The competition around the Rs 30,000 mark keeps getting stiffer. Almost every handset we chose last quarter could have retained its place in this list on a different day, but some had to make way for a couple of newer options. 5G compliance is now a given. Other than that you can expect some flagship grade features and performance courtesy of powerful processors, high-quality displays, impressive cameras with optical image stabilisation (OIS) and more. Time to look at who managed to make it to our list of phones under Rs 30,000 this month.
Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India
Xiaomi Mi 11X 5G
Let’s get the usual suspects out of the way. Xiaomi’s Mi 11X 5G holds its place this time too. You can get its 8 GB RAM variant in this budget. It is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 870 SoC and offers 128 GB internal storage. It flaunts one of the best displays around in terms of sharpness and colour accuracy. You get a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ screen with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and 1300 nits peak brightness. The display as well as the glass back are protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
It has a classy design and is quite slim measuring less than 8 mm in thickness. Photography department is handled by a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 5MP macro camera. The 20MP front camera is pretty good for selfies and video calls. Its 4520 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 33W fast charger juices it up fully in under an hour. Mi 11X 5G runs Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top.
Xiaomi Mi 11X 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
iQOO 7 5G
The iQOO 7 5G is another handset that is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 chip, and again, you can buy its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant comfortably in this budget. It has a 6.62-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling in compatible apps. Just like the Mi 11X 5G, its peak brightness can go as high as 1300 nits.
The rear camera department is helmed by a 48MP primary camera with OIS. Giving it company are a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Its 4400 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use comfortably, and the company bundles a 66W fast charger that promises to charge it fully in less than 30 minutes. You read that right! The iQOO 7 5G runs Android 11 with FunTouch OS 11, and one can expect two more major Android updates in the future for this device.
iQOO 7 5G price in India: Rs 28,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
OnePlus Nord 2
The OnePlus Nord 2 is currently selling for a good 2K lower than its usual price, probably because of the ongoing Amazon sale. It remains one of the best options in this budget. The phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 1200 chip that’s great in terms of processing power and value. This 5G-ready phone has a sharp 6.43-inch Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the protection extends to the phone’s glass back too. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget.
The rear camera department consists of a 50MP main camera with OIS and Sony’s recent IMX766 sensor that does a good job in different lighting conditions. Support cast includes an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. The 32MP front camera is good enough to keep the selfie enthusiasts hooked. The OnePlus Nord 2 has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 65W fast charger charges it fully in a little over half an hour. This phone runs OxygenOS 11.3 based on Android 11; the Android 12 update has already started rolling out for this device.
OnePlus Nord 2 price in India: Rs 27,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G offers some flagship grade features as well. For starters, it comes with IP67 rated ingress protection making it dust and water resistant. It is powered by a Snapdragon 778G SoC, and you get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. It has a 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, 800 nits of peak brightness and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Its 4500 mAh battery lasts for over a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging.
The camera department is quite versatile here too with a combination of a 64MP primary camera with OIS, 12MP ultrawide snapper, 5MP macro camera and a 5MP depth sensor to capture some quality photos in various modes. The 32MP selfie camera embedded in a tiny punch hole at the top of the screen will have the selfie crowd interested. The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G runs Android 11 with One UI 3.x and is upgradeable to Android 12 with One UI 4.1.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G price in India: Rs 27,900 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
Realme 9 Pro+ 5G
One can get the top variant of the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G in this budget. It is a well-rounded device that should appeal to a broader audience. It has three cameras at the back starting with a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a commendable job in various conditions. It is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. Its 16MP front camera is more than decent for selfies and video calls. The phone runs the latest Android 12 out of the box with Realme UI 3.0.
The Realme 9 Pro+ 5G is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 920 SoC. You can pick its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant comfortably in this budget. It has a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with 90 Hz refresh rate that is vibrant and fluid. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The 4500 mAh battery lasts well over a day of moderate use and the company bundles a 60W fast charger that promises to charge the phone fully in under 45 minutes.
Realme 9 Pro+ 5G price in India: Rs 28,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
