The goalpost defining affordable, mid-range, and premium smartphone segments keeps shifting. In 2020, phones across the board have gotten more expensive and perhaps it would be fair to say that the mid-range segment now starts beyond INR 30,000.
If that’s the budget you have for your next phone, you still have some very competitive phones to choose from. The sub- 30K segment includes some exceptional phones with capable cameras, excellent battery life, and modern design. In this article, we have cherry-picked the best available option.
Best mobile phones under Rs 30,000 in India in 2020
Flagship killers with the latest Snapdragon 865 or Snapdragon 865+ are no longer available under 30K. You can still get the very capable Snapdragon 765G or Snapdragon 855/855+ from last year. The camera performance in the segment has also drastically improved.
- OnePlus Nord
OnePlus Nord is one of the most disruptive phones this year. That’s because it drags down the now-expensive OnePlus experience to a relatively affordable price point.
The Nord is 5G ready and is powered by Snapdragon 765 octa-core chipset and runs Android 10 based Oxygen OS. There are four cameras on the rear with a 48MP sensor in the lead. The 4115mAh battery supports 30W fast charging.
Display: 6.44-inch 1080 x 2400 , 90Hz| Processor: 2.96 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 855+ | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: up to 256GB | Software: OxygenOS -Android 10| Rear camera: 48MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MP | Front camera: 32MP + 8MP | Weight: 184g| Dimensions: 158.3 x 73.3 x 8.2 mm mm | Battery: 4115mAh
- Realme X3 SuperZoom
Realme X3 SuperZoom is powered by Snapdragon 855+ and, as the name suggests, has a zoom camera. Unlike the Realme X2 Pro that has an AMOLED screen, this one employs a 120Hz IPS LCD panel with a broad punch-hole cutout.
The powerful chipset driving the X3 Zoom is duly assisted by ample LPDDR4x RAM and fast UFS 3.0 storage, thus making this a great choice for gaming. The handset has a 4200mAh battery with 30W fast charging.
Display: 6.6-inch 1080 x 2400, 120Hz | Processor: 2.96 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 855+ | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: up to 256GB, expandable up to 512GB | Software: Realme UI -Android 10| Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 2MP + 2MP | Front camera: 32MP + 8MP | Weight: 202g| Dimensions: 163.8 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm | Battery: 4200mAh
- Realme X2 Pro
Months after its launch, the Realme X2 Pro (review) is still a very relevant option. For starters, it brings Snapdragon 855+ under 30k. The barrage of features doesn’t end there. The X2 Pro also includes its 90Hz display, 64MP Quad Rear Camera, 50W fast charging, up to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and UFS 3.0 storage.
Realme X2 Pro
Realme has kept the headphone jack as well as the USB-C port. Other things in the bag are Dual Stereo Speakers, Dolby Atmos, Hi-Res audio certification, and 4D game vibration.
Display: 6.55-inch 2400 x 1080 pixels, 90Hz | Processor: 2.96 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 855+ | RAM: up to 12GB | Storage: upto 256GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 64MP+8MP+13MP+2MP | Front camera: 16MP | Weight: 199g| Dimensions: 161 x 75.7 x 8.7 mm | Battery: 4000mAh
- Redmi K20 Pro
Xiaomi Redmi K20 Pro (review) is currently the most affordable Snapdragon 855 phone around. The feature set includes AMOLED display, pop-up selfie camera, 4000mAh battery with fast charging, and triple rear cameras.
Best triple camera phones
The handset flaunts a glass body with an attractive gradient finish and is also one of the most ambitious Redmi phones launched in India so far. This is certainly a great choice for power users and gamers restricted by a budget.
Display: 6.39-inch (19.5:9) Full HD+ AMOLED| Processor: Snapdragon 855 SoC | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 48MP+13MP+5MP | Front camera: 20MP | Battery: 4000mAh
- Samsung Galaxy A71
Samsung Galaxy A71 brings in all the A-series awesomeness without compromising on performance. It’s powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 chipset, runs the pleasant One UI software, has triple rear cameras, and a gorgeous 6.7-inch Infinity-O AMOLED display.
Samsung Galaxy A71
The 4500mAh battery is aided by 25W fast charging (currently the fastest on any Samsung phone). So, overall, the Galaxy A71 currently represents the best of mid-range Samsung experience.
Display: 6.7-inch Full HD+ AMOLED | Processor: Snapdragon 730 SoC | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 128GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 5MP | Front camera: 32MP | Battery: 4500mAh | Weight: 179g | Dimensions: 163.6 x 76 x 7.7 mm
- Asus 6Z
The Asus 6Z, that comes with a swanky flip camera, is another great option that’s now available for under Rs. 30,000. The 6Z is powered by Snapdragon 855 octa-core processor has a gorgeous full-view IPS LCD screen, and runs a very refined Zen UI software (almost stock).
The Asus 6Z has two cameras – 48MP primary and 13MP wide-angle sensor – that serve as both front and rear cameras. Within its premium glass-metal body, 6Z houses a massive 5000mAh battery with fast charging support.
Display: 6.4-inch 1080 x 2340 | Processor: 2.5 GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 855 | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: 128GB, expandable up to 512GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 48MP +13MP | Front camera: same| Weight: 190 g| Dimensions: 159.1 x 75.4 x 9.2 mm | Battery: 5000mAh
- OPPO Reno 3 Pro
Oppo Reno 3 Pro recently debuted in international markets including India which slightly altered specifications from the Chinese version. Still, the MediaTek Helio P95 octa-core processor based Reno 3 Pro is a worthy option under Rs 30,000 budget.
Oppo Reno 3, Reno 3 Pro go official
The Oppo Reno 3 Pro highlights include a 44MP+2MP dual punch-hole front camera. The phone has a 6.4-inches Super AMOLED screen and houses a 4025mAh battery. Proprietory VOOC 4.0 based 30W flash charger refills 50-percent battery in 20 mins.
Display: 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED| Processor: MediaTek Helio P95 SoC | RAM: up to 8GB | Storage: 128GB/256GB | Software: Android Pie-based MIUI10 | Rear camera: 64MP+13MP+8MP+2MP | Front camera: 44MP+2MP | Battery: 4025mAh | Weight: 175g | Dimensions: 158.8 × 73.4 × 8.1mm
- Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus is currently retailing at under Rs 30,000 which makes it a killer buy. The Galaxy S9 Plus has a very premium glass-finish design and flagship-grade cameras, and it makes sense at the new discounted price, especially if you prefer compact phones.
Display: 6.2-inch QHD+ AMOLED, HDR 10 | Processor: Exynos 9810 SoC | RAM: 6GB | Storage: 64GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP| Front camera: 8MP | Weight: 189g | Battery: 3500mAh | Dimensions: 158.1 x 73.8 x 8.5 mm
- Google Pixel 3a
The Google Pixel 3a (review) is a very simple and compact mid-range phone, but its amazing camera makes it a worthy buy.
The Pixel 3a has a great quality AMOLED display, is powered by Snapdragon 670 octa-core chipset, and can be upgraded to Android 10. The new software update also brings dual SIM support (eSIM + regular SIM) to the Pixel 3a phones.
Display: 5.6-inch (18:9) Full HD+ AMOLED| Processor: Snapdragon 670 SoC | RAM: 4GB | Storage: 64GB | Software: Android 10 | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 3000mAh | Weight: 147g | Dimensions: 151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 mm
- Apple iPhone 7
Those of you who love the iOS ecosystem and the premium experience you get out of the Apple devices, iPhone 7 is the option you can score under Rs. 30,000. This may be outdated when compared to the latest iterations. However, you can’t go wrong with the performance out of the Quad-core A10 Fusion chipset. You could enjoy iOS 12.1.3 software too.
Notably, this is the phone that kickstarted the whole no headphone jack trend. But this is compensated with a dual speaker audio output. It is also P67 dust and water-resistant certified. The home button is pressure-sensitive and vibrates to return haptic feedback.
