Ameya DalviJun 30, 2021 16:55:18 IST
The sub-Rs 75,000 segment of smartphones in India is not one where you have as many new arrivals in a quarter, as compared to the sub-Rs 40,000 bracket, for instance. Despite the noticeable lack of variety, making a choice is tough, as every major brand tries its best to secure your big bucks by flaunting some top-of-the-line features. To make your life simpler, we have shortlisted five smartphones available for under Rs 75,000 that we believe are worthy of your money. Time to meet them. Let’s start with the two new entrants on this list.
Best phones to buy under Rs 75,000 in India
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
The top variant of the OnePlus 8 Pro (Review) seems to be out of stock, and hence, we can move on to the OnePlus 9 Pro without the temptation of a more attractive deal on the former. The new OnePlus flagship has a 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 3,216 x 1,440 pixels. The HDR10+ compliant screen can display a billion colours and get up to 1300 nits bright. The phone has an elegant design, with a metal frame and a glass body protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.
The rear camera department is stacked, with a combination of a 48 MP primary camera with OIS, a 50 MP ultrawide camera with auto-focus, an 8 MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3.3X optical zoom and a 2 MP mono camera. But, most importantly, the Hasselblad colour tuning makes a world of difference here. The cameras manage to shoot some impressive images in different lighting and modes, accurately reproducing more natural colours. There’s a 16 MP front camera located in a tiny punch-hole at the top of the screen to take care of selfies and video calls.
The 5G-ready OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chip and you get 8 GB or 12 GB RAM variants of the phone with 128 GB and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, respectively. Its 4,500 mAh battery lasts a day of moderate use comfortably, and the bundled 65 W Warp charger promises to juice it up fully in under half an hour. The phone also supports fast wireless charging. The phone has IP68 ingress protection and runs OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11.
OnePlus 9 Pro price in India: Rs 64,999 for 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage; Rs 69,999 for 12 GB RAM / 256 GB storage
Vivo X60 Pro+
Vivo X60 Pro+
Vivo’s flagship X60 Pro+ is absolutely loaded and has a lot going for it beyond its good looks. Let’s begin with the rear camera department with Zeiss optics, and helmed by a 50 MP primary camera with OIS. Giving it company are a 48 MP ultra-wide camera with Gimbal stabilisation and 32 MP and 8 MP telephoto cameras that provide 2X to 5X optical zoom. All cameras do a commendable job across various modes and lighting, and record equally impressive videos. The 32 MP front camera is good enough to keep selfie enthusiasts hooked.
The Vivo X60 Pro+ has a vibrant 6.56-inch Full HD+ HDR10+ compliant Super AMOLED screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. This flagship phone, too, is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. It is accompanied by a generous 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. It packs a 4,200 mAh battery that lasts over a day of moderate use, and a 55 W fast charger is included in the bundle. It runs Android 11 with FunTouch 11 UI.
Vivo X60 Pro+ price in India: Rs 69,990 for 12 GB RAM / 256 GB storage
Apple iPhone 12 Mini
iPhone 12 Mini
The smallest of the iPhone 12 series phones from Apple finds itself on our list again. While the size of newer phones has been getting out of hand (figuratively and literally), the Apple iPhone 12 Mini is refreshingly compact. It is not just about having a small phone, but the availability of a proper flagship device in that form factor without missing out on any important feature from its larger siblings is commendable. I hope other manufacturers follow suit.
The Apple iPhone 12 Mini is pretty much the iPhone 12 in a smaller shell, both in terms of design and specifications. In fact, it has a sharper display as compared to the 12 in terms of pixel density, thanks to its compact 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen. At its core is the latest and powerful A14 Bionic chip that powers the entire iPhone 12 series. The two 12 MP cameras at the back offer top-notch performance in different lighting conditions, and can shoot some fine videos, too. It runs the latest iOS 14, and one can expect newer OS updates for the next five years.
Apple iPhone 12 Mini price in India: Rs 68,500 for 128 GB storage on Amazon India
Samsung Galaxy S21
Samsung Galaxy S21.
Another reasonably compact device on this list is the Samsung Galaxy S21. Other than its plastic back, there’s little to complain about with this S series phone. It has a 6.2-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED display, with a peak brightness of 1300 nits, HDR10+ compliance and a 120 Hz refresh rate. It is powered by an Exynos 2100 chip, which can be found in all the latest top-end Samsung phones. The S21 is bundled with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. You get Android 11 out of the box with Samsung’s One UI 3.
The photography department consists of three cameras at the back, with a 12 MP primary camera with OIS, a 12 MP ultrawide camera and a 64 MP telephoto camera with OIS that facilitates 3X Hybrid zoom. The camera performance is top-grade with great detail, close to natural colours and excellent dynamic range. Its low-light performance is commendable as well. This phone can also record high quality videos up to 8K resolution. A 4000 mAh battery keeps the phone running for over a day of moderate usage. The Samsung Galaxy S21 also flaunts IP68 rated dust and water resistance.
Samsung Galaxy S21 price in India: Rs 68,900 for 8 GB RAM / 128 GB storage on Amazon India
Motorola Edge+
Motorola Edge+
It was a close call between the Motorola Edge+ and the Asus ROG Phone 5 for the last slot. But given the unavailability of the Asus monster, the choice was straightforward. The Motorola Edge+ may be a lesser-known device, but it has premium written all over it courtesy of its stylish design and curved display. The 6.7-inch Full HD+ 10-bit OLED display is as vibrant as that of any phone on this list. It has a 90 Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10+. This 5G phone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous-generation flagship Snapdragon 865 chip, and comes loaded with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage.
The camera department is solid, with a 108 MP primary camera with OIS, along with a 16 MP ultrawide camera and an 8 MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 3X optical zoom. The cameras capture high-quality shots in different modes. Motorola phones are known to provide near-stock Android UI, and the Edge+ is no different. For those fond of a pure Android experience, this is one of the best options available currently. Keeping the phone powered for a day and a half of moderate use is a 5,000 mAh battery. Oh, and it has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, too.
Motorola Edge+ price in India: Rs 64,999 for 12 GB RAM / 256 GB storage
