Best Mobile Phones In India (May 2024): Top Choices In Different Price Brackets – Times of India

Going for the best mobile phone highly depends on personal preferences, but some handsets consistently stand out for their features, performance, and overall user experience. Apple, OnePlus and Samsung are some of the globally sought-after brands that continue to produce handsets that impress their customers with their powerful performance, exceptional camera quality, and seamless integration with the OS ecosystem. Not just these other smaller brands have also advanced to offer budget-friendly smartphones with stunning displays, versatile camera systems, and robust features.
Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs, whether it’s photography, gaming, or productivity, ensuring you find the perfect fit for your lifestyle. Depending on your budget and preference you can choose the best phone from the options listed below.

Best Mobile Phones In India

Best Phones Under 10000

Redmi 13C

The Redmi 13C was launched in India in December 2023 and is still one of the most sold and preferred low-budget phones (May 2024). Available in three colour and storage options, the phone is sleek with 8.09mm of thickness, which makes it easy to hold and slip in your handbags. For a phone costing much less than Rs. 10,000, the smartphone has an impressive refresh rate of up to 90Hz giving a silky smooth experience, no matter whether you are playing games, browsing information, or watching videos.
Specifications of Redmi 13C:

User Feedback: Customers like the connectivity, screen and display quality of the phone. Camera performance is also satisfactory. However, some customers report that the phone and adapter start heating up.

Samsung Galaxy M14 5G

With more than 20,000 positive reviews on Amazon, the Samsung Galaxy M14 5G is one of the most successful budget phones from Samsung. This phone was one of the first phones in India to have a powerful 6000mAh battery and still stands out for its 50MP triple camera that allows you to capture special moments even in low light with its F1.8 lens.
Specifications of Samsung Galaxy M14 5G:

User Feedback: Customers who purchased this phone are pretty happy with its performance, appearance and battery life. Having said that, some people faced issues with charging and heating of the phone.

Best Phones Under 20000

OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G

The OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite has a very simple yet appealing design that boasts of SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition charging and Battery Health Engine technology, which helps in increasing the battery’s lifespan and prevent overcharging by working with the twelve built-in temperature sensors and smart charging chip to provide adaptive charging that matches your sleep schedule. Another major strength of the smartphone is its titanic 108 MP main camera that captures clear and detailed images.
Specifications of OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G:

User Feedback: Overall a good phone, the OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite 5G is a great option for the OnePlus brand loyalists and do not want to spend more than Rs. 20,000. With this handset, you get a nice OxygenOS experience, strong battery life, decent performance, and fast charging.

iQOO Z9 5G

Launched in March 2024, the iQOO Z9 5G under its hood has a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 chipset that is capable of delivering ultimate performance and power efficiency with its 2.8 GHz clock speed. The best part is that the phone costs less than Rs. 20,000 and it is so powerful that you can enjoy next-level gaming and multitasking performance like never before. This phone with its processor and screen capabilities is ideal for gamers and people who like to watch vivid things on their phones. Its Motion control feature in the Ultra Game Mode, together offers 6 motion control options, making it an even more suitable option for iQOO Z9 5G.
Specifications of iQOO Z9 5G:

User Feedback: Customers particularly praise the iQOO Z9 5G handset for its camera quality, value, and performance. They mention that it has a good back camera and is value for money. Battery of the phone is something that a lot of people were disappointed with.

Best Phone Under 30000

OnePlus Nord CE4

OnePlus launched a series of smartphones in 2024 and one of them was the OnePlus Nord CE4 – the successor of the OnePlus Nord CE3 series. As per the reviews, it is one of the fastest-charging phones from the brand and one of its kind in the market. It comes with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage4 that’s expandable by up to 1TB5 for smoother performance and more space for saving your favorite memories. You can easily carry this phone in light rains and into bathrooms because it has an innovative Aqua Touch12 technology that keeps you swiping by telling the difference between water droplets and your fingers so your screen’s performance doesn’t get completely wet.
Specifications of OnePlus Nord CE4:

User Feedback: The people who purchased the OnePlus Nord CE4 consider it a great value-for-money option with unbeatable charging speed, display and battery backup. However, the performance of the phone was something that had mixed reviews.

Best Phone Under 40000

OnePlus 12R

The OnePlus 12R is a sibling of the OnePlus 12 the high-end variant of the OnePlus 12 series. This phone has an aesthetic appeal with a camera module and a glass finish on the rear. Featuring a wide 6.78-inch LTPO curved AMOLED panel with minimal bezels, the OnePlus 12R offers a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 10-bit colors, and HDR10+ support, along with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits. On the software front, the OnePlus 12R runs on the latest Android 14 update with the OxygenOS custom skin, which aims to deliver a clean, stock-Android-like experience and unique features.
Specifications of the OnePlus 12R:

User Feedback: The OnePlus 12R is an excellent premium range that impressed the audiences with its performance, AMOLED display and excellent battery life with fast charging speeds. There were some limitations like average low-light cameras and no telephoto lens.

Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G Hyperphone

Striking the right balance of luxury and specifications, the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G Hyperphone is an advanced phone with incredible imaging and sound technologies that provide an absolutely stunning, immersive, detailed and lifelike experience. Along with fast charging, the Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G Hyperphone has a strong 5000mAh battery, making it a great choice for those who want to use their phones for long hours.
Features of Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G Hyperphone:

User Feedback: The Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G Hyperphone offers decent performance, battery life, and a camera. Some customers were, though not very happy about the design of the phone. Also, some people reported issues with the handset heating.
Best Phones Under 50000

Apple iPhone 13 (128GB)

Though not the latest, but indeed one of the most popular Apple phones, the iPhone 13 was launched in September 2021 and is currently available for under Rs. 50,000. iPhone 13’s bright display, long battery life and powerful cameras (compared to its predecessors) makes it the best iPhone for those on a budget. When it was launched, the changes in the design, including the diagonally arranged rear cameras and 20% smaller notch, were among the most talked about aspects of the phone. Overall, this phone is still one of the highly demanded handsets of the brand and a great choice for those who want an iOS handset on a budget.
Features of the Apple iPhone 13:

User Feedback: The best iPhone for those on a budget, the iPhone 13 has a brighter display, longer battery life and powerful cameras. The charging though is very slow.

Best Phones Under 60000

iQOO 12 5G

This high-end phone from iQOO is well suited to meet high loads and provide more stable performance. It offers an improved GPU performance that allows faster graphics processing and further reduces power consumption while offering you a smoother experience in large games. The brand claims that the phone has a “Legendary Triple Camera System”, including a 50 50-megapixel main camera paired with a 1/1.3-inch sensor with extremely high resolution, that brings out the details of the subject beyond your expectations.
Specifications of iQOO 12 5G:

User Feedback: People who purchased the phone really praise it for its battery life, sound quality and display. They mention that it has a satisfactory battery life that lasts a full day with moderate to heavy usage. Customers also appreciate the performance, saying that it’s top-notch.

Best Phones Under 70000

Samsung Galaxy S23 5G

When the Samsung Galaxy S23 5G was launched in February 2023, mobile lovers all over the world went gaga over its powerful performance. The major strengths of this phone are the high-end cameras and tremendous horsepower, making it a great choice for those who want an incredible handset and can afford up to 70K. It is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “for Galaxy” processor, which is pretty fast than most of its competitors.
Specifications of Samsung Galaxy S23 5G:

User Feedback: The Samsung Galaxy S23 is majorly appreciated for its quality, performance, appearance and display. Customers mention that it’s very handy to use, has great cameras and that the performance is phenomenal. Overall it is worth the investment.

OnePlus 12

As of May 2024, the OnePlus 12 is the most premium phone from the brand that is indeed worth flaunting. One of the most attractive features of this phone is its record-breaking 2K 120 Hz ProXDR Display that has advanced LTPO for brighter and vibrant visuals. The phone’s overall design is elegant and inspired by the world’s most luxurious brands. Another highlight is the ultra-flagship CPU with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and a massive 5400 mAh battery that will allow you to power your way to the pinnacle of performance.
Specifications of OnePlus 12:

User Feedback: As per the people who purchased the OnePlus 12, the handset has a superb display, handles all tasks with ease, and has a bloat-free OS. Customers are also impressed with the smoothness, charging speed, touch experience, and value.

Best Phones Under 80000

Samsung Galaxy S24 5G

The perfect option for Android lovers who want something extravagant – the Samsung Galaxy S24 5G is the best investment. It comes with exceptional battery life, top-notch performance, and a sleek design that can handle rugged usage. The major highlight of the phone is that it has more zoom than the iPhone 15, and comes with plenty of cool shooting modes to make your pictures look fabulous. With a promise of seven years of Android updates, this could be the best affordable Galaxy S phone Samsung has offered in quite a while.
Specifications of the Samsung Galaxy S24 5G:

User Feedback: The premium and luxurious Samsung Galaxy S24 is hailed for its quality and size. Customers specifically mention that it’s an impressive smartphone with a good camera and a compact size. They appreciate appearance, features, and brightness. However, some people had the issue of the phone heating up.
Here is a comparative table of all the products mentioned above:

Other relevant stories that you can read:
Best Phones Under 50000 For Seamless Performance And Sleek Design
Best Phones Under 35000 To Smoothly Carry Out Multiple Tasks
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DISCLAIMER: At TOI, we keep you informed about the newest trends and products. The products listed have been well studied and researched, and are also in line with customer ratings. TOI is part of an affiliate partnership, meaning we may receive a portion of the revenue from your purchases. The product prices mentioned in the article are subject to change, as per retailers’ deals