Top 10 Smartphones Under Rs. 30,000

The smartphone market in India is chock full of options at every price point. Manufacturers often release or re-release phones with minor changes and end up confusing the consumer (we’re looking at you, HTC) or simply price phones incorrectly, making people think that they’re paying for better specs. In reality, a lot of phones are quite similar underneath, so you just need to work out whether everything else you’re paying for, such as after sales support, updates, build quality, company reputation and whatnot is actually worth it. In the end, you probably won’t be disappointed with any phone on this list, but if there’s something particular you’re looking for, it’s better to know your options, without having to sift through smartphones that aren’t really worth it. So here’s our picks for the 10 best smartphones you can buy in India, under Rs. 3o,ooo!

The 10 Best Smartphones In India Under 30,000 INR

Samsung Galaxy A7

The Galaxy A series of phones is a departure from Samsung’s usual design language, offering a slim, metallic smartphone with fairly good specs at a decent price. At just 6.3 mm thick and weighing in at 141 gm, the Galaxy A7 is a very good looking device. In comparison, an iPhone 6 Plus is both thicker and heavier, but of course in another league in terms of performance. The Galaxy A7 might not be the best performer on the list, but if you’re looking for a sleek and light smartphone with competitive specs from a well known brand, this should be your choice. Yes, the price is a little bit on the higher side, but it’s a welcome change from the usual Galaxy range.

• SoC: Samsung Exynos 5 Octa 5430
• CPU: 1.8 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A15 & 1.3 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7
• GPU: ARM Mali T628 MP6
• RAM: 2 GB RAM
• Screen: 5.5 inch Super AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (401 PPI)
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (1080P video recording) and 5 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 16 GB, expandable upto 64 GB via MicroSD
• OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 2600 mAh
• Price: Rs. 29,999

Nokia Lumia 930

The current Windows Phone flagship might not have the best specs compared to its Android competition, but is still a solid smartphone, if you can’t wait for the Windows 10 for phones flagship. Packing in a gorgeous screen, a killer camera and the trademark Windows Phone snappiness, the Lumia 930 won’t disappoint. You can already use the Windows 10 for phones Technical Preview on it if you really must run the next version of Windows, but apart from that, you’re guaranteed timely and quite frequent updates. Oh and did we mention, you can get it in some really funky colors?

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
• CPU: 2.2 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 2 GB RAM
• Screen: 5 inch AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (441 PPI)
• Camera: 20 MP PureView rear facing (4K video recording) and 1.2 MP front facing (720P video recording)
• Storage: 32 GB, non expandable
• OS: Windows Phone 8.1, upgradable to Windows 10 for phones
• Battery: 2420 mAh
• Price: Rs. 29,999

Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro

If you want a monster of a phone, both in terms of specs and size, the Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro is the smartphone for you! It’s currently the cheapest phone you can buy with a 2K resolution display, has a huge 4000 mAh battery and is dual SIM. Probably the only compromise you’ll need to make is on the storage front, because there’s no MicroSD card slot. Also, Lenovo has a spotty update record. Otherwise, we think it’s a fantastic phone for the price!

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• CPU: 2.5 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 3 GB RAM
• Screen: 6 inch IPS LCD, 2560 x 1440 px resolution (490 PPI)
• Camera: 16 MP rear facing (4K video recording) and 5 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 32 GB, non expandable
• OS: Android 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 4000 mAh
• Price: Rs. 29,999

Moto X 2nd Generation

Motorola’s recent comeback has been nothing short of glorious. Everything from the Moto E to the Moto X has been extremely successful, and the 2nd generation of these phones have only made things better. The Moto X 2nd Generation is a powerful phone that has guaranteed fast updates from Google, so if you want an Android smartphone that gives you the best close to stock Android experience, look no further. Build quality is top notch, and the added Motorola features are actually pretty cool as well.

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• CPU: 2.5 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 3 GB RAM
• Screen: 5.2 inch AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (424 PPI)
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (4K video recording) and 2 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 16/32 GB, non expandable
• OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 2300 mAh
• Price: Rs. 26,999

Micromax Canvas Knight A350

Micromax has been doing a lot of things right over the past years, which is exactly why it’s now the 10th largest smartphone manufacturer in the world and the largest in India, beating the likes of Samsung! Originally focusing on more pocket friendly smartphones, Micromax now has some pretty good mid range offerings as well. The Canvas Knight is one such smartphone, with solid specs and a nice design to boot. We know that some might be skeptical about spending this much on a smaller brand, but we also can’t deny that it’s a good phone!

• SoC: MediaTek MT6592T
• CPU: 1.7 GHz Octa-core ARM Cortex-A7
• GPU: Mali-450 MP4
• RAM: 2 GB RAM
• Screen: 5 inch IPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (441 PPI)
• Camera: 16 MP rear facing (1080P video recording) and 8 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 32 GB, non expandable
• OS: Android 4.4.2 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 2350 mAh
• Price: Rs. 25,999

Xiaomi Mi4

Calling the Mi3 a success would be a gross understatement. The affordable yet powerful smartphone from Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi took the world by storm, and its successor is now here to carry on that legacy. Admittedly not a big success compared to its predecessor, the Mi4 is nevertheless a fantastic smartphone, with flagship level specs and an understated yet good looking design. Now available without the damn registration, it’s one of the best smartphones money can buy!

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• CPU: 2.5 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 3 GB RAM
• Screen: 5 inch AMOLED, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (441 PPI)
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (4K video recording) and 8 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 16/64 GB, non expandable
• OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 3080 mAh
• Price: Rs. 23,999

Apple iPhone 5C

Yes it might a little long in the tooth, but is still a phone to consider if you must get into the Apple ecosystem. The Apple iPhone 5C is not really the best value for money, but we can’t argue that performance, regardless of the specs, is still pretty good. Apple is good at getting the most out of their hardware, and the iPhone 5C is testament to that fact. The storage might be on the lower side, but if the Apple brand and its apps are all you want, this is the best way to get it.

• SoC: Apple A6
• CPU: 1.3 GHz Dual-core Swift
• GPU: PowerVR SGX543MP3
• RAM: 1 GB RAM
• Screen: 4 inch IPS LCD, 1136 x 640 px resolution (326 PPI)
• Camera: 8 MP rear facing (1080P video recording) and 1.2 MP front facing (720P video recording)
• Storage: 8 GB, non expandable
• OS: iOS 7, upgradable to iOS 8.3
• Battery: 1510 mAh
• Price: Rs. 22,990

OnePlus One

Another Chinese smartphone that redefined the term ‘value for money’, the OnePlus One is nothing short of fantastic. Dubbed the ‘flagship killer’ by OnePlus, it may not be equal to current Snapdragon 810 powered smartphones, but still remains a great device to buy, even now. Great specs, sleek design, good cameras, it’s got it all! OnePlus originally promised quick updates and hasn’t really lived up to it, but apart from that caveat, there’s not much else we can hold against this phone. You’ll need an invite to buy one though, but they aren’t really difficult to find these days.

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 801
• CPU: 2.5 GHz Quad-core Krait 400
• GPU: Adreno 330
• RAM: 3 GB RAM
• Screen: 5.5 inch LTPS LCD, 1920 x 1080 px resolution (401 PPI)
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (4K video recording) and 2 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 16/64 GB, non expandable
• OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 3100 mAh
• Price: Rs. 21,999

HTC Desire 820s

The HTC Desire 820s features a similar design to the gorgeous HTC One, and that’s not a bad thing at all. Not to be confused with the Desire 820, which looks exactly the same but has different internals, the 820s is a good buy if you want a large screen but aren’t too bothered about pixel density. It’s got solid battery life, looks decent, performs well, has a large screen and dual cameras, so pretty much ticks all boxes for most people looking to buy a smartphone.

• SoC: MediaTek MT6752T
• CPU: 1.7 GHz Octa-core ARM Cortex-A53
• GPU: Mali-T760 MP2
• RAM: 2 GB RAM
• Screen: 5.5 inch IPS LCD, 1280 x 720 px resolution (267 PPI)
• Camera: 13 MP rear facing (1080P video recording) and 8 MP front facing (1080P video recording)
• Storage: 16 GB, expandable upto 32 GB via MicroSD
• OS: Android 4.4.4 KitKat, upgradable to Android 5.0 Lollipop
• Battery: 2600 mAh
• Price: Rs. 20,500

Nokia Lumia 830

Finally, we have the Lumia 830, the best Windows Phone 8.1 midranger money can buy. Again, on paper it might not look like much, but Windows Phone is an OS that runs perfectly well on a whole variety of smartphones. Just like its bigger brother, the Lumia 930, the 830 is also guaranteed a Windows 10 for phones update, with a Technical Preview available to download right now. It also looks fantastic, and features a PureView camera plus something called SensorCore, which is basically a pedometer, built in. If you’re looking to jump into the Windows Phone ecosystem, this is a great start!

• SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
• CPU: 1,2 GHz Quad-core ARM Cortex-A7
• GPU: Adreno 305
• RAM: 1 GB RAM
• Screen: 5 inch IPS LCD, 1280 x 720 px resolution (294 PPI)
• Camera: 10 MP PureView rear facing (1080P video recording) and 1 MP front facing (720P video recording)
• Storage: 16 GB, expandable upto 128 GB via MicroSD
• OS: Windows Phone 8.1, upgradable to Windows 10 for phones
• Battery: 2200 mAh
• Price: Rs. 20,000

So those were our picks for the 10 best smartphones under 30,000 INR you can buy! Do let us know if you have any queries regarding the specs or features, or think another phone should be added onto the list via the comments below.