Best smartphones in India under Rs 30,000 To 40,000

There are a seemingly unending number of options when it comes to picking a smartphone in India with choices spread across the price, features, and specifications spectrum. Of course, there are the popular current generation flagships that fall at the upper end of price range, but the great news is there are quite a few alternatives available that come with premium features, but don’t put as much of a strain on the wallet. Here are some of the phones under 30,000 Rs that are currently available in India!

Editor’s note: This list includes phones that essentially fall in the price range between Rs 20,000 and Rs 30,000. There will be separate lists to showcase devices priced below Rs 20,000 and below Rs 10,000 as well.

OnePlus 3T

OnePlus may have stopped marketing their high-end smartphones as “flagship killers,” but if there is one that truly deserves that title, it is the OnePlus 3T. With specifications and features that can give any current generation flagship a run for its money, but with a price point that almost half of what the competition costs, it’s no wonder that this phone is so popular in the country.

A beautifully constructed metal body houses high-end hardware like a 5.5-inch Full HD display, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor backed by 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built in storage, 16 MP rear and front-facing cameras, and a large 3,400 mAh battery.

With the release of the OnePlus 5, the OnePlus 3T has seen a slight price cut and is now available for Rs 27,999. However, unless your budget is absolutely restricted phones under 30,000 Rs, we do recommend getting the new OnePlus 5 over its predecessor, which falls outside the parameters of this list with a price point starting at Rs 32,999.

Specs

5.5-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.35 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor
Adreno 530 GPU
6 GB RAM
64 GB built-in storage, not expandable
dual SIM (dual standby)
16 MP rear camera, 16 MP front-facing camera
3,400 mAh battery
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow (upgradeable to Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
152.7 x 74.7 x 7.4 mm, 158 grams

Honor 8 Pro

The Honor 8 Pro replaces the Honor 8 on this list, with the latter also receiving a price cut and moving to the sub-Rs 20,000 category. The Honor 8 Pro features the same beautiful metal and glass construction as its smaller sibling, which looks and feels great in the hand.

However, the device earns its Pro moniker by upping the ante in every other department. This phone comes with a 5.7-inch Quad HD display, and under the hood is the HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 128 GB of built-in storage that is further expandable, and a large 4,000 mAh battery.

The big selling point of the Honor 8 was its camera setup, and that is retained with the Pro iteration as well, with the device packing dual 12 MP cameras on the back. One of the lenses capture color while the other is monochrome that together you take better looking images, and you can also use only the monochrome lens to take some classy-looking black and white shots. Up front is an 8 MP shooter.

The Honor 8 Pro boasts extremely impressive specifications and features, and it is great to see such a powerful device be priced at just Rs 29,999.

Specs

5.7-inch LTPS LCD display with 2560 x 1440 resolution
2.4 GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor
Mali-G71 GPU
6 GB RAM
128 GB built-in storage, further expandable via microSD up to 256 GB
single SIM
Dual 12 MP rear cameras, 8 MP front-facing camera
4,000 mAh battery
Android 7.0 Nougat
157 x 77.5 x 7 mm, 184 grams

Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro

Samsung has a lot of great options that fall in this price category, but if you are looking for a large display experience, the Galaxy C7 Pro is the way to go. The device comes with a 5.7-inch Full HD display, and under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor backed by 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage that is further expandable, 16 MP rear and front-facing shooters, and a 3,300 mAh battery, all wrapped in a good-looking full metal body. The Samsung Galaxy C7 Pro is currently priced at just Rs 25,990.

Specs

5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor
Adreno 506 GPU
4 GB RAM
64 GB built-in storage, further expandable via microSD up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
dual SIM (dual standby)
16 MP rear camera, 16 MP front-facing camera
3,300 mAh battery
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
156.5 x 77.2 x 7 mm, 172 grams

OPPO F3 Plus

Speaking of large display smartphones, it doesn’t get bigger than the OPPO F3 Plus, which features a 6-inch Full HD display. Other specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built-in storage that is further expandable, and a large 4,000 mAh battery. Apart from the solid premium mid-range specifications, the biggest selling point of the OPPO F3 Plus is its camera setup, particularly up front.

The device comes with a 16 MP shooter on the back, but dual front-facing cameras, a 16 MP unit and an 8 MP unit with a wide angle lens. Dubbed the “selfie expert,” the OPPO F3 Plus is the perfect device for you if you take a lot of self portraits or group selfies.

The OPPO F3 Plus is currently priced at Rs 27,990.

Specs

6-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
1.95 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor
Adreno 506 GPU
4 GB RAM
64 GB built-in storage, further expandable via microSD up to 256 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
dual SIM (dual standby)
16 MP rear camera, 16 MP + 8 MP front-facing cameras
4,000 mAh battery
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow
163.6 x 80.8 x 7.4 mm, 185 grams

Nubia Z11

Nubia may not be as well known in the smartphone market as the other OEMs on this list, but their current high-end offering is a great choice in the under-Rs 30,000 category. The phone looks fantastic, with a near bezel-less display up front, which Nubia was able to achieve by curving the display along the sides. While the curve isn’t as significant as what is seen with the Samsung flagships, there are some useful gestures available to take advantage of it with the Z11.

Under the hood is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of built-in storage that is further expandable, a 16 MP rear camera and an 8 MP front-facing shooter, and a 3,000 mAh battery. The Nubia Z11 may be one of the older devices on this list, but remains a solid, powerful option even now, and is priced at Rs 24,999.

Specs

5.5-inch IPS LCD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.15 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor
Adreno 530 GPU
6 GB RAM
64 GB internal storage, expandable via microSD card up to 200 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
dual SIM (dual standby)
16 MP rear camera, 8 MP front-facing camera
3,000 mAh battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
151.8 x 72.3 x 7.5 mm, 162 grams

Lenovo Moto Z2 Play

Lenovo and Motorola brought their modular concept that was introduced with the flagship Moto Z and Moto Z Force to the mid-range with the Moto Z Play, and it has been further refined with its successor, the Moto Z2 Play. Despite mid-range specifications, the phone still provides great performance, excellent battery life, a beautiful design and build quality, and a smooth software experience, and the Z2 Play features a camera that is far better than what was available with its predecessor.

The Moto Z2 Play is currently priced at Rs 27,999 for the 64 GB storage and 4 GB of RAM version, but to get the most out of the phone, you will need to pick up some Moto Mods like a Style Mod, the HasselBlad True Zoom Camera Mod, and the JBL SoundBoost Speaker Mod.

Specs

5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 processor
Adreno 506 GPU
3/4 GB RAM
32/64 GB built-in storage, expandable via microSD up to 256 GB
dual SIM (dual standby)
12 MP rear camera, 5 MP front-facing camera
3,000 mAh battery
Android 7.1.1 Nougat
156.2 x 76.2 x 5.99 mm, 145 grams

Micromax Dual 5

While a lot of the attention in the Indian market goes to Chinese OEMs who are doing an excellent job in the budget categories, it’s great to see local companies like Micromax are beginning to make some interesting moves in the market once again, with one of the most impressive smartphones the company has ever released being the Micromax Dual 5.

You get a beautiful full metal construction, a solid display, and good performance, but giving the device its name is its dual camera setup on the back with 13 MP each, where one camera module captures monochrome imaging data while the second one captures RGB data. Micromax certainly delivers on their promise of a great camera experience, and the Dual 5 is definitely a phone worth considering.

The Micromax Dual 5 is currently priced starting at Rs 24,990.

Specs

5.5-inch AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution
1.8 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 processor
Adreno 510 GPU
4 GB RAM
128 GB built-in storage, expandable via microSD up to 256 GB
dual SIM (dual standby)
13 MP + 13 MP rear cameras, 13 MP front-facing camera
3,200 mAh battery
Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017)

The 2017 edition of the Samsung Galaxy A5 features a 5.2-inch Full HD display, an Exynos 7880 Octa processor, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of built-in storage that is further expandable, 16 MP cameras on the front and back, and a 3,000 mAh battery. Like the flagship Galaxy S series, the Galaxy A5 (2017) comes with a metal and glass unibody construction, and the more important feature borrowed from the flagship series is the IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

If you are looking for a relatively budget-friendly smartphone with good specifications and features which is also protected from the elements, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) is the phone for you. The device is currently priced starting at Rs 22,900.