Diwali is just round the corner and, like us most of you would be looking for ideas and recommendations to gift to your friends and family. While chocolate and dry fruits will remain a staple gift this season, a good smartphone is a great idea for those who are special to you. However, the smartphone market is huge and it is hard to select a good phone. So, here are some good phones that should not only make for great gifts, but will also not make a big dent on your budget. To make things easier, we have divided the Indian smartphone market into multiple price brackets and are offering you multiple options so that you can make the right purchase.
Under 7K
Xiaomi Redmi 4A (32GB)
Price: Rs. 6,999
The Redmi series has been dominating the budget smartphone segment and for good reason. The phones perform reasonably well, have good battery life and decent cameras.
Specs:
Display: 5-inch, 720p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 5MP
Battery: 3120mAh
OS: Android 6.0.1
Moto C Plus
Price: Rs. 6,990
If you are know that the gift’s recipient is will mostly be using the phone for calling, then you can go for the Moto C Plus
Specs:
Display: 5-inch, 720p
SoC: MediaTek MT6737
RAM: 2GB
Storage: 16GB
Camera: 8MP, 2MP
Battery: 4000mAh
OS: Android 7.0
Under 11K
Lenovo K8 Plus
Price: Rs. 10,999
The new Lenovo K8 Plus is currently the best device in the budget category. The phone features dual cameras, a large battery as well as decent performance.
Specs:
Display: 5.2-inch, 1080p
SoC: MediaTek Helio P25
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP + 5MP, 8MP
Battery: 4000mAh
Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 3GB
Price: Rs. 10,999
Another good option in this price bracket is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4. It has something to offer for any user, including impressive performance, superb battery life and a 1080p display. There is another variant of the phone, which offers 64GB of storage for around Rs12,000.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 5MP
Battery: 4100mAh
OS: Android 6.0
Micromax Canvas Infinity
Price: Rs. 9,999
Under 10K, we have the Micromax Canvas Infinity which is not as powerful as the Redmi 4 or the K8 Plus, but still manages to offer a decent performance. However, it has a good camera and is argueably the best looking phone in this segment.
Specs:
Display: 5.7-inch, 720p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 425
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 16MP
Battery: 2980mAh
OS: Android 7.1.2
Xiaomi Redmi 4 (32GB)
Price: Rs. 8,999
The Redmi 4 32GB variant can be though of as the smaller cousin to the Redmi Note 4. It boasts of similar battery life and a less powerful processor. It is a good phone, but if you want extra storage space, there is a 64GB variant available as well.
Specs:
Display: 5-inch, 720p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 435
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 5MP
Battery: 4100mAh
OS: Android 6.0.1
Under 15K
Moto G5 Plus
Price: Rs. 14,999
While the Moto G5 Plus is not the best performer in the sub-15K segment, it is still one of the best phones we would recommend in this category. The reason for that is that it is a more complete package than most other phones under Rs 15,000.
Specs:
Display: 5.2-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 12MP, 5MP
Battery: 3000mAh
Xiaomi Mi Max 2 32GB
Price: Rs. 14,999
Offering a similar performance as the Redmi Note 4, the Mi Max 2 is a phone for entertainment junkies thanks to its big screen. Its superb battery life also makes it a good option for people who are constantly on the go.
Specs:
Display: 6.44-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 5MP
Battery: 4100mAh
OS: Android 6.0
Another phone worth checking out is the Cool Play 6. While the Play 6 won’t win any design awards, it is a good performer and offers a usable battery life as well. The camera quality is decent as well.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 653
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: Dual 13MP, 8MP
Battery: 4000mAh
OS: Android 7.1.1
Under 20K
Honor 8
Price: Rs. 17,000
The Honor 8 has seen a massive price drop in the past few months and is now one of the best phones you can buy under 20K.
It offers a decent performance and the dual camera setup is the best in the price bracket.
Specs:
Display: 5.2-inch, 1080p
SoC: HiSilicon Kirin 950
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: Dual 12MP, 8MP
Battery: 3500mAh
OS: Android 6.0.1
Xiaomi Mi A1
Price: Rs. 17,499
The Mi A1 is Xiaomi’s first Android One phone and while the camera needs some more work, overall it is a good device. The phone offers a decent set of hardware and comes with the promise of an Android 8.0 update.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 625
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: Dual 12MP, 5MP
Battery: 3080mAh
OS: Android 7.1.1
Samsung Galaxy On Max
Price: Rs. 16,900
The Samsung Galaxy On Max remains our choice for low light photography in the sub-20K segment. This 5.7-inch smartphone is one of the best low light shooters in budget category and is also a reliable performer.
Specs:
Display: 5.7-inch, 1080p
SoC: MediaTek Helio P25
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 13MP, 13MP
Battery: 3300mAh
OS: Android 7.0
Under 25K
Moto Z
Price: Rs. 24,990
Moto 2016 flagship is powerful and has the best camera in the sub-25K price bracket. The phone is well built and supports snap-on covers that add new features to the phone such as better speakers, micro projector and more.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1440p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: 13MP, 5MP
Battery: 2600mAh
OS: Android 7.1.1
Oppo F3 Plus
Price: Rs. 24,990
In the same price segment, we also have the Oppo F3 Plus. The 6-inch smartphone is one of the best selfie-centric devices in the market and offers commendable performance as well.
Specs:
Display: 6.0-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 653
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: 16MP, 16MP + 8MP
Battery: 4000mAh
OS: Android 6.0
Samsung Galaxy A7
Price: Rs. 24,900
The Samsung Galaxy A7 is a premium looking device, with decent performance and not so premium price. Both the front and rear camera are also good.
Specs:
Display: 5.7-inch, 1080p
SoC: Exynos 7880
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 32GB
Camera: 16MP, 16MP
Battery: 3600mAh
OS: Android 7.0
Above 25K
If you are gifting someone a phone above 25K, it better be special and hence we are assuming that price is not an issue anymore
OnePlus 5
Price: Rs. 37,999
The OnePlus 5 is quite simply the best value for money phone you can get today. It comes with 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and has stellar performance, thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoC.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Camera: 16MP + 20MP, 16MP
Battery: 3300mAh
OS: Android 7.1.1
Samsung Galaxy S8
Price: Rs. 55,900
While the Galaxy Note 8 is better, the more stylish and ergonomic Galaxy S8 is a much better device to give someone as a gift.
Specs:
Display: 6.3-inch, 2960 x 1440p
SoC: Exynos 8895
RAM: 6GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: Dual 12MP, 8MP
Battery: 3300mAh
OS: Android 7.1
Apple iPhone 8 Plus
Price: Rs. 70,950
The Apple iPhone 8 Plus is currently the best iPhone you can buy. Although, the iPhone X is just round the corner.
Specs:
Display: 5.5-inch, 1080p
SoC: Apple A11 Bionic
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 64GB
Camera: 12MP + 12MP, 7MP
Battery: 2691mAh
OS: iOS 11