that makes sense. On the move, it is serviceable, not memorable.

Surprisingly capable everyday performance

The V15's Core i5-13420H is not a decorative spec. It is a genuine H-series processor with enough headroom to separate this machine from basic office laptops running lower-power chips. Intel rates it at 45W base power and up to 115W maximum turbo, which is a strong clue that it is meant to burst hard under load rather than run forever at a low fixed wattage.

In our testing, the V15 delivered 8,539 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,733 in single-core. Geekbench 6 returned 2,243 in single-core and 5,788 in multi-core. PCMark 10 landed at 6,078, while PCMark 10 Extended reached 4,605. Those are sensible numbers for a budget office machine with an H-series processor. The important thing is not that the V15 is a record-breaker. It is that it feels meaningfully quicker than the cheaper, lower-wattage machines that usually populate this category.

That difference shows up in day-to-day use. Browser-heavy workflows, office apps, light local multitasking, document work, spreadsheets, and video calls all feel more composed than they do on entry-level U-series machines. The processor has enough room to handle short bursts confidently, which is exactly what most productivity users need. You are not buying this laptop for sustained rendering or workstation-style workloads. You are buying it because you want a machine that does not slow down when your day becomes busy.

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The integrated Intel UHD graphics are the other half of the story, and they establish a very clear ceiling. Fire Strike Ultra scored 466, Fire Strike Extreme 872, and Night Raid 8,798 in our testing. Geekbench GPU scores came in at 8,257 in OpenCL and 9,378 in Vulkan. That is enough for standard desktop acceleration, basic media work, and everyday UI use, but not enough for anything resembling serious gaming or creative GPU work. A game like Battlefield V at 1440p Ultra is simply outside the V15's comfort zone.

That limitation is not a flaw so much as a reality check. This is a productivity laptop, and the graphics hardware behaves like it.

RAM limits, upgrade paths, and thermal behaviour explained

This is the section that really determines whether the V15 feels merely adequate or actually well thought-out.

The first thing to say is that 8GB of RAM is the biggest limitation on the machine if that is the configuration being used. In 2026, 8GB is enough for light office work, but it gets tight quickly once you start stacking browser tabs, Office apps, video calls, and background tasks. Windows itself is no longer especially forgiving about memory pressure, and the moment you push this laptop into heavier multitasking, the system starts leaning more on storage as virtual memory. That is when responsiveness can begin to soften.

The good news is that Lenovo has not created a dead-end platform. The V15 G4 IRU uses one soldered memory module plus one DDR4 SODIMM slot, and there are 16GB and even up to 24GB options available, depending on how the soldered and slot memory are arranged. The platform is also dual-channel capable when configured appropriately. That means RAM upgrades are very much part of the story here, and anyone buying the base model should treat a memory upgrade as the first post-purchase move.

Storage is less dramatic but more predictable. The platform supports one M.2 2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 slot on 45Wh battery models, and Lenovo lists M.2 SSD options up to 1TB on this platform family. The 512GB SSD in this unit is fast enough, but capacity will become the practical bottleneck long before speed does.

Also, the thermals deserve a careful reading since Lenovo is using a 45W-class H-series chip inside a 1.65kg office chassis with a plastic shell. That combination tells you the cooling system is going to prioritise reasonable office acoustics and safe sustained operation rather than all-out performance headroom. Based on Intel's 45W base power and 115W turbo spec, this chip is clearly capable of brief high-power bursts, but in a chassis like this, it is reasonable to expect the laptop to dial back once the load becomes prolonged.

In plain English, the V15 is likely to feel responsive in everyday work and warm, not cool, under extended CPU-heavy use. That is not a problem for the target audience. It does mean this is not a machine for rendering projects, long video exports, or extended compute-heavy tasks. For office work, the thermal behaviour should be perfectly acceptable. For sustained heavy workloads, it is not the right tool.

Workday Audio and Dependable Battery Life

The audio setup is as modest as the rest of the laptop's non-performance hardware. Lenovo uses stereo speakers rated at 1.5W x2 with Dolby Audio, backed by a Realtek ALC3287 codec. The two-mic array and 720p webcam with privacy shutter make the laptop serviceable for meetings, calls, and online classes, but not especially rich in media playback.

That speaker setup is enough for voices, podcasts, and casual YouTube. It is not the sort of system that gives music much body or movie soundtracks much depth. There is very little reason to expect bass from a chassis like this, and indeed that is exactly how it behaves. For office work, this is perfectly acceptable. For entertainment, headphones will be the better choice almost every time.

Battery life is respectable rather than impressive. In our PCMark 10 Video test, the laptop lasted 7 hours 45 minutes from 97% down to 3%. That is a sensible result for a 15.6-inch H-series Windows laptop with a basic display and a mainstream battery. Lenovo also supplies a 65W round-tip adapter, with USB-C charging support listed as an option on the platform. That is useful because it keeps the charging story simple. 

Final Verdict

The Lenovo V15 is exactly the kind of laptop that many people actually need, even if it is not the kind they most enjoy shopping for. It gives you a proper H-series Intel processor, fast enough storage, useful connectivity, Ethernet, a numeric keypad, and a chassis that feels built for office duty. That makes it a sensible business laptop rather than a decorative one.

Its weaknesses are just as clear. The TN display is the biggest compromise by far, the keyboard should have been backlit, and the speakers are basic. But none of those issues are surprising in a budget 15.6-inch office laptop. The real question is whether Lenovo spent the limited budget on the right things. For the most part, it did. The CPU performance is strong, the port selection is practical, and the chassis is easy to live with.

If your priority is a no-nonsense Windows machine for office work, browsing, spreadsheets, calls, and general productivity, this one does the job with very little drama. If you care about display quality, media consumption, or a more premium daily feel, you will notice the compromises quickly.

Editor's Rating: 7.8 / 10

Pros:

• Strong Core i5-13420H performance for office and multitasking
• Useful port selection with USB-C, HDMI, RJ45, and USB-A
• Fast NVMe SSD and solid everyday responsiveness
• Practical business-laptop design with privacy shutter and TPM 2.0

Cons:

• TN display has limited viewing angles and modest colour
• The keyboard is not backlit
• Basic speakers with little bass
• No card reader or fingerprint reader

Budget laptops have always come with an unspoken rulebook: cut corners here, compromise there, hope the buyer doesn't notice. The Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 doesn't quite play by those rules.

Usually priced under Rs 55,000, this 14-inch machine goes up against a crowded field of similarly spec'd contenders. On paper, it looks like just another U-series Intel laptop with a plastic chassis and a modest display. But spend a week with it, and a slightly different story starts to emerge, one that involves surprisingly fast storage, a battery that genuinely goes the distance, and a keyboard that punches well above its price tag.

Is it perfect? No. Are there compromises? Absolutely. But the more interesting question is: do those compromises matter for the person this laptop is actually built for? Let's find out.

Design and Build: Not Pretty, Not Ugly, Just Right

First things first, the steel grey colour? Chef's kiss. Put it under any sort of lighting condition, and it genuinely shines. Look closely enough, and you'll notice a very subtle, grainy texture running across the entire chassis. It adds a quiet elegance to what is otherwise a straightforward design. Weighing just under 1.5 kg and measuring just 19.4mm thin, this is a genuinely portable machine. The kind you can throw into a backpack without giving it a second thought.

That said, not everything about the build is flawless. The lid can't be opened with one hand, which hints at slightly uneven weight distribution. On the flip side, the 180-degree hinge is a legitimately useful feature. It only recently occurred to me just how handy it is when you don't have a height-adjustable desk. As someone who likes working standing up, I could simply lay the screen flat and carry on, though fair warning, don't make a habit of that for long hours unless you want your neck to file a formal complaint.

There's minor keyboard flex and slight screen wobble too, but nothing that would genuinely bother you. The all-plastic build might feel a little underwhelming at times, but don't get me wrong, this laptop is surprisingly robust. Meanwhile, the minimalist design keeps things clean and professional.

Display and Audio: Fine for Excel, Not for Movie Night

I'll keep this simple: it's a perfectly adequate display for this kind of laptop. The Aspire 3 packs a 14-inch 1080p non-reflective panel. It means whether you're working under harsh office lighting or out in direct sunlight, you won't constantly be repositioning the screen just to see what's on it. That said, yes, you may occasionally notice some glare when watching dark content. But for the Excel and Mail crowd? This display is just fine.

Viewing angles are decent, colours are okayish thanks to a 45% NTSC colour gamut, and the 60Hz refresh rate gets the job done. On the brightness front, the display is perfectly comfortable indoors. However, it gets a little tricky under very harsh lighting. But the non-reflective panel handles most of the reflections well enough.

As for the audio, the Aspire 3 features two upward-firing stereo speakers. The output is nothing to brag about, but it's not bad enough to be written off either. Let's put it this way: the speakers sound better than most laptops in this price range, but they're nowhere near the MacBook Airs of the world. For meetings or college classes, they'll hold up fine. But I'd still recommend keeping a pair of earphones handy. Don't expect this laptop to fill a room even during a casual Netflix and chill session.

The built-in 2MP webcam works for the most part, delivering a usable output. The same goes for the microphones. We have seen better in Acer's own budget lineup, specifically the Acer Aspire 14 AI, but for the price, it's passable.

At the end of the day, the display and audio on the Aspire 3 will comfortably handle basic office chores and college tasks. Just don't expect it to double as your entertainment setup.

Keyboard and Trackpad: You'll adapt quickly

This is where I have to hand it to Acer. For the price, you're getting a genuinely solid keyboard. It leans more towards the clicky side rather than the mushy side, which most people tend to prefer for extended typing sessions. Key travel is good, and whether you're coming from a full-sized keyboard or a tenkeyless, you'll adapt quickly. The backlight is a nice cherry on top.

The trackpad, however, is a little cramped. I found myself occasionally clicking just outside the trackpad area, which does take some getting used to. Meanwhile, Acer has added a slight texture to it, not sure what that's about, but it's there.

Ports and Connectivity: Every Port You Actually Need

For its size and price, the port selection here is genuinely impressive. You won't need to carry any dongle, and I mean that. On the left side, you get two USB-C ports, one of which doubles as the charging port, which means one cable can handle both your laptop and other Type-C devices. You also get a USB 3.0 Type-A port and an HDMI port.

On the right, there's a headphone jack, a USB 2.0 Type-A port, a microSD card slot, and a Kensington lock slot for added security.

On the wireless side of things, unlike most competitors in this price segment, you're getting Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. A notable upgrade that makes a real-world difference in connectivity speed and reliability.

Performance and Battery Life: Gets you through 

Here's where the trade-offs start to show. This is clearly where the price cut has been made, and it does show, but not as dramatically as you'd expect.

The Aspire 3 runs on the Intel Core i5-1334U. Now, I'm not saying it's a bad processor, far from it. But the U-series designation tells you everything: this chip is built for efficiency, not raw muscle. Meaning, in real-world terms, juggling 15+ Chrome tabs alongside light photo editing won't be a problem at all. For everyday office and college use, this laptop holds up very well. Just don't expect it to run Black Myth: Wukong or Cyberpunk 2077 at even medium settings; this one is built for light gaming.

GTA V and Valorant are still manageable at decent frame rates with a few settings tweaks. That said, and credit where it's due, Acer has paired it with 16GB of RAM (expandable to 32GB) and a 512GB Gen 4 SSD, which honestly blew my mind when I benchmarked it using CrystalDiskMark. 7,000+ MB/s read speeds and 5,000+ MB/s write speeds at this price point? That's genuinely impressive.

For more context, I compared this laptop against a few similarly priced alternatives with comparable specs. Acer Aspire 15 AS15-42 (review), Lenovo ThinkBook 16 21MWA0AJIN (review), Infinix Air Pro Plus XL434 (review), Acer Aspire 14 AI A14-11M NX.JP3SI.001 (review). Much like the Aspire 3, most budget alternatives in this segment rely on U-series chips either from Intel or AMD, trading peak performance for longer battery life. We ran our full benchmarking suite on performance settings: Geekbench 6, Geekbench AI, PCMark 10, Cinebench, 3DMark, and CrossMark, to see how they stack up.

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On the battery front, the Aspire 3 surprises. Its 45Wh battery may look standard on paper, but the power-efficient i5-1334U stretches it further than you'd expect. In the PCMark 10 Video Loop benchmark, it lasted 7 hours and 25 minutes. This is roughly twice what most budget alternatives manage. For a typical day of web browsing, emails, and streaming, you'll get through comfortably on a single charge. Charging is handled by the included 65W USB-C power delivery adapter, which also conveniently tops up your other Type-C devices. For hybrid professionals or students on the go, this is a genuinely low-maintenance setup.

Verdict

The Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 is a hard laptop to dismiss. It's not the fastest thing at this price, and it won't win any design awards. But it's genuinely well-suited for the audience it's built for: students, hybrid professionals, and everyday users who need a reliable, portable machine that doesn't demand constant attention.

The Aspire 3 goes up against some solid competition, and depending on what you value, any one of its rivals could make a stronger case. It gives some ground on build quality, display, and raw performance. What keeps it in the conversation is mostly the price it comes at.

One more thing worth flagging before you make a decision: laptop prices in India have risen sharply over the last few weeks, and the Aspire 3 hasn't been spared. It's currently listed at over Rs 57,000 on platforms like Flipkart, which makes it a tough sell at that price. I've personally seen it drop as low as Rs 43,000 during sale events. Though with the way the market is behaving right now, expecting that kind of deal again would be a "holy smokes" kind of situation. But this laptop does find itself around the Rs 50,000 mark fairly regularly. At that price point, the Acer Aspire 3 genuinely becomes a no-brainer, one of the best laptops under Rs 50000.

That said, if you're looking for a no-drama, all-day work companion under Rs 55,000, the Aspire 3 makes a very strong case for itself. Just keep your expectations calibrated; this is a productivity-first machine, not a powerhouse.

Editor's Rating: 7.5/10

Pros:

• Light and slim enough to forget it's in your bag
• No dongle needed, ever
• Clicky, satisfying keyboard
• Chews through everyday multitasking easily

Cons:

• Display colours are just okayish
• Subpar Audio and webcam

If you have been putting off a new PC build because you assumed Rs 2 lakh would only get you a half-decent setup, it is time to revisit that assumption. Right now, with the right combination of components, this budget gets you a Ryzen 7 or Intel Core Ultra 5 processor paired with an RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a full terabyte of fast NVMe storage. That is a properly capable gaming and productivity machine, not a compromise build.

We have put together two configurations here, one built around AMD and one around Intel, both centred on the same GPU.

Understanding the Rs 2 Lakh PC Sweet Spot

One thing that might get overlooked at this price point is frame consistency, not just peak FPS. It's easy to focus on headline numbers like "120 FPS" or "144 FPS," but what actually affects your experience is how stable those frame rates remain during heavy scenes.

Modern engines like Unreal Engine 5 can introduce sudden dips due to CPU spikes, asset streaming, or shader compilation. This is where a stronger CPU and faster DDR5 memory combination can make a big difference. You're not just buying performance for today's games, but also for how upcoming titles behave.

Also, you need to think about the minimum FPS. A system that averages 100 FPS but drops to 55 FPS during intense sequences will feel noticeably worse than one that stays consistently above 75 FPS. Both the AMD and Intel builds that we have are designed to avoid those dips by maintaining strong CPU overhead alongside GPU performance.

At this budget, a well-built PC should comfortably deliver high-refresh 1440p gaming along with solid productivity performance. In modern AAA titles, you can expect frame rates in the 80–120 FPS range at 1440p using high or ultra settings. Competitive games like Valorant, CS2, and Apex Legends will easily push past 200 FPS, often going well beyond 300 FPS depending on settings.

On the productivity side, this tier handles 4K video editing timelines smoothly, accelerates rendering in Blender, and supports efficient streaming through modern GPU encoders. 

The key takeaway is simple: you're no longer building for "playable performance." You're building for consistency, stability, and long-term usability.

The GPU Both Builds Are Built Around: RTX 5070 12GB

Both our recommended configurations in this guide use the RTX 5070 with 12GB of GDDR7 memory. This is the card that makes the most sense at this budget tier in India right now. It runs on Nvidia's Blackwell architecture, supports DLSS 4, and comes with a 192-bit memory bus feeding that 12GB frame buffer at high bandwidth.

On pricing, you can find genuine RTX 5070 cards starting from around Rs 58,000 and climbing into the Rs 80,000 range depending on the cooling solution, factory overclock, and brand. For a build like this, anything in the Rs 65,000 to Rs 72,000 zone gets you a solid, well-cooled variant without paying a premium for RGB lighting or a triple-fan shroud you do not need. We are budgeting Rs 70,000 for this build, which sits comfortably in that range and leaves room to pick from several brands without scraping the bottom of the barrel.

For 1440p gaming, which is where this card is most at home, you are looking at strong, consistent frame rates across the board. DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation gives the RTX 5070 a significant edge in newer titles that support it, and the card handles ray tracing more effectively than its previous generation's equivalent tier. If you game at 1080p, you will have frames to spare. If you are eyeing a 1440p 165Hz monitor, this is exactly the card that pairs well with it.

Average FPS Across Popular Titles (1440p High/Ultra)

Build 1: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X

This is the build for anyone who wants a clean, no-nonsense gaming rig without spending extra on a platform they do not need. The Ryzen 7 9700X is AMD's current-generation 8-core processor, and on the AM5 socket, you are buying into a platform that still has a few years of upgrade life left in it.

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Total build cost: ~ Rs 1,95,000

Why This Build Works

The Ryzen 7 9700X is built on AMD's Zen 5 architecture, with 8 cores and 16 threads, a base clock of 3.8 GHz, and a boost clock that climbs to 5.5 GHz. It runs on the AM5 socket, which means DDR5 memory support is native, and you are not stuck choosing between RAM generations the way you sometimes are on older platforms. Current pricing for this chip sits in the Rs 28,000 to Rs 32,000 range, depending on the retailer and ongoing offers, so budgeting Rs 30,000 is realistic.

For the motherboard, a B650 chipset board is the right call here. You do not need B650E or X670E for this build since the RTX 5070 does not saturate PCIe 5.0 bandwidth, and you would just be paying extra for a feature you are not using. A solid B650 board with Wi-Fi, dual M.2 slots, and DDR5 support comfortably fits in the Rs 15,000 to Rs 22,000 range across brands like ASUS, Gigabyte, and ASRock.

For memory, a 32GB kit running at 5600MHz across two sticks is the sensible default. This leaves you running dual-channel, which matters more for performance than chasing higher MHz numbers on a single stick. AMD's EXPO profiles work cleanly with most 5600MHz DDR5 kits on B650 boards, so you get the full rated speed without manually tuning timings.

The Ryzen 7 9700X runs noticeably cooler than the previous generation's flagship 8-core chip, but a proper dual-tower air cooler is still the right move here rather than relying on a basic stock cooler, particularly if you want quiet, sustained performance under extended gaming sessions.

Build 2: Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF

If you would rather go the Intel route, the Core Ultra 5 245KF is the chip to build around at this budget. It belongs to Intel's newer Core Ultra Series 2 desktop lineup, drops the integrated graphics since you are running a discrete GPU anyway, and lands on the newer LGA1851 socket.

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Total build cost: ~ Rs 1,85,000

Why this combination works

The Core Ultra 5 245KF carries a hybrid core layout with 6 Performance-cores and 8 Efficiency-cores, totalling 14 cores and 14 threads, with boost clocks reaching up to 5.2 GHz. Intel's Thread Director handles the job of routing tasks to the right core type in real time, which in practice means demanding games and applications get prioritised on the Performance-cores while background processes sit on the Efficient-cores without you having to think about it. The chip currently sells for roughly Rs 20,000 to Rs 21,000, which is genuinely good value for what you get on the processing side.

The K and F in the name both matter here. The K means the multiplier is unlocked, so overclocking is on the table if that interests you. The F means there is no integrated graphics on the chip, which keeps the price down and is irrelevant since the RTX 5070 is doing all the graphics work regardless.

This is also where the build diverges meaningfully from the Ryzen option on platform cost. Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors use the new LGA1851 socket, which means you need a board built on the 800-series chipset family. A B860 board is the practical choice here, since it gives you everything this build needs without paying extra for Z890's overclocking headroom. These boards run from around Rs 13,000 to Rs 18,000 depending on brand and form factor, and at the lower end of that range, you are still getting DDR5 support, dual M.2 slots, and Wi-Fi.

What is worth noting is that this build ends up roughly Rs 10,000 cheaper than the AMD configuration, primarily because the processor itself costs less while still offering more total cores. If your workloads lean toward anything multi-threaded outside of gaming, like video exports or compiling code, the extra E-cores on the 245KF genuinely help.

So Which One Should You Pick

Both of these builds are running the identical GPU, so your actual gaming frame rates are not going to swing dramatically between the two. What you are really deciding between is platform cost, core count, and where you want your money to go.

The Ryzen 7 9700X build costs more upfront, largely because the AM5 platform and the 9700X itself sit at a higher price point than their Intel counterparts right now. What you get in return is a socket that AMD has confirmed will carry forward into future Ryzen generations, so a CPU-only upgrade down the line without a full motherboard swap is realistic.

The Core Ultra 5 245KF build saves you close to Rs 10,000 while handing you six additional threads. If your day-to-day use involves anything beyond gaming, that extra thread count adds up in real, measurable ways. The trade-off is that LGA1851 is a newer socket, and how far Intel extends support on it before the next architectural shift is still an open question.

Neither answer is wrong. If you are purely optimising for gaming and want the platform with a longer confirmed upgrade runway, go AMD. If you want more cores for less money and do not mind a newer, less proven socket, go Intel.

Prebuilt vs DIY: What Should You Do?

Sourcing every component individually, checking compatibility, and assembling the system yourself is not for everyone, and there is no shame in that. If you would rather skip the process entirely, system integrators like EliteHubs sell fully assembled, tested desktops with comparable specifications, often built around this exact Ryzen 7 9700X or Core Ultra 5 series and RTX 5070 combination. 

You will pay a bit more than sourcing components yourself, but you get a working system out of the box, a single point of contact for warranty issues, and none of the risk that comes with a first-time build, like a bent CPU pin or a missed power cable.

If you do go the pre-built route, it is still worth checking the exact component list before paying. Some pre-built listings substitute a lower-tier PSU or a generic case to hit a price point, and those are corners worth knowing about before you commit.

Final Thoughts

A genuinely capable PC build under Rs 2 lakh is absolutely achievable in India right now, provided you are buying from retailers that price components honestly and you are not getting talked into brand premiums that do not translate to real performance gains. Both builds here get you an RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a full terabyte of fast Gen4 NVMe storage, the kind of specification sheet that would have cost considerably more not too long ago.

Pick AMD if platform longevity and a slightly more established socket matter to you. Pick Intel if you want more cores for less money and do not mind being an early adopter on the newer chipset. Either way, you are walking away with a build that handles 1440p gaming comfortably and has enough headroom to stay relevant for the next several years.