Buying guide: Best phones for every budget
More than half way through 2018, we have seen a number of interesting phones populating the market. Compared with last year, these phones are not only more powerful, but also bring with them new, forward-looking design schemes. Phone cameras, too, have witnessed some marked improvements.
Interestingly, these innovations in the industry have happened across segments, and as such, all budget segments now have fantastic phones.
Here's taking a look at the best that each segment has to offer.
Best premium flagship
So, this is a tough one. There are a number of truly excellent devices available in the market, such as the Huawei P20 Pro, the Galaxy Note 8 and the Pixel 2XL. However, one phone that, despite all the reservations and criticism, has arguably established itself as the winner in this segment is the iPhone X.
A special device created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the launch of the first iPhone, the iPhone X is a device that is premium to the T.
The futuristic iPhone comes with a drastic redesign, which sees it sporting a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED curved display dominating the front, which goes on to melt into the device's metal frame which then meets a reinforced sheet of glass at the back of the phone.
The phone runs the same SoC found on the iPhone 8 lineup — the A11 Bionic — paired with 3GB of RAM. The A11 Bionic module comes with a dual-core Neural engine which will be used exclusively by the phone's Face ID hardware. The iPhone X's main camera module at the back brings with it two 12-megapixel lenses — same as in the iPhone 8 Plus — with f/1.8 and f/2.4 apertures.
The hardware is impressive, it looks great, and brings with it some really cool features that are sure to turn your head. However, all this comes at a steep price. The phone is currently selling at Rs 92,430 for the 64GB variant and Rs 1,05,720 for the 256GB one.
But, lest we forget, this is Apple after all, and if you're someone who is smitten by the charm of the new bezel-less iPhone X, then don't balk at the price, and buy away.
Best flagship-killer (Sub-Rs 40k)
One of the most competitive segments of the market, the sub-40k bracket has seen a number of interesting devices being launched in the past few months. However, the best among them has to be the Asus Zenfone 5Z.
Created using an alluminium frame sandwiched between sheets of Gorilla Glass, the Zenfone 5Z is definitely the most beautiful device to have come out of Asus' stables. Yet, the fact of the matter is that much of this isn't because of the efforts of the design team at Asus, but of a rival's working out of Cupertino, California.
Like many other Android smartphone manufacturers, the phone sees Asus unapologetically take the iPhone X's notch and slap it on the Zenfone 5Z to recreate the magic of Apple's $1000 flagship. Apart from the notch, the front of the Zenfone 5Z also sees Asus use a Full HD+ (1080x2246) Super IPS panel which sports a wider than usual 18:7:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 402 PPI.
Moving to the back, the Zenfone 5Z looks as premium as it does from the front. It uses a glass back which uses a light reflective pattern which will be recognisable to anyone who has used an Asus laptop before.
In terms of the hardware it packs in, the Asus Zenfone 5Z is one of the best out there. Running the show here is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core SoC which Asus has paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB onboard storage, which can be upgraded using a microSD card.
In terms of cameras, the phone features a 12-megapixel primary sensor (f/1.8 aperture lens), and an 8-megapixel secondary sensor (f/2.2 aperture wide-angle lens) with a field of view of 120 degrees. Up front, you have an 8-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calling. Though it also makes use of a number of AI smarts, the performance of the particular sensor is just average.
The device gets its juice from an above-par, 3,300mAh battery pack that, backed by the energy efficient 845 SoC paired with the 1080p display, helps the phone easily get through more than a day on a single charge.
Though the phone comes in three variants, it's the Rs 29,999 6GB+64GB RAM and storage variant that comes highly recommended.
Best mid-range smartphone (Rs 20k)
Though this particular segment is flush with a some really great options, there's one phone that wins the race hands down because of its stupendous price, Xiaomi Poco F1.
The Poco F1 does not revolutionise the industry in terms of hardware, but what it does is that it revolutionises the market segment with its disruptive price. Cramming within itself the best hardware that money can buy, the Poco F1 does so at a price point which until very recently was for budget phones.
The device packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and costs as low as Rs 20,999. This top of the line processor is paired with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage, making this a great value for money device.
Powering the device is a massive 4000mAh battery that promises to keep the phone running for over a day.
In terms of cameras, The Poco F1 comes with a dual-camera system consisting of a 12-megapixel sensor and f/1.9 aperture lens and another 5-megapixel camera for depth sensing.
Best smartphone under Rs 10,000
Our recommendation here would be the Oppo Realme 1. The phone is available in multiple variants, with the 3GB+64GB one available for as low as Rs 8,990. An Amazon exclusive, the Realme 1 is made up of plastic at the back with a Black Diamond pattern which gives the phone a glossy glass-like look.
Because of the use of plastic, the phone also feels light in the hand. Overall, the design targets a premium feel and build.
The display on the device is a 5.99-inch FHD+ panel with an 18:9 aspect ratio. Apart from this, the other specs include the powerful octa-core Helio P60 chipset, which is also available on the more expensive Oppo F7. The cameras on the phone include 13-Megapixel rear sensor at the back and an 8-megapixel sensor at the front.