5 phones to consider if you can't afford iPhone X at Rs 1 lakh
Earlier this week, Apple unveiled its flagship for the year, the iPhone X. This phone, launched to celebrate the 10th-anniversary of the iPhone, brings with it a "futuristic" design that flaunts a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge bezel-less OLED display which melts seamlessly into the device's metal frame that again melts into a reinforced sheet of glass at the back of the phone.
The phone also has top-of-the-line technology with dual 12-megapixel cameras on board, along with charging capabilities and Face ID – Apple's take on facial recognition technology.
The device is also the most powerful phone to have ever been created by the tech giant. The phone runs the A11 Bionic SoC paired with 3GB of RAM. The A11 Bionic module comes with a dual-core Neural engine that will be used exclusively by the phone's Face ID hardware.
Overall, iPhone X is arguably Apple's greatest phone, one that is nothing short of every Apple fan's dream.
However, as is the case with most things great, they come at a price, and the price for this one is rather steep. At $999 (in India, it is likely to cost Rs 89,000) for the 64GB and $1,149 (Rs 1,02,000) for the 256GB variant, the device is the most expensive iPhone ever.
But fret not. Just because it's the greatest iPhone ever does not mean it is the best phone out there in the market right now.
To be honest, the market right now is flush with premium flagship smartphones running the Android OS, and many of them arguably even represent a much better deal than what Apple is offering with the iPhone X. So without further ado, here's a list of great (read economical) alternatives to iPhone X.
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Kicking things off is the recently announced Galaxy Note 8, which with its 12-megapixel dual camera module that Samsung claims to be the best two camera set-up because of the inclusion of OIS technology on both the telephoto and wide-angle sensor. The phone also brings with it a more than capable 8-Megapixel selfie camera.
On the front, there is a massive 6.3 inch 1,440x2,960 QHD+ display with a pixel density of 521 pixels per inch merges seamlessly into the phone's intimidating metallic frame.
Under the hood, The Note 8 uses Exynos' 8895 for the phone variant launched in India. The SoC has been paired with 6GB of RAM and up to 64GB of built-in storage that can be expanded using a MicroSD card.
Powering the package is a 3,300 mAh battery which Samsung claims has been subjected to an 8-point battery checks to ensure that it does not blow up while sitting in your pocket. The battery also brings with it fast and wireless charging capabilities.
The phone coming at a price of Rs 67,900 also supports IRIS scanner along with PIN and password authentication to keep your data secured. There's also IP-68 water and dust protection.
HTC U11
Arguably the best camera phone available in the market right now, the U11 from HTC's stables does not bring with it flashy dual camera setups, but rather a promise of crisp looking pictures clicked with its 12-megapixel single lens camera, and as such makes for a great alternative to the iPhone X.
The camera module equipped with HTC's proprietary UltraPixel 3 technology and UltraSpeed Autofocus technologies uses a bright f/1.7 aperture lens and comes with a 1/2.55-inch sensor that results in great low-light performance.
However, the camera is not where all the fun ends. The U11 comes with a 5.5 inch 2560x 1440 Quad HD display capable of producing 534 ppi. It also boats of the top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage that can be expanded using a MicroSD.
What's best is the phone at Rs 51,999 can be made yours for less than half the price of the 256GB variant of the iPhone X which will start retail at Rs 1,02,000.
Samsung Galaxy S8
Another handset from Samsung to make it to the list is the Galaxy S8. The device is easy on the eyes and packs powerful hardware under the hood. It won't be an exaggeration to say the smartphone is an enthusiast's dream. From the looks of it, the tech giant has left the battery woes of its previous flagship behind as numbers reveal the Galaxy S8 to have hit one million sales twice as quickly as its predecessors.
The Galaxy S8 comes to the table with a 5.8-inch 570 ppi display working at 2960x1440 resolution. The S8 also features a single-lens camera setup with a 12-Megapixel camera at the back. The aperture on the camera is rated at F1.7 and it boasts of autofocus and optical image stabilisation.
In India, the phone comes with an Exynos 8895 chip paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal memory, which can be expanded using a microSD card. There's a 3,000mAh battery to complete a package that Samsung has priced at Rs 57,900 currently.
OnePlus 5
Arguably the biggest success story of the year, the OnePlus 5 is a phone that received largely positive reviews with most terming it a "flagship", not just a flagship killer.
Launched months after the 3t hit markets around the globe, OnePlus 5 has taken the smartphone industry by storm and represents a decent upgrade on a phone that is still regarded by many as one of the best in the market. It comes with several important upgrades over its predecessor.
The OnePlus 5 comes with Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line 64-bit Octa-core SoC – the Snapdragon 835. It is the chipmaker's current flagship and is found in phones like Sony Xperia XZ, the US variant of the Samsung S8 and the recently launched HTC U11.
Google Pixel XL
Last, but not the least, is the Google Pixel. A device that is Google answer to the iPhone lineup, brings with it one of the best camera seen this year on a phone. The phone's 12.3-megapixel main camera, paired with a fast f/2.0 lens on board sees it score high on photography benchmark tests.
In terms of specs, he Pixel XL has a 5.5-inch display with 2560x1440 resolution, and a larger 3450mAh battery. The phone is powered by 1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor and it comes with 4GB of RAM. The 32Gb variant of the phone is currently available on Amazon for Rs 49,200.