In this guide, we list our laptops that are for creative professionals. Creative work punishes laptops in ways gaming never does. A timeline scrub needs fast storage, a colour grade needs an accurate panel, and a two-hour export needs a machine that holds its clocks instead of throttling at minute fifteen. The fastest laptop on paper is often not the best one to edit on. What follows is seven machines run through the same creator workloads, each matched to the job it does best, with every number from our own lab, including PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve.

Here are our winners: The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) is our best overall creator laptop. The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 leads on 4K editing, the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is the value pick, and the Dell Pro Max 16 Plus is built for 3D. The Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro is the Mac to buy, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 has the display, and the MSI Titan 18 HX AI is the big-screen choice.

A note on pricing: all prices are as of the time we reviewed each machine and are subject to change.

How do we test creator laptops?

Every machine here has been used as a working editing station, not just benchmarked, and the suite is identical across all of them: PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve as the headline creator test, Cinebench 2026, R24 and R23 for render throughput, PCMark 10 and CrossMark for responsiveness, Geekbench 6 and 3DMark for GPU-accelerated effects, and CrystalDiskMark for ingest speeds. Battery comes from the PCMark 10 video loop test at 80 percent brightness. We also weigh what benchmarks miss: whether clocks hold through a long export, and whether the panel is accurate enough to grade on without an external monitor.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) — Best Overall Laptop for Creators

Price at time of review: Rs 4,49,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) (review) is our best overall creator laptop because it is the only machine here that pairs a colour-accurate 240Hz OLED panel with genuine all-day battery and a sub-2kg chassis, which makes it the one you can actually take to a shoot and still edit on when you get back.

The display settles most of the argument here with the 16-inch 2.5K OLED ROG Nebula HDR panel that runs at 240Hz with G-Sync and arrives factory calibrated, so grading a timeline does not require docking to an external monitor. Underneath, the Core Ultra 9 386H scored 21,219 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,830 in Cinebench 2026 multi-core, and it posted 10,111 in PCMark 10 and 2,267 in CrossMark, both the highest of any machine on this page. Timeline editing, colour grading and asset-heavy projects were handled effortlessly in our testing, with a PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 7,691.

What separates it is everything the desktop replacements give up. It weighs 1.95kg, keeps a full-size SD card reader, and ran 9 hours 38 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, roughly triple what the Legion and Titan manage. If your work is pure render throughput and the machine never leaves a desk, the Alienware and Legion below finish exports faster. For everyone whose workflow involves leaving the house, this is the better tool. It scored 8.5/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 386H (25W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 12GB, 125W TGP
• Display: 16-inch 2.5K OLED ROG Nebula HDR, 240Hz, G-Sync
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5x / 2TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 90Wh, 9 hours 38 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Weight: 1.95kg 
• Rating: 8.5/10

Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 — Best for 4K Editing

Price at time of review: Rs 4,95,389

Why we picked it

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 (review) is our best laptop for 4K editing because it posted the highest PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score we have recorded, and backs it with the thermal headroom to sustain that speed through a full export rather than a benchmark run.

The numbers are decisive. As mentioned, the PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 11,365 leads every machine on this page, supported by 38,048 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21,525 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, both the highest here. For multi-stream 4K timelines with effects stacked on top, that combination of CPU and RTX 5090 acceleration is what keeps playback smooth instead of stuttering into proxy mode. Storage matches: 13,506MB/s sequential reads and 12,539MB/s writes mean 4K footage ingests almost as fast as you can plug the card in.

The reason it wins over the Titan is thermals. During extended sessions, the vapour chamber cooling held CPU temperatures in the mid-70s and the GPU at 60 to 65 degrees, so a four-hour export finishes at the speed it started. The cost of the device is, of course, through the roof on this one. Apart from that, the 18-inch panel is 300Hz IPS rather than OLED, so colour-critical grading still wants a reference monitor, and at 4 hours 19 minutes of battery, this never leaves the desk. It earned 9.5/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (55W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, 24GB, 175W TGP
• Display: 18-inch IPS, 300Hz
• RAM/Storage: 64GB DDR5 / 2TB Gen 5 SSD
• Battery: 96Wh, 4 hours 19 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Rating: 9.5/10

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra — Best Value Creator Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 3,10,990 (RTX 5070 variant)

Why we picked it

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra (review) is our best value creator laptop because it delivers a 16-inch AMOLED panel, RTX 5070 acceleration and nearly 13 hours of battery in a machine that costs well under the workstations above and runs almost silently while doing it.

Value here is about what you avoid paying for. The Core Ultra 7 356H with 32GB of LPDDR5x and a 2TB Gen 4 SSD scored 7,130 in PugetBench DaVinci Resolve and 9,579 in PCMark 10, covering most YouTube, social, and client work comfortably. It is not a render farm, but the gap in practice is far smaller than the gap in price.

The AMOLED display is the creator's argument, with its deep blacks and saturated colour making it a pleasant panel to edit and review on, and the six-speaker array is unusually good for audio work. Thanks to the vapour chamber design, there is essentially no throttling, and the fans never get obnoxiously loud, which is particularly important when recording voiceovers near the machine. The 80.2Whr battery ran 12 hours 57 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, easily the best here. The keyboard's very shallow travel divides opinion. Our review rated it 9/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (25W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 8GB, 90W TGP
• Display: 16-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 120Hz
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5x / 2TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 80.2Whr, 12 hours 57 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Rating: 9/10

Dell Pro Max 16 Plus — Best for 3D and Rendering

Price at time of review: Rs 9,00,000

Why we picked it

The Dell Pro Max 16 Plus (review) is our best laptop for 3D and rendering because it is the only machine here with a professional-grade RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell GPU and 128GB of memory, which is what heavy scenes and simulation caches actually need.

3D is a memory problem before it is a speed problem: a scene that exceeds available RAM does not render slowly; it fails. The 128GB of CAMM2 memory, upgradeable rather than soldered, is the most important spec on this page for that workload, and the RTX Pro 5000 with 24GB of VRAM handles viewport and GPU rendering that would choke consumer cards. In our testing, it scored 36,274 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 21,954 in 3DMark Time Spy, and 37,222 in Fire Strike, with a PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 9,179 and 16,037MB/s storage reads for scene loads.

The engineering supports long-term studio use. The GPU sits on a modular DGFF module rather than soldered down, the ports swap individually, and the MIL-STD-810H chassis carries a 4K Tandem OLED with near-complete DCI-P3 coverage, so you can grade and preview on it. The battery ran for 7 hours 7 minutes. At Rs 9 lakh, this is a studio purchase, not a personal one, and it runs hot under sustained load. It scored 9.5/10.

Pros	Cons
Exceptional CPU and GPU performance	Runs extremely hot under load
Modular RAM, GPU, and ports
Stunning 4K Tandem OLED display

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (55W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell, 24GB, 175W TGP
• Display: 16-inch 4K Tandem OLED, 120Hz
• RAM/Storage: 128GB CAMM2 / 2TB Gen 5 SSD
• Battery: 96Wh, 7 hours 7 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Rating: 9.5/10

Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro — Best MacBook for Creators

Price: From Rs 2,32,900

Why we picked it

The MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is our best MacBook for creators because it is the point in Apple's range where memory, sustained throughput, and external storage bandwidth all stop being compromises at once.

Three specifics carry it. The M5 Pro starts at 24GB of unified memory rather than 16GB, and the consensus among editors is that this is the threshold where multi-stream timelines, colour nodes, and background renders stop competing for headroom. It gets Thunderbolt 5, which the base M5 does not, and since most editors work off external drives, that changes the daily workflow rather than just file copy times. And thermal headroom means reviewers who have run extended exports on these chips consistently report that minute-one performance is what you still see at minute forty.

The Liquid Retina XDR panel with 120Hz ProMotion remains the reference laptop display for grading, paired with up to a 100Wh battery and Wi-Fi 7, in a 14-inch at 1.60kg or 16-inch at 2.14kg. If your editing is occasional, the base M5 handles it and saves around Rs 60,000. If you live in Final Cut, Logic, or Resolve on macOS, this is the buy.

Pros	Cons
24GB base memory suits multi-stream editing	Significant step up in price from the base M5
Thunderbolt 5 transforms external storage workflows	Overkill for casual editing
Sustains performance through long exports	Locked to the macOS app ecosystem

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 Pro
• Display: 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, up to 120Hz ProMotion
• Memory/Storage: 24GB unified / 1TB SSD, configurable higher
• Battery: Up to 100Wh, up to 96W charging
• Weight: 1.60kg (14-inch), 2.14kg (16-inch), Thunderbolt 5

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 — Best OLED Display

Price at time of review: Rs 2,80,073

Why we picked it

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (review) wins on display because its 16-inch 240Hz OLED delivers true blacks and full DCI-P3 coverage at a price no other OLED creator machine here approaches, and it backs that panel with the second-fastest render scores on this page.

The panel is the pick, but the performance is why it belongs in a creator roundup rather than just a gaming one. It scored 10,907 in PugetBench DaVinci Resolve, second only to the Alienware and ahead of machines costing two to three times more, alongside 34,179 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 9,224 in PCMark 10 and 20,431 in Geekbench 6 multi-core. The RTX 5070 Ti runs at a full 140W rather than a throttled figure, which is why it beats laptops carrying nominally bigger GPUs. Coldfront Hyper cooling keeps the CPU under 92 degrees at full tilt.

The 2560 x 1600 OLED at 240Hz gives the contrast and colour volume grading benefits, plus motion clarity that makes reviewing footage pleasant. Two honest limits: the fans get loud under load, and battery is the shortest here at 3 hours 25 minutes, so this is a mains-powered machine. It scored 8.7/10.

Pros	Cons
Gorgeous 240Hz OLED gaming display	Expensive for RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 5070 Ti runs full power	Fans get loud under load
Excellent sustained performance and thermals

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (55W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, 12GB, 140W TGP
• Display: 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED, 240Hz
• RAM/Storage: 32GB DDR5 / 1TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 80Wh, 3 hours 25 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Rating: 8.7/10

MSI Titan 18 HX AI — Best 17 and 18-inch Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 6,20,990

Why we picked it

The MSI Titan 18 HX AI (review) is our best big-screen creator laptop because it pairs an 18-inch 4K Mini-LED panel with 6TB of Gen 5 storage and dual Thunderbolt 5, which together make it the closest thing to a portable edit suite.

Screen real estate is the point at this size, and the panel earns it. The 18-inch UHD+ Mini-LED runs 120Hz with DisplayHDR 1000, pushes past 1,000 nits in HDR and covers a genuine 100 percent DCI-P3, close enough to a reference monitor that grading HDR video on it feels legitimate. The 16:10 ratio gives real vertical room for timelines and node graphs.

Storage is the other headline. Three 2TB Gen 5 SSDs in RAID 0 average 16,475MB/s reads, the fastest laptop storage we have tested, so a full project library lives on the machine rather than on drives. Performance keeps pace with 10,869 in PugetBench DaVinci Resolve, 35,617 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 21,840 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, and Cooler Boost Titan keeps thermal throttling out of the picture. At 3.7kg and 3 hours 39 minutes of battery, this moves between rooms rather than between cities. It scored 9.5/10.

Pros	Cons
Extreme performance with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX & RTX 5090	Very expensive
Stunning 18″ 4K Mini-LED HDR1000 display	Big and heavy
Blazing-fast 6TB PCIe Gen 5 RAID 0 storage	Fans get loud under load

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (55W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, 24GB, 175W TGP
• Display: 18-inch UHD+ Mini-LED, 120Hz, DisplayHDR 1000, 100% DCI-P3
• RAM/Storage: 64GB DDR5-6400 / 6TB Gen 5 RAID 0
• Battery: 99.9Whr, 3 hours 39 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Weight: 3.7kg | Rating: 9.5/10

Winners at a glance

Prices are as of the time each laptop was reviewed and are subject to change.

Laptop	Category win	GPU	Display	DaVinci Resolve	Battery	Price
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)	Best overall	RTX 5070 Ti, 125W	16-inch OLED, 240Hz	7,691	9:38	Rs 4,49,990
Dell Alienware 18 Area-51	Best for 4K editing	RTX 5090	18-inch IPS, 300Hz	11,365	4:19	Rs 4,95,389
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra	Best value	RTX 5070, 90W	16-inch AMOLED, 120Hz	7,130	12:57	Rs 3,10,990
Dell Pro Max 16 Plus	Best for 3D	RTX Pro 5000	16-inch 4K Tandem OLED	9,179	7:07	Rs 9,00,000
Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro	Best MacBook	Integrated	14.2 or 16.2-inch XDR	Not tested	Up to 100Wh	From Rs 2,32,900
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10	Best OLED display	RTX 5070 Ti, 140W	16-inch OLED, 240Hz	10,907	3:25	Rs 2,80,073
MSI Titan 18 HX AI	Best 17/18-inch	RTX 5090	18-inch 4K Mini-LED	10,869	3:39	Rs 6,20,990

FAQs

Which is the best laptop for video editing in India?

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) combines a factory-calibrated 240Hz OLED with the highest PCMark 10 and CrossMark scores on test and 9 hours 38 minutes of battery at 1.95kg. If you only care about export speed and never leave a desk, the Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 renders faster.

Which laptop is fastest for 4K video editing?

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51, with a PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 11,365, the highest we have recorded, plus 38,048 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 13,506MB/s storage reads for fast 4K ingest.

Which is the best value laptop for content creation?

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra at Rs 3,10,990. It scored 7,130 in DaVinci Resolve, runs almost silently, and delivers 12 hours 57 minutes of battery, comfortably the best endurance of any creator machine here.

Do I need an OLED display for colour grading?

It helps considerably. OLED panels like those on the Legion Pro 5i Gen 10, Zephyrus G16, and Galaxy Book6 Ultra deliver true blacks and full DCI-P3 coverage, so you can grade without docking to an external monitor. The Alienware's IPS panel is excellent for editing, but colour-critical work still benefits from a reference display.

In this guide, we list the wide variety of thin and light laptops, a category that has quietly become the most interesting part of the laptop market. A machine that weighs 1.1kg can now carry 64GB of RAM. A 16-inch laptop can run for over a day on a charge. A 13-inch tablet can play Cyberpunk. The old trade-off, where portability cost you performance, has largely stopped being true, which makes picking one harder rather than easier. What follows is eight ultrabooks we have put through the same tests, each matched to the thing it genuinely does better than the rest, whether that is battery, travel weight, entertainment, or outright speed.

Every number in this guide comes from our own lab. Same benchmark suite, same battery test, same conditions, which is what makes these machines directly comparable to each other rather than to marketing claims.

Here are our winners. The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra takes the best overall. The HP OmniBook X 14 is the one for travel, the Dell XPS 14 (2026) wins on entertainment, and the ASUS Vivobook S16 S3607QA is untouchable on battery. The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is our premium pick, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 is the value choice, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Gen leads on Windows-on-ARM, and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is the gaming outlier. 

A note on pricing: all prices listed here are what each laptop cost at the time we reviewed it. Laptop prices in India have moved sharply over the past few months, so verify current pricing before you buy. Sale events can swing these numbers by Rs 10,000 or more in either direction.

How do we test thin and light laptops?

Every laptop here has spent weeks as a daily driver before it earned a place on this list. That means the real workload an ultrabook actually faces: twenty-plus browser tabs, video calls, document and spreadsheet work, photo edits, streaming, and in a few cases sustained creative exports.

The synthetic suite is identical across every machine, which is the point. We run Cinebench 2026, R24 and R23 for CPU performance, Geekbench 6 for cross-platform comparison, PCMark 10 and PCMark 10 Extended for real-world productivity, CrossMark for responsiveness, the full 3DMark stack from Night Raid up to Time Spy Extreme for graphics, PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve where creative work matters, and CrystalDiskMark for storage throughput. Battery life comes from the PCMark 10 video loop test at 80 percent brightness. Because every machine runs the same test, a 26-hour result and an 8-hour result on this page mean exactly what they look like.

Thin chassis make thermals and sustained performance the deciding factor more often than peak numbers, so we also track how each machine behaves after the first ten minutes: whether clocks hold, how hot the keyboard deck gets, and how loud the fans become getting there. Display quality, keyboard feel, port selection, and charging convenience round out the scoring.

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra — Best Thin and Light Laptop Overall

Price at time of review: Rs 3,10,990 (RTX 5070 variant)

Why we picked it

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra (review) is our best thin and light laptop overall because it delivers genuine workstation performance and RTX 5070 graphics inside a boardroom-ready chassis, and does it more quietly than any machine of comparable power we have tested.

The performance is the headline. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H paired with 32GB of LPDDR5x and a 2TB Gen 4 SSD posted 19,170 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 9,579 in PCMark 10, and 16,549 in Geekbench 6 multi-core in our testing, numbers that put it comfortably ahead of every conventional ultrabook here. The RTX 5070 runs at 90W rather than the 115W of chunkier rivals, yet the gap is far smaller than that suggests: Cyberpunk 2077 managed 79fps at FHD native and 177fps with DLSS, ray tracing and frame generation, while Time Spy came in at 11,194 and Fire Strike at 24,015. A PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 7,130 is the highest of any non-gaming machine on this list.

What makes it the overall winner rather than just the fastest is restraint. Thanks to the vapour chamber design there is essentially no throttling, and the fans never get obnoxiously loud even in Turbo mode. This is the quietest we have ever gamed on a laptop carrying this much silicon. Around it sit a 16-inch 120Hz AMOLED touchscreen, a six-speaker array using four force-cancelling woofers and two tweeters, a trackpad that rivals the best in the business, and an 80.2Whr battery that ran 12 hours 57 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test.

Two things to weigh. The keyboard uses very shallow key travel, which looks superb and divides opinion in use. And the GPU is deliberately not fully unleashed. If hardcore gaming is not the point, the Core Ultra X7 358H variant at Rs 2,42,990 carries the same premium DNA for considerably less. Our review rated it 9/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (25W TDP)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop, 8GB, 90W TGP
• Display: 16-inch AMOLED touchscreen, 120Hz
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5x / 2TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 80.2Whr, 12 hours 57 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 140W USB-C charging
• Audio: Six speakers (4 woofers + 2 tweeters)
• Rating: 9/10

HP OmniBook X 14 — Best Thin and Light Laptop for Travel

Price at time of review: Rs 1,69,999

Why we picked it

The HP OmniBook X 14 (review) is our best thin and light laptop for travel because it packs a genuinely flagship 3K OLED panel and a 16-core Panther Lake processor into a 1.3kg body that measures just 1.26cm thick, which is roughly the thickness of a stack of pencils.

Travel machines live or die on what you give up to carry them, and here the answer is remarkably little. The Intel Core Ultra 7 356H runs up to 4.7GHz across 16 cores, and in our testing it returned 16,328 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 814 in Cinebench R24 multi-core, ahead of the slimmer OmniBook Ultra 14 running the same chip, which suggests this chassis sustains boost clocks better over longer workloads. Paired with 16GB of LPDDR5x-6800 memory and a 1TB Gen 4 SSD, it handles the full travelling-professional workload without complaint.

The display is what elevates it. The 14-inch 3K panel runs 2880 x 1800 with a 120Hz variable refresh rate, 500 nits in SDR and 1,100 nits in HDR, and full 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, which means it stays usable on a plane tray table, in a bright hotel lobby or on a café terrace. 

The build supports the travel case too. The hinge has almost no wobble and opens with one finger, the Atmospheric Blue finish is understated enough for client meetings, and two rubber feet keep it elevated for airflow on a desk. The clearest weakness is audio: the speakers are a noticeable step behind the Dell XPS 14 below, so pack headphones. We gave it a 8.8 in our review.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 356H 
• Display: 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800) OLED multitouch, 120Hz VRR, 500 nits SDR / 1,100 nits HDR, 100% DCI-P3
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5x-6800 / 1TB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
• Build: 1.3kg, 1.26cm thin, Atmospheric Blue
• Extras: Corning Gorilla Glass 3, HP Eye Ease
• Rating: 8.8/10

Dell XPS 14 (2026) — Best Thin and Light Laptop for Entertainment

Price at time of review: Rs 2,57,890

Why we picked it

The Dell XPS 14 (2026) (review) is our best thin and light laptop for entertainment because it pairs a brilliant 120Hz OLED touchscreen with the best speaker system in this group, backed by battery life that outlasts a long-haul flight.

Dell killed the XPS line in 2025 and brought it back a year later, and the time off did it good. The 14-inch OLED panel handles films and shows with the deep blacks and colour saturation you only get from OLED, and unlike most machines in this class the audio actually matches the screen. 

The performance underneath is properly quick for a thin-and-light. The Intel Core Ultra X7 358H with Arc B390 graphics scored 12,500 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 10,365 in PCMark 10, and 16,438 in Geekbench 6 multi-core in our testing, with a CrossMark overall of 2,204 that leads every conventional ultrabook here. Time Spy came in at 5,821 and Night Raid at 36,031, enough for casual gaming and GPU-accelerated media work alongside the streaming.

Battery is the other half of the entertainment case. The 70Wh cell ran 11 hours 8 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, and in real-world mixed use, we saw roughly 14 hours of active screen-on time. At 1.36kg with a robust aluminium build and a comfortable keyboard, it is the machine we kept reaching for. The catches are predictable for a glossy OLED: reflections become obvious with a light source behind you, and there is no physical webcam shutter. The laptop was rated 9.2 in our review.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (25W TDP)
• GPU: Intel Arc B390
• Display: 14-inch OLED touchscreen, 120Hz
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5x / 1TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 70Wh, 11 hours 8 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Weight: 1.36kg
• Rating: 9.2/10

ASUS Vivobook S16 S3607QA — Best Battery Life

Price at time of review: Rs 72,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS Vivobook S16 S3607QA (review) is our best thin and light laptop for battery life because it ran 26 hours 18 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, which is the highest figure we have ever recorded at 91mobiles, and it is not remotely close.

That number deserves a moment. The second-longest-lasting machine on this page manages 19 hours, and the Vivobook S16 beats it comfortably. ASUS claims up to 32 hours from the Snapdragon X paired with a 70Wh battery, and unusually for a marketing claim, real use gets close: hopping between browser tabs, drafting documents, sitting in video calls, and streaming in the evening, this laptop comfortably covers a full workday and often a second one. For a 16-inch machine, that endurance is close to unheard of.

Performance is respectable rather than remarkable, and the review is honest about that. The Snapdragon X X1-26-100 scored 707 in Cinebench R24 multi-core and 10,120 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, which puts it slightly behind Intel and AMD rivals on paper while feeling essentially identical in everyday use. Where it does not compete is heavy creative work: a PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 1,121 and Time Spy at 1,067 confirm this is a productivity machine, not a workstation.

The rest of the package is unusually good for the money. The 16-inch OLED panel delivers deep blacks and vivid colour, the 16:10 aspect ratio helps productivity, and at 15.9mm and 1.74kg it stays genuinely portable for its size. The trade-offs are: ARM software quirks, and a 1200p resolution that is not especially crisp across 16 inches. It scored 8/10, with battery rated 9.5.

Key specs:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
• Display: 16-inch OLED (1920 x 1200), 60Hz, 16:10
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5x / 512GB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 70Wh, 26 hours 18 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), USB-C fast charging
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C 4.0, HDMI 2.1
• Build: 1.74kg, 15.9mm thin
• Rating: 8/10

ASUS ExpertBook Ultra — Best Premium Thin and Light Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 2,39,990 onwards (reviewed variant Rs 3,49,990)

Why we picked it

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (review) is our best premium thin and light laptop because it combines workstation-class specifications, the fastest storage we have tested and a genuinely game-changing matte OLED display in a machine that weighs roughly 1.1kg.

The configuration reads like a workstation that got shrunk. Intel's Core Ultra X7 358H sits alongside 64GB of LPDDR5x and a 2TB Gen 5 SSD, and that storage is extraordinary: 11,378MB/s sequential reads and 9,548MB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark, second only to the ThinkPad below and far ahead of everything else. In our benchmarks it returned 17,199 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 10,105 in PCMark 10, 4,246 in Cinebench 2026 multi-core and 3,876 in PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve, consistently pulling ahead of the Dell XPS 14 running the same processor thanks to its higher memory capacity and faster drive.

The display is the machine's signature. ASUS pairs a flagship Tandem OLED panel with Corning Gorilla Matte coating, which sounds like a compromise and works like a revelation.  The Ceraluminum chassis resists fingerprints and feels over-engineered in the best way, the haptic glass touchpad comes close to and sometimes surpasses the MacBook's, and the 70Wh battery ran 13 hours 47 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, with the 90W charger hitting 50 percent in about 30 minutes.

The honest caveats: the matte layer softens OLED's inky blacks toward very dark grey, so cinematic viewing takes a small hit, and everything is soldered with no upgrade path. At 9.3 it is the highest-rated laptop on this page.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (25W TDP)
• GPU: Intel Arc B390
• Display: 14-inch Tandem OLED, 120Hz, Gorilla Matte with Gorilla Glass Victus
• RAM/Storage: 64GB LPDDR5x / 2TB Gen 5 SSD
• Battery: 70Wh, 13 hours 47 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 90W USB-C PD
• Build: Around 1.1kg, Ceraluminum finish
• Rating: 9.3/10

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 — Best Value Thin and Light Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 2,96,639 (as configured)

Why we picked it

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 (review) earns its place because of what it delivers over years rather than months: a 1.1kg MIL-STD-810H chassis, the best keyboard in the business, the fastest storage we have tested, and built-in 5G, which together make it the machine that keeps working when everything else needs a desk.

Start with the storage, because it is genuinely class-leading. The 2TB Gen 5 SSD hit 13,697MB/s sequential reads and 9,868MB/s writes in CrystalDiskMark, roughly double what rival business ultrabooks manage. The Core Ultra 7 268V vPro chip is efficiency-focused Lunar Lake silicon, returning 9,670 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 7,233 in PCMark 10, and 10,233 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, and it breezed through 20-plus Chrome tabs, Slack, Photoshop edits, and 4K streams in our testing.

The durability and comfort case is what separates it from rivals. At 1.1kg, it is astonishingly light for a MIL-STD-810H certified chassis with zero deck flex. The keyboard remains the industry benchmark, with generous travel and quiet, rhythmic feedback. Thermals are handled intelligently: even under sustained load the fans stay whisper-quiet, and the keyboard deck barely passes 38 degrees Celsius. The 57Wh battery ran 11 hours 3 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test.

Be clear about the trade: this is the most expensive way to buy this performance tier. Rivals with the same processor post better benchmark numbers for less money, and the 1200p IPS panel, while accurate at 400 nits and 100 percent sRGB with anti-glare coating, cannot match the OLED screens elsewhere on this page. It scored 8/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 268V vPro (17W TDP)
• GPU: Intel Arc 140V
• Display: 14-inch 1200p IPS, 400 nits, 100% sRGB, anti-glare
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5 / 2TB Gen 5 SSD
• Battery: 57Wh, 11 hours 3 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W Rapid Charge
• Build: 1.1kg, MIL-STD-810H certified
• Rating: 8/10

Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Gen — Best Windows-on-ARM Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 1,63,999

Why we picked it

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Gen (review) is our best Windows-on-ARM machine because it extracts more from Snapdragon silicon than any rival we have tested, combining the strongest ARM CPU numbers on this page with 16 hours of battery life and a 120Hz display.

ARM laptops usually ask you to trade performance for endurance. This one narrows that trade considerably. The Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 posted 886 in Cinebench R24 multi-core and 13,332 in Geekbench 6 multi-core in our testing, well ahead of the Snapdragon X chips in cheaper ARM machines, and its 2,736 Geekbench 6 single-core score sits close to Intel's Lunar Lake ultrabooks. Cinebench R23 multi-core came in at 9,291, which is competitive with the x86 business laptops here despite running at a 23W TDP. Graphics land where you would expect from Adreno, with 5,959 in Fire Strike and 26,525 in Night Raid, so light creative work is fine, and gaming is not the point.

The endurance is the reason to buy it. The 66Wh battery ran 16 hours 2 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, second only to the Vivobook S16 and comfortably beyond every x86 machine on this list. Combine that with a 15-inch 120Hz display, a 512GB Gen 4 SSD, and Microsoft's own build quality, and you have the closest thing Windows currently offers to the fanless, all-day experience Apple has been selling for years.

The ARM caveat applies here as it does to every machine on this platform. If your work depends on legacy applications, buy x86. If it lives in a browser and modern apps, this is the most polished ARM laptop in India. We gave it an 8 on our review.

Key specs:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite X1E-80-100 (23W TDP)
• GPU: Qualcomm Adreno
• Display: 15-inch IPS, 120Hz
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5x / 512GB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 66Wh, 16 hours 2 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Rating: 8/10

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 — Best Thin and Light Gaming Laptop

Price at time of review: Rs 1,99,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 (2025) (review) is our best thin and light gaming machine because it delivers desktop-class CPU performance and genuine AAA gaming from a detachable 13-inch tablet, with no discrete graphics card anywhere inside it.

The chip is the whole story. AMD's Ryzen AI Max 390 is a 12-core, 24-thread part that can rival many desktop CPUs, paired with Radeon 8050S integrated graphics carrying 32 GPU cores. In our testing, it scored 21,621 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 17,157 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, the highest CPU numbers on this entire page, from a device you can hold in one hand. On the graphics side, it managed 9,539 in 3DMark Time Spy, 21,756 in Fire Strike, and 50,120 in Night Raid, figures that belong to proper gaming laptops rather than tablets. A PugetBench DaVinci Resolve score of 5,984 makes it a serious creative tool alongside the gaming.

Real-world gaming lands roughly where those numbers suggest. Valorant averaged 263fps and both GTA V and Forza Horizon 5 sat at 67fps in our testing, so competitive titles and mid-weight AAA games run comfortably on the 13.4-inch 180Hz panel. Cyberpunk 2077 at 35fps is the honest ceiling: this is integrated graphics, and the most demanding titles need settings dialled back or upscaling switched on. The versatility is the real selling point. Keyboard attached, it is a work machine; keyboard off with the kickstand out, it is a Windows tablet, and HDMI to a TV with a controller turns it into a console.

The trade-offs are the ones you would expect. The 70Wh battery ran 8 hours 38 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, the shortest on this list, and it drops sharply under gaming load. At Rs 1,99,990, it also costs considerably more than a conventional gaming laptop of similar power, which is the premium you pay for the form factor.

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Max 390 (12 cores, 24 threads, 55W TDP)
• GPU: AMD Radeon 8050S (integrated, 32 GPU cores)
• Display: 13.4-inch IPS touchscreen, 180Hz, detachable keyboard
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5x / 1TB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 70Wh, 8 hours 38 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop)

Winners at a glance

Prices below are as of the time each laptop was reviewed and are subject to change.

FAQs

Which is the best thin and light laptop in India?

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is the best thin and light laptop in India overall. It pairs a Core Ultra 7 356H with RTX 5070 graphics and a 16-inch AMOLED display, scoring 19,170 in Cinebench R23 multi-core while staying quieter under load than any comparable machine we have tested.

Which thin and light laptop has the best battery life?

The ASUS Vivobook S16 S3607QA, by an enormous margin. It ran 26 hours 18 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, the highest figure we have ever recorded, with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Gen a distant second at 16 hours 2 minutes.

Which is the best ultrabook for travel?

The HP OmniBook X 14 is the best travel ultrabook, weighing 1.3kg at just 1.26cm thick while carrying a 3K 120Hz OLED display that hits 1,100 nits in HDR, so it stays readable in bright environments.

Which thin and light laptop is best for movies and entertainment?

The Dell XPS 14 (2026) wins for entertainment, combining a 120Hz OLED touchscreen with the best speaker system in this group and 11 hours 8 minutes of tested battery life.

Is a Snapdragon (ARM) laptop worth buying in India?

For most people, yes. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Gen and ASUS Vivobook S16 both deliver battery life no x86 machine here matches. The catch is software: older Win32 applications, niche professional tools and some drivers still run through emulation or not at all, so anyone dependent on legacy software should choose an Intel or AMD machine.

Which ultrabook has the fastest storage?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13, with sequential reads of 13,697MB/s and writes of 9,868MB/s in CrystalDiskMark. The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is close behind at 11,378MB/s reads.

Can a thin and light laptop handle gaming?

Yes, at the top end. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 scored 9,539 in 3DMark Time Spy and averaged 263fps in Valorant from a detachable 13-inch tablet with no discrete GPU, while the Galaxy Book6 Ultra's RTX 5070 pushes 177fps in Cyberpunk 2077 with DLSS and frame generation enabled.

Which thin and light laptop is best for business professionals?

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 13 for its MIL-STD-810H durability, industry-leading keyboard and built-in 5G connectivity, or the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra if you want more raw performance, 64GB of memory and a matte OLED display that eliminates glare.

This page is built for TV buyers in India who are overwhelmed by technical spec sheets and want a trusted, tested shortlist of the best OLED panels available. Whether you are upgrading from an ageing LED TV, buying your first flagship TV, or setting up a high-refresh-rate console gaming station, this guide provides one clear recommendation based on your specific needs.

Our recommendations are driven by years of hands-on TV evaluation experience. We combine our editorial judgment with international testing benchmarks, evaluating display quality, peak HDR brightness, motion handling, UI performance, speaker output, and overall value in Indian homes.

The LG G6 emerges as our best overall OLED TV thanks to its outstanding peak brightness and 165Hz panel. The Samsung S95H is our top premium flagship pick for its unmatched QD-OLED colour volume, while the Haier C95 delivers exceptional value with flagship features at an accessible price. Gamers will love the LG C6 for its ultra-low latency, while the Sony Bravia 8 II wins for cinematic picture processing.

Updated for August 2026 with the latest launches, testing data, and price changes.

LG G6 — Best Overall TV in India

Why we picked it

The LG G6 is our top overall OLED TV pick because it delivers the most complete, uncompromised television experience available today, excelling simultaneously across picture quality, brightness, gaming performance, and smart software.

Driven by LG's Alpha 11 Gen3 AI Processor 4K, the G6 features Hyper Radiant Colour Tech and Brightness Booster Ultra. This tandem WOLED display achieves specular highlights approaching high peak brightness while maintaining absolute pixel-level blacks. It also breaks new ground for premium TVs by supporting a native 120Hz refresh rate that can be pushed up to 165Hz VRR for high-end PC gaming.

The LG G6 is the perfect fit for buyers who want an all-in-one flagship display that handles any viewing environment effortlessly. Whether upscaling standard DTH broadcasts, streaming Dolby Vision HDR movies, or running fast-paced games, its zero-gap gallery design mounts completely flush to the wall, making it a stunning centrepiece for any Indian living room.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Alpha 11 Gen3 AI Processor 4K
• Display: 4K Tandem WOLED (Hyper Radiant Tech)
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native (Up to 165Hz VRR)
• Audio: 60W, 4.2 Channel, Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 165Hz, eARC)
• OS: webOS 26 with LG Shield

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Class-leading peak HDR brightness for an OLED display.
• Native 165Hz refresh rate ideal for both consoles and PCs.
• Flush zero-gap gallery wall design.

Cons:

• Tabletop stand is sold separately.
• Does not support HDR10+ format (Dolby Vision supported).

Samsung S95H — Best Premium (Flagship) TV in India

Why we picked it

The Samsung S95H is our top premium flagship pick because its third-generation QD-OLED panel delivers the most vibrant colour volume, highest colour luminance, and best bright-room performance on the market.

Powered by the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, the S95H leverages Quantum Dot OLED technology alongside Samsung's Glare-Free screen coating. This specialised anti-reflection treatment eliminates harsh glare from overhead lights or sunlit windows without washing out deep black levels. It also features the One Connect Box, which routes all input cables through a single, clean wire.

The S95H is the ultimate choice for luxury shoppers who view their TV in brightly lit living rooms during the daytime. If you prioritise punchy RGB colours, ultra-clean cable management, and an eye-catching FloatLayer aesthetic, the S95H offers a flagship experience that standard WOLEDs cannot match.

Key Specifications

• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Display: 4K QD-OLED with Glare-Free Coating
• Refresh Rate: 165Hz (VRR, FreeSync Premium Pro)
• Audio: 70W, 4.2.2 Channel, Object Tracking Sound+
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.1 via One Connect Box
• OS: Tizen OS (2026)

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Unrivalled colour volume and brightness in rich HDR scenes.
• Best-in-class Glare-Free screen coating for bright rooms.
• One Connect Box ensures immaculate cable management.

Cons:

• Lacks Dolby Vision support (HDR10+ supported).

Haier C95 — Best Value OLED TV in India

Why we picked it

The Haier C95 is our top value OLED pick because it democratises high-end OLED performance, packing flagship 144Hz gaming features and custom Harman Kardon audio into a budget-conscious price tag.

Built around a sharp 4K OLED panel, the C95 stands out by offering multi-HDR support—including Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+—driven by a capable Quad-Core ARM CA73 processor. Its standout USP is the integrated 50W Harman Kardon acoustic system, which provides impressive dynamic range, dialogue clarity, and punchy bass straight out of the box.

For Indian buyers upgrading from standard LED or QLED TVs who want true OLED contrast without paying a massive brand premium, the Haier C95 is the sweet spot. It delivers roughly 85% of flagship picture quality and eliminates the need to buy an external soundbar, maximising every rupee spent.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad-Core ARM CA73 Chipset
• Display: 4K OLED with Dolby Vision IQ
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz (AMD FreeSync Premium)
• Audio: 50W Sound by Harman Kardon, Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI (2x HDMI 2.1 full speed)
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Incredible price-to-performance ratio for a 144Hz OLED panel.
• Superior built-in Harman Kardon audio system.
• Dual support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+.

Cons:

• Lower peak HDR brightness compared to top-tier flagships.

LG C6 — Best Gaming TV in India

Why we picked it

The LG C6 is our top gaming TV recommendation because it offers an unrivalled gaming feature set, four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, and industry-leading response times across all current consoles and PC rigs.

Driven by the Alpha 11 AI Processor 4K Gen3, the C6 features a native 120Hz OLED evo panel with input lag measuring under 2ms. Its key gaming USP is the Game Optimiser menu and Game Dashboard overlay, allowing players to adjust black stabiliser levels, check frame rates, and toggle Nvidia G-Sync or AMD FreeSync Premium without interrupting gameplay.

If you own a PS5, Xbox Series X, or a high-end gaming PC, the LG C6 is tailored specifically for you. It handles 4K 120Hz/165Hz (VRR) gameplay with zero ghosting or screen tearing, and LG's robust pixel care software protects the panel during long, repetitive gaming sessions.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Alpha 11 AI Processor 4K Gen3
• Display: 4K OLED evo
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native (165Hz VRR, G-Sync, FreeSync)
• Audio: 40W, 2.2 Channel
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps, eARC)
• OS: webOS 26

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR and ALLM.
• Extremely low input lag and instantaneous pixel response.
• Feature-rich Game Optimiser overlay.

Cons:

• Built-in speakers lack deep low-end bass impact.

Sony Bravia 8 II — Best Sony TV in India

Why we picked it

The Sony Bravia 8 II is our top Sony recommendation because it pairs Sony's legendary AI XR Processor with Acoustic Surface Audio+ to deliver the most colour-accurate, cinema-authentic experience available.

The Bravia 8 II uses the AI XR Processor to analyse scenes in real time, reproducing realistic skin tones, shadow gradations, and natural motion without visual artefacts. Its standout USP is Acoustic Surface Audio+, where actuators vibrate the glass screen itself to emit sound directly from where characters or objects appear on screen.

This TV is engineered specifically for film buffs, videophiles, and home cinema purists. If your primary goal is watching 4K Blu-rays or high-bitrate streaming content exactly as the director intended—backed by studio-grade factory calibration—the Bravia 8 II provides unmatched visual fidelity.

Key Specifications

• Processor: AI XR Processor
• Display: 4K OLED with XR OLED Contrast Booster
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz
• Audio: 50W Acoustic Surface Audio+ (Panel-driven)
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI (2x HDMI 2.1 full bandwidth)
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Reference-grade image upscaling and natural colour accuracy.
• Acoustic Surface Audio+ creates an immersive soundstage.
• Clean Google TV interface with extensive app support.

Cons:

• Commands a price premium over rival OLEDs.
• Only two of the four HDMI ports support full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.

LG G6 — Best LG TV in India

Why we picked it

The LG G6 earns its second pick as the best LG TV overall because it represents the peak of LG's hardware innovation, webOS software maturity, and smart home hub integration.

Powered by the flagship Alpha 11 Gen3 processor, the G6 is a smart home command centre. It runs webOS 26 backed by LG Shield security and offers native Apple AirPlay 2, Google Cast, and Matter connectivity. LG also commits to five years of operating system upgrades via its webOS Re:New program.

For buyers who want to anchor their LG smart appliance ecosystem around a single hub, the G6 is unmatched. Beyond its picture quality, its included 5-year panel warranty and long-term OS support guarantee peace of mind for the long haul.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Alpha 11 Gen3 AI Processor 4K
• Display: 4K Tandem WOLED 
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native (Up to 165Hz VRR)
• Audio: 60W, 4.2 Channel, Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.1 (4K @ 165Hz, eARC)
• OS: webOS 26 with LG Shield

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Comprehensive smart home control centre with Matter and AirPlay 2.
• Exceptional peak brightness overcomes intense room lighting.
• 5-year panel warranty included.

Cons:

• High investment cost.
• Wall mount is included, but tabletop feet are an additional cost.

Samsung S90H — Best Samsung QD-OLED TV in India

Why we picked it

The Samsung S90H is our top choice for the best accessible Samsung QD-OLED because it delivers core quantum dot colour volume and 144Hz performance at a far more attainable price point than the S95H flagship.

Driven by the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor, the S90H utilises a QD-OLED panel that provides 100% DCI-P3 colour coverage and pure, unadulterated blacks. Its key USP is bringing 120Hz Native (165Hz VRR) high-frame-rate gaming and Motion Xcelerator capabilities into a sleek, LaserSlim profile that looks gorgeous on a wall or tabletop.

The S90H is built for value-focused buyers who want the vibrant colour punch of Samsung's QD-OLED tech without paying for extra flagship luxuries like the One Connect Box or Glare-Free coating. It delivers top-tier HDR visuals for both cinema and gaming at a price that hits the sweet spot.

Key Specifications

• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor
• Display: 4K QD-OLED
• Refresh Rate: 165Hz (VRR, FreeSync)
• Audio: 40W, 2.1 Channel
• Connectivity: 4x HDMI 2.1
• OS: Tizen OS (2026)

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Vibrant QD-OLED colour volume at a competitive mid-tier price.
• Full 165Hz gaming support across all four HDMI 2.1 ports.
• Ultra-thin panel design.

Cons:

• Does not support Dolby Vision.

Comparison table

FAQs

Which is the best overall OLED TV in India?

The LG G6 is the best overall OLED TV in India, combining extreme peak HDR brightness, a 165Hz refresh rate, and advanced AI image processing.

Which OLED TV offers the best value for money in India?

The Haier C95 is the best value OLED TV, offering a 144Hz refresh rate, universal HDR support (Dolby Vision IQ + HDR10+), and built-in Harman Kardon audio at an accessible price.

Which is the best OLED TV for PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming?

The LG C6 is the best gaming TV, equipped with four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, sub-2ms input lag, 165Hz VRR support, and an intuitive Game Optimiser menu.

Which TV has the brightest display and best colour saturation?

The Samsung S95H leads in colour volume and bright-room performance thanks to its third-generation QD-OLED panel and Glare-Free screen technology.

Which is the best Sony OLED TV for movie purists?

The Sony Bravia 8 II is the top pick for cinema lovers, using the AI XR Processor and Acoustic Surface Audio+ to deliver reference-grade picture and sound accuracy.

What is the difference between QD-OLED and standard WOLED panels?

QD-OLED panels (like on the Samsung S95H and S90H) use quantum dots to produce brighter primary colours in lit scenes, while Tandem WOLED panels (like on the LG G6) use Tandem WOLED to achieve extremely high peak white brightness.

Do modern 2026 OLED TVs still suffer from screen burn-in?

Burn-in is extremely rare on modern OLEDs due to advanced auto-refresh tools, pixel shifting, and thermal management (such as LG's OLED Care+ and 5-year panel warranties).

Which is the best LG OLED TV to buy in 2026?

The LG G6 is the absolute best LG OLED TV, featuring LG's brightest panel hardware, webOS 26, and guaranteed long-term software support.

Is an OLED TV bright enough for an Indian living room with direct sunlight?

Yes, modern flagship panels like the Samsung S95H (with anti-glare screen treatment) and LG G6 (with Brightness Booster Ultra) overcome harsh ambient light effortlessly.

Which smart TV platform is best—Google TV, webOS, or Tizen?

Google TV (Sony, Haier) offers the broadest app selection, webOS 26 (LG) provides the best smart home ecosystem controls, and Tizen OS (Samsung) excels at cloud gaming hubs.

If you are looking for a TV from under ₹50K to ₹80K, then this is the list for you. This page is built for television buyers in India who are overwhelmed by confusing spec sheets and want a trusted, tested shortlist of the best TVs across budgets. Whether you are a first-time buyer upgrading to a 4K display, a console gamer, or a movie enthusiast wanting cinematic HDR, this guide cuts through marketing noise to deliver one definitive recommendation alongside top alternatives for each major price bracket.

Our rankings are based on our experience with the TVs, along with our expertise in the space for years, giving us the ability to broadly judge the performance of a TV based on key specifications.

The Xiaomi S Mini LED 65 is our top overall pick under Rs 80,000, dominating with its ultra-bright 1200-nit panel. For mid-range buyers, the Xiaomi S Mini LED 55 wins under Rs 60,000 by bringing flagship QD-Mini LED tech to a sub-Rs 60K price point. For budget shoppers, the Xiaomi TV FX Mini LED 55 takes the top spot under Rs 50,000 with seamless Fire TV integration and QLED Mini LED contrast.

Updated for August 2026 with the latest launches, testing data, and price changes.

Best TVs Under Rs 80,000

Xiaomi S Mini LED 65 — Best Overall TV Under Rs 80,000

Why We Picked It

Xiaomi's TV S Mini LED Series brings high-density local dimming technology to a broader audience, focusing on maximum picture fidelity per rupee. Encased in a premium metallic unibody frame, this TV utilises Xiaomi's PatchWall layer over Google TV, offering rich content recommendations alongside deep hardware-level picture controls.

The primary USP of the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED Series is its high-zone local dimming array driven by a dedicated micro-LED controller. This setup precisely manages hundreds of independent dimming zones, achieving high peak contrast and deep, dark black levels that traditional QLED panels cannot replicate.

We recommend the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED as our Best Mini-LED selection because its local dimming algorithm effectively minimises backlight bleed at an aggressive price. Starting at just Rs 52,999 for true Mini-LED hardware with a 60Hz refresh rate, it provides unmatched visual depth for cinematic HDR content on a budget.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad Core A55 / Mali-G52 GPU
• Display: 4K QD Mini-LED (65"), 60Hz Native (120Hz DLG Game Boost)
• Sound: Quad-Driver Stereo Speakers (Dolby Audio, DTS:X)
• OS/Storage: Google TV with PatchWall
• Ports: HDMI, USB, Ethernet, Optical
• Key Features: High-Zone Local Dimming, Ultra-Slim Metallic Unibody, Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM)

Pros & Cons

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

Lumio Vision 9 (65" 2026) — Best High Refresh Rate Gaming TV Under Rs 80,000

Why We Picked It

The Lumio Vision 9 (2026) is engineered as a "Flagship Killer," offering top-spec display and audio hardware at an accessible price point. Running on Android 14 with a clean Google TV layer, Lumio targets tech-savvy Indian consumers who prioritise rapid UI responsiveness and high gaming framerates.

The standout USP of the Lumio Vision 9 is its combination of a MediaTek Pentonic 700 processor with 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 50W 2.2 Hexa-Driver speaker array. This high-performance chip and memory pairing makes it one of the fastest budget smart TVs available, completely eliminating menu lag while outputting room-filling sound with dedicated bass drivers.

Key Specifications

• Processor: MediaTek Pentonic 700 (Quad-Core BOSS Engine)
• Display: 4K QD-MiniLED (55", 65"), 144Hz Native (240Hz at 1080p)
• Sound: 50W DGS 2.2-Channel Hexa-Driver with Dual Subwoofers (Dolby Atmos)
• OS/Storage: Android 14 (Google TV) / 3GB RAM, 32GB Storage
• Ports: HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps), 3x USB, Wi-Fi 5, Ethernet
• Key Features: 9.7ms Input Lag, fluid UI

Pros & Cons

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

LG 65NU870BPLA — Best AI Upscaling & WebOS TV Under Rs 80,000

Why We Picked It

The LG 65NU870BPLA features a 65-inch 4K Direct LED display managed by LG's advanced α7 AI Processor 4K Gen9. Operating on webOS 26, it comes with LG's 5-year webOS update guarantee, multi-AI ecosystem support (including Google Gemini and MS Copilot), and a 20W AI Sound Pro system capable of virtual 9.1.2 channel upmixing. Physical connections include HDMI 2.1 ports with VRR, ALLM, and eARC support.

We recommend the LG 65NU870BPLA for households looking for tier-one brand reliability, cable/satellite TV upscaling, and long-term OS longevity. It is the ideal pick for living rooms where general family viewing, sports broadcasts, and smart home connectivity take precedence over pure Mini LED peak brightness specs.

Key Specifications

• Processor: α7 AI Processor 4K Gen9
• Display: 65-inch 4K Direct LED (HDR10 Pro, HLG, Dynamic Tone Mapping)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz (VRR & ALLM Support)
• Audio: 20W 2.0 Channel with AI Sound Pro (Virtual 9.1.2)
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x USB 2.0, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3
• RAM/Storage: 1.5GB RAM / 8GB Storage
• OS: webOS 26 (Guaranteed 5 Years OS Upgrades)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Outstanding 4K AI upscaling for sports, cable feeds, and lower-resolution content.
• 5-year webOS update guarantee ensures long-term software longevity.

Cons

• Standard Direct LED backlighting lacks the local dimming contrast of Mini LED alternatives.
• Requires purchasing the Magic Remote separately for full voice control features.

Best TVs Under Rs 60,000

Xiaomi S Mini LED 55 — Best Overall TV Under Rs 60,000

Why We Picked It

The Xiaomi S Mini LED 55 packs a 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED screen boasting 308 independent local dimming zones and 1200 nits of peak brightness. Driven by a Quad-Core A55 processor, 2GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage, it runs Google TV and features complete HDR format support (Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HLG, Filmmaker Mode). Audio performance is handled by a 34W quad-speaker configuration with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X decoding.

We recommend the Xiaomi S Mini LED 55 as our top overall pick under Rs 60,000 because it offers the highest picture quality and picture engine performance per rupee in the mid-range market. It is tailored for movie lovers and streaming subscribers who want a flagship visual experience in a standard 55-inch living room footprint.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad Core A55
• Display: 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED (1200 nits peak, 308 Dimming Zones, Dolby Vision)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz Native (120Hz Game Boost DLG)
• Audio: 34W Quad Speaker with Dolby Atmos & DTS:X
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Dual Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM / 32GB Storage
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

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

TCL 55Q6C — Best Integrated Sound & 144Hz Display Under Rs 60,000

Why We Picked It

The TCL 55Q6C features a 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED display powered by TCL's 64-bit Quad-Core AIPQ Pro processor, supporting Dolby Vision IQ and IMAX Enhanced content. It runs on Google TV with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. On the hardware front, it boasts a native 144Hz panel with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, alongside a dedicated built-in ONKYO 2.1-channel sound system with Dolby Atmos support.

Its core USP is the combination of a true native 144Hz refresh rate panel with a high-end ONKYO 2.1-channel sound system with integrated subwoofers.

We recommend the TCL 55Q6C for buyers seeking an all-in-one media powerhouse under Rs 60,000. If you split your time between PS5/Xbox Series X gaming and watching blockbuster action films, the combination of silky smooth 144Hz motion and impactful ONKYO sound makes it an extraordinarily complete package.

Key Specifications

• Processor: 64-bit Quad Core AIPQ Pro
• Display: 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED (Dolby Vision IQ, IMAX Enhanced)
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz Native (288Hz VRR)
• Audio: ONKYO 2.1 Channel Sound System with Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: 4 x HDMI 2.1, USB 3.0, Dual Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0
• RAM/Storage: 3GB RAM / 32GB Storage
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Built-in ONKYO sound system delivers rich mid-range audio and punchy bass.
• Native 144Hz panel with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro guarantees tear-free gaming.

Cons

• The remote control design feels dated and overly crowded with buttons.
• Google TV interface occasionally experiences minor lag right after powering on.

Sony Bravia 2 MK2 (K-50S22BM2) — Best Natural colour Processing Under Rs 60,000

Why We Picked It

The Sony Bravia 2 MK2 (50-inch) utilises a 4K Direct LED panel governed by Sony's famed 4K Processor X1 and Motionflow XR technology for blur-free motion. Running Google TV, it includes 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, and full compatibility with Apple AirPlay 2 and HomeKit. Sound is output through a 20W Open Baffle speaker system with Dolby Audio processing.

The USP of the Bravia 2 MK2 lies in Sony's X1 picture engine and natural colour processing algorithm. While competitors focus on high specification numbers, Sony excels at out-of-the-box colour accuracy, lifelike human skin tones, and motion smoothing without creating artificial digital artefacts or unnatural soap-opera effects.

We recommend the Sony Bravia 2 MK2 for buyers who value natural image reproduction, brand prestige, and reliable post-sales support over ultra-bright Mini LED backlights. It is the best choice for users who want a hassle-free, long-lasting 50-inch TV that makes everyday HD TV channels and movies look natural and balanced.

Key Specifications

• Processor: 4K Processor X1
• Display: 50-inch 4K Direct LED (HDR10, HLG, Motionflow XR)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz Native
• Audio: 20W Open Baffle Speaker with Dolby Audio
• Connectivity: 4 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB Storage
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

Pros

• X1 Processor delivers industry-leading realistic colour accuracy and skin tone reproduction.
• Superior motion handling with Motionflow XR prevents stutter in fast-action movies.

Cons

• Screen size is limited to 50 inches compared to 55-inch rivals in this price range.
• Standard LED backlighting lacks local dimming capabilities.

Best TVs Under Rs 50,000

Xiaomi TV FX Mini LED 55 — Best Overall TV Under Rs 50,000

Why We Picked It

The Xiaomi TV FX Mini LED 55 features a 55-inch 4K QLED Mini LED display with 1.07 billion colours (93% DCI-P3 gamut coverage) and HDR10+ support. Powered by a Quad-Core processor, 2GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage, it runs Fire TV OS with hands-free Alexa voice integration. Sound is produced by a 30W speaker array supported by Dolby Audio and DTS:X.

Its primary USP is breaking the price barrier by bringing QLED Mini LED backlight technology under Rs 45,000 paired with Fire TV OS. It offers budget buyers access to local dimming contrast and quantum dot colour saturation that traditional direct-lit LED screens in this price tier simply cannot match.

We recommend the Xiaomi TV FX Mini LED 55 as our top budget pick under Rs 50,000 because it offers picture contrast and smart home convenience for budget-conscious buyers. It is the perfect choice for households invested in the Amazon ecosystem and Alexa voice controls looking for a high-contrast Mini LED screen.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad-Core Processor
• Display: 55-inch 4K Mini LED with QLED Technology (HDR10+)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz Native (120Hz Game Boost DLG)
• Audio: 30W Speakers with Dolby Audio & DTS:X
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Dual Band Wi-Fi
• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM / 32GB Storage
• OS: Fire TV OS (Alexa Built-in)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Incredible overall value; brings QLED Mini LED contrast under Rs 45,000.
• Fire TV interface is fast, simple to navigate, and offers deep Alexa smart home controls.

Cons

• Does not support Dolby Vision HDR, maxing out at HDR10+.
• Peak brightness is noticeably lower than the flagship Xiaomi S Series.

Samsung UA55M2EHAULXL — Best Smart Ecosystem & AI Features Under Rs 50,000

Why We Picked It

The Samsung UA55M2EHAULXL is a 55-inch 4K Quantum Mini LED TV driven by Samsung's Mini LED Processor 4K and Vision AI Companion. Operating on Tizen OS, it includes Supreme Mini LED Dimming, Pure Spectrum Colour, Knox Security, and a 30W 2-channel speaker system featuring OTS (Object Tracking Sound) Lite and Q-Symphony support.

Its USP centres around Samsung's Vision AI suite and seamless integration with the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem. Features like Knox Security, OTS Lite audio tracking, and Q-Symphony allow the TV to harmonise its built-in speakers with Samsung soundbars while offering smart AI scene adjustments based on ambient lighting and content type.

We recommend the Samsung UA55M2EHAULXL for buyers who want tier-one brand reliability, security, and deep integration with Samsung mobile devices and soundbars under Rs 50,000. It is a solid, smart-centric choice for living rooms that prioritise connected device convenience and AI-assisted picture tuning.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Crystal 4K / Vision AI Processor
• Display: 55-inch 4K Quantum Mini LED (Supreme Mini LED Dimming)
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz Native
• Audio: 30W (15W x 2) Speakers
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 1 x USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• RAM/Storage: 1.5GB RAM / 8GB Storage
• OS: Tizen OS (Vision AI Companion)

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Vision AI Companion optimises picture and audio dynamically based on content type.
• Seamless wireless casting and sound mirroring for Samsung Galaxy device owners.

Cons

• Tizen OS interface can feel cluttered with promotional content cards.
• Limited to 1 USB port for external media connections.

Philips 55MLED610/94 — Best Dolby Vision Cinematic TV Under Rs 50,000

Why We Picked It

The Philips 55MLED610/94 pairs a 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED screen with full Dolby Vision and HDR10+ decoding. Running on Google TV with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, it incorporates 120Hz HSR (Hardware Super Resolution) for smooth gaming frame rates and a 20W stereo audio system equipped with Dolby Atmos processing.

We recommend the Philips 55MLED610/94 for budget cinema lovers who want authentic Dolby Vision tone mapping and Google TV versatility without stretching their budget past Rs 50,000. It offers an impressive entry point into high-dynamic-range home entertainment.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad-Core Image Processor
• Display: 55-inch 4K QD-Mini LED (Dolby Vision, HDR10+)
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz HSR (Hardware Super Resolution) / 60Hz Native
• Audio: 20W Stereo Speakers with Dolby Atmos
• Connectivity: 3 x HDMI, 2 x USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM / 16GB Storage
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Precise Dolby Vision tone mapping yields outstanding colour accuracy for streaming movies.
• Clean Google TV platform with full support for Chromecast and Google Assistant.

Cons

• Built-in 20W speakers lack volume depth, making an external soundbar recommended.
• 120Hz HSR mode reduces total horizontal display resolution during gameplay.

Comparison Table

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is the best overall TV in India under Rs 80,000?

The Xiaomi S Mini LED 65 is the best overall TV under Rs 80,000. It features 1,200 nits peak brightness, 384 local dimming zones, and full Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support for an uncompromised cinematic experience.

2. Which TV under Rs 60,000 offers the best picture quality?

The Xiaomi S Mini LED 55 takes the top spot under Rs 60,000. It brings flagship 1,200-nit QD-Mini LED technology and 308 local dimming zones to a 55-inch panel, delivering class-leading contrast and brightness.

3. Which is the best budget 55-inch TV under Rs 50,000?

The Xiaomi TV FX Mini LED 55 is the best option under Rs 50,000. It delivers high-contrast QLED Mini LED colours, a sleek metallic bezel-less design, and seamless Fire TV integration with hands-free Alexa commands.

4. Which TV is best for PS5 and Xbox Series X gaming under Rs 80,000?

The Lumio Vision 9 (65-inch) is the ultimate gaming TV in this budget. It features a true native 144Hz 4K refresh rate (up to 240Hz at 1080p), sub-6ms input latency, 3GB RAM, and 64GB storage driven by the MediaTek Pentonic 700 processor.

5. Which TV under Rs 60,000 has the best built-in audio?

The TCL 55Q6C leads the segment in sound performance thanks to its integrated ONKYO 2.1 channel speaker system with Dolby Atmos, offering rich mid-range clarity and punchy bass without requiring an immediate soundbar purchase.

6. What is the difference between Google TV, webOS, and Fire TV?

Google TV (found on Xiaomi S Series, TCL, Sony, and Philips) offers the largest app library and built-in Chromecast; LG's webOS delivers a clean pointer-based UI with a guaranteed 5-year upgrade plan; Fire TV (on Xiaomi FX Series) prioritises Amazon Prime Video and direct Alexa smart home integration.

7. What is the difference between native 144Hz and 120Hz Game Boost (DLG)?

Native 144Hz panels (like on the Lumio Vision 9 and TCL 55Q6C) render 144 full-resolution 4K frames per second. Game Boost (DLG) uses software acceleration to achieve 120Hz motion by slightly lowering the vertical display resolution during gameplay.

8. Which TV is best for watching HD set-top box channels and live sports?

The LG 65NU870BPLA (under Rs 80K) and Sony Bravia 2 MK2 (under Rs 60K) excel at low-resolution upscaling and motion smoothing, thanks to LG's α7 AI Processor and Sony's 4K Processor X1 with Motionflow XR.

9. Is Mini LED technology better than standard LED for HDR movies?

Yes, Mini LED uses thousands of smaller LEDs grouped into local dimming zones. This allows the TV to turn off backlighting behind dark areas while boosting brightness in highlights, producing deeper blacks, higher dynamic range, and minimal backlight bleed compared to conventional LEDs.

10. Do I need to buy an external soundbar for these Mini LED TVs?

While budget TVs with 20W speakers (like the Philips 55MLED610) benefit significantly from a soundbar, premium options like the Lumio Vision 9 (50W Hexa Driver with dual subwoofers) and TCL 55Q6C (ONKYO 2.1 system) deliver powerful enough audio out of the box.

What impressed me the most about the Motorola Signature is that its price has remained unchanged since the launch. This is no small feat, considering almost every manufacturer has jacked up smartphone prices to accommodate the exponential rise in component costs. In fact, at the time of writing this article, the Motorola Signature was selling with a flat discount of Rs 2,500 across all variants, bringing its starting price down from Rs 59,999 to Rs 57,4999. This alone makes it a much more compelling option since I first reviewed the device back in January.

However, after revisiting the smartphone, one glaring issue became apparent, and it is an area Motorola cannot afford to overlook both for its existing and potential buyers. Read on to find out what that is and what works for the Motorola Signature.

What continues to work for Motorola Signature

The Motorola Signature continues to be a sleek smartphone that matches Motorola's design identity. At 76.4mm wide, the handset remains broader than most other smartphones, but its 7mm thickness ensures that it doesn't get unwieldy in day-to-day operations. While everything remains within reach, reaching for those far corners might require slight finger gymnastics for single-handed use.

We had the Pantone Martin Olive colourway for review, which features an elegant fabric finish on the back. Contrary to my initial impressions, the material did not pick up stains during everyday use when using the phone without a case, which has to be purchased separately. We did not have any accidents with the phone to test its durability against drops and falls, but its display remains susceptible to scratches. It is recommended to purchase a tempered glass alongside the phone since there is no screen protector on top of the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

That said, users should remain worry-free with the Motorola Signature out in the rain, thanks to its IP68/IP69 rating. The phone also features aluminium framing and MIL-STD-810H military-grade certifications to take minor beatings during everyday use. Its 186-gram weight further ensures ease of use during prolonged use.

The Motorola Signature sports a 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, a dynamic refresh rate of up to 165Hz, HDR10+ support, and a peak brightness of 6,200 nits. It is among the best displays you can get in this price range, offering vibrant colours, excellent sharpness, and smooth visuals. Visibility is impressive indoors and remains decent even under direct sunlight, while colours retain their punch and vibrancy even when viewed from an angle.

Moving on, the Motorola Signature remains as swift and smooth as it was on day one, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC. Its benchmarking numbers remain the same as before and are on par with rivals, and everyday tasks, multitasking, editing, and AI features, including several built-in ones, are handled with ease. The SoC is paired with 12GB/ 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/ 512GB/ 1TB UFS 4.1 storage. We tested the phone with the top-end configurations, but the base 12GB RAM variant shouldn't be any different.

Not much has changed with the camera setup either. The Motorola Signature remains one of the few options in the segment to offer a dedicated telephoto lens, alongside the main and ultrawide sensors. All these sensors have a 50MP resolution, with OIS support on the primary and telephoto cameras. While they may not be flagship sensors, the Motorola smartphone set out to impress with vivid tones and fine detailing across lighting conditions.

[gallery link="none" columns="1" size="large" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="710718,710722,710719,710720,710721,710723"]

Those looking for true-to-life colours may not find the Motorola Signature particularly appealing. However, social media enthusiasts are likely to appreciate its vibrant image processing and the versatility offered by the camera setup. 

What doesn't work for Motorola Signature

While the Motorola Signature's display looks stellar, there is one caveat. The display operates at a maximum of 120Hz across the UI and most system apps. Motorola claims the 165Hz refresh rate is reserved for supported high-frame-rate games such as BGMI. However, that wasn't the case during our testing. While the overall experience remains fluid, the display did not consistently reach the advertised 165Hz refresh rate, making its real-world performance fall short of the claimed value. We highlighted this issue in our review back in January and hoped a software update would address it. However, that has yet to happen.

This leads us to the bigger problem. Eight months later, the smartphone is still running the January 2026 security patch and Android 16-based Hello UI, with no software updates rolled out since launch. That is disappointing for a flagship phone, especially one that is promised to receive a staggering seven years of Android OS and security updates.

As a result, the software experience feels dated, lacking several of the latest features, including dynamic clock widgets, improved notification controls, and expanded customisation options introduced with the recent Motorola Edge 70 Max. More importantly, it raises questions about whether Motorola can deliver on its longevity claim and keep the Signature relevant for years to come.

The Motorola Signature's 5,200mAh battery could also benefit from further optimisation if it is to compete with the 7,000mAh+ batteries now becoming common in this segment. In both our real-world usage and synthetic benchmark tests, the handset falls short of its rivals. That is not to say the Signature is incapable of lasting a full day on a single charge under regular usage.

It certainly can, but more demanding tasks such as navigation, 4K video recording, editing, or any workload that causes the device to heat up, which honestly isn't very difficult to achieve owing to its underwhelming thermal management, drain the battery much faster, often forcing users to top up the phone before the end of the day. The Motorola Signature supports 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging, which can juice it up in a jiffy, but if you're a gamer or power user, the overall experience feels less appealing.

Final thoughts

Many of the Motorola Signature's shortcomings can be overlooked when viewed in the context of its target audience and competition. The handset goes up against several capable rivals, including the OnePlus 15R (review), OPPO Reno15 Pro Mini (review), and Vivo V70 (review). However, all these rivals are only good in parts. The OnePlus 15R is better suited to power users and gamers, while the OPPO Reno15 Pro Mini and Vivo V70 place a stronger emphasis on camera performance.

The Motorola Signature, meanwhile, is designed to deliver a well-rounded, lifestyle-focused experience rather than excel in any one area, and in that regard, it succeeds. The smartphone is powered by a capable sub-flagship chipset that can comfortably handle almost anything you throw at it. It is complemented by an excellent display, a capable and versatile camera setup, and a battery that provides an all-day backup for everyday use.

However, the success of the Motorola Signature depends on timely software updates.

While browsing alternatives to the OnePlus N6x the other day, I stumbled upon the Samsung Galaxy M17 5G, launched last year. Believe it or not, the handset has quietly emerged as one of the strongest contenders in the sub-Rs 20,000 segment. On paper, the Galaxy M17 5G packs fairly standard specifications. It debuted at a starting price of Rs 12,499 but now retails for Rs 17,999 following a series of price hikes, a trend that has affected much of the smartphone industry. Even so, the Galaxy M17 5G continues to offer excellent value for money, often outshining many of its newer rivals in the segment.

Read on to find out what works in favour of the Samsung Galaxy M17 5G.

Price hikes and changing market dynamics

Gone are the days when technology would become more affordable over time. The scarcity of components, driven by the AI boom, has forced manufacturers to rethink their strategies and pass the burden on to consumers. The impact has been so significant that the sub-Rs 20,000 segment, once considered the heart of the Indian smartphone market and brimming with the latest innovations, now seems to be on the verge of collapse.

[caption id="attachment_680726" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Samsung Galaxy M17 5G price in India has gone up by roughly 44 percent[/caption]

The prices of older smartphone models have climbed by over 40 percent, while many newer launches have had to compromise to be relevant in the space. As a result, buyers are left with the bare minimum of specifications needed to call a device a "smartphone" in the segment.

Against this backdrop, the Samsung Galaxy M17 5G feels like a rare exception. Despite the roughly 44 percent price hike, the handset stands out as one of the most capable smartphones in its segment. Available in three RAM and storage configurations, the handset is currently selling with the following price tags:

What works for the Samsung Galaxy M17 5G

Vibrant, crisp display

The Samsung Galaxy M17 5G gets a lot right for its price, starting with the display. At a time when several manufacturers have switched to lower-resolution HD+ LCD panels to keep costs in check, Samsung continues to offer a 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display. As we noted in our review, the panel delivers vibrant colours and sufficient sharpness, making it one of the better displays in the segment. While the waterdrop notch may look dated, it is still in line with what several competing smartphones in this price bracket offer.

Versatile cameras

The Galaxy M17 also stands out with its camera system. It features a triple rear camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor, a 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro camera. While the sensor sizes may not seem particularly impressive on paper, the inclusion of an ultra-wide camera adds a level of versatility that has largely disappeared from this segment due to rising component costs. To make matters worse, newer rivals such as the OnePlus N6x ship with a downgraded 13MP primary camera, a trend that could soon become the norm across budget smartphones.

The Samsung smartphone also features a 13MP front-facing camera, which is superior to most offerings in the segment. The M17 is capable of delivering natural outputs, if not detailed, in well-lit environments.

Longevity

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However, these are not the biggest reasons that make the Samsung Galaxy M17 a compelling buy for its price. That distinction goes to its software. The smartphone ships with Android 15-based One UI 7 out of the box and is already eligible for an OTA update to Android 16 with One UI 8. More importantly, Samsung has promised six years of Android OS and security updates, ensuring the Galaxy M17 remains supported until 2031. This level of long-term software support is virtually unmatched in the segment and significantly enhances the phone's overall value.

Decent performer, useful features

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How well the Galaxy M17 holds up over the long term remains to be seen. For now, it should offer enough performance for everyday tasks. The smartphone is powered by Samsung's 5G-capable Exynos 1330 chipset, which benchmarking tests reveal is on par with other offerings in the segment, including newer entrants. The smartphone's 5,000mAh battery, however, remains modest compared to its rivals. Having said that, given its focus on everyday use, it should comfortably last a full day on a single charge under typical usage, if not longer than that.

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Other highlights of the phone include a loud bottom-firing speaker, NFC for digital payments, user-expandable storage, 25W fast charging, flagship-grade Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, and an IP54 splash and dust resistance rating.

Final thoughts

The Samsung Galaxy M17 5G outshines many of its rivals with its FHD+ AMOLED display, an ultra-wide camera, and class-leading software support, features that are now more commonly found in smartphones priced above Rs 30,000. While its battery capacity remains slightly underwhelming, the Galaxy M17 5G continues to be an easy recommendation for buyers seeking a balanced smartphone.

However, we recommend choosing at least the 6GB RAM variant for better long-term usability.

This ninth-generation, facelifted 2026 Toyota Hilux fixes everything in the cabin that was wrong with the outgoing Hilux launched in 2022. Its cabin tech never matched its road presence, with a 7.8-inch touchscreen and wired-only phone mirroring. The 2026 facelifted version prices itself more aggressively too, at Rs 31.99 lakh for the entry 4X2 GX AT, Rs 33.69 lakh for the 4X4 GX AT, and Rs 36.69 lakh for the range-topping 4X4 VX AT. For something as recognisable as a pickup truck on Indian roads, the 2026 facelift pushes the "look at me" button even harder with a new "Cyber Sumo" design.

Design: A squatting Sumo wrestler

It entails a sculpted bonnet, wider grille and an even more muscular stance that, at least on the designer's sketch, looks like a squatting sumo wrestler ready for attack. Expect the same face on the next-gen Fortuner, whose spy shots already show an identical fascia grafted on, so whether you like it or not, it's going to get ubiquitous very soon on Indian roads.

[gallery link="file" columns="2" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" size="medium" ids="710411,710412"]

Cabin & Tech: Big jump, but with fine print

Step in and the new cabin is a genuine step up, literally and figuratively. More soft-touch materials all around, a crisp 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless CarPlay and Android Auto replacing that old 7.8-inch wired unit, Toyota's i-Connect suite, voice control, steering-mounted audio buttons and an 8-speaker system that's acceptable for this class. Even the manual AC controls feel appropriately chunky, built to the same high standard as the rest of the switchgear. Cupholders in front of the AC vents help cool drinks if iced Americano is your poison, and plenty of storage options make it a practical place. However, the wireless charging pad requires orthopaedic precision to place it right for charging and even extract it out of its position.

That manual climate control and a 7-inch digital cluster are among the few things this India-spec model has to live with compared to the global Hilux, which also gets Level 2 ADAS. Stranger still is Toyota's call to go with fabric seats, easier to stain on an off-roading day than leather, and steering that leans hydraulic rather than featherlight electric, going by the heft at parking speeds. The camera resolution is great though and something that you will need to manoeuvre this beast.

Off-Road: No contest

A 7-inch instrument cluster is rudimentary, but the Hilux is all about functionality. The hardware that matters, an Electronic Differential Lock, Toyota's Downhill Assist Control, and the H4/L4 lever for the 4WD system, are ergonomically spot on. On a specially built obstacle course, the Hilux made light work of axle breakers, articulation pits and steep ramps, its approach and departure angles and locking diff were more than up to the task. Out in the woods on the outskirts of Jaipur, we forged our own trails; river, boulder or loose mud, it was unstoppable in 4L. With a wading depth of 600mm, we couldn't find a stream or puddle deep enough to make us nervous. Through slushy and loose ground which would have many capable SUVs struggling for grip, the ATRAC (advanced traction control) on the Hilux is enough to get you out without even engaging the diff lock in most cases.

On the Road: Trail truck, not a tourer

Cargo capacity is rated at around 460kg, and the torquey 2.8-litre diesel's 204hp and 500Nm, paired exclusively with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic, shouldn't break a sweat even loaded up. On tarmac though, the ride is lumpy and the steering heavy; besides an excellent view out and a commanding driving position, there isn't much going for it as a highway carrier of four. The second row is tight and upright, built for short hauls and luggage at best.

Verdict

Use it the way it's meant to be used, and the Hilux has no competition in the segment. Toyota's decision to offer a base variant at Rs 31.99 lakh but restrict it to 4X2 is an odd one though; buyers who lust after a pickup truck rarely want the "sensible" choice. It's a bet in the opposite direction of its only rival too, the updated Isuzu D-Max V-Cross dropped its 4X2 option entirely for 2026, and still undercuts the Hilux by over Rs 6 lakh, but with some downgrades.

Editor's Rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Massive tech leap with new wireless touchscreen, i-Connect
• Genuinely unstoppable 4WD hardware and diff lock
• Sturdy switchgear, soft-touch cabin materials throughout
• Torquey, refined 2.8-litre diesel with 500Nm

Cons

• No ADAS or digital cluster versus global Hilux
• Heavy steering, lumpy ride on the highway
• Fabric seats, cramped second row for four

The ASUS ZenBook A14 made a strong impression when it debuted last year, offering a clean design, great battery life, and a premium build in a chassis that weighed under 1kg. It also marked ASUS' early push into the Windows on Arm space with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X platform. While we appreciated its Ceraluminum construction, vibrant OLED display, and everyday usability, performance wasn't always on par with similarly priced Intel, AMD, and Apple-powered alternatives.

For 2026, ASUS has introduced a refreshed model that retains the same sleek aesthetics, lightweight chassis, and overall feature set, with the biggest change coming under the hood. The laptop now packs Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, promising a boost in performance while maintaining the long battery life and portability that defined its predecessor. So, is the upgraded silicon enough to elevate the overall experience, or is it simply last year's ZenBook A14 with a faster processor? Let's find out.

Defining the ultraportable segment

The new 2026 ZenBook A14 carries forward the same understated design language featuring clean lines and rounded edges that feel modern without being flashy. Available in Beige and Iceland Gray colour options, the laptop continues to be constructed from ASUS' proprietary Ceraluminum material, which combines the durability of aluminium with a ceramic-like finish. The texture is unlike conventional aluminium and almost resembles plastic at first, yet it feels reassuringly premium while keeping fingerprints and minor scratches at bay.

Portability remains one of the ZenBook A14's biggest strengths. Weighing at just 990 grams and measuring only 13.4mm thick, it is among the lightest and slimmest 14-inch laptops available today. Whether you're travelling or simply moving between meetings, the laptop is effortless to carry around. Despite its featherweight construction, the chassis feels rigid, with very little flex in the keyboard deck or display lid.

Flip the laptop over, and you'll find long rubber feet stretching across much of the base, providing excellent grip on a desk. Like the 2025 model, the new ZenBook A14 also meets the US MIL-STD 810H military-grade standard for ruggedness. Essentially, ASUS has managed to strike an excellent balance between portability and structural integrity, making the notebook feel every bit as premium as its price suggests.

The ZenBook A14 also offers a practical selection of ports, including two USB 4.0 Type-C ports that support charging, DisplayPort output, and up to 40 Gbps high-speed data transfers, alongside a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port for connecting an external display. ASUS has also retained a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port for legacy accessories, as well as a 3.5mm headphone and microphone combo jack. While there's no dedicated SD card reader, the port selection should cover the essentials for most users.

The notebook also features a 1080p full HD webcam with an IR sensor for Windows Hello facial recognition. Image quality is good in well-lit environments, producing sharp footage with natural skin tones, while Qualcomm's AI-powered camera enhancements offer features such as auto framing, background blur, and eye contact during video calls. Low-light performance is average, but for meetings and everyday video conferencing, the webcam gets the job done.

Excellent OLED, held back by 60Hz

The ASUS ZenBook A14 features the same 14-inch WUXGA (1,920×1,200) OLED display as last year with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a standard 60Hz refresh rate. The panel covers 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, is Pantone Validated, and carries VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification. ASUS rates it at 400 nits of typical brightness and up to 600 nits while displaying HDR content.

Although ASUS hasn't equipped the ZenBook A14 with its latest-generation OLED panel, the display still delivers an excellent viewing experience. Colours are vibrant, blacks are deep, and contrast is superb, making everything from movies to photo editing look fantastic. The anti-glare coating is another welcome addition, helping cut down some of the reflections without significantly affecting image quality.

The biggest disappointment, however, is the 60Hz refresh rate. At a time when many premium ultraportables offer 120Hz panels, the ZenBook A14's display feels a step behind. Scrolling through webpages, navigating Windows, and even simple UI animations lack the fluidity we've come to expect in this price segment. It isn't a deal-breaker for productivity-focused users, but a higher refresh rate would have gone a long way towards making an already excellent OLED display feel truly premium.

A familiar keyboard that still delivers

Like its predecessor, the ZenBook A14 comes with a well-spaced keyboard with a 65% layout featuring 1.3mm of key travel and a sensible layout. The typing experience is comfortable, thanks to the keys' soft, cushioned feel and relatively quiet operation. Instead of offering a sharp, clicky response, the keys have a slightly spongy bottom-out that makes long typing sessions less fatiguing. The white backlighting is evenly illuminated and offers three brightness levels, while dedicated indicators for the microphone, camera, and Caps Lock are thoughtful additions.

Compared to some of ASUS' older ZenBook models, the keyboard feels more substantial and is well suited for users who spend a significant part of their day typing.

The generously sized glass touchpad is smooth to the touch, tracks finger movements accurately, and supports Windows Precision drivers. Multi-finger gestures, including three-finger swipes and pinch-to-zoom, worked consistently throughout our testing. ASUS has also integrated its familiar Smart Gestures, allowing you to adjust the display brightness and system volume by swiping along the edges of the touchpad, while a swipe along the top edge lets you scrub through videos. These shortcuts are intuitive once you get used to them and can be switched off using the MyASUS software.

Fast, efficient, and surprisingly capable

Coming to the performance, the new ASUS ZenBook A14 is powered by Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X2 Elite (X2E-88-100) SoC. It features an 18-core, 18-thread CPU with 53MB cache and boost clock speeds of up to 4.7GHz. It also comes with Qualcomm's new Hexagon NPU that is claimed to offer up to 80 TOPS of AI performance, enabling Microsoft's suite of Copilot+ PC features such as Recall, Click to Do, Paint Cocreator, and Windows Studio Effects.

The laptop also features 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD. While 16GB of RAM should be sufficient for the target audience, a 1TB SSD would have been more fitting for a premium laptop in this price bracket. That said, the ongoing DRAM and NAND supply crunch has likely played a role in ASUS opting for a smaller-capacity drive. In our CrystalDiskMark tests, it delivered sequential read and write speeds of 5,225MB/s and 3,454MB/s, respectively, resulting in quick boot times, fast file transfers, and snappy application launches.

In day-to-day use, the ZenBook A14 felt quite responsive. Whether it was juggling dozens of Chrome tabs, editing documents, attending video meetings, or working with multiple productivity apps simultaneously, the laptop handled everything without slowing down. Unless your workflow involves demanding creative applications or sustained heavy workloads, the ZenBook A14 has more than enough performance for everyday productivity. As for the ARM on Windows situation, throughout our testing we hardly encountered any app compatibility issues. That said, it may vary depending on the use case.

Synthetic benchmarks also paint a positive picture. For comparison, we benchmarked the ZenBook A14 against the HP OmniBook X 14, ASUS ZenBook S14, HP EliteBook X G2q 14 AI, and the Dell XPS 14 (2026). While Dell's flagship continues to hold an advantage in graphics-heavy workloads thanks to its Intel Arc GPU, the ZenBook A14 proves to be one of the strongest performers in CPU-centric tasks, making it an excellent choice for users who prioritise productivity, multitasking, and battery life over GPU-intensive workloads.

The Snapdragon X2 Elite delivered an impressive Geekbench 6 score of 3,722 in the single-core test and 19,677 in the multi-core test, comfortably outperforming the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H powered HP OmniBook X 14 and the Core Ultra 9 386H-equipped ASUS ZenBook S14 in multi-threaded workloads. It also leads the pack in Cinebench 2026, scoring 631 points in the single-core test and 5,740 points in the multi-core run, highlighting Qualcomm's improvements in both single-threaded responsiveness and sustained CPU performance.

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In terms of thermals, the ZenBook A14 does a pretty good job of keeping temperatures under control. Under sustained workloads such as benchmark runs and prolonged multitasking, the chassis never became uncomfortably hot, with heat largely confined to the upper section of the keyboard deck. The cooling system is also tuned conservatively, meaning the fans remain silent during everyday tasks and only become faintly audible under heavier CPU loads.

The downward-firing stereo speakers are another pleasant surprise. They deliver clear vocals and decent detail for a laptop this thin, making them suitable for watching movies, attending video calls, or listening to music. While bass is limited due to the compact chassis, the overall audio quality is well balanced with enough volume to comfortably fill a small room. Support for Dolby Atmos further enhances the listening experience, especially when using compatible headphones.

Endurance champion

Battery life continues to be one of the ZenBook A14's biggest strengths. ASUS has retained the same 70Wh battery from last year's model, but thanks to the efficiency of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 Elite processor, the laptop delivers outstanding endurance. In our PCMark 10 Video battery test, with the display brightness set to 80%, the ZenBook A14 lasted an impressive 22 hours and 8 minutes. That is one of the best results we've seen from a premium Windows ultraportable and comfortably ahead of most Intel-powered rivals in this segment.

The bundled charger has also received a small upgrade. ASUS now ships the ZenBook A14 with a 100W USB Type-C power adapter, replacing the 65W unit included with last year's model. While the higher wattage means it's slightly larger than its predecessor, it remains compact enough to slip into a backpack or laptop sleeve without adding much bulk. Since it uses the USB-C Power Delivery standard, the charger can also be used to top up smartphones, tablets, and other USB-C devices, making it a versatile travel companion and reducing the need to carry multiple adapters.

Final words

The 2026 ZenBook A14 isn't a radical departure from last year's model, but it doesn't need to be. ASUS has retained everything that made the original stand out while addressing one of its biggest shortcomings with the much faster Snapdragon X2 Elite processor. Add quiet thermals, solid everyday performance, and improved Windows on Arm compatibility, and the ZenBook A14 becomes one of the most complete ultraportables we've tested.

That said, the asking price of Rs 1,65,990 makes the ZenBook A14 extremely difficult to recommend, especially when it ships with a 60Hz display and a 512GB SSD. More importantly, it represents a significant jump over its predecessor, which started at around Rs 99,000 and topped out at roughly Rs 1.3 lakh for the Snapdragon X Elite variant.

At this price, the new ZenBook A14 competes with premium offerings such as the Apple MacBook Air M5, Dell XPS 14, HP OmniBook X 14, and ASUS' own ZenBook S14, all of which offer compelling reasons to choose them. If your priorities include portability, battery life, and a quiet computing experience, the ZenBook A14 remains an excellent choice. However, unless you specifically want one of the lightest Windows laptops on the market, it may be worth waiting for a price drop before taking the plunge.

Editor's rating: 7.5 / 10

Pros:

• Extremely lightweight and portable
• Class-leading battery life
• Clean aesthetics
• Snappy and responsive in daily use

Cons:

• 60Hz refresh rate display
• Only 512GB SSD
• Difficult to justify at this price

Sony Bravia 9 II — Best Overall TV in India

Why We Picked It

The Sony Bravia 9 II is our top overall TV pick because it delivered the most consistent, reference-grade picture performance across SDR content upscaling, native 4K HDR playback, and daytime living room viewability.

Its True RGB Mini-LED Backlight MasterDrive Pro engine virtually eliminates blooming around high-contrast objects while outputting incredible peak light levels. Combined with Sony's Cognitive Processor XR and seamless PlayStation 5 auto-calibration features (Auto HDR Tone Mapping and Auto Genre Picture Mode), the Bravia 9 II achieves a near-perfect balance of cinematic picture accuracy, robust audio, and responsive Google TV software.

What truly sets the Bravia 9 II apart as our overall winner is its ability to deliver an uncompromising, master-class experience across every single test metric without a weak link. Whether it's upscaling standard-definition TV channels, handling high-octane live sports with flawless motion, or rendering ultra-bright HDR highlights next to deep shadows without distracting backlight glow, it offers the most versatile, polished, and top-tier picture performance money can buy in India today.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Cognitive Processor XR
• Display: 4K True RGB Mini-LED (VA Panel)
• Audio: 80W Acoustic Multi-Audio+ with Frame Tweeter
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native
• Ports: 4 x HDMI (2 x HDMI 2.1 full bandwidth)
• OS: Google TV (Android 14)

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
• Industry-leading motion interpolation and lower-resolution upscaling.
• Exceptional peak brightness with OLED-like local dimming accuracy.
• Rich, immersive built-in audio system reduces the need for an external soundbar.
• Cons:
• Only two HDMI ports support full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth.
• Extremely high price point.

LG G6 — Best Premium OLED TV in India

Why We Picked It

The LG G6 is our best premium OLED recommendation for film enthusiasts and design-conscious buyers who want reference black levels alongside unprecedented panel brightness.

Driven by the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3, the G6 leverages a Primary RGB Tandem OLED panel to boost peak highlights without sacrificing colour purity. Its ultra-flush Gallery Design mounts flat against the wall, while webOS 26 with integrated AI search makes content discovery seamless. Furthermore, support for 165Hz VRR provides unmatched headroom for high-end PC gaming setups.

The LG G6 takes the crown for premium OLEDs by solving the technology's single historical compromise: peak brightness. By pairing groundbreaking Tandem OLED panel architecture with LG's most advanced processor to date, it achieves dazzling, searing highlight output while retaining the absolute pixel-level blacks, infinite contrast, and razor-thin aesthetic that make OLED the undisputed king of visual immersion.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Alpha 11 AI Processor 4K Gen 3
• Display: 4K Primary RGB Tandem WOLED (OLED evo)
• Audio: 60W 4.2-Channel with Virtual 11.1.2 Up-mixing
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native (Up to 165Hz VRR)
• Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1 (48Gbps)
• OS: webOS 26 (with Google Gemini integration)

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
• Class-leading OLED brightness combined with absolute zero black levels.
• Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports with support for up to 165Hz VRR.
• Ultra-thin flush wall-mount aesthetic ideal for premium living spaces.
• Cons:
• Does not ship with a tabletop stand in the box (sold separately).
• High cost.

Samsung Neo QLED QN80H — Best QLED TV in India

Why We Picked It

The Samsung Neo QLED QN80H is our top QLED recommendation for users with sunlit or brightly lit living rooms who require intense SDR/HDR panel output and robust anti-glare filtering.

Its NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor utilises 20 neural networks to analyse picture scenes in real time, enhancing fine details and optimising colour tone mapping. PANTONE Validated colour fidelity guarantees vibrant visuals, while Samsung's 7-year Tizen OS update guarantee ensures long-term software security and app support.

The Neo QLED QN80H earns its title as the ultimate QLED because it is purpose-built to conquer the real-world conditions of typical Indian living rooms. With incredible full-screen sustained brightness, aggressive anti-reflection panel coatings, and vibrant PANTONE-certified colour volume, it maintains a crisp, vivid, and punchy picture even with full afternoon sunlight streaming directly onto the display.

Key Specifications

• Processor: NQ4 AI Gen2 Processor
• Display: 4K Neo QLED (Quantum Mini-LED)
• Audio: 30W OTS Lite + Dolby Atmos
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz Native
• Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1 (4K 144Hz, eARC)
• OS: Tizen OS (7-Year OS Upgrade Guarantee)

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
• 7 years of committed Tizen OS software upgrades.
• Bright output and effective glare management for daytime viewing.
• All four HDMI ports support 4K 144Hz gaming with FreeSync Premium Pro.
• Cons:
• No native support for Dolby Vision (limited to HDR10+).

Xiaomi TV S Mini LED Series — Best Value TV in India

Why We Picked It

The Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 75-inch is our top value TV pick because it delivers a true QD-Mini LED panel with 512 local dimming zones and 1200 nits claimed peak brightness at a ground-breaking price point of Rs 99,999.

In our review, it demonstrated exceptional contrast control, vibrant Quantum Dot colours, and punchy Dolby Vision HDR performance that easily rivals far costlier large-screen displays. Packed with a loud 34W quad-speaker setup, Google TV with PatchWall+, and Apple AirPlay 2 support, it offers the ultimate big-screen cinema-at-home experience for buyers on a budget.

What makes the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED our definitive value champion is how drastically it disrupts big-screen pricing without cutting corners on core visual tech. Offering a massive 75-inch QD-Mini LED display featuring 512 local dimming zones and over 1,000 nits of peak brightness at under ₹1,00,000 provides a flagship-tier home theatre footprint at a fraction of the cost of its direct competitors.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Quad-Core Cortex-A55
• Display: 75-inch 4K QD-Mini LED (512 Local Dimming Zones)
• Audio: 34W Quad Speakers with Dolby Audio & DTS:X
• Refresh Rate: 60Hz Native (120Hz Game Boost via DLG at 1080p)
• RAM/Storage: 2GB RAM / 32GB ROM
• OS: Google TV with PatchWall+ (Supports Apple AirPlay 2 & Chromecast)

Pros & Cons

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

TCL C8K — Best TV for Movies in India

Why We Picked It

The TCL C8K is our best recommendation for home theatre movie enthusiasts due to its staggering 4500 nits claimed peak brightness, local dimming zones, and reference cinematic audio tuning.

Engineered with TCL's TSR AiPQ Pro Processor, the C8K resolves delicate visual highlights in complex HDR films while maintaining deep, inky shadow details. Its integrated Bang & Olufsen sound system outputs spacious multi-channel audio, earning it IMAX Enhanced certification for high-bitrate movie reproduction.

The TCL C8K stands as the ultimate cinematic display because it replicates the high-impact dynamic range and audio presence of a commercial movie theatre right in your home. Boasting astounding peak brightness, over 2,000 dimming zones for pristine shadow depth, and direct multi-channel Bang & Olufsen sound, it extracts every ounce of detail and emotion from high-bitrate HDR film master tracks.

Key Specifications

• Processor: TSR AiPQ Pro Processor
• Display: 4K QD-Mini LED (2176 Local Dimming Zones)
• Audio: 90W 6.2.2 Channel Hi-End System by Bang & Olufsen
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz Native (288Hz DLG Mode)
• Ports: 4 x HDMI (2 x HDMI 2.1)
• OS: Google TV

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
• Blinding peak brightness provides unmatched HDR highlight impact.
• Universal HDR support (Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced).
• Built-in Bang & Olufsen multi-channel sound output.
• Cons:
• Enabling 288Hz high-refresh mode cuts vertical resolution in half.
• Chassis is thick and heavy, requiring sturdy wall mounting anchors.

LG C6 OLED — Best Gaming TV in India

Why We Picked It

The LG C6 OLED is our top recommendation for gamers because it combines four full-bandwidth 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 ports, sub-5ms input lag, and perfect black levels into an all-round package.

Driven by the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3, the C6 offers seamless integration with PS5, Xbox Series X, and high-end PCs via G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. Its Game Optimiser menu allows real-world on-the-fly toggling of frame rate displays, shadow detail, and VRR settings without pausing gameplay.

The LG C6 OLED is the undisputed gaming champion because it treats high-performance gaming as a primary discipline rather than an afterthought. Featuring near-instantaneous response times, four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, low sub-5ms input lag, and support for up to 165Hz VRR alongside a dedicated Game Optimiser HUD, it delivers the smoothest, most responsive, and visually stunning input experience available for both consoles and high-end gaming PCs.

Key Specifications

• Processor: Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen 3
• Display: 4K Ultra HD OLED evo
• Audio: 40W 2.2-Channel Dolby Atmos
• Refresh Rate: 120Hz Native (Up to 165Hz VRR)
• Ports: 4 x HDMI 2.1 (4K 120Hz/165Hz, eARC, ALLM, VRR)
• OS: webOS 26

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
• Four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports for multiple gaming setups.
• Instantaneous response time eliminates ghosting in fast-action gaming.
• Comprehensive Game Optimiser software dashboard.
• Cons:
• Overall room brightness potential is lower than premium Mini-LED models.
• Requires static HUD management to prevent long-term image retention.

Lumio Vision 9 — Best Budget TV in India

Why We Picked It

The Lumio Vision 9 (2026) is our top budget recommendation because it combines native 4K 144Hz high-refresh performance, MediaTek Pentonic 700 processing, and QD-Mini LED technology at an affordable price.

In our review, its EVA (Enhanced Vertical Alignment) panel delivered outstanding SDR colour fidelity (99.8% Rec. 709) and wide viewing angles. Backed by 3GB RAM running Android 14, two full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports (supporting 4K 120Hz/144Hz and 1080p 240Hz), a low 9.7ms input lag, and a 50W 2.2-channel hexa-driver audio system with dual subwoofers, it sets a high benchmark for budget performance.

The Lumio Vision 9 dominates the budget category by offering premium, enthusiast-grade display features that are virtually unheard of at its price point. Packing native 4K 144Hz high-refresh capabilities, full 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 connectivity, snappier processing via the Pentonic 700 chip, and a 50W speaker setup with dual subwoofers under ₹75,000, it reshapes what buyers can expect from an entry-level TV purchase.

Key Specifications

• Processor: MediaTek Pentonic 700 (3GB DDR4 RAM / 64GB Storage)
• Display: 65-inch 4K QD-Mini LED (EVA VA Panel, 800 nits peak, 7,000:1 native contrast)
• Audio: 50W DGS 2.2 Hexa-Driver System (Dual Subwoofers) with Dolby Atmos
• Refresh Rate: 144Hz Native (Up to 1080p 240Hz for PC)
• Ports: 3 x HDMI (2 x HDMI 2.1 48Gbps, eARC, VRR, ALLM)
• OS: Google TV (Android 14) with Lumio TLDR Content Hub

Pros & Cons

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

Winners at a glance

FAQs

1. Which is the best overall TV in India?

The Sony Bravia 9 II is the best overall TV in India. It combines Sony's Cognitive Processor XR with a True RGB Mini-LED engine, delivering unbeatable upscaling, blooming control, and accurate picture quality across all types of content.

2. Which TV is best for console gaming in India?

The LG C6 OLED is the best gaming TV in India. It features four full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports, 4.5ms input lag, native 120Hz/165Hz VRR support, and perfect black levels for HDR games on PS5, Xbox Series X, and high-end PCs.

3. Which TV offers the best value for money under ₹1,00,000?

The Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 75-inch offers the best value for money, providing a massive 75-inch QD-Mini LED display with 512 local dimming zones, 1200 nits peak brightness, and Dolby Vision support at ₹99,999.

4. Is QLED or OLED better for bright living rooms in India?

QLED and Mini-LED TVs like the Samsung Neo QLED QN80H are generally better for brightly lit Indian living rooms with large windows, as they achieve higher full-screen sustained brightness and resist glare better than standard OLEDs.

5. How do I choose the right TV screen size for my room?

A quick rule of thumb for 4K TVs is to divide your viewing distance (in inches) by 1.2 to 1.5. For a viewing distance of 6 to 8 feet, a 55-inch or 65-inch screen is ideal. For distances of 8 to 10+ feet, a 75-inch or 85-inch display is recommended to fully experience 4K resolution.

6. Is OLED burn-in still a major risk in 2026?

No. Modern OLED panels (such as LG's OLED evo and Samsung's QD-OLED) come equipped with multi-layered protective hardware and software solutions like Pixel Refresh, Screen Shift, and AI Logo Brightness Limiting. Permanent image retention is extremely rare unless static content (like news tickers) is left running continuously for 10+ hours every day.

7. What is the difference between native 120Hz/144Hz and DLG "Game Boost" modes?

A native 120Hz/144Hz panel physically refreshes the screen up to 144 times per second at full 4K resolution, making it ideal for current-gen consoles and PC gaming. DLG (Dual Line Gate) software tricks a 60Hz panel into displaying 120Hz by cutting the vertical resolution in half (usually to 1080p), resulting in smoother motion at the expense of crispness.

8. Which smart TV operating system is best for Indian users (Google TV, webOS, Tizen)?

Google TV (Android 14) offers the widest app ecosystem, seamless voice control via Google Assistant, and native casting via Chromecast/AirPlay. LG's webOS is praised for its quick Magic Remote pointer interface, while Samsung's Tizen OS provides long-term support with up to 7 years of OS updates. For most Indian households reliant on diverse regional OTT apps, Google TV offers the most seamless integration.

9. What is the best budget 65-inch Mini-LED TV under ₹70,000?

The Lumio Vision 9 (65-inch) takes the top spot in this bracket, offering native 4K 144Hz refresh rates, MediaTek Pentonic 700 processing, 48Gbps HDMI 2.1 ports, and a punchy 50W audio setup with dual subwoofers at an effective price of ₹64,999.

10. Do I still need an external soundbar if my TV supports Dolby Atmos?

While premium TVs like the Lumio Vision 9 (50W dual subwoofer) and TCL C8K (90W Bang & Olufsen system) pack impressive built-in speakers, most ultra-thin LED and OLED TVs have physical cabinet constraints that limit bass response. If you want true cinematic sub-bass or height-channel surround sound, connecting a dedicated eARC-compatible soundbar or HTIB system is still highly recommended.

While OnePlus is winding down operations in North America and Europe, the brand has reaffirmed that India remains a highly important market and will continue to launch a wide range of products. With such strong assurance, OnePlus remains a competent player in the market, and its phones continue to stay relevant, such as the OnePlus 15R. Launched in December 2025 at Rs 47,999, the phone's price has since increased to Rs 59,999 due to the industry-wide memory shortage, a situation that has forced most brands to follow the same path.

Along with the price hikes, the OnePlus 15R has also received several software updates over the course of seven months, making it a more polished device since its release. So, if you've been planning to get one and are wondering how it has fared over time? Find out in this long-term review.

Clean and subtle design

When the OnePlus 15R launched late last year, its rear design made huge headlines for adopting a minimal, subtle camera module over the OnePlus 13R's circular, bold camera island. Depending on how you perceive this move, there's no denying that the 15R's rear panel with the compact, metallic camera housing continues to look extremely clean.

Moving on, the aluminium frame and glass back panel instil great confidence when using the OnePlus 15R caseless. Although the panel's matte finish makes the device prone to slipping from hands when not held firmly, the Mint Breeze colourway has such a calm and soothing appearance that it's hard to get tired of it. For those seeking something classic, there's the Charcoal Black variant, while the Electric Violet could suit those willing to stand out.

Weighing between 213 and 219 grams, depending on the colour variant, the OnePlus 15R certainly weighs heavier than smartphones launched after it, such as the iQOO 15R (202g) and Xiaomi 17T (200g), both with 6.59-inch displays, while the Moto Edge 70 Max is bulkier at 221g. That said, the OnePlus 15R may not fare well with users coming from handy or small-sized phones despite the premium build.

Durability

The OnePlus 15R is the first "R" series phone from OnePlus to feature full IP66, IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings, offering the same strong protection against dust and high-pressure water as the OnePlus 15. While the front Corning Gorilla Glass 7i has picked up some minor scratches over months of use, the rear glass still looks pristine. I've even washed the phone directly under a running tap, and it continues to work flawlessly.

Smoothest display experience in its class

The major highlight of the OnePlus 15R's display continues to be its 165Hz refresh rate support, which still makes it the only phone in its price class to offer it. Unfortunately, as was the case at launch, the panel is mostly limited to 120Hz in all scenarios except certain games. Despite this restriction, scrolling and operating the phone is as silky as it gets. After the OPPO Find X9 Ultra and OnePlus 15, the OnePlus 15R is the smoothest phone I have used this year.

As for the 6.83-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel's colour output, it delivers vivid, highly detailed tones, making content viewing an enjoyable experience. No complaints here whatsoever. I recently binge-watched the highly acclaimed animated movie Flow (available on Prime Video) on the OnePlus 15R, and the highlights, contrast, and black points were all on point.

Despite the price hike to Rs 59,999, the OnePlus 15R's display doesn't hold back in offering a top-tier experience, regardless of the content you view on it daily, including YouTube videos, OTT content, social media posts, or gallery media. On top of this, the stereo speakers produce loud and crisp output.

Potent performance powerhouse

As the first smartphone powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, the OnePlus 15R performs remarkably well in daily use, whether for gaming or the usual tasks, such as multitasking, chatting, scrolling through apps, fiddling with the animations, etc.

While the iQOO 15R and Motorola Edge 70 Max, both with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, come close to offering a fluid experience, the OnePlus 15R's hardware and software combination remains unmatched, as the phone shows no signs of stuttering and its animations are highly responsive. While I'll cover this in more detail in the software section, I feel OxygenOS utilises the maximum potential of the chipset to offer a leading, well-refined experience.

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The OnePlus 15R can run certain games at 165Hz refresh rates, such as popular titles from Supercell like Clash Royale and Clash of Clans, Call of Duty: Mobile, and BGMI, with the latter using frame interpolation to add more frames in real time. Having left playing Clash Royale years ago, I installed it on the OnePlus 15R to assess the experience at 165Hz, and the phone didn't disappoint. Every scroll and flick was buttery smooth, with animations that looked spectacularly fluid, though the difference isn't significant from 120Hz.

[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="41310,42264,41748,41713," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Moving on to CODM, after playing two consecutive Multiplayer matches of around eight minutes each, the phone's temperature stayed around 40 degrees Celsius, while the frame rate remained consistently above 160 fps throughout the session. With the strong hardware and excellent optimisation on offer, it's safe to say the OnePlus 15R will continue to deliver a great experience even several years from now. This has personally been my experience with previous OnePlus phones, including the OnePlus 12, 12R, and Nord 5.

OxygenOS keeps getting better, but not for long

While OxygenOS 17 will not see the light of day, since OnePlus smartphones will jump ship to ColorOS starting with Android 17, the OnePlus 15R's software has only improved since its launch. Launched with OxygenOS 16, the device came packed with immense homescreen and lockscreen customisability, nifty productivity and imaging AI features, dozens of improved animations, and detailed light and shadow effects throughout the interface.

[caption id="attachment_710139" align="alignnone" width="1194"] OxygenOS 16's lockscreen customisation[/caption]

Just a couple of months back, the OxygenOS 16.0.7 update (dubbed OxygenOS 16.1 internally) brought brand new features, such as Live Space, contour glow, easy homescreen and app drawer management, a revamped Camera app, new AI translation functionalities, and more. While we've covered every new addition of the update in a dedicated article, I was particularly impressed by the smooth interactivity of Live Space, OxygenOS' take on live activities on the lockscreen.

[caption id="attachment_710138" align="alignnone" width="900"] Live Space on OxygenOS 16.0.7[/caption]

That said, the OnePlus 15R's software is as fun to use as it was on day one. While OxygenOS 16 may have its quirks, such as notifications disappearing from the lockscreen when the phone is unlocked, it's one of the most refined, fluid, and feature-rich Android skins out there.

The Android 17-based ColorOS 17 update will be the OnePlus 15R's first major OS upgrade. It is expected to arrive in stable form within a few months, after which the phone will receive three additional Android updates. While this level of software support is fairly nominal for a device priced around Rs 60,000, rivals like the Vivo X200T promise five OS upgrades and the Motorola Signature offers seven, both faring better than the OnePlus 15R.

Battery built for heavy use

Running on an large 7,400mAh battery, the OnePlus 15R has held up pretty well in terms of offering multi-day endurance. In our last in-house test, the OnePlus 15R clocked over 18 hours on the PCMark Battery Drain test, an impressive feat in our books. In real-world use, the battery life is equally good, with the phone offering as high as 12 hours of screen on time on a full charge within a 24-hour period.

For a better understanding, here are the day-wise battery stats we've achieved during regular use of the OnePlus 15R:

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The usage largely included watching movies or YouTube videos, playing games for several minutes a day, scrolling Instagram, and replying to WhatsApp messages. Even with heavy use, without extensive gaming, the OnePlus 15R can easily stretch through 1.5 days on a single charge, with location, Bluetooth, mobile data, and WiFi enabled for the whole time. Even without LTPO technology on the display, which was present on the 13R, the 15R's massive battery makes up for it.

After the iQOO 15R (7,600mAh), the OnePlus 15R offers the largest battery in the sub-Rs 60,000 segment, a capacity that should suffice for most use cases even when pushed to its limits. With 80W fast charging on board, the device fully charges from 20 percent within just 50 minutes, per our lab tests.

Capable cameras that lack versatility

One of the biggest criticisms the OnePlus 15R received from the tech fraternity during its launch was the removal of the 50MP 2x telephoto lens found on the OnePlus 13R. While the criticism was somewhat valid, the telephoto camera on the 13R had a small sensor size and lacked OIS. To make up for this, OnePlus has significantly improved the 2x digital crop quality on the 15R with the help of its proprietary imaging pipeline, DetailMax Engine.

Rocking a 50MP Sony IMX906 primary camera with a 1/1.57-inch sensor size, I found that shots taken at 2x zoom are pleasantly good, with decent level of detail and contrasty tones. However, with the lack of a telephoto lens, in-sensor crop using 2x doesn't result in the best edge detection. As for the primary camera, how does it continue to fare in 1x? The outputs carry sufficient clarity in daylight, the dynamic range is well balanced, and the highlight control in the background is also neatly done.

The 8MP ultrawide is useful for capturing wide perspectives of a given scene, while the details fall behind considerably compared to the main camera. Even though the cameras aren't the OnePlus 15R's strong suit, OnePlus has made sure that the most crucial lens, the 50MP primary camera, performs well in most scenarios and lighting conditions.

Here are some fresh camera samples taken on the OnePlus 15R on the latest firmware update as of July 31st:

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Is the OnePlus 15R still worth buying?

The OnePlus 15R is a capable powerhouse that offers an excellent gaming experience, immersive entertainment, fluid software, a reliable primary camera, and top-notch battery life. This makes it a perfectly safe bet for 90 percent of the users out there looking for a phone around Rs 60,000 in mid-2026.

Since it omits a telephoto lens and wireless charging, the OnePlus 15R comes really close to offering the same experience as the OnePlus 15, which now sits at Rs 85,999 after the price hikes, making it a much more suitable pick if camera flexibility isn't your top priority.
Speaking of which, the Vivo X200T and Xiaomi 17T stand as solid alternatives for photography enthusiasts and hobbyists, though you miss out on a large battery and the unique software perks OxygenOS carries.

With memory prices rising constantly, the mid-range battleground has shifted, and Rs 40,000 now marks the sweet spot where you get decent value without stretching your budget. At this price, phones bring better chipsets, larger batteries, improved cameras, and longer software support than ever before. That also makes it harder to pick the right one, since each brand is prioritising different strengths.

This list highlights the front-runners in the sub-Rs 40,000 segment across five key areas: overall balance, performance, cameras, software, and battery. We based these picks on real-world testing, benchmarks, and daily usage, so you can make an informed decision based on what matters most to you.

*Winners and prices as of 30 July, 2026

If you want a balanced phone, the Motorola Edge 70 Pro is the best all‑rounder; if performance matters most, the Redmi Turbo 5 is the one to go for. Camera‑focused buyers should look at the Nothing Phone (4a), while anyone who wants the longest battery life will find the Vivo T5 Pro hard to beat. And if software support is your main concern, the Samsung Galaxy A27 is easily the best option at this price point. So the "best" phone really depends on what you care about most.

Motorola Edge 70 Pro — Best overall

Price: Rs 39,999 for 8GB + 256GB

Why we chose it

The Motorola Edge 70 Pro wins this category because it covers the basics well without forcing big compromises. It uses an ultra-slim design and a bright, colour-rich AMOLED display that looks good for daily use and media. The MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Extreme handles both demanding and routine tasks smoothly, and the 6,500mAh battery lasts a full day even with heavy use. Its 90W fast-charge support is extremely convenient when you need a quick top-up.

Low-light photos come out clean and detailed, which helps in common shooting scenarios. It doesn't include wireless charging and a dedicated telephoto lens, and its software update promise is shorter than some rivals, but it still offers the most balanced mix of design, display, battery, and everyday performance in this price range.

Redmi Turbo 5 — Best performance

Price: Rs 37,999 for 8GB + 256GB

Why we chose it

If you game a lot or push apps hard, the Redmi Turbo 5 (review) gives you the most consistent performance under Rs 40,000. It runs the MediaTek Dimensity 8500 Ultra with up to 12GB LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 256GB UFS 4.1 storage, the same chipset family used in the Xiaomi 17T. Redmi backs this with its 3D Ice Loop Cooling system, which uses a 5,300 mm² stainless steel layer and a graphite layer that the company says improves thermal management by 3x over a normal vapour chamber.

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In practice, this keeps frame rates steady, and the phone held 120 fps in BGMI and COD: Mobile with Wild Boost on. Our Burnout test shows it sustains peak CPU performance a bit better than rivals, and its AnTuTu and Geekbench scores rank near the top in this price range. The phone does get warm near the camera module during long sessions, and it's not the most thermally efficient overall, but it delivers the best high-performance experience for gamers under Rs 40,000.

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Nothing Phone (4a) — Best cameras

Price: Rs 39,999 for 8GB + 128GB

Why we chose it

The Nothing Phone (4a) (review) takes the crown here because it adds a proper periscope telephoto lens that most phones in this range skip. It uses a 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with OIS and a tetra-prism design, giving you 3.5x optical zoom (around 80mm) for portraits with accurate colours, clean subject separation, and natural bokeh. The telephoto lens also works as a macro sensor and supports up to 70x zoom, but both need very steady hands and the 70x shots lose fine detail.

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The 50MP main camera keeps colours close to real life, though fine textures can look soft and shadows lose depth in tougher lighting. The 8MP ultrawide pushes contrast and saturation for a punchy look, and the 32MP front camera struggles with skin tones and detail, but the telephoto advantage still makes it the best camera pick here.

Samsung Galaxy A27 — Best software

Price: Rs 34,999 for 8GB + 128GB

Why we chose it

No other phone under Rs 40,000 matches the Galaxy A27 5G's (review) software support: it ships with One UI 8.5 (Android 16) and promises six years of OS updates plus six years of security patches. This 6+6 commitment keeps the phone current and secure long after rivals stop getting updates. One UI feels clean and well-organised, with less bloat than older versions and fewer pre-installed apps than the Realme 16 or Redmi Turbo 5.

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Samsung's interface stays simple and familiar, so most users can get used to it quickly. The AI suite also punches above its weight, with Circle to Search supporting multi-object selection, on-device photo edits, AI call tools like live transcription and call captions, and on-device access to Gemini, Bixby, and Perplexity.

Vivo T5 Pro — Best battery

Price: Rs 35,999 for 8GB + 128GB

Why we chose it

Battery life is the Vivo T5 Pro's (review) strongest point, and it leans hard into that strength with a 9,020mAh cell that feels closer to a power bank than a typical phone. Thanks to Vivo's 4th‑gen silicone‑anode tech, the phone stays light despite the huge battery, and in daily use it easily clears two days with around six hours of screen‑on time. Very heavy users can still expect about 1.5 days before needing a charge, and standby drain sits around 2 percent overnight.

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In gaming, the battery drops just 5 percent over 45 minutes, and an hour of YouTube playback costs only about 4 percent. Charging keeps up with 90W support, filling the battery from 20 to 100 percent in under an hour, so you won't spend much time plugged in.

FAQs

Is it wise to buy a 2025 phone under Rs 40,000 in 2026?
Yes, if the price has dropped and the core hardware still holds up. With memory costs pushing prices up, many 2025 models in the sub‑Rs 40,000 range now offer better value than several new launches at similar prices.

Should I prioritise specs or software updates under Rs 40,000?
If you upgrade every two years, focus on chipset, camera, display and battery. If you plan to keep the phone for four to five years, long‑term OS updates, security patches and a clean UI matter just as much as raw specs.

How long can I realistically use these phones?
All the phones in this list should comfortably last 3–5 years with regular updates, decent battery health and enough storage for everyday use. You won't feel forced to upgrade just because the software or hardware feels outdated too soon.

Are sale offers and bank discounts worth waiting for in this market?
Yes, but don't wait indefinitely. Predictable price drops are less common now, especially in the mid‑range. If you need a phone, it's better to buy when you see a solid deal, bank offer or exchange bonus rather than hold out for a big cut that may not come.

In the sub‑Rs 40,000 bracket, telephoto cameras are almost non‑existent. Most brands give you a big main sensor, a decent ultrawide, and then another auxiliary lens just to check the boxes. The Tecno Camon 50 Ultra (review) and the Nothing Phone (4a) (review) refuse to play that game. They're the only phones under Rs 40,000 currently that actually pack a proper telephoto lens into their camera setup, and that alone makes them rare finds in this price segment.

Given how uncommon that setup is, it makes sense to compare the two against each other. And that's exactly what we're doing here: running these two through the same photography tests and seeing which one delivers the better camera experience when it counts. We'll be shooting the same subjects in different scenarios, then comparing colour accuracy, detail retention, dynamic range, and portrait separation across both phones.

By the end of this story, you'll have a clear idea of the strengths and weaknesses of both phones' camera systems and which one suits your needs better. Let's get started!

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra vs Nothing Phone (4a): camera specs

Tecno Camon 50 Ultra vs Nothing Phone (4a): key scenarios

Daylight

In daylight scenes, the Camon 50 Ultra's shots look a little washed out with a low contrast level. The Phone (4a), meanwhile, does a much better job in delivering a cohesive image with more appealing colours. In terms of detail level, Phone (4a) is a step behind its peer, Tecno, which offers a sharper, more detailed picture. I personally prefer the Nothing Phone (4a)'s shot in daylight scenarios.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Tecno-CAMON-50-Ultra-cameras-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Nothing-Phone-4a-cameras-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Tecno Camon 50 Ultra " after="Nothing Phone (4a) "]

Ultrawide

Turning to the ultra-wide shot, both phones undergo a major colour shift. The Phone (4a) is the one that struggles with contrast level and washed-out colours, while the Tecno's image is more vibrant and contrast-heavy. The Camon 50 Ultra maintains its superiority in terms of detail level, and its final output matches its daylight counterpart more closely, so it wins the current round.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Tecno-CAMON-50-Ultra-cameras-ultrawide-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Nothing-Phone-4a-cameras-ultrawide-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Tecno Camon 50 Ultra " after="Nothing Phone (4a) "]

Portrait

Both phones perform quite decently in portrait modes at their individual optical lengths. The Camon 50 Ultra's optical limit is 70mm, while the Phone (4a) has a higher limit of 85mm. The Camon 50 Ultra's shot is more detailed in terms of facial features and textures while keeping the colours more in line with the actual scene. The Phone (4a)'s image is slightly warmer in comparison, while the edge detection is on par for both. My final vote goes to the Camon 50 Ultra in this round since it delivers a more cohesive image.

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Selfie

The Nothing Phone (4a)'s selfie shows true-to-life colours, be it skin tone, the background environment or the subject's clothes. On the other hand, the Camon 50 Ultra's image is significantly more detailed and sharper, although its colour accuracy isn't as good as its rival. This round is a tie since both phones do different things really well, and it comes down to personal preferences.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Tecno-CAMON-50-Ultra-cameras-selfie-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Nothing-Phone-4a-cameras-selfie-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Tecno Camon 50 Ultra" after="Nothing Phone (4a) "]

3x Zoom

The zoom performance on both phones is largely consistent with their daylight performance. The Nothing Phone (4a)'s image delivers better contrast and colours, but its details aren't as rich as its rival's. The Camon 50 Ultra lags a little behind in terms of visual impact, but zoom in closer, and you'll note that its image is highly detailed and quite a bit sharper than its rival. While my vote goes to the Camon 50 Ultra since I can adjust colours in post-processing, details are hard to recapture via tools.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Tecno-CAMON-50-Ultra-cameras-3x-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Nothing-Phone-4a-cameras-3x-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Tecno Camon 50 Ultra" after="Nothing Phone (4a) "]

Low light (nightmode)

With the dedicated night mode enabled on both phones, the actual scene looks closer to the Camon 50 Ultra's image in terms of colour accuracy. The Nothing Phone (4a)'s image definitely has a good visual impact, but when you zoom a little, the details in the frame start to fall apart. The detail level and sharpness are much better on the Camon's image, keeping it in the lead for night shots.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Tecno-CAMON-50-Ultra-cameras-nightmode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Nothing-Phone-4a-cameras-nightmode-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Tecno Camon 50 Ultra" after="Nothing Phone (4a) "]

Conclusion

After running these two through multiple scenarios, the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra (review) comes out as the clear winner, with four rounds won, with the selfie round ending in a tie. If we talk about its rival, Nothing's colour science is clearly the stronger of the two. The Nothing Phone (4a)'s (review) daylight and 3x images have better contrast, more natural tones and a more pleasing overall look. But when you factor in detail level, sharpness and consistency across the board, the Camon 50 Ultra is technically superior, especially in ultrawide, portrait, zoom and night mode.

In day‑to‑day shooting, both phones feel roughly similar in terms of responsiveness, with comparable shutter speeds. I found Tecno's camera UI slightly more intuitive, while the Nothing Phone (4a) held up a bit better under direct sunlight. In my experience, the Camon 50 Ultra started to lag sooner than its rival when shooting for extended periods in an high-heat environment.

Which phone you pick in the end still depends on your use case. If you prioritise ready‑to‑share photos with pleasing colours and don't zoom in much, the Nothing Phone (4a) will feel more satisfying. If you care more about resolution, texture, details and the ability to crop or edit later, the Tecno Camon 50 Ultra is the better choice. Both these phones are currently selling in India, starting at Rs 39,999.

Meanwhile, Nothing has announced a Rs 3,000 price hike for the Phone (4a), which will come into effect on August 1st.

The new POCO M8 Power seems to be designed around one clear idea: make a phone that lasts. The company is pushing the 8,000mAh battery front and centre, pairing it with a tall OLED display and simple, practical hardware and a straightforward design. I've just spent some time unboxing the phone and getting a first feel for the software, display, and overall build.

In this first impressions piece, I'll walk you through what's in the box, how the phone looks and feels in hand, and what the initial experience is like. The phone is officially set to launch on August 4th in India.

Design

The POCO M8 Pro comes in a familiar POCO design language, with a large, protruding camera deco that immediately tells you what brand it belongs to. The rear panel curves gently into the frame, and the matte finish does a good job of keeping smudges and fingerprints at bay, which is handy on a phone this size.

On paper, the 225g weight sounds hefty, but the in-hand feel is surprisingly comfortable thanks to excellent weight distribution. It is a very tall device, so you need some time to get used to the height, especially if you have smaller hands. At the front you have Gorilla Glass 7i, which should add a reasonable level of protection for the display. Overall, it feels like a chunky, confident smartphone that stands out.

Up front, you get a 6.9-inch FHD+ AMOLED display that complements the phone's size well. Colours are punchy out of the box, and brightness levels are good enough that you can comfortably read and scroll outdoors without squinting, helped by POCO's Sunlight Display tuning and the 1800 nits peak brightness. 

The panel refreshes at 120Hz so scrolling and swipes feel responsive, and casual gaming benefits from the fast touch response. The phone features a single bottom-firing speaker for audio, which obviously will lack the depth and stereo separation that you get from dual speakers. However, it should be fine for a casual listening experience.

Specs at a glance

The POCO M8 Pro runs on the 4th Gen Snapdragon 4 Mobile Platform built on a 4nm process, paired with up to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and UFS 2.2 storage, and that combo aims to deliver a consistent output. In day-to-day use, the phone should hold up well, offering smooth app launches, social media scrolling, and routine multitasking.

The hardware on offer should be sufficient for most people who want a phone for calls, chats, reels, and some casual gaming at lower graphical settings. I'll have more to say on sustained performance and thermals once we've put it through a full set of benchmarks and longer gaming sessions.

On the software side, the POCO M8 Pro ships with Xiaomi HyperOS 3 based on Android 16, and Xiaomi is promising up to four years of Android updates and six years of security patches, which is very reassuring in terms of longevity. Out of the box, it feels like a reasonably snappy Android skin that should stay usable for several years.

On the camera front, the POCO M8 Power keeps things simple, with a single 50MP rear sensor and an 8MP selfie camera, both capped at 1080p video. It's a sparse setup by modern mid-range standards, but it does feel like a deliberate choice to keep the overall cost in check.

On the other hand, battery is clearly a highlight feature. You get an 8,000mAh silicon‑carbon cell with 45W fast charging and 22.5W reverse‑wired charging support. The phone's endurance claims are a bit ambitious, and we'll know more about how well it actually holds up once we've tested it thoroughly.

Final thoughts

POCO built the M8 Power around endurance and practicality. The handset packs a huge 8,000mAh battery, a tall OLED display, and a modest Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 chipset inside a bold, recognisable design. The camera setup is simple, and the specifications are a little more controlled to keep costs in check. Whether this balance actually pays off in real-world use is something we'll explore in our full review once we've tested its gaming, camera, battery, and overall performance in detail, so stay tuned for that.

For now, if battery life is your absolute top priority and you're considering a budget phone, this initial look suggests the M8 Power could be a strong contender.

Starting from Chandigarh, there was a distinct excitement in the air as the cars were being lined up in groups, similar to what any record-breaking feat would warrant, I assume. Not having broken any previous human endurance benchmarks, the comfortable confines of the Nissan Tekton T280 seemed to be an acceptable place to push my boundaries.

First contact: ADAS on the NH-205

The idea was to lead the largest convoy of a single production model all the way from Chandigarh to Leh, a journey of more than 700 km through some of the most picturesque landscapes anywhere on the planet. Also, some of the harshest environments for both man and machine, mind you.

Starting on the NH-205 out of the city and its well-marked four-lane infrastructure, I could immediately put the ADAS features to the test, like Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist, and most importantly, Traffic Sign Recognition, since each of the 60-plus drivers was responsible for their own accrued fines over the course of the drive. It wasn't an all-expenses-paid trip after all, but the Tekton's tech ensured I always erred on the side of caution.

Mandi: where Google earns its keep

First stop was Mandi, and the idea was to explore all the tech while we were within the folds of civilisation and network coverage. The built-in suite of Google services is a big calling card for the Tekton, especially in this segment, and it worked as advertised by keeping distracting options out of reach and only showing up certified "safe for automotive use" versions of the most popular apps, so they aren't distracting while on the move.

Of course, Google Maps and Google Gemini were the most used since we were on a clock, and digging into the bowels of the Google Play Store to find games and storytelling apps wasn't an option. The addition of Google Maps in the instrument cluster, right in the line of sight as a driver, is undeniably a feature that will be hard to live without, and driving on high-speed, unknown highways and mountain roads is where one tends to appreciate it the most.

Google Gemini, in this case, even works on car functions like climate controls, reading out calendar appointments, playing music on Spotify, etc, so it becomes a genuinely hands-free experience in natural language instead of robotic phrases.

Manali climb: steering, torque and paddle theatre

Moving on further upwards towards Manali, as the roads narrowed and the corners tightened, the finely tuned suspension and chassis balance of the Tekton flexed its anti-roll bars to keep the lunch firmly where it belonged. The steering weight can be selected according to traffic or drive conditions, and in this part of the woods, ‘High' was chosen for its added feedback and confidence. The 1.3L turbo-petrol under the hood managed to gain altitude without any effort, but it truly wakes up only after 3000RPM, so a bit of planning during overtaking trucks will go a long way in keeping you on the left side of the road. The paddle shifters are handy and make you feel sportier than actually being sporty.

The long haul to Zangla

Resting up for the night, charging ourselves and the camera batteries for the route that lay ahead was vital. Manali to our campsite in Zangla valley was a gruelling 12-hour drive that took a toll on the mind, machine, and body. Crossing through the highest point of the convoy's journey at Shinku La Pass (16,703ft) and encountering the iconic Gombu Rangjon peak along the way, the "bucket list" nature of this route was unfolding with every corner and every turn.

The Tekton remained teutonic in its ability to keep me at the perfect temperature with ventilated seats, adjustable lumbar support, and a ride quality that was never less than impressive. Firm but never stiff, absorbent but never floaty, Nissan has struck the perfect balance for both solo enthusiasts and family drivers.

Usable tech like an inclinometer keeps you aware of the approach and departure angles, both of which are well designed and generous for this class of car, and the 212mm of ground clearance means it never scraped the underbelly even while traversing through dry river beds to get to our campsite. A sharp, high-res rear camera and 360-degree camera views make driving in any situation a total doddle.

Camp Tekton: screens over speakers

With the roads getting more isolated as we approached Camp Tekton, a temporary site created just for the Nissan convoy stood like an alien base in the middle of this barren landscape, and strangely made me notice the mid audio system in the Tekton. Although a personalised audio update is coming soon, in its current Arkamys-tuned form, it won't tug at any heartstrings and is strictly functional. Its controls are equally quirky, with the volume and track change situated on a separate stalk behind the steering wheel and physical controls on top of the touchscreen. Not the most intuitive, and I couldn't get used to them even after 700 km of living with the same car. The 10in touchscreen itself is truly worthy of a special mention, though with its big, chunky icons, logical interface, and a smooth, fluid response that feels quicker than many cars twice its price. The 10.2in instrument cluster is adequately customisable with the option of having full-screen Google Maps right in your line of sight, too. If you're using CarPlay with your iPhone, worry not, as you can continue using Google Maps from the native system while using Apple Music through CarPlay, and they both can co-exist on the two different screens.

The final stretch to Leh

The final push up to Leh opened up some of the best stretches of tarmac I have ever driven on, thanks to the BRO that builds some of the finest ribbons of road in some of the most difficult conditions in the world. The fast, sweeping bends really showed off the very capable chassis balance of the Tekton but also highlighted its ability to take on more power and refinement. There was minimal body roll, and the disc brakes all around provided the most confidence of any car in its segment, allowing me to push the Tekton into the corners. Just wish the engine had more low-end grunt while powering out of slow corners or uphill climbs, which is where it tends to get short of breath. In the crowded compact SUV segment, the Renault Duster/Nissan Tekton siblings might be the best handling of the lot without question.

700km, zero drama

Not a single car in the entire convoy had so much as a puncture, which says plenty about Nissan's confidence in this SUV's craftsmanship. It's superbly built, with a smart use of materials and textures that lend it a distinctive edge. Ownership tech like the MyNISSAN app, which packs 55-plus features, from remote engine start-stop with AC to locating your car and booking a service, plus OTA updates, ensures it keeps improving after purchase. The record we set out to achieve as a driving group was successfully achieved, and it rightfully earned Nissan an entry into the India Book of Records. But whether the Indian consumer will make peace with a still-fledgling dealer and service network, compared with the established giants, remains the more interesting question.

Over the last two years, smartphone batteries have seen significant improvements. While some manufacturers have adopted silicon-carbon technology to boost capacity, others have improved their existing Li-ion solutions to pack more cells into the same battery size. From budget smartphones to premium flagships, most smartphones in 2026 assure hours of endurance on a single charge.

With tons of high-capacity battery options available out there, we went ahead and picked our top picks across categories and price segments. Per our testing and real-world experience, the OnePlus 15 impressed us with its overall performance and efficiency; the OPPO Find X9 Ultra consistently delivered excellent battery results in the ultra-premium segment; while the Realme P4 Power stands as the best budget battery phone. On the other hand, the Vivo V70 Elite strikes a great balance of compactness and battery life, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max delivers the strongest battery results on an iPhone.

All the benchmark scores and testing data in this article are obtained from our in-house lab tests. Updated July 2026, you can read more about our testing methodology here.

Winners at a glance

*Prices as of July 29th, 2026

OnePlus 15 - Best overall

Why we chose it

Featuring a considerably sized 7,300mAh battery paired with flagship performance at an approachable cost, the OnePlus 15 (review) ranks as our overall best battery performer. Firstly, the smartphone scored 17 hours and 6 minutes in our PCMark Battery drain test, which assesses endurance by running a series of tasks that simulate real-world use, such as opening and viewing documents, editing videos, watching videos, and more.

Compared to its close rivals, such as the Vivo X300 FE, iQOO 15, and OPPO Find X9S, this is the highest PCMark score we've achieved in our in-house tests. Despite rocking a bigger 7,500mAh cell, the OPPO Find X9 Pro's 16 hours of runtime on PCMark falls short of the OnePlus 15's score. Coming to real-world tests, upon watching an hour-long episode of an OTT show, playing CODM and BGMI, replying to WhatsApp messages and emails, scrolling through Instagram and X, the OnePlus 15 still had 40 to 50 percent battery left in the tank by the end of the day during our review.

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Along with delivering stellar battery life, the OnePlus 15 also charges quickly. In our tests, we were able to top the device from 20 to 100 percent in less than 30 minutes using the bundled 120W charger. The phone also supports 50W wireless charging.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: OnePlus 15
  
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: Up to 16GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: Up to 512GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.1

OPPO Find X9 Ultra - Best premium flagship

Why we chose it

True to its name, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra (review) packs a massive 7,050mAh battery, paired with a PowerCore Battery Management Chip that intelligently optimises battery output to deliver strong results even when it's low on charge. Coming to the test results, the flagship from OPPO clocked 17 hours and 7 minutes on the PCMark Battery Drain test, outpacing its closest 'Ultra' counterpart, the Vivo X300 Ultra, by over two hours.

In practical use, the phone comfortably lasted 1.5 to 2 days on a single charge, while delivering around three to four hours of screen-on time. As a camera-centric smartphone, we used it for taking tons of photographs, browsing social media, checking emails, WhatsApp messaging, streaming music, and watching YouTube videos.

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From our experience with the device, it gives you strong confidence that it won't let you down, even during heavy camera use on trips or vacations when you're capturing hundreds of moments. That's why a massive battery makes perfect sense, as it pairs exceptionally well with users who rely heavily on the camera. For battery top-ups, there's 100W charging support that fully charged the phone in under an hour in our lab test.

Key specifications

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

Realme P4 Power - Best budget battery

Why we chose it

Despite launching over six months ago in India, the Realme P4 Power (review) remains the only phone to feature a mammoth 10,001mAh battery. The phone has not only shattered all our PCMark Battery Drain test records by delivering a runtime of 21 hours and 8 minutes, but has also delivered the best screen on time we've achieved so far on any smartphone.

During a battery run from 100 to 2 percent, which lasted 1 day and 15 hours, the Realme P4 Power held strong by offering screen on time of 15 hours, which can be considered highly impressive by all means. During this run, our usage included streaming tons of OTT content, scrolling through Instagram, chatting on WhatsApp, playing a few casual games like Clash Royale, and using the cameras mildly.

Even though the 10,001mAh battery is the primary reason for the excellent endurance, the midrange MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra chipset draws very little power, resulting in these impressive battery scores. The device also shines with its charging performance as we managed to top it up from 20 to 100 percent in just 80 minutes.

[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="41761,41782,41876,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Realme P4 Power
  
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultra
  
• Fabrication process: 4nm
  
• RAM: Up to 12GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR4X
  
• Storage: Up to 256GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 3.1

Vivo V70 Elite - Best battery balance

Why we chose it

Coming in a handy, sizeable form factor with a 6.59-inch AMOLED display, the Vivo V70 Elite (review) still manages to pack in a respectable 6,500mAh battery and 90W fast charging. Even though the battery doesn't reach the 7,000mAh mark, the V70 Elite punches above its weight, scoring 18 hours and 19 minutes in our PCMark Battery Drain test.

In daily use with mixed workflows that included video streaming, recording 4K videos, browsing the internet, scrolling social media, and playing casual games, the V70 Elite comfortably delivered over six hours of screen-on time.

[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="41759,41487,41546,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

When it comes to charging, the phone goes from 20 to 100 percent in just under 45 minutes, a remarkable feat considering its large battery capacity.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Vivo V70 Elite
  
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
  
• Fabrication process: 4nm
  
• RAM: Up to 12GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR4X
  
• Storage: Up to 512GB
  
• Storage type: UFS 4.1

iPhone 17 Pro Max - Best iPhone battery

Why we chose it

Packing a 4,823mAh battery, the iPhone 17 Pro Max (review) has the largest battery capacity of any iPhone ever made. While we were not able to run the PCMark Battery Drain test, since the app is not available on the App Store, to gauge its endurance in synthetic benchmarks, we tried playing a 4K YouTube video in a loop at 80 percent brightness, during which the phone lasted 12 hours and 35 minutes.

On to the results that matter more, thanks to the inclusion of a vapour chamber cooling system, the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains cooler than the 16 Pro Max in extensive tasks, such as recording videos or playing games, resulting in higher battery endurance. During our review period, despite limiting the charging to 90 percent to preserve battery health, the iPhone 17 Pro Max almost always ended up with over 30 percent battery left at the end of the day.

Even on days with heavy, mixed usage, such as navigation, personal hotspot, and gaming, the phone still had enough battery left for late-night movie or show binging. With 40W fast charging in tow, the iPhone 17 Pro Max charges much faster than its predecessors, with a full charge from 20 percent taking 77 minutes in our in-house tests.

Key specifications

• Smartphone name: Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
  
• Processor: Apple A19 Pro
  
• Fabrication process: 3nm
  
• RAM: Up to 12GB
  
• RAM type: LPDDR5X
  
• Storage: Up to 2TB
  
• Storage type: NVMe

[also-read urls="

https://www.91mobiles.com/reviews/best-gaming-phones-in-india/,https://www.91mobiles.com/reviews/best-camera-phones-in-india/,https://www.91mobiles.com/reviews/best-processor-phones-in-india-2026/"] [/also-read]

Conclusion

Based on our testing and real-world experience with smartphones, there's a device in every price category that delivers great battery life in 2026. If you want the best overall experience with flagship performance, the OnePlus 15 stands out as the top all-rounder. For those seeking the ultimate premium flagship battery, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra tops the list, beating the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and Vivo X300 Ultra. Buyers seeking a phone in the midrange segment will love the Realme P4 Power, which stands out for its massive 10,001mAh battery. The Vivo V70 Elite offers an excellent, balanced choice, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains the clear choice for users who prefer iOS and want the best battery life on an iPhone.

Whether you're spending big or small, excellent battery endurance is now more accessible than ever.

Here's a final glimpse of how the above-mentioned smartphones perform in the PCMark Battery Drain 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="" products="41330,41607,41761,41759," ][/comparative-benchmark]

FAQs

Which phone has the biggest battery in India?

As of July 2026, the Realme P4 Power comes with a massive 10,001mAh battery, the largest in a mainstream smartphone available in India.

Which premium flagship smartphone packs the largest battery?

Among all the premium flagship smartphones available in India, the OPPO Find X9 Pro features the largest capacity battery at 7,500mAh, followed by the OnePlus 15 with a 7,300mAh cell.

Which smartphone provides the best balance of a compact design and large battery?

If you're seeking a smartphone featuring a compact, handy design while rocking a large battery, the Vivo V70 Elite's 6.59-inch display along with a 6,500mAh battery may be the right pick for you. Alternatively, the OPPO Find X9s gains an even larger 7,025mAh battery and comes with the same screen size.

How are brands able to fit large-capacity batteries on smartphones?

With the advancement in silicon-carbon battery technology, brands can fit much larger capacities into relatively slim phones without making them too thick or heavy.

The iQOO Z11 Lite is now available to purchase in India. It's a new budget smartphone starting at Rs 19,499 for the base variant. The iQOO Z11 Lite offers a balanced set of hardware with a 6,500mAh battery, a 50MP primary camera, and the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset. We've reviewed the smartphone in detail, and with the sale now live in India, here's a detailed look at the reasons to buy or skip the iQOO Z11 Lite. 

Reasons to buy the iQOO Z11 Lite

Impressive battery life

The iQOO Z11 Lite has a sizeable 6,500mAh battery, which is more than enough for regular users and can even impress power users. The handset can last an entire day and more with activities like browsing social media, casual gaming, multi-tasking, and such. If you're a power user, the phone should still be able to pull through one day on a full charge.

[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="41838,41950,42105,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Its PCMark benchmark score is impressive and even matches rivals like Realme P4R, which has an 8,000mAh battery. The iQOO Z11 Lite's battery drop after streaming YouTube for 60 minutes is also much better than phones with bigger batteries. The handset also holds up pretty well after playing popular titles like BGMI and COD Mobile. 

Useful AI features

The iQOO Z11 Lite launches with the Android 16-based OriginOS 6 update. With this, users get a customisable software experience and lots of features. The handset also gets a decent software update policy of two Android OS upgrades and four years of security patches. With the Z11 Lite, iQOO has also added some useful AI features. The highlight is AI Creation, which essentially uses AI to summarise lengthy documents, rewrite text, expand notes, translate content, correct grammar, or even draft emails based on prompts. Since this is a built-in feature, it's more convenient than having to use a third-party app. This feature should help students and working professionals alike. 

There are more features like AI Captions, which provide live transcription, translation, and one-tap summaries, and AI Transcript Assist converts recordings into text with summaries and highlights. Such AI features, especially on a budget phone does make the Z11 Lite stand out among the crowd. 

Good thermals during gaming

The iQOO Z11 Lite has good heat dissipation when playing games like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile. Its thermal management is among the best in the segment. After playing BGMI for 30 minutes, the Z11 Lite registered a 4-degree increase in temperature, which is comparatively lower than rivals (around 5 to 7 degrees). Similarly, with COD Mobile, the phone got hotter by 4.6 degrees Celsius, which is also on the lower side. 

This makes the Z11 Lite a good option to consider if you're someone who likes playing mobile games. The phone isn't a gaming powerhouse, but it's still capable of handling titles like BGMI and COD Mobile. 

Reasons to skip the iQOO Z11 Lite

HD+ display

The iQOO Z11 Lite has a 6.74-inch HD+ (720×1600 pixels) LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1,200 nits peak brightness. At this price point, the HD+ resolution seems quite lacking. On top of that, the Z11 Lite has a notch display, so the overall experience isn't that great. For example, the Galaxy M17 offers an FHD+ display with an AMOLED panel at a more affordable price. 

It's worth mentioning that with the recent price hikes, phones that once cost under Rs 15,000 have now been pushed much higher. This has also led to HD+ becoming the standard display resolution in the budget segment. But it's still something to consider, especially if you're someone who expects a good quality display.

Waterdrop notch

As mentioned above, the iQOO Z11 Lite has a waterdrop notch, which is not only old but something we don't see even in phones priced much lower. This gives the phone a slightly dated look, especially among its rivals in the same price segment. 

So, should you buy the iQOO Z11 Lite? If your priorities include a reliable battery, good thermals for gaming, and AI features for productivity, then the Z11 Lite can be recommended. However, if you're someone who requires good visuals and display quality, then you might want to check out alternatives. If you're currently using a 2-3 year old budget phone with a smaller battery or no AI features, this could be a worthy upgrade. 

The OnePlus 15R has long been a strong contender in the sub-flagship segment, but it now faces fresh competition from the Motorola Edge 70 Max. Motorola's first gaming-focused smartphone shares several key traits with the OnePlus offering. Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, support high-frame-rate gaming, pack large batteries, and feature impressive displays, making them compelling options for performance-focused users.

The Motorola Edge 70 Max (review) and OnePlus 15R (review) also approach the cameras in the same way, with identical resolutions. So, which smartphone deserves your money? We set out to answer that by putting both devices through their paces.

Design

Despite their gaming-focused positioning, the Motorola Edge 70 Max and OnePlus 15R don't look out of place alongside conventional smartphones. Both follow the signature design language of their respective brands. The OnePlus 15R features a sleek rectangular camera module, while the Edge 70 Max opts for a squarish camera island. Personally, I prefer the cleaner, more understated look of the OnePlus 15R. Its Mint Breeze colourway also stands out more than the Aqua Grey variant of the Edge 70 Max that we received for review.

Although the OnePlus 15R is slimmer and lighter on paper, the difference is marginal and has little impact on day-to-day usability. Both smartphones feel comfortable to hold and use for extended periods. The durability of the smartphones is also on par with each other. The handsets boast an aluminium frame and Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection on the front. The Motorola Edge 70 Max even has the same glass protection at the back, lending it a more premium in-hand feel, and MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability against minor drops and falls. The handset is also IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance certified.

[comparative-benchmark type="1000" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The OnePlus 15R may not have the military-grade durability, but it comes with an additional IP69K certification, protecting it from high-pressure and temperature jets. The placement of ports, speakers, optical in-display fingerprint scanner, and buttons is identical on both smartphones.

Ultimately, the choice comes down to what you value more: a cleaner, more understated design or a more premium in-hand feel. The decision is yours. 

Display

The Motorola Edge 70 Max and OnePlus 15R both feature large 6.8-inch AMOLED displays with centred punch-hole cutouts, ultra-slim bezels, and HDR10+ support. However, there are a few key differences. The OnePlus 15R boasts a higher peak refresh rate of 165Hz, while the Edge 70 Max counters with a sharper 2K (QHD+) resolution, compared to the 1.5K panel on its rival, along with an LTPO display that dynamically adjusts the refresh rate up to 144Hz for improved power efficiency.

[comparative-benchmark type="2000" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

In day-to-day use, though, the viewing experience is remarkably similar. Both displays are equally sharp, produce vibrant colours, offer deep blacks, and deliver excellent contrast. Animations and UI transitions also feel equally smooth, largely because both smartphones operate at a maximum of 120Hz during regular use.

The OnePlus 15R only unlocks its 165Hz refresh rate in supported games such as BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile. The Motorola Edge 70 Max, meanwhile, remains capped at 120Hz even while gaming. While this isn't a deal-breaker for most users, competitive gamers who spend a lot of time playing fast-paced titles may appreciate the extra smoothness offered by the OnePlus 15R. The latter also outshines its competitor with better legibility outdoors under direct sunlight. This is despite the Motorola Edge 70 Max's lofty 7,000 nits peak brightness claim.

Performance

[comparative-benchmark type="1" title="AnTuTu score" caption="AnTuTu assesses a smartphone's CPU, GPU, memory, and overall user experience (higher is better)" highlight="" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Performance is virtually identical on both smartphones, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC. Each device is equipped with a large vapour chamber cooling system - 5,500mm2 on the Motorola Edge 70 Max and a slightly larger 5,704mm2 unit on the OnePlus 15R - to keep thermals in check during sustained workloads. While the OnePlus 15R comes with 'Ultra' LPDDR5X RAM, it doesn't feel any faster in real-world use.

[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="" products="42264,41310,,," ][/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="" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

Both smartphones deliver equally smooth performance in day-to-day tasks and maintain stable temperatures under heavy loads. This was irrespective of the fact that the Edge 70 Max had 8GB RAM as opposed to the 12GB RAM on the OnePlus 15R.

The smartphones also excel at multitasking, keeping multiple apps active in the background without noticeable slowdowns. Complementing the flagship chipset is UFS 4.1 storage on both devices, ensuring fast app launches, quick file transfers, and an overall responsive user experience. We even rendered a 4K video on both smartphones, and it was done at the same time.

Software

The Motorola Edge 70 Max and OnePlus 15R both run Android 16, customised by their respective skins. The Motorola smartphone is layered with Hello UI, which keeps the experience closer to stock while also adding a handful of third-party apps. The handset even supports a handful of Moto gestures; however, the AI features are not available out of the box on its 8GB RAM variant. It will be rolled out via a software update, bringing a new cross-device AI experience called Qira, which lets you catch up with notifications, generate images, and record live conversations, among other things.

[comparative-benchmark type="3000" products="42264,41310,,," pias=",,,,"][/comparative-benchmark]

The OnePlus 15R, on the other hand, boots OxygenOS 16 (will be changed to ColorOS via software support). The handset offers AI features out of the box, including its AI Mind Space, which stores all the relevant information such as voice recordings and screenshots in one place and summarises them for you. The handset offers a fully customisable experience with a bunch of apps pre-installed. Unlike the Motorola smartphone, the 15R lacks gestures such as chop chop to turn on the flashlight, flip to open the camera app, and more.

Apart from the visual and feature differences, both smartphones offer plenty of personalisation options. However, the software support on the Motorola Edge 70 Max remains limited to three major OS upgrades and five years of security updates. The OnePlus 15R, meanwhile, offers four major OS upgrades and six years of security updates, making it a favourable choice for longevity.

Battery

[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="" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The OnePlus 15R packs a larger 7,400mAh battery compared to the Motorola Edge 70 Max's 7,100mAh cell. Both smartphones support fast wired charging—80W on the OnePlus and 90W on the Motorola—along with bypass charging and reverse wired charging. The Edge 70 Max, however, gains an advantage with Qi2.2 wireless charging support, allowing for up to 25W wireless charging when paired with a compatible MagSafe charger or power bank.

That wireless charging support is one of the Edge 70 Max's key strengths in this comparison. Otherwise, the OnePlus 15R holds the edge when it comes to battery endurance. That's not to say the Motorola underperforms - it can comfortably last a day and a half with regular use and continues to deliver solid battery life under demanding workloads such as gaming. It also posted a respectable runtime of over 16 hours in the PCMark battery test.

[comparative-benchmark type="4000" products="42264,41310,,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

The OnePlus 15R, however, takes things a step further with superior efficiency across the board. It lasted 18 hours in the PCMark battery benchmark and can comfortably stretch to nearly two days of regular use on a single charge. The handset also delivers excellent battery endurance during extended gaming sessions, making it a more appealing device for power users.

Cameras

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/Motorola-Edge-70-Max-review11.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2025/12/OnePlus-15R-review02.jpg" offset="0.5" before="Motorola Edge 70 Max" after="OnePlus 15R"]

The Motorola Edge 70 Max and the OnePlus 15R offer identical camera resolutions. That said, while the primary camera on the Motorola smartphone is a 50MP OIS Sony LYT-710 sensor, the 15R sports a 50MP OIS Sony IMX 906 sensor. The main sensors on both smartphones are paired with an 8MP ultrawide lens. Up front, you get a 32MP snapper for selfies and video calling. Speaking of video, the handsets are capable of recording 4K videos, but 1080p remains standard across cameras.

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="709866,709871,709868,709869,709867"]

The OnePlus 15R delivers contrasty images that look appealing straight out of the camera and should work well for social media. While the dynamic range is decent, exposure in shadowy areas could be better. The ultrawide camera follows a similar colour science, maintaining consistency across the cameras. Portraits are another strong point, with the computational processing doing a respectable job of separating the subject from the background, even though the skin tones and colours may not look accurate. Overall, the OnePlus 15R offers a pleasing camera experience, but its handling of shadows and oversaturated skin tones and colours leaves room for improvement.

[gallery link="file" columns="1" size="full" td_select_gallery_slide="slide" ids="709873,709876,709874,709875,709877"]

The Motorola Edge 70 Max impresses with more realistic colours and natural-looking skin tones in well-lit environments, while also handling contrast and dynamic range better than the OnePlus 15R. Portraits benefit from multiple focal lengths using the primary camera, although there is a noticeable loss of detail. Edge detection, however, remains precise. In low-light conditions, the Edge 70 Max struggles more with controlling light flares than the OnePlus 15R. Overall, the Motorola Edge 70 Max delivers the more natural and balanced camera output, despite some shortcomings in portrait detail and flare control.

Verdict

The Motorola Edge 70 Max is more competitively priced than the OnePlus 15R. The handset is also more feature-rich, with a sharper display, better durability, wireless charging, and a power-efficient LTPO panel. The Motorola smartphone also outshines its rival with more natural-looking cameras.

The OnePlus 15R, on the other hand, starts with 12GB of RAM, with a higher 16GB configuration also available. The OnePlus smartphone offers better battery endurance for everyday usage, higher FPS support in supported games, better outdoor legibility, and longer software support.

Those are the major differences between the two smartphones. In other areas, the Motorola Edge 70 Max and OnePlus 15R are closely matched, with both smartphones delivering flagship-level performance, capable displays, strong gaming credentials, and impressive battery life.

For most performance-focused buyers, the OnePlus 15R is the better overall choice. However, if your budget is tight, the Edge 70 Max remains a compelling alternative, offering most of the same core performance at a lower starting price, with some additional features.

Whether you're a student buying your first Mac, a professional who needs a machine that lasts a full workday without a charger, a video editor weighing whether the Pro chips justify their premium, or someone simply wondering if the Air is enough, this guide sorts the range by what each model is actually best at. In this guide, we help students trying to work out which MacBook is worth their money, now that Apple's lineup runs from under Rs 70,000 to well past Rs 4 lakh.

Apple now sells six meaningfully different MacBooks in India across the Neo, Air and Pro families. We've assessed each on performance, display quality, battery endurance, portability, thermal behaviour, and value for money, drawing on our own testing where we've had a unit in hand and on the broad consensus from extended real-world use elsewhere where we haven't.

The MacBook Pro M5 is our best overall MacBook for its balance of power, display, and battery. The MacBook Air M5 13-inch is the value pick, the MacBook Pro M5 Max is built for professionals, and the MacBook Neo is the one for students. The MacBook Pro M5 Pro is our video editing recommendation, and the MacBook Air M5 15-inch is the endurance champion. Updated for July 2026 with the latest launches and price changes.

A note on pricing: all prices here are Apple India's official launch pricing for each model. MacBook prices in India have moved noticeably through 2026, and street prices at authorised resellers and during sale events can differ substantially in either direction. Verify current pricing before you buy.

How we assess MacBooks

Our recommendations come from hands-on use wherever we've had a review unit. For the rest of the lineup, we've built our picks from the consensus that emerges once a machine has been in wide circulation for months. That consensus is remarkably consistent on Apple silicon, because the variables are few: the same chassis designs carry across configurations, the displays are shared within each family, and the differences that matter come down to chip tier, memory, thermal headroom, and battery capacity. Where reviewers who have spent extended time with these machines agree on something, from sustained performance under load to how quickly the fans spin up, we've weighted that heavily.

We also apply the same questions to every Mac regardless of price. Does the performance hold up over a long render rather than a short benchmark run? Is the battery figure achievable in real use or only in video playback? Does the base configuration make sense, or does Apple's upgrade pricing push the real cost somewhere else entirely? Those questions decide the picks below.

MacBook Pro M5 — Best MacBook Overall

Launch price: Rs 1,69,900 (16GB/512GB)

Why we picked it

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 is our best overall MacBook because it delivers the single biggest jump in capability per rupee in Apple's lineup, pairing a genuine pro-grade display and a rated 24 hours of battery life with a chip that closes much of the gap to the Pro-tier silicon above it.

The M5 is the reason. Its 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU carry a Neural Accelerator inside every graphics core, which Apple says lifts on-device AI performance by up to 3.5 times over the M4, alongside higher memory bandwidth and roughly double the SSD speed of the previous generation. The consensus from reviewers who have lived with this machine is that the chip is genuinely quick, comfortably ahead of the Windows ultrabooks it competes with, and that the practical benefits show up in exports, local AI workloads and app launches rather than just benchmark charts. For anyone whose work sits below professional video or 3D, this is more machine than they will use.

What tips it into the overall win is everything around the chip. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR panel, available with a nano-texture finish, remains the display every premium Windows laptop is measured against. You get a 12MP Centre Stage camera, a six-speaker system that reviewers consistently rate among the best in any laptop, and a proper spread of ports rather than a dongle hunt. At Rs 1,69,900, and Rs 1,59,900 with education savings, it undercuts the M5 Pro by over Rs 60,000.

The known limitations are worth understanding. This model retains Thunderbolt 4 rather than the Thunderbolt 5 reserved for the Pro and Max chips, wireless tops out below the Wi-Fi 7 found on the newer Pro models, and the consensus is that the fans become audible under sustained full load. Nothing here is user-upgradeable, so buy the memory and storage you'll need for the machine's whole life.

Pros	Cons
Excellent M5 performance with major AI gains	Thunderbolt 4, not Thunderbolt 5
Superb Liquid Retina XDR display with nano-texture option	Wireless lags the newer M5 Pro and Max models
Rated up to 24 hours of battery life	Fans get audible under sustained load
Best price-to-capability ratio in the Pro family

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerator per core)
• Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 120Hz ProMotion, nano-texture option
• Memory/Storage: 16GB unified (up to 32GB) / 512GB SSD (up to 4TB)
• Battery: Rated up to 24 hours
• Camera/Audio: 12MP Centre Stage camera, six-speaker system
• Finishes: Space Black, Silver
• Other configs: Rs 1,89,900 (16GB/1TB), Rs 2,09,900 (24GB/1TB)

MacBook Air M5 13-inch — Best Value MacBook

Launch price: Rs 1,19,900 (16GB/512GB, 8-core GPU)

Why we picked it

The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 is our best value MacBook because it now ships with 512GB of storage as standard, runs completely silently, and delivers the performance most people actually need at roughly Rs 50,000 less than the cheapest MacBook Pro.

Apple doubled the Air's base capacity to 512GB this generation while keeping 16GB of unified memory standard, which removes the single biggest complaint about buying a base Air. Add an SSD that Apple rates at twice the read and write speed of the previous generation, and the entry configuration finally feels complete rather than like a machine engineered to push you one tier up. The M5's 10-core CPU handles the browser-heavy, document-heavy, video-call-heavy work most buyers do without ever spinning up a fan, because there isn't one.

The consensus on this machine is that it hits a sweet spot: not Pro-level performance, but close enough that the difference only surfaces in sustained professional workloads. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display runs at 500 nits with a billion colours, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 arrive via Apple's N1 wireless chip, and the 12MP Centre Stage camera with Desk View is the same one fitted across the lineup. 

Two caveats. The base configuration uses an 8-core GPU; choosing any upgrade moves you to the 10-core version, which starts at Rs 1,31,900. And unlike the Pro models, there's no ProMotion here, so the display runs at a fixed refresh rate. Neither undermines the value case, but both are worth knowing before you configure.

Pros	Cons
512GB storage and 16GB memory as standard	Base model uses the slower 8-core GPU
Completely silent fanless design	No ProMotion, fixed refresh rate display
Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and a rated 18-hour battery	Thunderbolt 4 only, and just two ports
Roughly Rs 50,000 cheaper than the entry MacBook Pro

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 8-core or 10-core GPU)
• Display: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits, one billion colours
• Memory/Storage: 16GB unified (up to 32GB) / 512GB SSD (up to 4TB)
• Battery: 53.8Wh, rated up to 18 hours, 50% in about 30 minutes
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thunderbolt 4
• Weight: 1.23kg, 11.3mm thin
• Finishes: Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Silver

MacBook Pro M5 Max — Best MacBook for Professionals

Launch price: From Rs 3,66,900

Why we picked it

The MacBook Pro with M5 Max is our pick for professionals because it is the only Mac laptop that removes every ceiling at once, combining the highest core counts Apple offers with up to 64GB of unified memory and 4TB of storage in a chassis that still fits in a backpack.

This is the configuration you buy when the machine is the bottleneck. The standard M5 Max pairs an 18-core CPU with a 32-core GPU, and Apple offers a 40-core GPU version for roughly Rs 30,000 more. Apple describes the M5 Max as engineered from the ground up for AI, and the consensus among professionals working with these chips is that the gains are most visible exactly where you'd want them: local model inference, multi-stream timelines, large 3D scenes and the kind of sustained multi-hour workload where thermal headroom decides whether performance holds or collapses. The 16-inch chassis has the most cooling capacity in the lineup, which is why it remains the default recommendation for anyone running long renders.

The supporting hardware matches. You get the Liquid Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion, Thunderbolt 5 for external storage arrays and multi-display setups, Wi-Fi 7, a 12MP Centre Stage camera, and up to a 100Wh battery with 96W charging.

The honest caveat is that very few buyers need this. The M5 Max costs well over twice the base MacBook Pro, and unless your work genuinely saturates a 32-core GPU or exceeds 36GB of memory, the M5 Pro below will finish the same job for a lot less. Buy the Max because your workload demands it, not because it's the top of the menu.

Pros	Cons
Highest CPU and GPU core counts Apple offers	Extremely expensive, and upgrades add fast
Configurable to 64GB memory and 4TB storage	Overkill for the majority of professional workflows
Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7 and up to 100Wh battery	The 16-inch model is heavy at 2.15kg
Best sustained performance under long, heavy loads

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 Max (18-core CPU, 32-core or 40-core GPU)
• Display: 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, up to 120Hz
• Memory/Storage: 36GB unified (up to 64GB) / 2TB SSD (up to 4TB)
• Battery: Up to 100Wh, up to 96W charging
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7
• Weight: 1.62kg (14-inch), 2.15kg (16-inch)
• Indicative configs: 14-inch 36GB/2TB around Rs 3.99 lakh; 16-inch 36GB/2TB around Rs 4.29 lakh

MacBook Neo — Best MacBook for Students

Launch price: Rs 69,990 (256GB), Rs 79,900 (512GB)

Why we picked it

The MacBook Neo (review) is our best MacBook for students because it is the first Apple laptop priced within reach of a college budget that still delivers the complete MacBook experience, and because a Rs 10,000 education discount takes it down to Rs 59,900.

We tested this one ourselves, and the display is what wins the category. The 13-inch Liquid Retina panel runs at 2,408 x 1,506 with 500 nits and an anti-reflective coating, and in our testing, it held its own against similarly priced Windows machines shipping OLED screens, while beating them on single-thread performance. In our benchmark suite, it returned 8,727 in Geekbench 6 multi-core and 3,466 in single-core, with 1,391 in Cinebench 2026 multi-core and a CrossMark score of 1,717. For coursework, research, writing, presentations and even light 4K video editing for short projects, it is comfortably enough machine.

The rest is classic Apple. The aluminium chassis shows no creak or flex, it weighs 1.23kg, and it runs fanless and silent through a full library session. The trackpad is the same class-leading unit found across the range, and the battery comfortably covers a full working day. It comes in blush, indigo, silver, and citrus.

Know the limits before you commit. Memory is fixed at 8GB, which becomes a real ceiling once your files get heavy or your tab count gets silly. There is no keyboard backlight, which is a genuine problem for late-night work. Ports run to two USB-C and a headphone jack, wireless stops at Wi-Fi 6E, and Touch ID only appears on the 512GB model. We rated it 8.5/10.

Pros	Cons
Compact, lightweight and well-built	Can't handle heavy workloads on 8GB
Good display, performance and battery life	No keyboard backlight
Delivers the core MacBook experience	Limited ports and Wi-Fi 6E only
Genuine value for money, especially with education pricing	Touch ID only on the 512GB model

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple A18 Pro
• Display: 13-inch Liquid Retina (2,408 x 1,506), 500 nits, anti-reflective
• Memory/Storage: 8GB / 256GB or 512GB SSD
• Battery: Full working day, 30W charger, 50% in about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6
• Weight: 1.23kg, fanless
• Rating: 8.5/10

MacBook Pro M5 Pro — Best MacBook for Video Editing

Launch price: From Rs 2,32,900

Why we picked it

The MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is our best MacBook for video editing because it is the point in the lineup where the hardware stops compromising on the things editors actually feel: memory headroom, sustained GPU throughput, external storage bandwidth, and colour-accurate output.

The case rests on three specifics. First, memory: the M5 Pro starts at 24GB rather than 16GB, and the consensus is that this is the threshold where multi-stream timelines, colour nodes, and background renders stop fighting each other. Second, Thunderbolt 5, which the base M5 model doesn't get. If you edit off external drives, and most editors do, the jump in bandwidth changes how you work rather than just how fast files copy. Third, thermal headroom. The M5 Pro sustains its clocks through long exports where thinner machines throttle, and reviewers who have run extended renders on these chips consistently report that the performance you see at minute one is what you get at minute forty.

The display packs in a Liquid Retina XDR panel with 120Hz ProMotion remains the reference screen for grading work in a laptop, and it pairs with up to a 100Wh battery and 96W charging, Wi-Fi 7, and a 12MP Centre Stage camera. 

At Rs 2,32,900 to start, if your editing is occasional rather than professional, the base M5 will handle it and save you Rs 60,000 or more.

Pros	Cons
24GB base memory suits multi-stream editing	Significant step up in price from the base M5
Thunderbolt 5 transforms external storage workflows	Overkill for casual or occasional editing
Sustains performance through long exports	16-inch model is noticeably heavier
Reference-grade XDR display for grading

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 Pro
• Display: 14.2-inch or 16.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, up to 120Hz ProMotion
• Memory/Storage: 24GB unified / 1TB SSD (configurable higher)
• Battery: Up to 100Wh, up to 96W charging
• Connectivity: Thunderbolt 5, Wi-Fi 7
• Weight: 1.60kg (14-inch), 2.14kg (16-inch)
• Indicative configs: 14-inch 24GB/1TB around Rs 2.49 lakh; 16-inch 24GB/1TB around Rs 2.99 lakh

MacBook Air M5 15-inch — Best MacBook for Battery Life

Launch price: Rs 1,44,900 (16GB/512GB)

Why we picked it

The 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 is our battery life pick because it carries the largest battery in Apple's fanless lineup at 66.5Wh, and because a silent, low-power chassis is what turns a rated figure into genuine all-day endurance rather than a number you only hit watching video.

Apple rates this machine at up to 18 hours, and roughly 15 hours of web browsing, but the reason it earns this category is behavioural rather than numerical. With no fans and no discrete GPU, power draw stays flat across the mixed, unglamorous work most people actually do: browser tabs, documents, video calls, music, the occasional export. Machines with more aggressive silicon post bigger headline numbers and then drain far faster the moment the workload gets real. The consensus on this generation of Air is consistent on exactly that point, with reviewers describing it as the best balance of design, near-pro performance and endurance in the lineup.

The 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display is the other half of the argument, and the reason the consensus generally favours this size over the 13-inch. You get more screen for Rs 25,000 more, in a machine that still weighs just 1.51kg and measures 11.5mm thick, with a larger multi-speaker array than the smaller Air. Every 15-inch configuration ships with the full 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, so there's no base-model compromise to navigate. Charging runs up to 70W.

The trade-offs are the same as the 13-inch Air. There's no ProMotion, ports are limited to Thunderbolt 4, and sustained professional workloads will find the ceiling. For everyone else, this is the Mac you stop carrying a charger for.

Pros	Cons
Largest battery in the fanless MacBook lineup	No ProMotion on the display
Full 10-core CPU and GPU on every configuration	Thunderbolt 4 and limited port count
Excellent screen-to-weight balance at 1.51kg	Not built for sustained professional workloads
Silent operation with flat real-world power draw	Rs 25,000 more than the 13-inch Air

Key specs:

• Chip: Apple M5 (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU)
• Display: 15.3-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits
• Memory/Storage: 16GB unified (up to 32GB) / 512GB SSD (up to 4TB)
• Battery: 66.5Wh, rated up to 18 hours, up to 70W charging
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thunderbolt 4
• Weight: 1.51kg, 11.5mm thin
• Finishes: Sky Blue, Midnight, Starlight, Silver

Winners at a glance

Prices below are Apple India launch pricing and are subject to change.

MacBook	Category win	Chip	Display	Memory/Storage	Battery	Launch price
MacBook Pro M5	Best overall	Apple M5	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 120Hz	16GB / 512GB	Rated up to 24 hrs	Rs 1,69,900
MacBook Air M5 13-inch	Best value	Apple M5	13.6-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits	16GB / 512GB	53.8Wh, up to 18 hrs	Rs 1,19,900
MacBook Pro M5 Max	Best for professionals	Apple M5 Max	14.2 or 16.2-inch XDR, 120Hz	36GB / 2TB	Up to 100Wh	Rs 3,66,900 onwards
MacBook Neo	Best for students	Apple A18 Pro	13-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits	8GB / 256GB	Full working day	Rs 69,990
MacBook Pro M5 Pro	Best for video editing	Apple M5 Pro	14.2 or 16.2-inch XDR, 120Hz	24GB / 1TB	Up to 100Wh	Rs 2,32,900 onwards
MacBook Air M5 15-inch	Best battery life	Apple M5	15.3-inch Liquid Retina, 500 nits	16GB / 512GB	66.5Wh, up to 18 hrs	Rs 1,44,900

FAQs

Which is the best MacBook in India?

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 is the best MacBook in India overall. At Rs 1,69,900, it pairs a Liquid Retina XDR display, a rated 24 hours of battery life and near-Pro-tier performance, making it the best balance of capability and price in Apple's lineup.

Which MacBook is best for students?

The MacBook Neo is the best MacBook for students. It starts at Rs 69,990 and drops to Rs 59,900 with education pricing, delivering a 500-nit Liquid Retina display, fanless silent operation and full-day battery in a 1.23kg body.

Is the MacBook Air M5 enough for most people?

Yes. The 13-inch MacBook Air M5 now ships with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage as standard, which covers browsing, documents, video calls and light creative work comfortably. You only need a MacBook Pro if you run sustained professional workloads like video editing, 3D or local AI models.

Should I buy the 13-inch or 15-inch MacBook Air?

The 15-inch is the better buy for most people at Rs 25,000 more. It has a bigger battery, a larger display, better speakers and ships with the full 10-core GPU on every configuration, while still weighing just 1.51kg. Choose the 13-inch only if maximum portability or the lowest price matters most.

Which MacBook is best for video editing?

The MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is best for video editing, thanks to 24GB of base memory, Thunderbolt 5 for fast external storage, sustained performance through long exports and a colour-accurate XDR display for grading.

Is the M5 Max worth it over the M5 Pro?

For most professionals, no. The M5 Max costs well over Rs 1.3 lakh more and only pays off if your work genuinely saturates a 32-core GPU or needs more than 36GB of unified memory. For everything else, the M5 Pro delivers the same result for considerably less.

Which MacBook has the best battery life?

The 15-inch MacBook Air M5 offers the most dependable real-world endurance, with the largest battery in Apple's fanless lineup at 66.5Wh and consistent power draw thanks to its silent, fanless design. The MacBook Pro M5 carries a higher rated figure at up to 24 hours, but it weighs more and costs Rs 25,000 more.

Is 8GB of memory enough on the MacBook Neo?

For coursework, writing, browsing, presentations and light editing, yes. For heavy multitasking, large creative files or professional work, 8GB becomes a bottleneck and you should step up to a MacBook Air, which starts at 16GB.

Do students get a discount on MacBooks in India?

Yes. Apple India offers education pricing on select configurations, worth Rs 10,000 on the MacBook Neo and the 14-inch MacBook Pro M5, and up to Rs 17,000 on qualifying M5 Pro configurations. Education pricing applies through Apple's own store rather than resellers.

This guide is for students in India who need a laptop that survives four years of assignments, lectures, group projects, and the occasional Netflix binge, without wrecking a semester's budget. Whether you're a first-year student buying your first machine, an engineering student who needs real multi-core muscle for compiling and simulations, a design student chasing colour accuracy, or someone who just wants a laptop that lasts a full day of classes on one charge, we narrow the field to machines that earned their spot in testing. It's especially useful if you have a hard price ceiling and want to know exactly what you get at each one.

We tested and compared laptops across the sub-Rs 30,000, Rs 40,000, Rs 50,000, and Rs 60,000 segments, plus premium student machines, to find the best student laptops in India. Rankings are based on real-world usage, synthetic benchmarks, battery endurance, display quality, keyboard comfort, build quality, upgradability, and value for money.

The Acer Aspire 15 AS15-42 is our best overall pick for its Ryzen 7 muscle at a Rs 40,990 price. The Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 leads under Rs 60,000, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 under Rs 50,000, the Dell Vostro 14 3440 under Rs 40,000 and the CHUWI CoreBook X Pro under Rs 30,000. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 is the one for engineering and coding, the Apple MacBook Neo wins for design, and the Acer Aspire 14 AI is untouchable on battery. Updated for July 2026 with the latest launches, testing data and price changes.

A note on pricing: all prices listed here are what each laptop cost at the time we reviewed it. Laptop prices in India have moved sharply over the past few months, driven largely by memory and storage costs, so verify current pricing before you buy. Sale events can also swing these numbers by Rs 10,000 or more in either direction.

How do we test laptops for students?

Every laptop here has been used as a daily driver for weeks, not benchmarked for an afternoon and shipped back. That means the actual student workload: dozens of browser tabs, Word and Excel, video calls, streaming, light photo editing, and in a few cases coding and casual gaming.

The benchmark suite is consistent across every machine, which is what makes these comparisons meaningful. We run Cinebench R23, R24 and 2026 for CPU performance, Geekbench 6 for cross-platform comparison, PCMark 10 and PCMark 10 Extended for real-world productivity, the 3DMark stack from Night Raid to Time Spy for graphics, and CrystalDiskMark for storage speeds. Battery life comes from the PCMark 10 video loop test at 80 percent brightness, which is why the numbers you'll see below are directly comparable to each other rather than manufacturer claims.

We also weigh the things that matter more to students than to anyone else. Can you type on it for three hours without your hands complaining? Does it survive being thrown into a backpack daily? Can you upgrade the RAM in year three instead of buying a new laptop? Is the display readable in a bright classroom? Those questions shape the picks below just as much as the benchmark charts do.

Acer Aspire 15 AS15-42 — Best Overall Student Laptop

Price: Rs 42,990

Why we picked it

The Acer Aspire 15 AS15-42 (review) is our best overall student laptop because it delivers genuine Ryzen 7 multi-core performance at a price where most rivals are still shipping entry-level chips, making it the single best performance-per-rupee buy for students right now.

Performance is where this machine earns the top slot, and it isn't close. The Ryzen 7 7730U paired with 16GB of DDR4 and a 512GB Gen4 SSD scored 9,262 in Cinebench R23 multi-core in our testing, ahead of the Lenovo ThinkPad E14's 8,062 and effectively matching machines costing more. In daily use, juggling 20-plus Chrome tabs, multiple desktops, and light photo editing stayed smooth with only minor slowdowns after long sessions. Our review scored it 8.5/10 on performance alone.

The practical stuff holds up too. The full-sized backlit keyboard has good travel and tactile feedback, the trackpad is spacious and responsive, and the port selection is genuinely excellent: HDMI, three USB-A, two USB-C 3.2, a microSD slot and a physical camera shutter, so no dongles. RAM upgrades to 32GB and an easy-access storage slot means it can grow with you.

Be clear-eyed about the trade-offs. The 15.6-inch panel covers just 45 percent NTSC at 300 nits, so colours look washed out and outdoor use is a struggle. There's noticeable chassis and screen flex. And the 55Wh battery managed only 5 hours 40 minutes in the PCMark 10 video loop test, the weakest here. 

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7730U
• GPU: AMD Radeon (integrated)
• Display: 15.6-inch FHD TFT LCD, 16:9, 45% NTSC, 300 nits, anti-glare
• RAM/Storage: 16GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 32GB) / 512GB Gen4 SSD
• Battery: 55Wh, 5 hours 40 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W charger
• Weight: 1.79kg
• Rating: 7/10

Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 — Best Student Laptop Under Rs 60,000

Price: Currently Rs 46,990

Why we picked it

The Acer Aspire 3 A324-53 (review) is our best student laptop under Rs 60,000 because it combines surprisingly fast storage, genuine all-day battery life, and the best keyboard in this price band into a 14-inch body light enough to forget in your bag.

The headline surprise here is the SSD. In CrystalDiskMark, the 512GB Gen 4 drive posted 7,039MB/s reads and 5,279MB/s writes, numbers that belong on laptops costing twice as much. The Intel Core i5-1334U backing is an efficiency chip rather than a powerhouse, but it topped this group in real-world productivity scoring, hitting 6,342 in PCMark 10 and 8,061 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, both ahead of the Aspire 15. Fifteen-plus Chrome tabs alongside light photo editing genuinely isn't a problem. Just don't expect it to run Black Myth: Wukong, GTA V, and Valorant with tweaked settings.

Around that sits a well-judged package. At under 1.5kg and 19.4mm thin, in a steel grey finish with a subtle grainy texture, it's a legitimately nice-looking machine. The 180-degree hinge is more useful than it sounds. The keyboard leans clicky rather than mushy with good travel and a backlight, and the port selection means no dongles ever: two USB-C, two USB-A, HDMI, microSD, headphone jack, and a Kensington lock, plus Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. The 45Wh battery ran 7 hours 25 minutes on the PCMark 10 video loop test, roughly double what most budget alternatives manage.

The compromises are again on the display side of things, while the audio quality is none too good. It scored 7.5/10. Worth knowing: this laptop has been spotted as low as Rs 43,000 in sales and frequently sits around Rs 50,000, which is where it becomes a genuine no-brainer.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-1334U
• GPU: Intel integrated graphics
• Display: 14-inch FHD non-reflective IPS, 45% NTSC, 60Hz
• RAM/Storage: 16GB (expandable to 32GB) / 512GB Gen 4 SSD
• Battery: 45Wh, 7 hours 25 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W USB-C PD
• Weight: Just under 1.5kg, 19.4mm thin
• Rating: 7.5/10

Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 — Best Student Laptop Under Rs 50,000

Price at time of review: Around Rs 46,990

Why we picked it

The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 (review) is our best student laptop under Rs 50,000 because it pairs an HS-series processor with dual RAM and dual SSD slots and 9 hours of battery life, making it the most future-proof machine you can buy at this price.

Most laptops in this bracket run U-series chips built to sip power rather than deliver it. The ThinkBook rolls in with a Ryzen 5 7535HS, and the gap shows immediately. It scored 9,393 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5,779 in PCMark 10, and 8,072 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, beating the Aspire 15 and comfortably clearing the Chuwi CoreBook X Pro and Dell Inspiron 15 3530 in our head-to-head. Even the integrated Radeon 660M pulls ahead of the pack, scoring 16,305 in 3DMark Night Raid, enough for light creative work and casual gaming after hours.

The upgrade path is what really sets this apart for a four-year degree. Dual SO-DIMM RAM slots and two M.2 SSD slots mean you can add memory and storage in year two or three instead of replacing the laptop. The 16-inch WUXGA 16:10 panel gives you real vertical room for spreadsheets, code, and split-screen work, and the keyboard is comfortable enough that long essay sessions stop being a chore. The port selection resists the USB-C-only trend, keeping USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet and a headphone jack, plus a physical webcam privacy shutter. And despite the modest 45Wh battery, the efficient chip pushed it to 9 hours in the PCMark 10 video loop test, roughly double what most laptops in this range manage.

At 1.7kg and 16 inches, it's not the machine you carry between five lectures a day, and the display trades brightness and colour accuracy for size. But at 8.5/10, it's the smartest long-term buy on this list.

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS
• GPU: AMD Radeon 660M
• Display: 16-inch WUXGA, 16:10
• RAM/Storage: 16GB DDR5 / 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD (dual RAM + dual M.2 slots)
• Battery: 45Wh, 9 hours (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W USB-C
• Weight: Around 1.7kg
• Rating: 8.5/10

Dell Vostro 14 3440 — Best Student Laptop Under Rs 40,000

Price at time of review: Rs 39,990

Why we picked it

The Dell Vostro 14 3440 (review) is our best student laptop under Rs 40,000, delivering dependable everyday performance in a genuinely portable 1.46kg build that feels considerably more professional than its Rs 39,990 price suggests.

Set expectations correctly, and this machine delivers. The 13th-gen Core i3-1305U is a quad-core chip boosting to around 4.5GHz, paired with 8GB of DDR4 that's expandable to 16GB. In testing, it scored 4,730 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,494 in PCMark 10, with 8,336 in Essentials and 6,202 in Productivity, which is exactly the profile you want for browsing, office apps, and light multitasking. It'll strain under Photoshop or video editing, but for typical coursework, meetings, and streaming it performs admirably.

Where it quietly wins is the everyday feel. The matte black chassis is reinforced around the hinges, the rounded edges look more refined than the usual boxy budget laptop, and at 1.46 kg it's easy to carry between classes. The 14-inch FHD display is crisp with vivid colours and thin bezels, the full-size island-style keyboard has enough travel for long typing sessions, and the 41Wh battery stretches to around 4 hours and 29 minutes of light usage with fast charging support.

The compromises: brightness struggles outdoors, the trackpad is functional rather than precise with occasional lag, and there's no keyboard backlight, which is a genuine annoyance for late-night work. It scored 7.5/10 on our review.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-1305U (13th Gen, quad-core, up to 4.5GHz)
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
• Display: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)
• RAM/Storage: 8GB DDR4 (expandable to 16GB) / SSD
• Battery: 41Wh, up to 9 hours light usage, fast charging
• Weight: 1.46kg
• Rating: 7.5/10

CHUWI CoreBook X Pro — Best Student Laptop Under Rs 30,000

Price at time of review: Around Rs 30,000

Why we picked it

The CHUWI CoreBook X Pro (review) is our best student laptop under Rs 30,000 because it puts a 12th-gen H-series processor, 16GB of RAM and a properly upgradeable chassis at a price where the competition is still shipping sluggish entry-level chips and 768p screens.

The processor is the whole story. The Intel Core i5-12450H is a full H-series part, the kind you normally find in Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 creator and gaming laptops. In our benchmarks, it scored 7,128 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5,104 in PCMark 10, landing neck and neck with entry-level gaming laptops running the same chip, and demolishing typical budget contenders built on Core i3-1305U silicon. Paired with 16GB of DDR4, multitasking across Chrome tabs, video calls, and productivity apps simply doesn't stutter.

Then there's the upgradability, which is genuinely rare at any price. Chuwi put dedicated flaps on the bottom for RAM and SSD access, so no prying the chassis apart. The single 16GB stick means you can go to 32GB, and a second M.2 slot takes up to 2TB. For a student who wants this machine to last through a full degree, that matters. 

Two things to know. The 6-bit display shows muted colours and gradient banding, so it's most definitely not for colour work. And Chuwi's after-sales support in India remains an unknown quantity, which is the real gamble here. Battery is average at just under 5 hours. It earned 8.5/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-12450H (12th Gen H-series)
• GPU: Intel UHD Graphics
• Display: 15.6-inch Full HD, 60Hz, 6-bit panel
• RAM/Storage: 16GB DDR4 (upgradeable to 32GB) / 512GB NVMe SSD (second M.2 slot free)
• Battery: 49.08Wh, just under 5 hours (PCMark 10 video loop), barrel-pin charger
• Weight: Around 1.7kg
• Rating: 8.5/10

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 — Best Laptop for Engineering and Coding Students

Price at time of review: Rs 61,190

Why we picked it

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 (review) is our best laptop for engineering and coding students because it packs an HS-class Ryzen 7 into a 1.15kg aluminium body, giving you the sustained multi-threaded performance that compiling and simulation work demands without the weight penalty.

Engineering workloads punish weak CPUs, and this is where the Slim 5 separates itself. While most ultraportables at this price settle for low-power U-series chips, Lenovo dropped in the Ryzen 7 7735HS, silicon normally found in far bigger performance laptops. It scored 2,543 in Cinebench 2026 multi-core and 8,978 in Geekbench 6 multi-core in our testing, beating similarly priced rivals from Dell, Acer, and even Apple's entry-level MacBook in multi-threaded work. Thirty Chrome tabs alongside a compiler, documentation, and a video call: nothing made it flinch. The Radeon 680M graphics scored 21,204 in 3DMark Night Raid, comfortably handling visualisation work and esports titles between labs.

For a student carrying a laptop across campus daily, the rest of the package is close to ideal. At 1.15kg and 14mm thin it disappears into a backpack. The 13.3-inch 16:10 display covers 100 percent sRGB at 400 nits with a matte finish that stays readable under lecture-hall lighting, and the taller aspect ratio means more visible lines of code. Crucially for a compact machine, it features two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a microSD reader, allowing lab equipment and external displays to connect without the need for a dongle hunt.

Here is the catch: RAM is soldered at 16GB with no upgrade path, which stings on a machine you'll keep for four years, and battery life is decent rather than exceptional at 6 hours 22 minutes in the PCMark 10 video loop test. At 8.7/10, it's still the sharpest tool here for technical coursework.

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
• GPU: AMD Radeon 680M
• Display: 13.3-inch WUXGA IPS, 16:10, 100% sRGB, 400 nits, matte
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5x (soldered) / 512GB Gen4 SSD
• Battery: 6 hours 22 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W USB-C fast charging
• Weight: 1.15kg, 14mm thin
• Rating: 8.7/10

Apple MacBook Neo — Best Laptop for Design Students

Price at time of review: Rs 69,900 (256GB), Rs 79,900 (512GB)

Why we picked it

The Apple MacBook Neo (review) is our best laptop for design students because its 13-inch Liquid Retina display is good enough to almost match OLED rivals, and because a Rs 10,000 student discount brings the core MacBook experience within reach of a college budget for the first time.

The display is the reason it wins this category. At 2,408 x 1,506 with 500 nits of brightness and an anti-reflective coating, it's vibrant, bright, and reproduces text and images beautifully. In our testing, it holds its own against similarly priced Windows rivals like the ASUS Vivobook S16 and Motorola MotoBook 60, which ship OLED panels, and it beats them in Geekbench single-thread performance. For design students working in Figma, Illustrator, Canva, or light video, that combination of colour fidelity and responsiveness is exactly right. It even handles basic 4K video editing for short-form content.

The build is classic MacBook: aluminium, no creaks or flex, 1.23kg, and fanless, so it runs silently through a full studio session. The trackpad is superb, and once you've used it, going back to a Windows trackpad genuinely hurts. Battery comfortably delivers a full workday on a charge, which scored 8.8/10 in our review. And students can claim a Rs 10,000 discount, bringing the entry price to Rs 59,900.

Now the honest limits, because they matter for design work. You're stuck with 8GB of RAM, which becomes a bottleneck the moment your files get heavy, and this is the first Mac built around a smartphone chip, the A18 Pro. There's no keyboard backlight, which is a real problem for late-night studio work. Ports are limited to two USB-C, connectivity tops out at Wi-Fi 6E rather than Wi-Fi 7, and TouchID only appears on the 512GB model. If you're doing serious video editing or 3D, this isn't your machine. For everything short of that, at 8.5/10, it's a lot of Mac for the money.

Key specs:

• Processor: Apple A18 Pro
• Display: 13-inch Liquid Retina (2,408 x 1,506), 500 nits, 60Hz, anti-reflective
• RAM/Storage: 8GB / 256GB or 512GB SSD
• Battery: Full workday of use, 30W charger (0 to 50% in about 1 hour 15 minutes)
• Connectivity: 2x USB-C, 3.5mm jack, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 6
• Weight: 1.23kg, fanless
• Rating: 8.5/10

Acer Aspire 14 AI — Best Battery Life

Price at time of review: Rs 43,999

Why we picked it

The Acer Aspire 14 AI (review) is our best student laptop for battery life because it ran 15 hours 13 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test, surpassing every rival on this list by a huge margin and genuinely changing how you use a laptop.

During testing, it comfortably cleared 10-hour workdays at full brightness with multiple tabs open and the display running at 120Hz, still finishing with over 25 percent left, which stretched to roughly 12 hours of total use. After a week, our reviewer stopped carrying the charger entirely. For a student moving between lectures, the library, and a hostel room with contested plug points, that is the single most useful feature a laptop can have.

The enabler is the Snapdragon X X1-26-100, an ARM chip paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X running at 8,448 MT/s. It's not a powerhouse, but it scored 10,514 in Geekbench 6 multi-core and 704 in Cinebench R24 multi-core, actually ahead of Intel-powered rivals like the Moto Book 60 and ASUS Vivobook S14 in those tests, and it managed 54fps in GTA V. Thirty-plus tabs across two browsers with music playing caused no issues. The 14-inch 1920 x 1200 120Hz IPS panel covers 100 percent sRGB at around 400 nits, making it one of the better displays here, and at 1.26kg with Wi-Fi 7, a QHD+ webcam and a full port selection including HDMI and microSD, it's a genuinely well-rounded machine.

The one real catch is Windows on ARM. Most mainstream apps now run fine, but After Effects, Premiere Pro, and AutoCAD still lack ARM versions, and Linux support is absent. Engineering and video students should note that carefully. The trackpad also occasionally registered phantom right-clicks in testing. It scored 8/10.

Key specs:

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100
• GPU: Adreno X1-45
• Display: 14-inch IPS (1920 x 1200), 120Hz, 16:10, 100% sRGB, around 400 nits
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5X 8448 MT/s (soldered) / SSD
• Battery: 15 hours 13 minutes (PCMark 10 video loop), 65W USB-C PD
• Weight: 1.26kg
• Rating: 8/10

Winners at a glance

PS: Prices below are as of the time each laptop was reviewed and are subject to change.

FAQs

Which is the best laptop for students in India?

The Acer Aspire 15 AS15-42 is the best overall laptop for students in India, offering Ryzen 7 7730U performance, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB Gen4 SSD at Rs 40,999, making it the strongest performance-per-rupee buy for everyday student work.

Which is the best laptop for students under Rs 30,000?

The CHUWI CoreBook X Pro is the best student laptop under Rs 30,000. Its 12th-gen Core i5-12450H H-series chip, 16GB of RAM, and upgradeable RAM and SSD slots deliver performance normally found in laptops costing twice as much.

Which is the best laptop for students under Rs 40,000?

The Dell Vostro 14 3440 at Rs 39,990 is our pick under Rs 40,000, combining dependable Core i3 performance and a lightweight, professional 1.46kg build that handles coursework, meetings and streaming comfortably.

Which is the best laptop for students under Rs 50,000?

The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is the best student laptop under Rs 50,000. Its Ryzen 5 7535HS HS-series chip outperforms the U-series competition, and dual RAM plus dual SSD slots mean you can upgrade it years later instead of replacing it.

Which laptop is best for engineering and coding students?

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 is best for engineering and coding students, with an HS-class Ryzen 7 7735HS for compiling and simulation work, a 100 percent sRGB 16:10 display for more visible code, and a 1.15kg all-aluminium body.

Which laptop is best for design students?

The Apple MacBook Neo is our pick for design students, thanks to a 500-nit Liquid Retina display that rivals OLED panels, a class-leading trackpad, and a Rs 10,000 student discount that brings the price down to Rs 59,900.

Which student laptop has the best battery life?

The Acer Aspire 14 AI has by far the best battery life, running 15 hours 13 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test and delivering roughly 12 hours of real-world use, enough that you can leave the charger at home.

Is 8GB RAM enough for students in 2026?

For basic coursework, browsing, and office apps, 8GB works, as the Dell Vostro 14 3440 and MacBook Neo both show. But for engineering, coding, design or anything with heavy multitasking, 16GB is the sensible minimum, and a laptop with upgradeable RAM like the ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 or CHUWI CoreBook X Pro is the safer long-term buy.

Should students buy an ARM-based laptop like the Acer Aspire 14 AI?

For most students, yes, since mainstream apps now run well on ARM and the battery advantage is enormous. But if your course requires After Effects, Premiere Pro, AutoCAD or Linux, those still lack ARM support, so an x86 Windows laptop is the safer choice.

This page is built for laptop buyers in India who are tired of spec-sheet roulette and want a tested, trustworthy shortlist instead of marketing fluff. Whether you're a student hunting for a lightweight machine under a fixed budget, a professional who needs enterprise-grade reliability, a creator eyeing serious GPU muscle, or someone finally making the jump to macOS, this guide narrows the field to the machines that actually earned their spot. It's especially useful if you care about one specific strength, like battery endurance, raw performance, portability, or display quality, and want a clear winner for it.

We tested and compared over 30 laptops across budget, mid-range, premium, and workstation segments to identify the best laptops in India for different needs and budgets. Our rankings are based on real-world usage, synthetic benchmarks (Cinebench, Geekbench, 3DMark, PCMark), sustained performance and thermals, display quality, battery endurance, build quality, and overall value for money.

The Dell Pro Max 16 Plus is our best overall laptop thanks to its desktop-class performance and stunning Tandem OLED display. The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra is our value flagship pick, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 wins for students, and the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is the one for professionals. The Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro takes the MacBook crown, the Dell XPS 14 (2026) is the best Windows ultrabook, and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition is the best 2-in-1 you can buy. Updated for July 2026 with the latest launches, testing data, and price changes.

How do we test laptops?

Our recommendations are built on extensive, hands-on testing, not spec sheets. Every laptop on this list has spent weeks as a daily driver, pushed through real workloads: heavy multitasking with dozens of browser tabs, video editing timelines, code compilation, AAA gaming sessions, and long stretches of unplugged use.

We back that up with a standardised benchmark suite. For CPU performance, we run Cinebench R23, R24, and 2026 alongside Geekbench 6. For graphics, it's the full 3DMark stack, from Night Raid to Time Spy Extreme, plus real-game testing in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 5. PCMark 10 handles productivity scoring, CrystalDiskMark measures storage throughput, and battery life comes from the PCMark 10 video loop test at 80 percent brightness, cross-checked against real screen-on time.

Just as importantly, we test what benchmarks miss. How hot does the keyboard deck get during a render? Does performance hold up after 30 minutes of sustained load, or does it fall off a cliff? Is the display actually usable near a bright window? Each laptop is scored across design, display, performance, battery, and connectivity, and those scores decide who makes this list.

Dell Pro Max 16 Plus — Best Overall Laptop in India

Starting price: Rs 7,99,990

Why we picked it

The Dell Pro Max 16 Plus (review) is our best overall laptop in India because it delivered the most extreme combination of CPU power, GPU performance, display quality, and build engineering of any machine we tested this year.

The numbers back it up. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, a 24-core Arrow Lake-HX chip, posted some of the highest Cinebench multi-core scores we've ever recorded in a 16-inch chassis, sprinting to 159W in burst workloads and holding around 90W sustained. The NVIDIA RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell with 24GB of VRAM is the real shocker, though. In 3DMark, it lands within striking distance of RTX 5090 gaming laptops, scoring 21,954 in Time Spy and 37,222 in Fire Strike, and it pushed Cyberpunk 2077 to 126fps at FHD. That's a workstation GPU trading blows with bulky gaming rigs.

Then there's the stuff you can't benchmark. The 128GB of CAMM2 memory is upgradeable. The GPU sits on a modular DGFF module instead of being soldered down. Even the USB-C ports can be swapped out individually. Add a 4K Tandem OLED panel with near-complete DCI-P3 coverage and VESA HDR TrueBlack 1000, wrap it all in a MIL-STD-810H chassis, and you get a machine built to outlast everything else on this list. It scored 9.5/10 in our review, the highest rating we've given a laptop this year.

It runs hot under load, and the battery lasts 4 to 6 hours at best, but if you want the most laptop money can buy in India right now, this is it.

Pros	Cons
Exceptional CPU and GPU performance	Runs extremely hot under load
Modular RAM, GPU, and even ports
Stunning 4K Tandem OLED display
Enterprise-grade durability and build

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (24 cores)
• GPU: NVIDIA RTX Pro 5000 Blackwell, 24GB GDDR7
• Display: 16-inch 4K (3840 x 2400) Tandem OLED, 16:10, 500 nits, HDR TrueBlack 1000
• RAM/Storage: 128GB CAMM2 / 2TB SSD (triple Gen5 slots)
• Battery: 96Whr, 280W charging
• Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 5, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1, 2.5GbE LAN, SD Express, USB-A

Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra — Best Value Flagship Laptop

Starting price: Rs 3,10,990 (RTX 5070 variant)

Why we picked it

The Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra (review) is our best value flagship because it packs RTX 5070 graphics, a stunning AMOLED touchscreen, and workstation-level internals into a boardroom-ready chassis, with the quietest thermals of any performance laptop we tested this year.

Value at three lakh rupees sounds like a contradiction, so let us explain. Powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H with 32GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a fast 2TB NVMe SSD, this machine comfortably trades blows with proper gaming laptops across Cinebench, Geekbench, and PCMark in our testing. In games, 2K gaming across demanding titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, and Forza Horizon 5 felt surprisingly effortless. Samsung runs the RTX 5070 at 90W rather than the 115W of chunkier rivals, yet the gap isn't nearly as wide as you'd think: Cyberpunk 2077 hit 177fps at FHD with DLSS, ray tracing, and frame generation, against 217 to 219fps on 115W machines nearly twice its thickness.

The trick is the cooling. Thanks to the vapour chamber design, there's essentially no throttling to speak of, and the fans never get obnoxiously loud even in Turbo mode. This is the quietest we've ever gamed on a laptop with this much muscle. Around that sit a gorgeous AMOLED touchscreen, a six-speaker system (four force-cancelling woofers, two tweeters) that fills a room without falling apart, a massive trackpad that rivals the best in the business, and an 80.2Whr battery that comfortably lasted an entire workday in our testing.

Our review rated it 9/10. You're paying flagship money, but you're getting a creator laptop, a quiet gaming machine, and a premium ultrabook in one body. That's where the value is. And if hardcore gaming isn't your priority, the Core Ultra X7 358H variant at Rs 2,42,990 carries the same premium DNA for a lot less.

Pros	Cons
Stunning AMOLED touchscreen	Shallow keyboard feel
Powerful yet slim design	GPU not fully unleashed
Excellent thermal management, near-silent under load
Top-tier six-speaker audio system

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 356H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Laptop, 90W TGP
• Display: AMOLED touchscreen [confirm size/resolution/refresh from First Impressions]
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5X / 2TB NVMe SSD
• Battery: 80.2Whr, 140W USB-C charging
• Audio: Six speakers (4 woofers + 2 tweeters)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 — Best Laptop for Students

Starting price: Rs 75,500

Why we picked it

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 (review) is our best laptop for students because it delivers a premium all-aluminium build, a genuinely powerful Ryzen 7 processor, and a class-leading display at a price that most students can actually justify.

The trick here is the processor. While most ultraportables at this price settle for low-power U-series chips, Lenovo dropped in the Ryzen 7 7735HS, silicon you'd normally find in bigger performance laptops. The difference shows up everywhere. In our testing, it scored 2,543 in Cinebench 2026 multi-core and 8,978 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, beating similarly priced rivals from Dell, Acer, and even Apple's entry-level MacBook in multi-threaded workloads. Thirty Chrome tabs, video calls, document editing, light photo work: nothing made it flinch. The Radeon 680M graphics even handle older AAA titles and esports games at sensible settings, which is a nice bonus between lectures.

The hardware around it punches above its price too. The 13.3-inch 16:10 display covers 100 percent sRGB at 400 nits with a matte finish that laughs at classroom lighting. At 1.15kg and 14mm thin, it disappears into a backpack. And unlike most compact laptops, it keeps two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a microSD reader, so no dongle tax.

The 16GB of RAM is soldered, and battery life is decent rather than epic at around 6.5 hours in our PCMark loop test. But at 8.7/10, this is one of the easiest recommendations we've made all year.

Pros	Cons
Premium all-aluminium chassis at a budget price	Soldered RAM with no upgrade path
Powerful everyday performance	Battery life is average under heavier workloads
Bright, colour-accurate 16:10 display	Side-mounted power button is easy to press accidentally
Excellent port selection

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
• GPU: AMD Radeon 680M (integrated)
• Display: 13.3-inch WUXGA IPS, 16:10, 100% sRGB, 400 nits, matte
• RAM/Storage: 16GB LPDDR5x (soldered) / 512GB Gen4 SSD
• Battery: 65W USB-C fast charging, Lenovo Rapid Charge
• Weight: 1.15kg, 14mm thin

ASUS ExpertBook Ultra — Best Laptop for Professionals

Starting price: Rs 2,39,990 (reviewed variant: Rs 3,49,990)

Why we picked it

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra (review) is our best laptop for professionals because it combines workstation-class specs, a game-changing matte Tandem OLED display, and close to 14 hours of battery life in a roughly 1.1kg machine that outperforms rivals running the same silicon.

Business laptops used to be the boring choice. This one isn't. Under the hood sits Intel's Core Ultra X7 358H from the new Panther Lake lineup, paired with 64GB of RAM and a blazing-fast 2TB Gen 5 SSD. That combination is the difference-maker: pitted against the Dell XPS 14 running the exact same CPU, the ExpertBook Ultra often pulls ahead, largely thanks to its higher memory capacity and faster storage. 

Then there's the display, the machine's biggest talking point. ASUS pairs a flagship Tandem OLED panel with Corning Gorilla Matte coating, and what sounds like a compromise on paper feels like a revelation in practice. Reflections are almost nonexistent near windows or under harsh office lighting, colour accuracy is excellent, and the 120Hz refresh keeps everything smooth. The Ceraluminum-finished chassis resists smudges and feels tank-solid despite the featherweight build, the haptic glass touchpad comes close to (and sometimes surpasses) the MacBook's, and the 70Whr battery ran close to 14 hours in our PCMark 10 video loop test, with the 90W charger taking it from zero to 50 percent in about 30 minutes.

The matte layer does soften OLED's inky blacks slightly, and ASUS is still building the brand cachet that Apple and Dell enjoy in this segment. Neither dents the verdict: at 9.3/10, this is the highest-rated business laptop we've tested this year, a machine for professionals who value substance over status.

Pros	Cons
Stunning matte Tandem OLED panel	Matte finish reduces OLED's cinematic feel
Premium, lightweight yet durable build	Brand perception still catching up
Excellent keyboard and haptic touchpad
Exceptional performance for an ultralight laptop

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (Panther Lake)
• GPU: Integrated Intel graphics
• Display: Tandem OLED, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Matte with Gorilla Glass Victus
• RAM/Storage: 64GB / 2TB Gen 5 NVMe SSD
• Battery: 70Whr, ~14 hours (PCMark 10), 90W USB-C PD charging
• Build: ~1.1kg, Ceraluminum finish, USB-A, dual USB-C, HDMI

Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro — Best MacBook

Starting price: Rs 2,49,990

Why we picked it

The Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch with M5 Pro delivers the strongest balance of performance, battery life, and display quality in Apple's entire laptop lineup, without crossing into M5 Max pricing that most buyers simply don't need.

The M5 Pro chip is built from the ground up for AI workloads, with a Neural Accelerator baked into each GPU core, and Apple claims a roughly 30 percent CPU uplift over the previous generation. Testers who have spent extended time with the new M5 Pro machines consistently report that the performance gains show up exactly where they matter: faster exports, snappier local AI tasks, and sustained workloads that don't throttle. The 24GB of unified memory in the base configuration, now paired with a 1TB SSD as standard, means the entry model finally feels like a pro machine out of the box rather than an upsell waiting to happen.

The fundamentals remain the best in the business. The 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion is still the panel every Windows OLED gets compared against, the six-speaker system embarrasses most laptop audio, and this generation adds three Thunderbolt 5 ports, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6. Then there's the battery: Apple rates it at up to 24 hours, and real-world reports from those who have tested it put it comfortably beyond anything on the Windows side.

We recommend it without hesitation for anyone committed to macOS. If your workflow lives in Final Cut, Logic, or Xcode, this is the machine to buy in 2026.

Pros	Cons
Class-leading battery life, rated up to 24 hours	Expensive, and upgrades cost even more
Superb Liquid Retina XDR display with 120Hz ProMotion	No touchscreen, unlike premium Windows rivals
M5 Pro delivers major AI and sustained performance gains	Limited to macOS workflows and app ecosystem
Three Thunderbolt 5 ports, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6

Key specs:

• Processor: Apple M5 Pro (up to 18-core CPU)
• GPU: Integrated, with per-core Neural Accelerators
• Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR (3024 x 1964), 120Hz ProMotion, nano-texture option
• RAM/Storage: 24GB unified memory / 1TB SSD (base)
• Battery: Up to 24 hours video playback, 96W charging
• Ports: 3x Thunderbolt 5, HDMI, SDXC, MagSafe 3

Dell XPS 14 (2026) — Best Windows Ultrabook

Starting price: Rs 2,57,890

Why we picked it

The Dell XPS 14 (2026) (review) is our top pick for the best Windows ultrabook because it pairs the segment's most stunning OLED display with exceptional battery life and premium build quality, marking one of the most convincing comebacks of the year.

Dell killed the XPS line in 2025 and revived it a year later, and honestly, the time off did it good. The 14-inch 2.8K OLED touchscreen is the star: 120Hz variable refresh, 100 percent DCI-P3, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500, and 500 nits peak brightness. Movies look sublime, spreadsheets look crisp, and scrolling feels buttery in a way LCD ultrabooks just can't match.

Performance from the Intel Core Ultra X7 358H is properly quick for a thin-and-light. In our testing it scored 12,500 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 16,438 in Geekbench 6 multi-core, outclassing the ThinkPad X1 Carbon and HP EliteBook 8 G1i in multi-threaded work. But the battery is what sold us. It ran 11 hours and 8 minutes in the PCMark 10 test, and in real-world use we got roughly 14 hours of active screen-on time, or about a day and a half of heavy productivity, with around 30 Chrome tabs open throughout. At 1.36kg with a robust aluminium build and a comfortable keyboard, it's the ultrabook we kept reaching for. It earned 9.2/10 in our review.

The glossy panel gets reflective with a light source behind you, and there's no physical webcam shutter. Neither dents the overall verdict: the king is back.

Pros	Cons
Brilliant 14-inch 120Hz OLED touchscreen	Glossy display gets reflective in bright environments
Outstanding battery life, 11+ hours tested	No physical privacy shutter for the webcam
Premium, robust build with a comfortable keyboard
Strong CPU and iGPU performance for the class

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H (Panther Lake)
• GPU: Intel Arc integrated graphics
• Display: 14-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED touch, 20-120Hz, 500 nits peak, 100% DCI-P3
• RAM/Storage: 32GB / 1TB SSD
• Battery: 11 hours 8 minutes (PCMark 10)
• Weight: 1.36kg

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition — Best 2-in-1 Laptop

Starting price: Rs 3,79,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 GZ302EAC Kojima Edition (review) is our best 2-in-1 because no other convertible on the market comes close to delivering genuine AAA gaming performance, tablet versatility, and collector-grade design in a single device.

Let's start with the absurd part: this is a 13-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard, powered by the AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 and a frankly ridiculous 128GB of unified memory, of which up to 96GB can be assigned directly to the Radeon 8060S GPU. In our lab, it scored 27,861 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 10,041 in 3DMark Time Spy, numbers that put it shoulder to shoulder with full-size gaming laptops packing dedicated RTX GPUs. During testing, we played Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil Requiem, and Forza Horizon 5 on battery power for over 90 minutes straight, on an aeroplane tray table. Try that with a Zephyrus.

The 2-in-1 form factor is the point, though. Keyboard on, it's a work machine with a surprisingly good trackpad. Keyboard off, kickstand out, it's a premium Windows tablet for movies. HDMI to a TV with a controller, and it's a living-room console. The Kojima Productions treatment, from the gold-and-black Ludens-inspired finish to the briefcase-style packaging, makes it feel like an art piece that happens to benchmark like a monster.

At Rs 3,79,990, it is aggressively expensive, and the speakers are merely fine. But as a shape-shifting flagship, it has no real competition. It scored 8.3/10 in our review.

Pros	Cons
Incredible performance-to-size ratio	Eye-watering price tag
True tablet, laptop, and console versatility	Average built-in speakers
Stunning collector-grade Kojima design	Battery drains quickly under gaming loads
128GB unified RAM with up to 96GB for the GPU

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395
• GPU: AMD Radeon 8060S (integrated, up to 96GB assignable memory)
• Display: 13.4-inch touchscreen, detachable keyboard, built-in kickstand
• RAM/Storage: 128GB unified / 1TB SSD
• Battery: 90+ minutes of AAA gaming unplugged in our testing
• Form factor: Detachable 2-in-1 tablet

Winners at a glance

Laptop	Category win	Processor	GPU	RAM/Storage	Display	Battery (tested/rated)	Price
Dell Pro Max 16 Plus	Best overall	Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX	RTX Pro 5000, 24GB	128GB / 2TB	16-inch 4K Tandem OLED	4-6 hrs	Rs 7,99,990
Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra	Best value flagship	Intel Core Ultra X7	RTX 5070	32GB / 1TB	16-inch 3K AMOLED, 120Hz	All-day, 83Whr	Rs 3,10,990
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10	Best for students	Ryzen 7 7735HS	Radeon 680M	16GB / 512GB	13.3-inch WUXGA IPS	6:22 (PCMark)	Rs 75,500
ASUS ExpertBook Ultra	Best for professionals	Intel Core Ultra X7 358H	Intel Arc B390	64GB / 2TB Gen 5	14-inch Tandem OLED, 120Hz	13.8 hrs	Rs 2,39,990 onwards
Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro	Best MacBook	Apple M5 Pro	Integrated	24GB / 1TB	14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR, 120Hz	Up to 24 hrs	Rs 2,49,990
Dell XPS 14 (2026)	Best Windows ultrabook	Intel Core Ultra X7 358H	Intel Arc	32GB / 1TB	14-inch 2.8K OLED touch, 120Hz	11:08 (PCMark)	Rs 2,57,890
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition	Best 2-in-1	Ryzen AI MAX+ 395	Radeon 8060S	128GB / 1TB	13.4-inch touch, detachable	90+ min gaming	Rs 3,79,990

FAQs

Which is the best laptop in India?

The Dell Pro Max 16 Plus is the best overall laptop in India right now, thanks to its desktop-class Core Ultra 9 and RTX Pro 5000 performance, modular design, and stunning 4K Tandem OLED display.

Which is the best laptop for students in India?

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5 13ARP10 is the best laptop for students, offering a premium aluminium build, a powerful Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, and a bright 16:10 display for under Rs 70,000.

Which laptop is best for professionals and business use?

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is our top pick for professionals, with 64GB of RAM, the fastest SSD we've tested this year, a matte Tandem OLED display, and 13.8 hours of battery life in a MIL-STD-certified chassis.

Which MacBook should I buy in 2026?

The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro is the MacBook to buy in 2026. It hits the sweet spot between performance and price, with up to 24 hours of battery life and 24GB of unified memory in the base model.

Which is the best Windows ultrabook in India?

The Dell XPS 14 (2026) is the best Windows ultrabook, combining a brilliant 120Hz OLED touchscreen with over 11 hours of tested battery life and a premium 1.36kg build.

Which is the best 2-in-1 laptop in India?

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition is the best 2-in-1, delivering gaming-laptop performance from its Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 chip and 128GB of unified memory in a detachable tablet form factor.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Book6 Ultra worth the price?

Yes, if you want flagship performance without a gaming laptop's bulk. The Galaxy Book6 Ultra pairs RTX 5070 graphics with a 3K AMOLED touchscreen and strong battery life, making it the best value among premium flagships despite its Rs 3,10,990 price.

Which laptop has the best battery life?

The Apple MacBook Pro M5 Pro leads on rated battery life at up to 24 hours. Among Windows machines, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra's tested 13.8 hours is the best on this list.

With price brackets shifting and competition becoming fiercer, does the iQOO Z11 Lite still offer good value for money? Here's our detailed review.

Verdict

The iQOO Z11 Lite gets the basics right. The handset offers dependable day-to-day performance, reliable battery life, and genuinely useful AI features in a durable package. However, the HD+ display and dated notch make it feel a step behind rivals that offer sharper FHD+ panels. If battery life and reliable everyday usage matter more than display quality, the Z11 Lite is a solid choice.

Design and display: premium but slightly dated

[pdp-expert-review]
The iQOO Z11 Lite impresses with its attractive design, durable build, and eye-catching Solar Flame finish. However, the HD+ display and dated notch make it feel a step behind rivals that offer sharper FHD+ panels.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The iQOO Z11 Lite does enough to stand out. It comes in Midnight Blue and Solar Flame, with the latter easily being the more eye-catching option. The patterned finish gives the phone a premium look that you don't often find in this segment.

Despite housing a large 6,500mAh battery, the phone doesn't feel overly heavy. It is slightly large in the hand, but remains comfortable enough for extended use. iQOO has also focused on durability, offering an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, alongside Swiss SGS Five-Star Drop Resistance and military-grade durability certifications. These additions make the phone feel reassuringly sturdy for everyday use.

The display is where compromises begin to show. The phone features a 6.74-inch HD+ LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,200 nits peak brightness. While scrolling feels smooth and the display gets sufficiently bright indoors, the HD+ resolution feels slightly inferior, especially at this price point. Rivals like the Samsung Galaxy M17 offer sharper FHD+ AMOLED panels, making content noticeably crisper.

The waterdrop notch also looks dated when several competitors have moved to punch-hole displays. Outdoor visibility is acceptable, although harsh sunlight can affect readability.

For casual content consumption, the display is perfectly usable, and HD+ has now become the standard in this price segment. However, those who prefer a FHD+ panel can consider the Galaxy M17. 

Performance: capable for everyday tasks

[pdp-expert-review]
The Dimensity 6300 SoC delivers a dependable experience for everyday tasks, while excellent thermal management makes it a surprisingly capable option for casual gaming. Power users, however, may find its performance limiting under heavier workloads.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The iQOO Z11 Lite is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 6300, a chipset that has become increasingly common in the budget smartphone segment. It isn't designed to top benchmark charts, but it delivers a reliable experience for everyday users.

Whether it's browsing social media, messaging, watching videos, or switching between multiple apps, the phone handles routine tasks without much trouble. The interface remains smooth for the most part, and app loading times are respectable. However, users who frequently play demanding games or multitask heavily may notice occasional slowdowns, as the chipset does have its limitations.

[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="41838,41950,42230,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

One area where the phone performs better than expected is thermal management. During our gaming tests with BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile, the Z11 Lite stayed noticeably cooler than several other phones powered by the same chipset. It also maintained stable performance over longer gaming sessions, earning one of the better thermal scores in our benchmark testing. While it isn't a gaming powerhouse, casual gamers will appreciate its consistent performance without excessive heating.

Battery: easily reliable 

[pdp-expert-review]
The 6,500mAh battery is one of the phone's biggest strengths, comfortably lasting a full day and delivering impressive benchmark results. Combined with 44W fast charging, it offers a worry-free experience for most users.
[/pdp-expert-review]

Battery life is easily one of the iQOO Z11 Lite's biggest strengths. The phone packs a 6,500mAh battery, which is more than enough to comfortably get most users through an entire day, even with moderate to heavy usage. In our PCMark Battery benchmark, the phone recorded an impressive 15 hours, putting it close to devices like the Realme P4R, despite the latter featuring a significantly larger 8,000mAh battery. This highlights how well iQOO has optimised power efficiency.

[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="41838,41950,42105,," ][/comparative-benchmark]

During our tests, we found that the Z11 Lite's battery dropped 5 percent after 60 minutes of YouTube video streaming, which is better than phones with bigger batteries like the Realme P4R and the same as the Moto G37 Power, which has a bigger 7,000mAh cell. Battery drops after 30 minutes of gaming, BGMI, and COD Mobile are also on par with phones having the same or bigger battery capacity. 

The phone also supports 44W fast charging, which is sufficient for a battery of this size, as it takes just over an hour to reach 100 percent. For users who prioritise long-lasting battery life over fast charging, the Z11 Lite delivers a dependable experience.

Cameras: made for casual photography

[pdp-expert-review]
The primary camera captures good photos in daylight and handles portraits well, but the lack of an ultra-wide sensor and average low-light performance hold it back. Overall, the camera system is reliable for casual photography rather than for enthusiasts.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The iQOO Z11 Lite takes a fairly conservative approach to cameras. The handset features a 50MP primary sensor alongside a 0.8MP secondary sensor and a 5MP front camera. Since there's no ultra-wide camera here, almost all of your photography depends on the primary sensor.

Fortunately, the main camera delivers decent results in daylight. Images offer good colours, acceptable dynamic range, and enough detail for social media uploads. It performs well enough for casual photography and everyday moments.

[smartslider3 slider="2165"]

To better understand where the iQOO Z11 Lite stands, we compared its cameras with the OnePlus N6, one of its key rivals in the segment.

Daylight

The OnePlus N6 delivers sharper images with better fine details and more accurate colours. The iQOO Z11 Lite, however, has a slight advantage in dynamic range, retaining more detail in darker areas of the frame and preventing shadows from being crushed.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/iQOO-z11-lite-daylight-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/op-n6-daylight-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="iQOO Z11 Lite" after="OnePlus N6"]

Selfies

The iQOO Z11 Lite reproduces skin tones and colours more naturally, although it tends to overexpose the subject in certain situations. The OnePlus N6 brightens the image, resulting in selfies that may look more appealing on social media. In terms of detail and clarity, the iQOO holds a slight edge, while both phones offer similar dynamic range.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/iQOO-z11-lite-selfie.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/op-n6x-selfie-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="iQOO Z11 Lite" after="OnePlus N6"]

Portrait

The OnePlus N6 captures more accurate skin tones and colours in portrait shots. The iQOO Z11 Lite, meanwhile, preserves finer details better and delivers superior edge detection and background blur. The OnePlus N6 struggles around tricky areas like hair, where the iQOO produces cleaner subject separation.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/iQOO-z11-lite-portrait-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/op-n6x-portrait-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="iQOO Z11 Lite" after="OnePlus N6"]

Low-light (night mode)

The OnePlus N6 is the clear winner in low-light photography. It controls light flares and exposure more effectively, produces colours that are closer to reality, and captures cleaner images with less noise and noticeably better detail.

[twenty20 img1="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/iQOO-z11-lite-night-mode-scaled.jpg" img2="https://static.hub.91mobiles.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2026/07/op-n6x-night-scaled.jpg" offset="0.5" before="iQOO Z11 Lite" after="OnePlus N6"]

Overall, the iQOO Z11 Lite offers a capable primary camera for everyday photography, with strengths in dynamic range, portrait mode, and producing natural-looking selfies. However, the OnePlus N6 offers a more consistent camera experience across different lighting conditions, particularly in daylight and low light, making it the stronger choice for users who prioritise photography.

Software: useful AI features

[pdp-expert-review]
OriginOS 6 offers a smooth software experience, and the AI features are genuinely useful. While the software support is fairly standard, the productivity-focused AI tools add meaningful value to the overall package.
[/pdp-expert-review]

The iQOO Z11 Lite runs OriginOS 6 based on Android 16, delivering a customisable and responsive software experience. The handset is promised two Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which is fairly standard for this price segment.

The highlight, however, is iQOO's suite of AI features. AI Creation is surprisingly useful in everyday scenarios. It can summarise lengthy documents, rewrite text, expand notes, translate content, correct grammar, or even draft emails based on prompts. During testing, it responded quickly and produced useful results. Students and working professionals are likely to benefit the most.

AI Captions provides live transcription, translation, and one-tap summaries, while AI Transcript Assist converts recordings into text with summaries and highlights. These features help improve productivity and add value beyond the hardware.

Verdict

The iQOO Z11 Lite is a phone that focuses on getting the fundamentals right. Its dependable everyday performance, long battery life, good thermal management, durable design, and genuinely useful AI features make it a practical smartphone for most users. That said, the HD+ display is difficult to ignore in this price segment. The dated notch further adds to the feeling that the display has been compromised to meet the price.

If your priorities are battery life, reliability, software features, and a phone that can comfortably last through a busy day, the iQOO Z11 Lite is easy to recommend. However, if a better display is on your mind, then the Galaxy M17 is an alternative to consider, and the OnePlus N6 for better camera performance, and a bigger battery too. For everyday users, students, and those upgrading from older budget smartphones, the Z11 Lite remains a dependable all-rounder that gets more right than wrong.

Editor's rating: 8.1/10

Reasons to buy

• The 6,500mAh battery is quite dependable for regular to moderate usage. 
• The phone comes with useful AI features for productivity.
• The Z11 Lite has good thermals for gaming among the competition.

Reasons to skip

• The HD+ resolution feels lacking among rivals.
• It has a waterdrop notch, which looks dated. 

The Indian gaming laptop market has peaked. Whether you're a competitive esports player chasing frames, a AAA enthusiast who wants maxed-out settings, a student gaming on a tight budget, or a creator who edits by day and raids by night, in this guide, we narrow the field to the machines that earned their category through real testing. It's especially useful if you care about one thing above all: raw FPS, thermals, portability, display quality, or price.

We tested and compared numerous gaming laptops across budget, mid-range, premium, and flagship segments to identify the best gaming laptops in India. Our rankings are based on real-world gaming FPS, sustained performance and thermals, synthetic benchmarks (3DMark, Cinebench, PCMark), display quality, battery endurance, build quality, and value for money.

Here are the winners across categories:

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 is our best overall gaming laptop for its RTX 5090 performance and class-leading thermals. The MSI Titan 18 HX AI is the ultimate premium pick, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 wins on value, and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition is the best thin-and-light. The ASUS TUF A14 takes the esports crown, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) is the one for creators, and the ASUS Gaming V16 and Acer Nitro Lite 16 are our budget picks under Rs 1,00,000 and Rs 80,000.

Updated for July 2026 with the latest launches, testing data, and price changes.

How do we test gaming laptops?

Every laptop on this list has been through weeks of hands-on testing, and gaming machines get the harshest version of our process. We run real games, not just synthetic loops: Cyberpunk 2077, Black Myth: Wukong, Forza Horizon 5, GTA V, and competitive titles like Valorant and CS2, measuring average FPS at native resolution, with DLSS, and with ray tracing and frame generation where supported.

Because gaming laptops live and die by sustained performance, thermals get special attention. We log CPU and GPU temperatures under extended load, check for throttling during long sessions, and note how hot the keyboard deck gets and how loud the fans scream while doing it. A laptop that benchmarks well for five minutes and melts for the next thirty doesn't win anything here.

The synthetic suite covers the full 3DMark stack (Night Raid through Time Spy Extreme), Cinebench R23, R24, and 2026, Geekbench 6, PCMark 10, and PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve where creator workloads matter. Battery life comes from the PCMark 10 video loop test at 80 percent brightness. Each machine is then scored across design, display, performance, gaming, battery, and connectivity, and those scores decide the winners below.

Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 — Best Overall Gaming Laptop in India

Starting price: Rs 4,95,389

Why we picked it

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 (review) is our best overall gaming laptop in India because it pairs RTX 5090 firepower with the most impressive thermal management we've tested on a flagship, delivering desktop-class performance that never falls apart under sustained load.

The numbers are borderline unfair. In our testing, the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and RTX 5090 combination scored 38,048 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 12,622 in 3DMark Time Spy Extreme, making it the best overall performer among every flagship laptop we tested this year. In games, Cyberpunk 2077 runs at 171fps at FHD native and rockets to 348fps with DLSS, ray tracing, and frame generation enabled. Competitive titles like Valorant and CS2 feel almost comically smooth on the 18-inch 300Hz panel.

But here's what actually won it the category: thermals. Most manufacturers can cram this hardware into a chassis. Almost none can cool it. During extended gaming sessions, the Area-51's vapour chamber cooling kept CPU temperatures in the mid-70s and the GPU at just 60 to 65 degrees Celsius. That's not flagship-laptop cooling; that's desktop-tower cooling, and it means the performance you see in minute one is the performance you get in hour four. Creators get a bonus too: 11,365 in PugetBench for DaVinci Resolve means it renders as hard as it games.

At nearly Rs 5 lakh, it's an enthusiast purchase. But for that enthusiast, it earned our 9.5/10, the joint-highest laptop rating we've given this year.

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX (24 cores)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop, 24GB
• Display: 18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, 300Hz, 100% DCI-P3
• RAM/Storage: 64GB DDR5 / 2TB SSD
• Battery: ~4.5 hours (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Weight: Desktop-replacement class

MSI Titan 18 HX AI — Best Premium Gaming Laptop

Starting price: Rs 6,59,990

Why we picked it

The MSI Titan 18 HX AI (review) is our best premium gaming laptop because it is the most uncompromising machine money can buy in India, pairing the RTX 5090 with a 4K 120Hz Mini-LED display and the fastest laptop storage we've ever tested.

Calling this thing a laptop almost feels wrong. Inside the magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis sits Intel's Core Ultra 9 285HX, NVIDIA's RTX 5090 with 24GB of GDDR7, 64GB of DDR5-6400 RAM, and a trio of 2TB PCIe Gen 5 SSDs in RAID 0 for 6TB of storage. That array averaged 16,475MB/s reads in CrystalDiskMark, the fastest laptop storage we've tested to date. In our benchmarks, it scored 2,140 in Cinebench R24 multi-core and 22,823 in 3DMark Time Spy, numbers that outshine plenty of desktop gaming rigs, and in AAA heavyweights like Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong it pushes 4K gaming past 60fps with ease, with DLSS 4 Frame Generation keeping things silky.

What separates it from the Alienware above is everything around the silicon. The 18-inch UHD+ Mini-LED panel punches past 1,000 nits in HDR with DisplayHDR 1000 certification and genuine 100 percent DCI-P3 accuracy, close enough to a reference monitor for grading HDR video. The Cherry MX ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard is a first at this level, the Dynaudio six-speaker system out-thumps most gaming laptops, and dual Thunderbolt 5 ports open an accessory ecosystem, from 6GB/s external SSDs to multi-display editing hubs, that makes you rethink what a laptop can anchor. MSI's Cooler Boost Titan system, dual fans and quad heatpipes with one dedicated to the Gen 5 SSD, keeps thermal throttling out of the machine's vocabulary entirely.

At Rs 6,20,990 and 3.7kg, this is unapologetically overkill, and that's the point. It earned 9.5/10 in our review. You don't buy the Titan out of necessity. You buy it because you want the best.

Pros	Cons
Extreme performance with Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX & RTX 5090	Very expensive
Stunning 18-inch 4K Mini-LED HDR 1000 display	Big and heavy
Blazing 6TB Gen 5 RAID 0 storage	Fans get loud under load
Thunderbolt 5 for high-speed accessories

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (24 cores)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop, 24GB GDDR7, 175W TGP
• Display: 18-inch UHD+ (3840 x 2400) Mini-LED, 120Hz, DisplayHDR 1000, 100 percent DCI-P3, 16:10
• RAM/Storage: 64GB DDR5-6400 / 6TB PCIe Gen 5 RAID 0 (3x 2TB)
• Battery: 99.9Whr, 3:39 (PCMark 10), 400W charging + 140W USB-PD
• Weight: 3.7kg

Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 — Best Value Gaming Laptop

Starting price: Rs 3,16,989

Why we picked it

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 (review) is our best value gaming laptop because it runs its RTX 5070 Ti at full power, pairs it with a gorgeous 240Hz OLED display, and delivers sustained performance that embarrasses laptops with bigger GPUs.

Value at Rs 3 lakh needs explaining, so here's the explanation: this laptop punches above its silicon. In our testing, the Core Ultra 9 275HX and 140W RTX 5070 Ti combination scored 34,179 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 18,369 in 3DMark Time Spy, and 20,431 in Geekbench 6 multi-core. It edged out the ASUS ROG Strix G16 with the exact same CPU and GPU in almost every benchmark. More impressively, it beat the previous Zephyrus G16 that technically carried an RTX 5080, because that machine ran its bigger GPU at a conservative 130W while the Legion lets its 5070 Ti stretch its legs.

The 16-inch 2560 x 1600 OLED panel at 240Hz is the other half of the value equation. True blacks, 100 percent DCI-P3 coverage, and motion clarity that makes both Night City and competitive shooters look dramatic. Panels like this simply don't show up at this price with this much GPU behind them. Lenovo's Coldfront Hyper cooling keeps the CPU under 92 degrees even at full tilt, and the 10,907 PugetBench DaVinci score means creators get real mileage too.

The fans get loud, and battery life is a typical-for-class 3.5 hours in our PCMark loop. Neither changes the maths: this is the most performance per rupee on this list. It earned 8.7/10 in our review.

Pros	Cons
RTX 5070 Ti runs full power	Expensive for RTX 5070 Ti
Gorgeous 16-inch 240Hz OLED display	Fans get loud under load
Excellent sustained performance and thermals
Comfortable keyboard and solid build

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 12GB GDDR7, 140W TGP
• Display: 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED, 240Hz, 100% DCI-P3
• RAM/Storage: 32GB DDR5 / 1TB SSD
• Battery: 80Whr, 3:25 (PCMark 10 video loop)
• Weight: 2.43kg

ASUS Gaming V16 — Best Gaming Laptop Under Rs 1,00,000

Starting price: Rs 84,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS Gaming V16 (V3607VU) (review) is our best gaming laptop under Rs 1,00,000 because it pairs decent FHD gaming with something no rival in this bracket offers: nearly 11 hours of battery life and a professional design you can carry into a lecture hall or meeting without a second glance.

Let's be upfront about the trade this laptop makes, because it's a deliberate one. The Intel Core 5 210H and 65W RTX 4050 deliver decent 1080p gaming, and the 16-inch 1920 x 1200 144Hz panel keeps competitive titles feeling smooth. But hitting 60fps in AAA games needs settings tweaked down to medium-high, and higher-wattage RTX 4050 rivals will out-frame it. What you get in exchange is the V16's genuine superpower: it lasted 10 hours and 48 minutes in our PCMark 10 video loop test. Most budget gaming laptops manage around 3.5 hours. That is not a typo, and for a student or professional whose laptop is a gaming machine second, it changes everything, no charger in the backpack, all day.

The rest of the package leans the same way. The matte black, logo-lite design is a wolf in sheep's clothing, the 1.95kg weight is genuinely manageable for a 16-incher, the 16:10 aspect ratio helps documents as much as games, and a Puget DaVinci Resolve score of 4,923 makes it a capable editing machine on the go. Know the compromises: the display covers just 45 percent NTSC, so colour work needs an external monitor, there's no Ethernet port for wired play, and CPU temps peak at 96 degrees under the quiet fan tuning. It earned 7/10 in our review, with battery scoring a 9.

One honest note before you buy: if you can stretch your budget to around Rs 1,11,000, the HP Victus 15 (fa2009xx) is a serious performance step up. Its Core 7 240H and RTX 5060 running at 80W comfortably outmuscle last-gen RTX 4060 setups, and 24GB of RAM plus a 6,499 Puget score make it the stronger machine for both frames and creative work, though its battery lasted just 4 hours 27 minutes against the V16's near-11. If your budget is a hard ceiling or endurance matters, take the V16. If it can bend and FPS rules, take the Victus.

Pros	Cons
Exceptional battery life	Weaker RTX 4050 GPU
Relatively portable for a 16-incher	Display colour accuracy could have been better
Decent FHD gaming performance	No Ethernet port
Professional design and sturdy build

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core 5 210H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop, 6GB, 65W TGP
• Display: 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 144Hz, 300 nits
• RAM/Storage: 16GB DDR5-5200 / 512GB Gen 4 SSD (upgrade recommended)
• Battery: 10:48 (PCMark 10 video loop), 150W charger + USB-C PD
• Weight: 1.95kg

Acer Nitro Lite 16 — Best Gaming Laptop Under Rs 80,000

Starting price: Rs 79,900

Why we picked it

The Acer Nitro Lite 16 (review) is our best gaming laptop under Rs 80,000 because it packs a rare 16:10 165Hz anti-glare display, Thunderbolt 4, and genuinely portable 1.95kg design into a price bracket where those features basically don't exist.

Let's be clear about what Rs 80,000 buys in 2026: compromises. The question is which ones. The Nitro Lite 16 makes an unusual set of trades that work surprisingly well for entry-level gamers. The Intel Core i5-13420H and RTX 3050 handle esports and older AAA titles comfortably. In our testing, GTA V averaged 98 to 106fps and Cyberpunk 2077 managed a playable 56fps at FHD with DLSS. Geekbench 6 multi-core came in at 10,311 and Cinebench R23 multi-core at 10,037, both ahead of the similarly priced Lenovo LOQ on the CPU side.

Where it genuinely stands out is everything around the silicon. The 16-inch 165Hz anti-glare panel in a 16:10 ratio is an absolute rarity at this price, great for gaming and even better for the coding and spreadsheet work most budget buyers also need. The Pearl White chassis is a legitimate head-turner, Thunderbolt 4 and 2.5G Ethernet are premium inclusions, and the 7 hours 27 minutes it ran in the PCMark Modern Office battery test is respectable for a gaming machine.

Know the catches: the RTX 3050's TGP is capped at 55W, so demanding titles need medium settings, and colour accuracy (45 percent NTSC) rules out serious creative work. It scored 7.5/10 in our review, an honest rating for an honest budget machine.

Pros	Cons
Stand-out design for a gaming laptop	Poor colour accuracy (45% NTSC)
Lightweight and portable 16-inch machine	Sole USB-C/Thunderbolt port doubles as the charging port
16:10 165Hz Antiglare display	Limited upgradeability (1x M.2 slot)
Thunderbolt 4 and 2.5G Ethernet ports	Restrained CPU and GPU performance

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-13420H
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050, 6GB (55W TGP)
• Display: 16-inch WUXGA IPS, 16:10, 165Hz, anti-glare
• RAM/Storage: 16GB DDR5 (upgradeable to 32GB) / 512GB SSD (1x M.2 slot)
• Battery: 53.99Whr, 7:27 (PCMark Modern Office)
• Weight: 1.95kg

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition — Best Thin-and-Light Gaming Laptop

Starting price: Rs 3,79,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 GZ302EAC Kojima Edition (review) is our best thin-and-light gaming laptop because nothing else this portable comes remotely close to its performance, with benchmark numbers that go toe to toe with full-size gaming rigs from a detachable tablet.

The spec sheet reads like a typo. This is a 13-inch tablet with a detachable keyboard, powered by AMD's Ryzen AI MAX+ 395 and 128GB of unified memory, up to 96GB of which can be assigned directly to the Radeon 8060S graphics. In our lab, it scored 27,861 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 10,041 in 3DMark Time Spy, and 23,903 in Fire Strike. For context, that Time Spy number beats plenty of laptops carrying dedicated RTX 5060-class GPUs, from a device you can hold in one hand.

The real-world proof came at 35,000 feet. During testing, we played Baldur's Gate 3, Resident Evil Requiem, and Forza Horizon 5 on battery power for over 90 minutes on an aeroplane tray table, something physically impossible with any traditional gaming laptop. And when you land, the versatility keeps going: kickstand out for a tablet, HDMI to a TV with a controller for console mode, or docked to a monitor for work. The Kojima Productions design treatment, with its gold-and-black Ludens-inspired finish, makes it the rare gaming device that's also a collector's piece.

At Rs 3,79,990, it demands deep pockets, and the speakers are only average. But if the mission is maximum gaming in minimum kilograms, nothing else qualifies. It scored 8.3/10 in our review.

Pros	Cons
Incredible performance-to-size ratio	Eye-watering price tag
True tablet, laptop, and console versatility	Average built-in speakers
128GB unified RAM, up to 96GB for the GPU	Battery drains fast under gaming loads
Stunning collector-grade Kojima design

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI MAX+ 395
• GPU: AMD Radeon 8060S (integrated, up to 96GB assignable memory)
• Display: 13.4-inch touchscreen, detachable keyboard, kickstand
• RAM/Storage: 128GB unified / 1TB SSD
• Battery: 90+ minutes of AAA gaming unplugged in our testing
• Form factor: Detachable 2-in-1 tablet

ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (2026) — Best Gaming Laptop for Esports

Starting price: Rs 2,39,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (2026) (review) is our best gaming laptop for esports because it runs Valorant at over 500fps and Apex Legends past 200fps on a fast 2.5K 165Hz display, all from a 1.48kg body built for the tournament bag rather than the desk.

Esports machines have different priorities: high, stable frame rates in competitive titles, a fast display to show them, and a weight you can actually carry to LANs and practice sessions. The TUF A14 nails all three by flipping the traditional formula. There's no dedicated GPU. Instead, AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ 392, a 12-core Zen 5 chip with a massively powerful integrated Radeon 8060S, drives everything through a unified memory pool that behaves more like a console than a laptop. In our testing, it scored 10,862 in 3DMark Time Spy and 24,172 in Fire Strike, shockingly close to laptops running a 140W RTX 4060, and the numbers hold steady during long runs without aggressive throttling.

The unified memory is the clever bit. With 32GB of LPDDR5X on board, you can dedicate 8 to 10GB to graphics, and moving from the default 4GB allocation to 8GB showed noticeable gains in our testing, removing the usual VRAM bottleneck entirely. Competitive play is where it all lands: Valorant sails past 500fps and Apex Legends holds over 200fps even at 2.5K, saturating the 165Hz panel with headroom to spare. And because the whole system runs on a single 55W chip, the A14 lasted around 9 hours in our PCMark 10 battery test, endurance no traditional gaming laptop on this list approaches. A Puget DaVinci Resolve score of 6,469 (ahead of every RTX 4060 machine we compared it against) is a genuine bonus.

It's not for max-settings enthusiasts: ray tracing trails NVIDIA's stack, and similarly priced RTX 5070 laptops push higher frames in AAA titles. But for competitive play on the move, nothing else at 1.48kg comes close. It earned 8/10 in our review.

Pros	Cons
Excellent performance	Not for gaming enthusiasts
Lightweight, portable, and efficient
RTX 4060-level GPU performance

Key specs:

• Processor: AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 392 (12-core Zen 5, 55W)
• GPU: AMD Radeon 8060S (integrated, 8-10GB assignable from unified memory)
• Display: 14-inch 2.5K IPS, 165Hz, full sRGB
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5X (soldered, unified) / 1TB SSD, dual M.2 slots
• Battery: ~9 hours (PCMark 10), 200W adapter + USB-C charging
• Weight: 1.48kg, MIL-STD-810H certified

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) — Best Gaming Laptop for Content Creators

Starting price: Rs 4,49,990

Why we picked it

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) (review) is our best gaming laptop for content creators and video editing because it combines a colour-accurate 240Hz OLED display, full-power RTX 5070 Ti graphics, and creator-first touches like a full-size SD card reader in a chassis under 2kg.

The display alone settles the category. The 16-inch 2.5K OLED ROG Nebula HDR panel runs at 240Hz with G-Sync and arrives with excellent factory colour calibration. It's one of those rare screens that genuinely excels at both grading a timeline and hitting flick shots, and in our testing it impressed across photo editing, video work, gaming, and binge sessions alike. Add the six-speaker audio system, one of the few on Windows that goes toe to toe with a MacBook Pro, and this is a legitimate multimedia powerhouse.

The internals back it up. Intel's Core Ultra 9 386H Panther Lake chip scored 21,219 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 10,111 in PCMark 10 in our benchmarks, big generational jumps over last year's model. The RTX 5070 Ti runs at a full 140W, and interestingly, that means this year's "smaller" GPU keeps pace with last year's conservatively tuned RTX 5080 while the 12GB GDDR7 buffer helps in editing workloads and newer AAA titles. Timeline editing, colour grading, and asset-heavy projects were handled effortlessly during testing, and Panther Lake's efficiency finally makes this a gaming laptop you can comfortably use unplugged all day.

At around Rs 4.5 lakh, it's very expensive, and the fans announce themselves during exports. But as a single machine that renders by day and games by night, it's unmatched. It earned 8.5/10 in our review.

Pros	Cons
Premium design that's both portable and practical	Very expensive compared to alternatives
Best-in-class multimedia experience	Fan noise gets aggressive under heavy loads
Excellent balance between gaming and content creation	Limited upgradeability
Strong all-round performance with improved efficiency

Key specs:

• Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 386H (Panther Lake)
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Laptop, 12GB GDDR7, 140W TGP
• Display: 16-inch 2.5K OLED ROG Nebula HDR, 240Hz, G-Sync
• RAM/Storage: 32GB LPDDR5X-8533 / 2TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Battery: 90Whr, significantly improved efficiency
• Weight: 1.95kg

Test data (FPS + thermals):

• Cinebench R23 MT: 21,219 | Cinebench R24 MT: 1,208
• PCMark 10: 10,111 | 3DMark Time Spy: 16,372 | Fire Strike: 32,565
• Temperatures cross 85°C under heavy load, but keyboard deck and palm rests stay comfortable
• Consistent gaming performance without excessive throttling in real-world sessions

Winners at a glance

Laptop	Category win	Processor	GPU	Display	RAM/Storage	Price
Dell Alienware 18 Area-51	Best overall	Core Ultra 9 275HX	RTX 5090, 24GB	18-inch WQXGA, 300Hz	64GB / 2TB	Rs 4,95,389
MSI Titan 18 HX AI	Best premium	Core Ultra 9 285HX	RTX 5090, 24GB	18-inch 4K Mini-LED, 120Hz	64GB / 6TB Gen 5	Rs 6,59,990
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10	Best value	Core Ultra 9 275HX	RTX 5070 Ti, 140W	16-inch OLED, 240Hz	32GB / 1TB	Rs 3,16,989
ASUS Gaming V16	Best under Rs 1,00,000	Core 5 210H	RTX 4050, 65W	16-inch WUXGA, 144Hz	16GB / 512GB	Rs 84,990
Acer Nitro Lite 16	Best under Rs 80,000	Core i5-13420H	RTX 3050, 6GB	16-inch WUXGA, 165Hz	16GB / 512GB	Rs 79,900
ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition	Best thin-and-light	Ryzen AI MAX+ 395	Radeon 8060S	13.4-inch touch, detachable	128GB / 1TB	Rs 3,79,990
ASUS TUF A14 (2026)	Best for esports	Ryzen AI Max+ 392 (55W)	Radeon 8060S	14-inch 2.5K, 165Hz	32GB / 1TB	Rs 2,39,990
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026)	Best for creators	Core Ultra 9 386H	RTX 5070 Ti, 140W	16-inch OLED, 240Hz	32GB / 2TB	Rs 4,49,990

FAQs

Which is the best gaming laptop in India?

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 is the best gaming laptop in India right now, combining RTX 5090 performance with the best thermal stability we've tested, keeping its GPU at just 60 to 65 degrees under gaming load.

Which is the best gaming laptop under Rs 1,00,000?

The ASUS Gaming V16 is the best gaming laptop under Rs 1,00,000, pairing decent FHD gaming on a 144Hz display with an exceptional 10-plus-hour battery life. If you can stretch to around Rs 1,11,000, the HP Victus 15 with its RTX 5060 is a worthwhile performance upgrade.

Which is the best gaming laptop under Rs 80,000?

The Acer Nitro Lite 16 is our pick under Rs 80,000, offering a rare 165Hz 16:10 anti-glare display, Thunderbolt 4, and a lightweight 1.95kg build for entry-level and esports gaming.

Which gaming laptop offers the best value for money?

The Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 10 is the best value gaming laptop, running its RTX 5070 Ti at full 140W power alongside a 240Hz OLED display, and outperforming some pricier RTX 5080 machines in our testing.

Which is the best thin-and-light gaming laptop?

The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 Kojima Edition is the best thin-and-light gaming laptop, delivering Cinebench and 3DMark numbers that rival full-size gaming rigs from a detachable tablet form factor.

Which is the best gaming laptop for esports?

The ASUS TUF A14 (2026) is our esports pick, running Valorant at over 500fps and Apex Legends past 200fps on a 2.5K 165Hz display, in a 1.48kg chassis with around 9 hours of battery life.

Which gaming laptop is best for video editing and content creation?

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2026) is the best gaming laptop for creators, with a factory-calibrated 240Hz OLED display, a full-power RTX 5070 Ti, a full-size SD card reader, and class-leading speakers.

Which gaming laptop has the best thermals?

The Dell Alienware 18 Area-51 has the best thermals we've tested, holding CPU temperatures in the mid-70s and GPU temperatures at 60 to 65 degrees Celsius during extended gaming sessions.

Is the MSI Titan 18 HX AI worth Rs 6,20,990?

Only for buyers who want the absolute maximum with zero compromises. The Titan's 4K Mini-LED display, 6TB Gen 5 storage, and Thunderbolt 5 justify the premium over the Alienware, but most enthusiasts will be equally happy saving over a lakh with the Area-51.

Tribit is not a name that gets talked about often in India, but the brand has been quietly building a solid reputation in the portable speaker segment globally. The StormBox Mini Plus is their latest compact Bluetooth speaker, and it arrives with a spec sheet that punches noticeably above its Rs 2,499 price. Two 48mm drivers, a passive radiator, 12W output, IPX7 waterproofing, Bluetooth 5.4, and dynamic LED lighting in a package that weighs 545 grams and fits in a jacket pocket. After spending time with it, I can say Tribit has built something worth paying attention to.

Design: compact, rugged, and livelier than it looks

The StormBox Mini Plus is a squat, cylindrical speaker measuring 119 x 91 x 91mm — compact enough to slot into a bag side pocket or sit on a desk without demanding attention. The fabric-covered exterior gives it a grip that smoother-finish speakers lack, and the rubberised silicone caps at both ends add to the durability feel. We received the blue variant, which has an understated look. Black and green are the other, seemingly more attractive options. All three colours are available on Amazon India, though at different prices starting from Rs 2,499.

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The one design caveat worth flagging upfront is the weight. At 545 grams, it is heavier than you might expect for a speaker this size. The UE Wonderboom 4 and JBL Go 4 are both smaller and weigh meaningfully less. If you are the kind of traveller who counts every gram, that is worth knowing before you buy. For most people, it will not matter, but it is not a pocketable speaker in the true sense.

The control panel is clean and well-organised. Volume controls sit on the front, large and easy to hit without looking. A multifunction button handles playback, speakerphone, and voice assistant access; a long press activates Siri or Google Assistant, which is a feature you do not get on JBL's portable range. The LED ring and Bluetooth pairing button sit on the spine. The Type-C charging port and 3.5mm AUX input are on the bottom behind rubber gaskets. The IPX7 rating means the speaker can survive submersion in a metre of water for 30 minutes, and it floats, which is a useful property for poolside or beach use. The one durability caveat is that the "X" in IPX7 means there is no official dust-resistance rating, which is worth keeping in mind if you plan to use it in particularly sandy or dusty conditions.

The LED ring on top pulses and fades in time with the music in two modes - breathing and blinking - and can be controlled either from the speaker itself or the app. The breathing pattern is genuinely soothing even without music playing, with a lava lamp-like quality that makes it a pleasant ambient light as much as a speaker feature. A minor missed opportunity: the LED ring is not used to display volume level or battery status. The only battery indicator is a blinking power button when the charge drops below 20 percent, which is not ideal.

Sound: balanced and bigger than the size suggests

The two 48mm drivers fire left and right, giving the StormBox Mini Plus a 360-degree dispersion pattern that means there is no bad seat in the room. Place it in the middle of a table or garden, and everyone gets the same listening experience. The passive radiator and 2+1 Band DRC system handle clarity and balance across volume levels, and the results are better than you would expect from a speaker at this price.

Whether playing jazz classics, pop, or vocal-forward tracks, the StormBox Mini Plus handles each genre with more confidence than its size and price suggest. The clarity is decent but not as good as what a Wonderboom 4 offers using the default presets. The five built-in presets - Music, Audiobook, Classical, Rock, and Jazz - are a good starting point but didn't really impress me. However, the nine-band custom EQ fixed this easily and allowed me to save up to 15 custom mixes, which is genuinely more control than you typically see at this price. 

I've been listening to "Fireflies" a lot, a new song by U2 in collaboration with Martin Garrix. The song has an extremely catchy riff by The Edge, combined with Bono's still-incredible vocals, and I love the overall clarity of the song. That clarity wasn't immediately present when using any of the preset EQs, but some tinkering with the nine-band EQ gave me the sound I wanted.

One of the more impressive qualities is that you can push the volume to 100 percent with almost no distortion. At that level it is loud enough to irritate your neighbours, and the speaker will literally bounce itself around on a flat surface from the vibration, but it remains an enjoyable listen. Most portable speakers at this price become harsh or strained at high volume. This one does not.

Bass is present but limited, which is the expected trade-off for a speaker of this size and price. It is not a party speaker if deep, thumping lows are what you are after. TWS mode, which pairs two StormBox Mini Plus units for wider stereo coverage, works if you have access to a second unit. I didn't.

Battery: honest expectations

Tribit claims 12 hours of playtime at 50 percent volume with the LED lights off. In real-world use at mixed volume levels above 50 percent with the ring lit, expect closer to 10 hours. That is still a comfortable full day of moderate listening, and you can top up overnight for a fully charged speaker the next day.

Personally, I used the speaker for about an hour or two daily, and it got me through a week easily.

Connectivity: more than the competition offers

Bluetooth 5.4 with a 30-metre range, AAC and SBC codec support, and a stable connection across my testing period cover all the bases. The 3.5mm AUX input made me the happiest as I could connect my iPod Classic to it, which is rare among waterproof portable speakers at any price, let alone this one. One thing to note: connecting the AUX cable disables the Bluetooth connection, so TWS stereo pairing is not possible when using an analogue source.

The built-in speakerphone works well for calls at close range, but I honestly don't like taking calls on a portable speaker, or any speaker for that matter. Move more than about 60cm away from the speaker, and your voice becomes noticeably fainter to the caller. It is adequate for desk use but not ideal for hands-free calls from across a room. Voice assistant access works reliably.

Final verdict

The Tribit StormBox Mini Plus is a hard speaker to argue against at Rs 2,499. It delivers balanced sound that holds up at high volume, genuine IPX7 waterproofing, a speakerphone, a 3.5mm AUX input, which I personally appreciated, a genuinely useful 9-band custom EQ, and TWS pairing make up a feature set that no direct competitor at this price can match in full. The weight is higher than you might expect for the size, the bass has limits, and clarity might feel a little wanting in some genres, but none of those are reasons to look elsewhere at this price point. For the money, very little comes close.

Editor's rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• Clear, balanced sound that handles multiple genres well and reaches 100 percent volume with almost no distortion.
• IPX7 waterproofing and a 3.5mm AUX input are both rare at this price point.
• Speakerphone and voice assistant access are features most competitors in this category do not offer.
• App-based nine-band EQ with five built-in presets and 15 saveable custom mixes give you more sound control than expected.
• TWS pairing and dynamic LED lighting add value well beyond what the price would suggest.

Reasons not to buy:

• Heavier than comparably sized competitors, which limits true pocketability.
• Bass is limited for its size. Not suitable as a primary party speaker.
• Real-world battery life at higher volumes with LED on is closer to 10 hours, not the claimed 12.
• No dust resistance rating despite the IPX7 waterproofing.

The Tecno Camon 50 Ultra is a stylish camera-focused phone that gets a lot right for buyers who care about design, battery life, and versatile photography. With a premium build, a telephoto lens, and a large battery, it feels well thought out for the sub- Rs 40,000 segment. Still, there are a couple of trade-offs worth noting with this smartphone; here are four quick reasons to buy it and two reasons to skip, based on our full review.

Reasons to buy Tecno Camon 50 Ultra

Stylish design

The Camon 50 Ultra gives an excellent first impression with its slim 7.75mm profile, light 190g weight, and matte back panel that feels premium in hand. The Cypress Green colourway is quite appealing with a classy algae green finish, while the dual-tone style around the camera island gives the phone a more polished and distinctive look.

It is also very comfortable to hold, thanks to the curved edges, and the included case adds another layer of refinement with its soft-touch texture. On top of that, the phone has great durability specs with IP66, IP68, IP69, IP69K ratings and MIL-STD-810H compliance, making it a stylish device that can also handle rough everyday use.

A capable telephoto camera system

The Camon 50 Ultra is quite special in this segment because it includes a proper telephoto lens, something that only one other phone offers at this price point. The rear setup consists of a 50MP main camera with OIS, a 50MP 3x telephoto lens, and an 8MP ultrawide camera, while the front gets a 50MP selfie shooter.

In daylight, the main camera does especially well with good detail, accurate white balance, and strong dynamic range, while selfies also impress with natural skin tones.

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The low-light results from the main camera remain pretty good too, and the telephoto lens is useful for zoom and portraits, even if it loses some detail at 3x zoom level. The camera tuning is biased toward vibrant, social media-ready results, which will suit most casual users.

Bright, immersive display

The 6.78-inch curved AMOLED ProXDR display is one of the most appealing parts of the phone. It offers vibrant colours, HDR10 support, and a peak brightness of 4500 nits, which makes it easy to use even in bright outdoor conditions. The curved panel gives the screen a premium feel and helps make content look more immersive, even if curved displays might not appeal to everyone.

The panel has a 144Hz refresh rate, though it is not universally available across all apps and games yet. Still, for video watching, browsing, and general media use, the display does a very good job. 

Big battery and fast charging

The battery life is another major advantage of the Camon 50 Ultra. The 6,500mAh battery is impressive for a phone this slim, and it delivered over 13 hours in the PCMark battery benchmark, which is a good result for the segment. In everyday use, it also held up well, with modest battery drops during YouTube playback and gaming.

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Most users should comfortably get well beyond a full day of use, and even heavier users can expect a respectable screen-on time of around 8 hours. The included 45W charger can take the phone from 20 to 100 per cent in just a little over an hour. That makes it a practical choice for users who want a phone that looks good but still lasts long enough to avoid constant charging.

Reasons not to buy Tecno Camon 50 Ultra

Performance is only average

The Camon 50 Ultra uses the MediaTek Dimensity 7400 Ultimate with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, which is enough for regular everyday use, app switching, and moderate gaming. It generally feels smooth enough, but it is not performance-focused, and that shows in benchmark results as well as in heavier use.

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The OS can get a little laggy at times, and heat buildup becomes more evident when the phone is used outdoors, especially during long camera sessions. That can lead to extra stutter, which makes the experience less polished than what performance-focused rivals offer. 

Limited 144Hz support

The 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display looks great overall, with vibrant colours, strong brightness, and a premium in-hand experience. However, the 144Hz refresh rate is not fully available across the interface and only kicks in for a few apps, which reduces its practical impact.

That means the screen does not feel as consistently smooth as the spec sheet might suggest, especially if you are expecting the high refresh rate to be a major everyday advantage. 

Final thoughts

The Tecno Camon 50 Ultra is an easy phone to recommend if you want a stylish device with good cameras, a bright display, and excellent battery life. It is not the fastest phone in its segment, and the limited 144Hz implementation keeps the display from feeling fully premium in daily use. Still, for camera-focused users who value design and endurance, it remains a convincing option under Rs 40,000.

With the Rs 25,000 segment left vacant after the Edge Fusion series moved above Rs 30,000, the Moto G77 Power is the company's take on the midrange segment. Rocking a massive 7,000mAh battery, the MediaTek Dimensity 6400, and a good-looking design, the device excelled in key aspects, as noted in our detailed review. However, the Moto G77 Power has several flaws that might make you want to consider alternatives. Here are a few quick reasons to help you decide whether you should buy it.

Reasons to buy Moto G77 Power

Tall, smooth, and sufficiently vibrant display

Despite relatively large bezels and an LCD panel, the G77 Power's expansive 6.72-inch Full HD+ display doesn't disappoint when it comes to binge-watching content. While AMOLED displays might still have the upper hand in producing better contrast, the LCD panel outputs vibrant enough colours in most scenarios, whether you're viewing social media posts, browsing the web, or going through photos in the gallery.

Unlike other custom skins, despite being a midrange device, the Moto G77 Power runs every app, except unsupported games, at a 120Hz refresh rate, resulting in a cohesive, smooth scrolling experience.

Tried and tested design

Although the phone's appearance may seem repetitive, since the same design was featured on previous Motorola releases, such as the Moto G37 Power, G57 Power, and others, there's no denying that the build offers comfortable ergonomics.

The vegan leather back, at least on Fuchsia Red and Nautical Blue, offers a soothing feel and a distinct texture, especially in a segment where most smartphones feature plastic, matte finishes. So, while the phone is slightly on the heftier side at 215g, the rear panel makes up for it.

Strong battery life

Another area where the Moto G77 Power leads the way is battery life. The 7,000mAh cell provided us over nine hours of screen on time on a single charge over the course of three days. The usage included watching YouTube videos, scrolling Instagram, chatting on WhatsApp, and playing games, such as Clash Royale, for a few minutes a day.

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While this can be considered casual use, if you're willing to push the phone further by playing games for hours or clicking pictures, the Moto G77 Power should still achieve excellent results, given the large battery capacity and excellent optimisation.

Top-notch audio experience

Along with rocking Dolby Atmos-backed stereo speakers, the Moto G77 Power stands out by including a 3.5mm headphone jack, which has become a rare sighting in phones priced above Rs 25,000.

The speakers deliver loud and crisp output, while the headphone jack is a nifty addition for those who still rely on wired audio solutions, especially users preferring IEMs over TWS or neckbands for their superior soundstage and less compression.

Reasons to skip Moto G77 Power

Set to receive just one Android update

In a segment where smartphone OEMs are delivering at least two OS upgrades, the Moto G77 Power is promised just one OS update, i.e. Android 17. While the latest version, Hello UI based on Android 16, offers several nifty additions from prior versions, such as Live Updates, a new quick settings panel, and tons of brand new lockscreen clock styles, the longevity falls short of the competition.

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On the positive side, the Moto G77 Power will gain three years of security updates, which is on par with the competition. If you're seeking a smartphone that stays ahead of the curve with the latest features and advancements for years to come, it's better to consider alternatives, such as the OnePlus Nord CE 6 Lite or iQOO Z11x over the G77 Power.

Primary camera needs work

Despite utilising the Sony LYTIA 600 1/2-inch primary camera sensor, the Moto G77 Power doesn't produce results as appealing as previous Motorola models with the same sensor, such as the G67 Power (review). For instance, the details and clarity felt lacking, which could be due to the Dimensity 6400's inferior ISP compared to the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 SoC found on the G67 Power.

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While the images are sharp on their own, the fineness falls apart when you zoom in. On the other hand, daylight shots carry slightly boosted warm tones, while the brightness is generally on the lower side. At night, though, the G77 Power has good control over exposure and colours, making the scene look close to reality.