5G is the fifth generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks that will provide you with a high-speed internet connection.

This technology is still under the early testing phase in India but smartphone companies are already ready with the 5G enabled smartphones.

Having a 5G smartphone will help you save money when the 5G will officially launch as you don’t have to switch devices, and all you need is a 5G SIM.

That’s why we have gathered a list of the best twelve 5G smartphones in India so that you can make sure your smartphone purchase remains future proof. 

So without any further ado, let’s get started!

Note: The price shown are the once when we reviewed the products. However, as the promotional offers changes on the given E-commerce sites, the price may vary. Bettershark is supported by it’s readers and when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

1. Mi 11X

Overall Best Pick

• Flagship chipset – Snapdragon 870 5G
• Decent camera performance
• 120Hz high-resolution AMOLED panel

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This phone from Xiaomi is rebranded for the third time after its initial launch – in other regions this smartphone is named as Redmi K40 and POCO F3.

In India, it is known as MI 11X. This smartphone is a performance beast for the asking price of Rs.29,999. Let’s find out what this has to offer at this price!

Design and Build Quality

The MI 11X has a premium build quality with a familiar glass sandwich design. This device comes in three different colours to choose from.

Being a glass back smartphone, the backside is highly reflective. It is easy to smudge this device with your fingerprints, so using it with a case is advised. 

The device is 7.8mm thin and it weighs somewhere around 196 grams but does not feel much heavy in the hand or inside pant pockets.

The X-axis linear motor inside this phone provides excellent haptic feedback to the touches and taps. 

Even though this device comes with an OLED display, it doesn’t have the in-display fingerprint scanner but instead, has the sensor located on the side-mounted power button. 

As usual, the IR blaster is given at the top and alongside it, there is a noise cancellation mic as well as the speaker grille.

Yes, this device has dual stereo speakers that produce a loud clear sound with audible vocals and punchy bass.

Speaking of ports, there is no audio jack but a converter (USB-C to audio jack) is available inside the box.

Display

The MI 11X features a 6.67-inch 120Hz Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The panel has a 360Hz touch sampling rate which means whenever you perform a touch gesture on the panel it will respond quickly compared to the standard 60Hz panel.

Thanks to the peak brightness level of 1300 nits, the display is convenient to use indoors as well as under direct sunlight.

The punch-hole size cutout on the front is very small and the bezels from all sides are also minimal which gives you an immersive wide viewing experience on content consumption.

The colours look punchier with inky deep blacks and with a theoretically infinite contrast ratio.

Processor and Performance

The MI 11X is powered by the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 octa-core SoC designed on 7-nm architecture.

The 6GB LPDDR5 RAM inside this smartphone will provide a buttery smooth performance when it comes to everyday usage and multitasking.

You can play all the modern games on this device at high graphics settings without any issues whatsoever.

The 128GB UFS 3.1 storage will help enhance the device overall performance such as the minimal application loading time and faster data transfer speeds. 

The MIUI 12 developed on top of Android 11 OS is what you get to use out of the box.

Camera

The MI 11X houses a triple lens in the rear consisting of a 48MP main lens, 8MP ultrawide and 5MP macro lens.

The photos from the main sensor come out balanced, we’d say. A little more colour accuracy is desirable with the greens but that can be easily fixed via a future software update.

Surprisingly, macro photography is great on this device but this lens is rarely used by normal users.

The ultrawide lens can click photos with a 120-degree wide field of view and the final results are satisfactory.

In the camera module at the back, there is a dedicated microphone and it activates when you record videos so if you’re into starting a content creation then it will be helpful.

The 20MP front shooter clicks sharp and clear images. The portrait selfies photos look nice and detailed enough for social media usage.

Battery Life

The MI 11X has a 4520mAh battery inside that will last up to a day with medium to heavy use.

The bundled 33W fast charger will take less than one and a half hours to recharge the battery fully.

Verdict

The MI 11X comes with a premium build quality and offers commendable performance for the asking price of Rs.29,999.

If you are looking for a performance smartphone with a great display then MI 11X is where your search ends.

2. Realme X7 Max

Runner-up Pick

• Powerful MediaTek Dimesity 12000 processor
• AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Ergonomic design

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Realme is on a roll releasing new devices every month to compete with Redmi neck and neck.

The X series smartphone lineup from Realme is an answer to the budget and upper mid-range smartphones from Xiaomi. 

The Realme X7 Max is one of the newest releases from the X series stable powered by the 5G capable MediaTek Dimensity processor available to purchase for just Rs.27,680.

Design and Build Quality

Hands down for the design, after almost 6-month of teasing, Realme has shown up with a new design, and to be honest, it’s impressive.

However, the back is still made out of polycarbonate material which does not feel cheap but a glass back would have made the phone felt premium. 

The rear side has a mix of matte and glossy finish. The reflective finish houses the camera module and the branding of Realme with its logo now settled in a small box instead covering the entire back panel area.

The curved sides provide a nice grip to the hands and talking about its usability, the device weighs just 179 grams and it feels comfortable in hands.

Realme has tried its best to provide a flagship-level experience. This device has an in-display fingerprint scanner that is very responsive.

Display

The Realme X7 Max 5G features a 6.43-inch 120Hz Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

This display is protected by Dragontrail Glass so the display remains safe from scratches and can survive the accidental falls.

The colour reproduction of this display is vivid and punchy. Being an OLED panel, the blacks are inky deep with an excellent contrast ratio. 

Thanks to the impressive 90.1% screen to body ratio, the media consumption experience is delightful, to say the least.

The 120Hz refresh rate makes everything looks buttery smooth including the visuals and the UI animations. Not just that, the Realme X7 Max 5G comes with an enhanced 360Hz touch sampling rate for instantaneous touch response. This will prove highly beneficial for those who game a lot on their smartphones. 

Everything on this display will work buttery smooth as it has a high refresh rate not only that but it has a massive 360Hz touch sampling rate so the display will respond much faster to touch and it will be beneficial in gaming as well.

This panel has a peak brightness of 1000 nits which makes it usable both indoors and outdoors effortlessly. 

Processor and Performance

The Realme X7 Max 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC which is the latest iteration in the Dimensity series.

Dimensity 1200 is capable of giving head to head competition to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset.

This device offers a flagship-level performance under Rs.30,000, and with the 8GB RAM onboard you can perform everyday tasks or do multitasking without facing any lag.

If you know anything regarding gaming, we would like you to know that you can run any Android game on this device at 60fps.

The 128GB UFS 3.1 storage adds more to the performance – it helps loading apps and games faster and it will reduce the boot-up time significantly.

The Realme X7 Max 5G comes pre-installed with the Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 OS.

Camera

The Realme X7 Max 5G has a triple rear camera consisting of a 64MP primary camera, 8MP ultrawide, and a 2MP macro sensor.

From the previous model Realme X7 Pro, this one is short of one lens which is fine but the disappointing part is that they have downgraded the camera.

Instead of providing a Sony IMX686 sensor or above, the brand has provided an IMX682 sensor that takes decent photos.

In daylight conditions, the photos come out clear from the primary camera and the image has enough sharpness, dynamic range, and details but the colours are a bit on the softer side.

In low-lit conditions, the camera takes decent photos and the details in the photo can be identified easily. We don’t say it’s pathetic but compared to Realme X7 Pro, the camera performance is a little weak.

The ultrawide performs well in broad daylight and with the use of a macro sensor, you can take pictures of an object from a 4cm distance.

The 16MP selfie camera takes bright and sharp photos, in high artificial light the dynamic range is not good but it will be improved within software updates.

Battery Life

The Realme X7 Max 5G is powered by a 4500mah lithium battery that provides a screen on time up to 10-12 hours with normal to heavy use.

The bundled 65W charger will juice up the smartphone battery from 0 – 100% in less than an hour.

Verdict

The Realme X7 Max 5G is the first smartphone to be released in the Indian market with the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor and to be honest, currently, in the market, this is the only phone that can give tough competition to flagship smartphones in terms of performance.

3. OnePlus Nord 2

Value for Money Smartphone

• Powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI processor
• Good haptic feedback
• Gorgeous display

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OnePlus is known for providing flagship smartphones at affordable prices and OxygenOS is the second reason why many tech-savvy people prefer the smartphones from OnePlus.

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is a significant upgrade over the original Nord and it is priced at Rs.29,999 currently in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

If we would like to give this smartphone a second name that would be the OnePlus 9 Lite because the device looks the same, the only difference is the form factor.

We didn’t notice much difference in design, it’s simple and ergonomic. This smartphone is available in three colours namely Grey Sierra – Blue Haze – Green Woods.

The Nord 2 5G smartphone has glass on the back and front and middle frame is made out of plastic. This device feels heavy in the hand and is not ideal for one-handed use.

You will get the premium smartphone features like an in-display fingerprint scanner, and alert slider with this device. The 3.5mm audio jack is not available on this smartphone but the dual speaker produces loud and ear-pleasing audio.

The haptic feedback of this smartphone has been improved from its previous version and you will get better vibration while typing, gaming or with general notifications.

Display

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G sports a 6.43-inch 90Hz Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED punch-hole display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The touch response is precise and the 90Hz refresh rate makes the display fluid with animations and scrolling. 

Moving to the display quality, the visuals look vivid, sharp, and detailed. Also, thanks to the thin bezels on the sides that offers an immersive wide viewing experience.

The smartphone is convenient for indoor and outdoor use as the display goes bright enough.

Processor and Performance

The reason why the OnePlus Nord 2 5G is good for the price is because of the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 AI chipset that runs the show.

This chipset is fabricated on 6-nm architecture – it is power efficient and with the highest clock speed of 3GHz, you will have a fast-paced performance.

It’s not just the processor that dominates in performance – the 128GB UFS 3.1 storage and 8GB LPDDR4x RAM also play vital roles in offering the user a fluid performance.

Thanks to the UFS 3.1 storage technology, the applications will load faster, and the file transfer speeds are blazing fast as well.

We’ve heard rumors going around that Oxygen OS will merge with ColorOS soon and in the OnePlus Nord 2 5G we do find some hints of this merger.

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G comes pre-installed with the Oxygen OS 11.3 based on Android 11 for the time being it has no pre-rolled ads and bloatware but we have to wait how ColorOS features will be implemented.

Camera

The main 50MP Sony IMX766 is taken from the OnePlus 9 and we thought image processing might not live up to expectations, however, the results from the primary lens are astonishing.

In daylight conditions, the photos captured have sufficient detail, sharpness and images look vivid.

The 8MP ultrawide lens captures soft and less sharper images. We forgot to tell you the most important thing, the camera UI is the same as that of Oppo and Realme smartphones.

The main shooter on the rear has OIS support so you can record videos without having much shake in the final results but sadly, you can not record 4K/60fps video.

The 32MP selfie camera offers good selfies but it is a hit and miss with dynamic range.

Battery Life

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is powered by a 4500mAh lithium battery that is rated to last up to an entire day with normal use and with heavy use, it will last up to 6-7 hours.

The 65W warp charger will juice up the smartphone battery from 0 – 100% in less than 45 minutes.

Verdict

The OnePlus Nord 2 5G is probably the best smartphone for those who seek performance at the price of Rs.30,000.

The UI is clean and overall this smartphone offers a great user experience.

4. Poco F3 GT

Best Gaming Smartphone

• MediaTek Dimensity 1200 processor
• Responsive vivid display
• Sturdy build quality

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The Poco series smartphones are known for providing value for money performance and after F1 we think the F3 GT will set new benchmarks for the price of Rs.28,999.

The Poco F3 GT is now equipped with the MediaTek processor and has a wide viewing display. Let’s see if this smartphone is any good.

Design and Build Quality

If there’s any phone that can match the design of a ROG smartphone it has to be the Poco F3 GT. Unlike its predecessors, this device features a completely different design that every gamer would love.

This gaming-centric smartphone is built like a tank. The middle frame is made of metal and there is glass protection on both sides offering a premium feel.

The left and right side frames are not completely plain, which is part of ergonomics as gamers can hold this smartphone comfortably without feeling pain on any fingers.

The back panel has minimal Poco branding and the looks of this device is just outstanding for its price.

Though, the device is heavy which is acceptable considering the internals and the performance.

This device has triggers on the right frame which Poco calls Maglev triggers with GT switch. Let us explain in simple terms. Two sliding buttons pull out the triggers from the smartphone body and offer you tactile feedback when you play games.

Poco has used three microphones – the normal ones are on the top and bottom frame but there is another at the left frame so while playing battle royal games like BattleGrounds Mobile India or Free Fire you can communicate with your pals easily.

Poco has put a lot in for gamers and we think for those who need an excellent gaming experience, this is the best mid-range smartphone available or it can be said as a lite alternative to ROG smartphones.

Display

The Poco F3 GT sports a 6.67-inch 120Hz Full HD+ AMOLED punch-hole display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

For gamers who need lightning-fast reflexes in their gameplay, Poco has provided this display with a 480Hz touch sampling rate.

The high refresh rate will provide a smooth user experience in regular use.

This display has a peak brightness of 500 nits which is adequate for indoor and outdoor use.

Thankfully, Poco has not compromised on colours and this AMOLED panel produces vivid colours and offers an excellent media consumption experience.

The panel has a 20:9 aspect ratio and it’s quite broad compared to other smartphones and big displays are always great for gaming.

Processor and Performance

The Poco F3 GT is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 that is the new chipset that offers flagship-level performance.

The 8GB RAM paired with the CPU can easily handle multitasking load without breaking a sweat.

The 9-core ARM Mali G-77 MC9 GPU easily handles games like BattleGrounds Mobile India and you will get 60fps so the game will run smoothly with no noticeable frame drops.

The 128GB UFS 3.1 storage should be sufficient for most users and it also helps elevate smartphone performance to a whole new level.

This device comes pre-installed with the MIUI 12.5 based on Android 11 and you do get to see ads and notifications here and there.

Camera

The Poco F3 GT houses a triple-lens system at the rear which includes a 64MP wide, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro sensor.

The main sensor captures sharp and vivid photos in broad daylight so no complaints in that regard. 

The ultrawide shooter lets you click a wide field of view in one image and talking about results, the colours are a bit soft and a slight improvement in sharpness is needed.

Poco itself does not highlight the camera and considering the reason for its design we’d say if you need a camera then look for some other devices.

The 16MP front camera takes good selfies in daylight and it brightens up the skin tone sometimes so make sure to focus properly while taking selfies.

Battery Life

The Poco F3 GT is powered by a 5065mAh lithium battery that offers battery backup for up to an entire day with heavy use.

Surprisingly, Poco has provided a 67W fast charger inside the box that juices up the smartphone battery in less than an hour.

Verdict

The Poco F3 GT is the best smartphone for gaming and those who seek a smooth performance.

We also love the smartphone ergonomics and its rock-solid design that impresses anyone in the surroundings and for the price of Rs.28,999 we’d say this is a real upgrade of Poco F1.

5. Realme GT Master Edition

Best Mid-range Premium Smartphone

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset
• Narrow-bezel FHD+ vivid display
• Fast charging support

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Realme has been launching new smartphones every 2-3 months and the brand primarily deals in the budget to premium segment.

The Realme GT Master Edition offers good performance and has an attractive design.

Design and Build Quality

The Realme GT Master Edition has one of the best design and build quality when it comes to mid range smartphones in the Indian market.

The variant we discuss here is the Voyager Grey and there are two other colour options if you want to check out but we recommend sticking to the Grey model, the one we listed.

Why? Because this model has a vegan leather finish so it will not attract fingerprints and smudges while the other models of this same phone do attract it.

The suitcase design is implemented by the world-renowned industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa.

The device feels premium in hands and with the 180 grams of weight, it is lightweight as well.

The fingerprint sensor is positioned underneath the display and talking about the device’s physical overview, the power keys are on the right, at the bottom you will find USB-C and audio jack, and coming to the left you will notice the volume rockers.

This smartphone is good for one-handed use thanks to its excellent weight distribution and ergonomic design.

Display

The Realme GT Master Edition sports a 6.43-inch 120Hz Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

This sAMOLED panel with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut produces visuals with true to life colours and we love the minimal bezels on the sides that offer an excellent media consumption experience.

The high refresh rate is becoming common in mid-range premium smartphones and this one will please you with a jitter-free user experience.

You will also get a 360Hz touch sampling rate so the display will respond much more quickly than a normal panel that comes with 60Hz output.

With the peak brightness of 1000 nits, you can use this panel in any type of environment without having any problem noticing visuals.

Processor and Performance

The Realme GT Master Edition comes equipped with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G SoC designed on 6-nm architecture.

Finally, Qualcomm has released a 5G chipset with more 5G bands though the 5G infrastructure is not yet ready, at least in the Indian market.

Moving back to the performance part, the device has 8GB of RAM inside that is capable of running multiple applications at once without any lag or stutter.

The 128GB UFS 3.1 storage has great read and write speeds resulting in an overall positive impact on the smartphone performance.

This smartphone comes pre-installed with the Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 OS.

Camera

The Realme GT Master Edition houses a triple rear camera setup consisting of 64MP wide, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro sensor.

The primary sensor is amazing – the photos taken in bright light conditions look sharp, vivid, and detailed.

The camera application is feature-rich. You can use a lot of filters and modes to click the best picture depending on the conditions.

The ultrawide photos look good with decent colour reproduction with sufficient details.

The portrait shots turned out to be decent and the AI of this smartphone is good enough that we have noticed no issues with the background blur.

The 32MP selfie camera takes good selfies without in daylight conditions even the portrait selfies look good that you can instantly share on your social media.

Battery Life

The Realme GT Master Edition is packed with a 4300mAh lithium battery that will offer power backup for up to an entire day with normal use.

The bundled 65W charger will juice up the smartphone battery levels from 0 – 100% in less than an hour.

Verdict

The Realme GT Master Edition is a good device for daily use. Like we said if you want a premium device feel then go for the variant that we’ve listed.

For the price of Rs.27,999, this smartphone of Realme is the best choice for regular users who need a capable device that can handle day to day tasks and casual gaming.

6. Samsung Galaxy M52

Non-chinese 5G Smartphone

• Power-efficient Snapdragon 778G processor
• Gorgeous sAMOLED plus FHD+ display
• Ergonomic design

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Samsung has been in the market for so long and many Indian users still prefer to buy smartphones from Samsung because of their product quality and after-sale service.

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is a feature-packed premium mid-range smartphone priced under Rs.30,000.

Design and Build Quality

Previously, the Samsung M-series smartphones used to be heavy and felt like a brick but they did some excellent homework when it comes to the design.

This smartphone weighs just 173 grams even with the massive battery inside. It has a lining design at the back which looks nice and the smartphone provides a good in-hand feel.

The design of this phone is pretty simple yet that’s the plus point as it suits anybody’s personality.

This middle frame features a USB-C port, primary and secondary microphones, side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and volume rockers but the one thing missing here is the 3.5mm audio jack.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G has a 6.7-inch 120Hz Full HD+ Super AMOLED plus display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

This is one of the best OLED panels you can get in a premium mid-range Android smartphone. 

This sAMOLED plus panel produces colour accurate and true to life colours. Watching sharp quality vivid visuals on a thin-bezel display is always a delightful experience which is what you will get with this smartphone. 

The 120Hz high refresh rate makes everything appear smooth and seamless. The panel is sufficiently bright and can be used indoors as well as outdoors quite comfortably.

Processor and Performance

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor. 

The 8GB RAM inside this smartphone is enough for running daily applications smoothly and it won’t break a sweat when it comes to multitasking.

The gaming experience is also pleasant and lag-free as the Snapdragon 778 is quite a capable processor.

The 128GB of storage offers enough space to store multimedia files and documents offline.

The One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 is what you get to use right out of the box and Samsung is quite good at providing regular system updates.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G carries a triple camera setup at the back consisting of a 64MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and 5MP macro sensor.

The images captured in broad daylight from the main camera deliver excellent results.

Speaking of the ultrawide sensor, the colour reproduction and sharpness of the photos are astonishing.

The macro sensor takes decent close-range photos. The camera app has a plethora of features such as single take, fun mode, live focus, pro mode, etc.

In single take mode, the camera will capture multiple images of a single scenery and after that, you can select which one looks the best.

The fun mode is for social media geeks – it has a lot of filters that you can use and later upload on social media.

You can record videos in 4K/30fps from both the front and rear camera.

The 32MP selfie camera lives up to our expectations and offers crisp quality selfie photos.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G is powered by a 5000mAh lithium battery and it easily lasts up to an entire day with normal to intense use.

The only thing we did not like is that bundled 15W charger. Samsung should have at least provided a 25W charger.

Verdict 

Samsung has released a polished smartphone this time that has a great display, powerful processor, premium looks, and long-lasting battery life.

This smartphone is best for regular users, business professionals, and media enthusiasts.

7. iQOO Z5

Performance-oriented Smartphone

• 5G-enable power-efficient processor
• Good camera performance
• Thin-bezel FHD+ display

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iQOO is a Chinese smartphone company that was formed as a subsidiary of Vivo but now it has become independent from Vivo and markets smartphones under its brand. 

The iQOO Z5 5G is the latest mid-range smartphone by the company and it retails for Rs.23,990 in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

The design of the iQOO Z5 5G resembles the look and feel of Vivo X60 Pro. The major difference is material quality – Vivo X60 Pro uses leather while iQOO Z5 5G has a plastic back.

The back panel has a matte textured finish that prevents smudges and fingerprints. The dashing camera module and shimmering design make this device look premium.

This device weighs around 193 grams but does not feel much heavy whether you use it with a single hand or put it inside the pants pocket.

IQOO has not compromised on ports, buttons, and sensors. You will get a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, volume rockers, USB-C port, a dedicated audio jack, and dual stereo speakers on this device.

Display

The iQOO Z5 5G features a 6.67-inch 120Hz Full HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The 120Hz refresh rate delivers a smooth experience when you scroll through web pages, app drawer, or anything else that’s on the display.

With the fast 240Hz of touch sampling rate, this display responds much faster to input gestures and it will be effective in gaming.

It’s not an AMOLED panel yet colour reproduction is vivid and you will get a delightful media consumption experience, thanks to the thin bezels.

This panel has Panda Glass protection so even if you drop accidentally from your hands the display will be safe in most cases.

Processor and Performance

The iQOO Z5 5G is powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G octa-core SoC designed on 6-nm architecture.

It’s a 5G capable power-efficient processor that offers excellent everyday performance when paired with the 8GB LPDDR5 RAM.

You read that right, this device belongs to those few phones who have LPDDR5 RAM just like Mi 11X.

Even though 5G is not ready, in the future when it launches you will get to experience it without switching to a new device.

The gaming performance is good and there’s no lag or stutter experienced in everyday use.

The 128GB UFS 3.1 storage offers ample space for storing multimedia files and documents offline.

The iQOO Z5 5G comes pre-installed with FunTouch OS 12 based on Android 11 OS.

Camera

The iQOO Z5 5G houses a triple camera at the back consisting of 64MP main, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP macro sensor.

The primary camera of this smartphone takes good quality photos in daylight. The colours are vivid and the sharpness is good.

The ultrawide is not bad either – it clicks a wide field of view without compromising much on colours.

There are several modes in the camera app which you can use to enhance the quality of your photos.

In video recording, you will get electronic stabilization which helps you shoot better videos.

The 16MP selfie camera of this mobile phone takes excellent selfie photos. The skin tone remains natural and the background colours are vivid.

Battery Life

The iQOO Z5 5G is powered by a 5000mAh lithium battery and it will last you an entire day easily with normal to intense use.

IQOO has bundled a 44W fast charger for this device and it juices up the battery life quickly.

Verdict

The iQOO Z5 5G is a stylish and performance-focused smartphone also, the camera results are good.

It’s like a well-balanced smartphone that offers everything best for an asking price of Rs.23,990.

8. Motorola Edge 20 Fusion

Stock Android Smartphone

• Balanced camera performance
• Power-efficient MediaTek Dimensity processor
• Wide viewing 90Hz OLED panel

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Motorola is popular mostly because of its stock Android experience and bloatware-free UI.

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is a mid-range 5G smartphone that comes with good specifications priced at Rs.22,999.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion has a polycarbonate back that is prone to fingerprint marks so make sure to use a back case to maintain the device aesthetics look pristine all the time.

This device has a slim profile of just 8.25mm and weighs around 188 grams but it does not feel much heavy in hands and is ideal for one-handed use.

This smartphone features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and the sensor is responsive and accurate.

The camera bump is slightly higher so if you place this smartphone on a flat surface it will not sit uniformly and a simple solution to this is to use a case cover.

At the bottom frame, there is a USB-C port, audio jack, speaker grille, and microphone for calling.

If you have a lot of calls to attend then you will love the earpiece quality as it is loud and clear furthermore, the noise-canceling mic at the top will reduce the background noise while you are in a crowded space.

Display

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion sports a 6.7-inch 90Hz Full HD+ AMOLED punch-hole display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The panel is smooth as butter, thanks to the higher refresh rate.

This OLED panel with 10-bit colour depth offers a vivid visual experience with more 1B colours.

The display has HDR10+ support, so the multimedia experience will be amazing and the small bezels of this device offer an immersive wide viewing experience.

Processor and Performance

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion comes equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 800U 5G SoC designed on 7-nm architecture.

It’s a power-efficient chipset and when paired with the 8GB RAM, you will be able to run multiple applications at once without facing any lag or stutter.

The 128GB storage should be sufficient for storing all your multimedia files and documents.

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion runs Android 11 right out of the box and it’s a stock Android with zero bloatware and ads which is the USP of Motorola smartphones.

You can do gaming without noticing major frame drops and battle royale games can be played at 45fps.

Camera

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion includes three lenses at the rear side consisting of a 108MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro sensor.

The 108MP works fine in broad daylight with good results. It’s nothing astonishing but for the price, you will get eye-pleasing photos.

The ultrawide sensor works fine in well-lit conditions and it’s great for group photos.

You can record stable video as there is EIS stabilization option. The camera application has so many features like AR stickers, Pro Mode, Burst Shot, Slow Motion, and many more to explore.

The 32MP selfies camera takes nice photos with natural skin tones and vivid colours.

Battery Life

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is powered by a 5000mAh lithium polymer battery that will easily last up to an entire day with normal usage.

The bundled 30W bundled power adapter will juice up the battery from 0 – 100% in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Verdict

The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is the best mid-range smartphone that offers a good blend of performance and camera.

Priced at Rs.22,999, the Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is a steal deal product.

9. OPPO Reno 6

Smartphone with Premium Design

• MediaTek Dimensity 900 CPU
• Vivid FHD+ display
• Good camera performance

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Oppo Reno series is less recognizable than other mid-range smartphones and we think the company lags in terms of marketing.

The all new Oppo Reno 6 is equipped with the new Dimensity processor and the device is priced at Rs.29,990.

Design and Build Quality

If we have to rate the design of Oppo Reno 6 we will give it 10/10. Seriously, the design of this smartphone is premium and ergonomic at the same time.

The flat frame reminds us of the premium iPhones and not to forget, that frame is made of metal and the device is only 7.59mm thick.

The back of this smartphone is fingerprint-proof so even if you use it without a case it will not catch a single mark of your fingerprint and keeps the pristine look.

Weighing at 185 grams, this device feels so lightweight even with the use of a metal frame and we loved the Oppo work in terms of weight reduction and design.

Oppo has discarded the 3.5mm audio jack but you do get wired earphones inside the box with a USB-C plug.

The power button is on the right and volume adjustment keys are on the left. At the bottom frame, you will find a USB-C port and at the top, there is a noise-cancelling mic.

Display

The Oppo Reno 6 sports a 6.43-inch 90Hz Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The display has the protection of Corning Gorilla glass 5 so the device will be safe even if it drops accidentally from your waist height.

The colours of this panel are true to life and the display factor is the second most important reason to buy this smartphone.

It’s not just the colours but the panel has slim bezels which offer more screen area to use and experience the UI.

This panel is bright enough to make the smartphone easily legible both indoors as well as outdoors.

There is no noticeable pixelation while watching high-definition footage and you will love the picture quality for sure as it has a pixel density of 410 ppi.

Processor and Performance

The Oppo Reno 6 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC that is manufactured on 6-nm architecture.

The device has 8GB LPDDR4x RAM that will run every Android application and games smoothly and handles multitasking load without breaking a sweat.

To provide the user with a flawless gaming experience, the device has Game Mode which turns off all background apps and interrupts the annoying notifications.

You can store all your files offline in the 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage.

This device comes pre-installed with the ColorOS 11.3 based on Android 11. The ColorOS is much improved than before and it runs quite smoothly.

Camera

The Oppo Reno 6 has a triple camera setup at the back in which you will get 64MP main sensor, 8MP primary sensor and 2MP macro sensor.

The photos taken in broad daylight from the primary camera looks clear, sharper, detailed and vivid. It’s like almost everything a user needs from a photo. We love image processing in daylight conditions.

In night light conditions the results are not that bad there is a minimal amount of noticeable grains but overall the photos clicked at night look good.

The 8MP ultrawide has only one exception that is colour, the image looks a bit soft which will be improved within OTA updates.

The macro lens is for close range photography and results are good. This device has bokeh flare mode in video, in this mode the background will get blurred but if you have lights in the background then it will also get blur but they look like a flare.

The 32MP selfie camera offers sharp selfies with good skin tones without missing out on details.

Battery Life

The Oppo Reno 6 is powered by a 4300mAh battery that will easily last for a day with heavy use.

The 65W bundled charger will juice up the battery levels from 0 – 100% in less than 40 minutes.

Verdict

The Oppo Reno 6 is a device with well-balanced specifications and it’s the device for people who are seeking a versatile smartphone under the price of Rs.30,000.

10. Realme 8s

Best Versatile Smartphone

• Power-efficient MediaTek Dimensity processor
• Smooth 90Hz FHD+ display
• Side-mounted fingerprint scanner

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Realme is a Chinese smartphone manufacturer that gives tough competition to Xiaomi by providing customers with affordable feature-rich Android smartphones. 

The Realme 8s 5G is a mid-range Android smartphone packed with a lot of cutting edge features, retailing in the Indian market for just Rs.17,999.

Design and Build Quality

Realme is never afraid of trying new designs with their smartphones and Realme 8s is no exception. The company advertises the design of this smartphone as Infinity Star.

The shimmering back of this smartphone has a matte finish that eliminates the problem with fingerprint marks and smudges. 

Designwise, we give thumbs up to this device. It has a slightly thick side profile yet still it only weighs 191 grams. It does not feel much heavy in the hands and rests easily inside pockets.

Talking about I/O and buttons, the Realme 8s has a USB-C and audio output jack at the bottom frame. The fingerprint sensor is embedded in the power button positioned on the right frame as usual and the left, you will find volume rockers.

This device has support for dual 5G SIM and a dedicated microSD card slot for memory expansion.

Display

The Realme 8s sports a 6.5-inch 90Hz Full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels and a pixel density of 405-PPI.

This panel has a maximum brightness of 600 nits which is more than sufficient for effortless indoor and outdoor legibility.

The quality of visuals is sharp thanks to the rich pixel density and the colour reproduction is also good.You will love consuming media on this wide viewing display.

The 90Hz refresh rate will deliver a smooth user experience when you scroll through the app drawer, playing games, or while browsing through the web.

Processor and Performance

The Realme 8s is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 octa-core SoC designed on 6-nm architecture and its very power-efficient chipset.

We are quite surprised with this offering of MediaTek – the Dimensity 810 stands up to its Snapdragon counterparts and offers excellent performance for the asking price.

This CPU when paired with 6GB LPDDR4x RAM offers flawless performance on everyday use and it does not break a sweat when it comes to multitasking.

The 128GB UFS 2.1 storage will help you load your installed applications swiftly and from the storage perspective, we think it’s adequate.

The Realme 8s comes pre-installed with the Realme UI 2.0 based on Android 11 OS. The ads are there but compared to Xiaomi it’s minimal.

Camera

The Realme 8s houses triple lenses at the back along with an LED flashlight.

The 64MP primary sensor provides good quality images in broad daylight but the photos are not shot in low light and have considerable noise.

Night mode can be helpful but for that, you need some help from artificial light to get pictures with less noise.

We don’t know why Realme chose to go for a 2MP depth and 2MP macro shooter. They work fine for sure but an ultrawide sensor was preferable.

If we compare it to the Realme 8 Pro camera, this is a downgrade.

The 16MP front-facing camera takes good selfies in well-lit environments – the skin tones are getting a bit white but are nothing sort of a deal-breaker.

Battery Life

Thanks to the power-efficient CPU, the 5000mAh battery of Realme 8s will last up to an entire day with heavy use.

The bundled 33W fast charger will juice up the battery levels from 0 – 100% in less than 2 hours.

Verdict

The Realme 8s is all about the performance and not the camera that’s for sure and if you are looking for a smartphone with good performance, display, design and battery life then go for it.

11. Vivo V21e

Best Smartphone for Casual Users

• Excellent camera performance
• MediaTek Dimensity SoC
• AMOLED FHD+ display

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The Vivo V21e is the latest addition to the much-acclaimed V series smartphones from the company. 

The Vivo V21e is a 5G supported camera-centric smartphone priced at Rs.24,990 with an attractive design and good everyday performance.

Design and Build Quality

The design of the Vivo V21e 5G looks similar to that of the IQOO Z3 5G but the colour scheme used is dark which gives this device a premium look.

We were expecting a glass back considering the price but it’s high-quality polycarbonate material. The back that catches dust particles and fingerprint smudges, so using this device with a case is desirable.

Vivo even beats the Oppo at weight optimization, the Vivo V21e 5G weighs 167 grams and you can use it with one hand comfortably.

The right side of the frame houses the power and volume rocker buttons which are easily accessible. The bottom frame consists of an audio jack and USB-C port.

There is also a secondary noise canceling microphone at the top frame that offers you a decent voice calling experience.

Display

The Vivo V21e 5G features a 6.44-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels.

This panel has a peak brightness of 600 nits so you can use the smartphone indoors as well as outdoors effortlessly. 

This display produces vivid and punchy colours and minimal bezels on sides offers an amazing wide viewing experience.

What Vivo misses here is that high refresh rate. This panel has the standard 60Hz which is a bit of a letdown considering most other smartphones in this price segment have high refresh rate panels.

The visual quality is sharp and clear, thanks to its higher resolution and rich pixel density.

Processor and Performance

The Vivo V21e 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G octa-core processor designed on 7-nm architecture.

The 8GB RAM onboard paired with this CPU offers excellent performance in everyday use, and while gaming/multitasking you will not find any jitters or lags.

To make sure performance remains ultra-smooth Vivo has also implemented the virtual RAM increment technology which allows you to increase the RAM up to 3GB.

The 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage should be adequate for most of the users and this UFS storage is much faster than eMMC, it’s like having an SSD inside a smartphone. However, there is no dedicated SD card slot for memory expansion but a hybrid SIM slot.

With its incredible read and write speed, applications will load faster and the phone boot-up time will be minimal.

As for the OS, the device comes pre-installed with the FunTouch OS 11 based on Android 11 OS.

Camera

The Vivo V21e 5G has only a dual-camera at the back which is quite rare these days in the smartphone.

The device has a 64MP main sensor and 8MP ultrawide shooter. The main camera takes outstanding photos in broad daylight with excellent details and colour accuracy.

The 8MP ultrawide lens also takes good photos however, minor improvement in sharpness is required otherwise dynamic range and details are on point.

The 32MP selfie camera takes sharp photos as expected from Vivo, if you are a selfie geek then you won’t be disappointed by this smartphone front camera.

Battery Life

The Vivo V21e 5G is powered by a 4000mAh lithium-polymer battery that will provide power backup for up to 12 hours with normal use.

The bundled 44W charger juice up the battery levels up to 72% in just 30 minutes and within hours it will charge up to 100%.

Verdict

The Vivo V2e 5G is a classy mid-range Android smartphone with an attractive design and decent performance.

If you are looking for a slim and lightweight Android phone with excellent one-hand usability this should be it.

12. Redmi Note 10T

Honourable Mention

• Powerful MediaTek Dimensity processor
• Gorgeous FHD+ 90Hz display
• Ergonomic design

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Redmi released the Note 10 series a while ago this year and there’s no doubt that this lineup includes some of the best value for money smartphones available in the market right now.

The Redmi Note 10T is a future-ready smartphone that has a minimalist design and it costs around Rs.15,000 in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

Redmi has named the design on this smartphone as Evol. Well, we didn’t see a drastic change in details when compared to the other series 10 smartphones but what we notice is that the camera module is a bit smaller. 

The design is ergonomic and premium so we don’t have any complaints about that. The body is made from polycarbonate plastic and the build quality does not seem cheap at all.

Even though the backplate looks like it is made of glass, it’s plastic. Weighing at 190 grams, this device is not that heavy and feels comfortable in pant pockets.

Talking about the physical overview, there is a USB-C port at the bottom along with the speaker grille. Moving to the right side, there is a power button that doubles up as a fingerprint sensor and right above it, there are volume adjustment keys. The top frame houses an audio jack and an IR blaster.

Display

The Redmi Note 10T features a 6.5-inch 90Hz Full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

This display has an adaptive sync mode which sets the refresh rate according to the content on the screen. This helps in saving the battery while retaining the smoothness of the high refresh panel where it matters the most. 

This panel has a peak brightness of 500 nits which is sufficient for effortless indoor and outdoor use.

The colours and the sharpness of the panel are on point and there is no doubt that you’ll enjoy watching videos or playing games on this device. 

Processor and Performance

What runs the show on Redmi Note 10T is the MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor designed on 7-nm architecture.

This is a 5G ready chipset and has the support for a wide range of 5G bands that will let you experience a high-speed internet connection whenever available.

The 4GB RAM handles the daily workload with ease and even with multitasking, this smartphone delivers a smooth and lag-free experience. 

Performance in gaming is not bad either, you will get 45 fps in battle royale games like BGMI and COD: Mobile easily.

The 64GB UFS 2.2 storage has good read and write speed which results in faster app loading and swift OS boot up.

The Redmi Note 10T comes pre-installed with the MIUI 12 based on Android 11 OS.

Surprisingly, this device has a dedicated Alexa voice assistant that responds precisely most of the time and it will adapt your use so as much as you use this smartphone Alexa becomes more useful.

Camera

The Redmi Note 10T has a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary camera, 2MP depth, and a 2MP macro sensor.

The main sensor captures good photos outdoors where there is ample light and photos taken under artificial lights also look pleasing.

The colour reproduction, detailing, and sharpness are good but the dynamic range is a hit and miss affair.

The portrait shots have a nice blurry background and the edge detection is on point.

The 8MP selfie camera takes okayish selfies which is to be expected from a budget smartphone. 

Battery Life

The Redmi Note 10T is powered by a 5000mAh lithium battery and with normal use you will be able to use the phone easily for a day and a half. 

Redmi has included a 22.4W fast charger in the box that will juice up the battery from 0-100% in 2 hours.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 10T is a 5G ready smartphone and features a power-efficient chipset with excellent everyday performance.

There you have it, the list of the best twelve 5G smartphones in India.

We have tried our best to list the latest and best affordable 5G smartphones available in the Indian market as of now. 

If you have any suggestions or questions regarding this article, let us know in the comments section below. As always, thanks for the time and have a great day!