Best Phones Under Rs 30,000: If you’re looking to invest in a smartphone under Rs 30,000, you must know that the smartphone market in this price segment is brimming with very capable options that deliver exceptional performance, stunning design and cutting-edge features, without costing as high as the flagship phones. Whether you’re into mobile photography, gaming or simply need a reliable phone as a daily driver, there are plenty of competent choices available under Rs 30,000.
The best smartphones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India include the ones from the likes of OnePlus Nord, Realme, Nothing and Poco, among others. Leading the pack is the OnePlus Nord CE 4, which has a Snapdragon 780G processor and a stunning 120Hz AMOLED display. Another strong contender is the Samsung Galaxy M54, featuring a versatile quad-camera setup and a robust 6000mAh battery. For vanilla Android fans, the Nothing Phone 2a brings a neat software experience. Realme 12 Pro Plus is also a good choice, offering a great design and faux leather back and 65W fast charging. The Poco X5 Pro stands out with its flagship-grade camera and vibrant FHD+ display.
Realme 12 Pro+ (Price: 27,190)
Beyond its eye-catching design, the Realme 12 Pro+ shines with its impressive camera system. The primary camera excels in various lighting conditions, but the standout feature is the telephoto lens, which promises great performance at native focal lengths, irrespective of the lighting. The phone also boasts excellent battery life, easily lasting a day and a half with regular use, and it supports insanely fast charging speeds.
The Realme 12 Pro+ features a vegan-leather back and a distinctive fluted metal ring around its camera module, reminiscent of a watch. Beyond its stylish appearance, the phone comes with IP65 rating, providing effective protection against dust and water.
The Realme 12 Pro+ is powered by a chipset that effortlessly manages everyday tasks and multitasking, while also delivering good gaming performance. It runs on Android 14, but it also comes with pre-installed bloatware. However, this doesn’t affect the overall experience.
OnePlus Nord CE 4 (Price: Rs 24,999)
The Nord CE4 runs on OxygenOS 14, which is built on Android 14, which is highly customisable and introduces useful new features such as Fluid Cloud, with some of these enhancements being powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The phone offers solid performance for everyday use, though it is not the best choice for gaming. Its display is very bright for outdoor use and comes with HDR10 certification. Although it has a high refresh rate, its touch sampling rate falls short, particularly when playing FPS games.
Overall, the camera performance is average for its segment and the video recording quality leaves much to be desired. However, the phone excels in battery life and supports insanely fast wired charging.
The OnePlus Nord CE4 also comes with an IP54 rating, offering protection against dust and water. The device’s frame is constructed from durable polycarbonate, which is designed to withstand drops while the rear panel is also made of polycarbonate for added resilience.
Poco X6 Pro (Price: Rs 23,899)
Regarding imaging, the Poco X6 Pro is equipped with a triple rear camera system, including a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. For selfies, it sports a single front camera with a 16-megapixel sensor. Released earlier this year, the Poco X6 Pro was comes with a 6.67-inch touchscreen display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1220×2712 pixels. Available in 8GB and 12GB RAM storage variants, the Poco X6 Pro runs on Android 14 and is equipped with a 5000mAh non-removable battery that supports proprietary fast charging.
Additionally, it includes an IP54 rating, ensuring protection against dust and water.
The Poco X6 Pro offers a range of connectivity options including, GPS, NFC, USB Type-C, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac, 3G, 4G (with Band 40 support for certain LTE networks in India), and 5G with active 4G on both SIM cards. The device is equipped with various sensors such as accelerometer, compass/magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The Poco X6 Pro comes with Xiaomi’s own HyperOS, which is built upon Android 14. It offers storage options in two variants: 256GB and 512GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD card. This phone was introduced in three colours: Poco Yellow, Racing Grey and Spectre Black.
Nothing Phone 2a (Price: 23,999)
The Nothing Phone 2a offers a variety of connectivity features, including Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, and USB Type-C with active 4G on both SIM cards. Nothing Phone 2a supports face unlock as well as fingerprint unlock. The Nothing Phone 2a operates on Nothing OS 2.5, which is built on Android 14 OS and offers storage options of 128GB and 256GB. The phone was released in Black and White colour variants.
Regarding the camera setup, the Nothing Phone 2a features a dual rear camera system comprising a 50-megapixel primary camera and a 50-megapixel camera. For selfies, it includes a single front camera equipped with a 32-megapixel sensor.
The Nothing Phone 2a features a 6.70-inch touchscreen display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, delivering a resolution of 1080×2412 pixels (FHD+) and a pixel density of 394 pixels per inch (ppi). Available with 8GB or 12GB of RAM options, the Nothing Phone 2a is powered by a 5000mAh battery that supports proprietary fast charging technology.
Oppo F27 Pro+ 5G
Price: Rs 27,999
The just-launched Oppo F27 Pro+ 5G comes with connectivity options such as Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, GPS, Bluetooth v5.30, and USB Type-C. It is equipped with a range of sensors including accelerometer, ambient light sensor, compass/magnetometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and an in-display fingerprint sensor.
The Oppo F27 Pro+ 5G operates on the company’s proprietary ColorOS 14.0, built on Android 14, and offers storage options of 128GB and 256GB. Available in two colourways: Dusk Pink and Midnight Navy colors, the device comes with an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance. It is India’s first IP69 rated smartphone.
Regarding imaging, the Oppo F27 Pro+ 5G boasts a dual rear camera system dominated by a 64-megapixel primary camera paired with a 2-megapixel camera. For selfies, it includes a single front camera equipped with an 8-megapixel sensor.
The F27 Pro+ 5G features a 6.70-inch touchscreen display with a high refresh rate of 120 Hz, offering a resolution of 1080×2412 pixels (FHD+) and a pixel density of 394 pixels per inch (ppi). It is powered by a 5000mAh battery and supports 67W Turbo Charge fast charging technology.