We have curated a list of the five best affordable smartphones you can choose from right now. These phones fall into the mid-tier segment — between Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000. These are the realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G, vivo T1 Pro 5G, OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G, Oppo F21 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy A23.
The Indian mid-tier smartphone segment is in an interesting place right now. According to a recent report by Counterpoint Research, Chinese companies occupy four of the top five spots by market share — Xiaomi (No.1), realme (No.3), vivo (No.4) and Oppo (No.5), the other being South Korean giant Samsung in the second spot. Of these four Chinese brands, three — realme, vivo and Oppo — are owned by BBK Electronics, which is also the parent company of another Indian smartphone staple — OnePlus.
The mid-tier segment is what most non-technophile Indians prefer as all they need is for their gadgets to have the latest features, a fresh design and multiple cameras on the back, something every smartphone boasts of these days.
Considering the short shelf life of most Android phones — 18 months of OS updates from the date of manufacture, we considered only those mobile phones that hit the Indian market since March 1, to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.
Here’s a look at five of these phones, in no particular order.
Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G
The newest entrant in this segment, alongside its less powerful sibling, the narzo 50, this smartphone is possibly the easiest to recommend. It went on sale in India on May 26 and hits the sweet spot both in terms of price and specs. The phone packs a 5,000 mAh battery powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 920 5G processor. The phone has 6 to 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage. The screen is a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate, which makes animations and scrolling buttery smooth. It runs on Android 12-based realme UI 3.0.
The smartphone also boasts of dual-5G SIM capabilities and has a 3.5 mm headphone jack. As for the cameras, the narzo 50 Pro has a 48 MP main lens with portrait mode, and night mode, among other features; an 8 MP ultra-wide camera; and a macro lens. On the front, a 16 MP selfie camera is housed behind a hole-punch cutout.
Vivo T1 Pro 5G
The vivo T1 Pro 5G comes a close second, having been launched in the first week of May. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 5G processor, the phone has 6/8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, a 6.44-inch AMOLED display with HDR10+ support and runs on FunTouch OS 12, based on Android 12. The phone also boasts of a 5,000 mAh battery.
The T1 Pro 5G features a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro camera, while a 16 MP camera has been installed on the front for selfie lovers. The smartphone’s price starts at Rs 23,999.
OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G
OnePlus has been on something of a smartphone-release spree lately, with four launches in two months. The Nord CE 2 Lite 5G is a solid offering, running on a Snapdragon 695 chipset and powered by a 5,000 mAh non-removable battery. Its 6.59-inch LCD display has a 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone comes with 6/8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of onboard storage.
With a starting price of Rs 19,999, the NOrd CE 2 Lite 5G sports a 64 MP primary lens, a 2 MP depth-assist lens and a 2MP macro lens on the back, and a 16 MP shooter on the front. The phone runs on the latest version of OxygenOS based on Android 12.
Oppo F21 Pro
Released in the first half of April, the F21 Pro continues a long tradition of mid-tier Oppo phones, offering premium looks and solid specs with a healthy focus on the camera. The F21 Pro, marketed as the ‘Selfie Master’, sports a 32 MP front camera with panorama, portrait, night mode and time-lapse features. On the back, the phone packs a 64 MP primary lens, a 2 MP microscope lens and a 2 MP black-and-white shooter.
The phone’s standout feature is its design — the back has a faux leather finish and a flat aluminium frame, with the camera array in an accented housing on the back. On the front, the phone is all glass — a 6.43-inch AMOLED screen with an over 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. The phone runs on a Snapdragon 680 SoC (system-on-a-chip) and is powered by a 4,500 mAh battery. With 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB RAM, the phone is priced at Rs 22,990.
Samsung Galaxy A23
The “oldest” phone on this list, having launched in late March, the A23 is typical Samsung — powered by a Snapdragon 680 SoC, the phone packs quite a punch. From the front, the phone is indistinguishable from any other Samsung Phone that is not a Galaxy S series model. That said, this is an impressive smartphone in its own right, with the highest number of cameras of any phone on this list — 5. This includes four cameras on the back — a 50 MP main lens with optical image stabilisation, a 5 MP ultra-wide camera, a 2 MP depth lens and a 2 MP macro camera. On the front, the phone features an 8 MP selfie camera.
The Galaxy A32 has 6/8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage and a 5,000 mAh battery that purportedly lasts two days. The display is a 6.4-inch Full HD+ LCD panel. The phone has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and its starting price is Rs 18,499.
These are the five mid-tier smartphones we’d recommend. That being said, with the rapid pace at which the Android smartphone landscape changes, do not be surprised if this list is updated, or even overhauled in the coming days. ‘Til then, watch this space.
