Ameya DalviNov 28, 2022 17:47:46 IST
This is a budget range where one can get certain flagship-grade features and fairly powerful processors at a reasonable price. In addition, one can expect high quality AMOLED displays with high refresh rate, impressive camera performance with features like optical image stabilisation (OIS) and more. All handsets in this list are 5G ready too. Time to meet the half dozen that we believe are the best phones under Rs 30,000 this month.
Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India
Poco F4 5G
We start with two phones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC starting with the Poco F4 5G. You get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage here, along with an impressive 6.67-inch AMOLED Full HD+ screen with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display has 1300 nits peak brightness and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13, and is one of the rare phones to offer a 2-year warranty.
The Poco F4 5G has an attractive design with a glass back, and measures just 7.7 mm in thickness. Photography is taken care of by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. The 20MP front camera is quite good for selfies and video calls. Its 4500 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger promises to juice it up fully in less than 40 minutes.
Poco F4 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
iQOO Neo 6 5G
The iQOO Neo 6 5G is the other handset powered by a Snapdragon 870 chip, and again, you can buy its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. It has a 6.62-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for flicker-free performance in compatible apps. Just like the Poco F4, this too has a peak brightness of 1300 nits. It runs Android 12 with FunTouch UI 12, and the company has promised two more major Android updates in the future for this device.
The rear camera department on the iQOO Neo 6 5G is quite similar to the Poco F4. It is helmed by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, and accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. Its 4700 mAh battery lasts well over a day of moderate use, and the company bundles an 80W fast charger that promises to take it from 0 to 50% in just 12 minutes, and to 100% in a little over half an hour.
iQOO Neo 6 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
Motorola Edge 30
The Motorola Edge 30 is another excellent all-rounder in this budget. This phone is powered by a Snapdragon 778G chip and comes with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. While it may not have the most powerful processor in this budget, it more than makes up with some unique features. Its 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display flaunts a 144 Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ compliance and capability to display over a billion colour shades. The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches.
The photography department on the Motorola Edge 30 is impressive courtesy of two 50MP cameras, with the primary offering OIS and the secondary camera letting you capture some high quality ultra-wide shots. There’s also a 2MP depth sensor (for the record). The 32MP front camera will have the selfie enthusiasts interested. Its 4020 mAh battery lasts for a day of moderate use and supports 33W fast charging. This phone runs Android 12, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface, which many prefer.
Motorola Edge 30 price in India: Rs 26,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 778G chip too, and you get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage to go with it. It is the only handset in this list to offer IP67 ingress protection making it dust and water resistant. 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 over a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging.
Camera department offers a good variety with a combination of 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 is bound to appeal to the selfie crowd. The Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G launched with Android 11 and One UI 3.x and is upgradeable to Android 12 with One UI 4.1.
Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G price in India: Rs 29,990 for 6GB RAM/128GB storage
OnePlus Nord 2T
The OnePlus Nord 2T is arguably the best value for money phone from the company in 2022 across all budgets. The phone is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 1300 chip that’s not a bad option at all for this segment. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. This 5G-ready phone has a sharp 6.43-inch Full HD+ 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.
Image Credit: Tech2 | Ameya Dalvi
The rear camera department consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a good job in different conditions. Giving it company are an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP monochrome camera. The 32MP front camera is good enough to keep the selfie enthusiasts hooked. The OnePlus Nord 2T has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 80W Super VOOC charger charges it fully in just 33 minutes. It runs OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12, and one can expect two more major Android updates for this device.
OnePlus Nord 2T price in India: Rs 28,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
Redmi K50i 5G
If you seek a powerful processor and ample storage instead of an AMOLED screen and OIS, the Redmi K50i 5G is the phone for you. It is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8100 SoC that is found in more expensive phones like the OnePlus 10R and is more powerful than the Snapdragon 870 too. You get its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage variant comfortably in this budget. The photography department has a combination of a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well.
The Redmi K50i 5G has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Liquid FFS display that’s HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliant. It is protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It supports 144 Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience in compatible apps, and should also have the gamers interested. A 5080 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W turbo charger claims to charge it to 50% in just 15 minutes. This Xiaomi phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13.
Redmi K50i 5G price in India: Rs 26,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage
