Nowadays, most smartphone manufacturers slap their custom skin on top of the smartphone to differentiate between the competitor models. 

Custom skins are often memory intensive than the stock Android interface even though they might offer much more features and a unique look. 

Because of this, there are a lot of people who prefer smartphones with the stock Android implementation with zero bloatware pre-installed.

This curated article lists the thirteen best Android smartphones available in the Indian market with stock Android UI. 

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. Google Pixel 5 5G 

Overall Best Pick

• Efficient Snapdragon 765G processor
• Colourful 90Hz FHD+ panel
• Decent battery life

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Pixel smartphones in India are not that popular as they are in other countries mainly because Google delays the launch of their smartphones in India.

The Pixel 5 5G is a compact smartphone equipped with the Snapdragon chipset offering great performance for the asking price of Rs.66,849.

Design and Build Quality

By the looks, the Pixel 5 5G is similar to the Pixel 4a which we listed in the list of best smartphones under Rs.30,000.

The only difference is an extra lens at the back, a 0.12-inch increment in form factor, and a new power-efficient chipset.

This 6-inch smartphone has an aluminium back and frames with glass on the front. The back panel has a different type of coating which feels like plastic but is aluminium.

Weighing at just 150 grams this device doesn’t even feel while putting in pockets and feels so delightful to use with one hand.

Almost everything is great except the rear fingerprint scanner because considering the price tag we feel that the placement of the sensor should have been under the display and not on the rear.

Speaking of the response, the fingerprint scanner works like a charm.

Unfortunately, the device supports only a single physical nano-SIM but the good part is that it also has support for eSIM.

With the IP68 rating, this Google device is water-resistant and can survive into the water for up to 1.5m for 30 minutes.

Display

The Google Pixel 5 5G features a 6-inch 90Hz Full HD+ OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.

With the rich pixel density of 432-PPI, every visuals and text that appears on this panel will look sharp.

Talking about the media consumption experience, it might not be good for everyone as many media enthusiasts like to watch shows/movies on big displays.

The colour reproduction is accurate and the screen is very responsive to touch gestures.

This display boasts the protection of Corning Gorilla Glass 6 so the panel will remain protected from scratches and can survive against the accidental falls.

Processor and Performance

The processor inside the Pixel 5 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 5G SoC.

We know what you’re thinking – paying the price of Rs.66,000 for this CPU. Firstly, this is not a gaming smartphone and the sole purpose of this smartphone is to provide excellent camera and everyday performance.

And to be honest, the device does offer good performance. The 8GB RAM onboard makes sure everything runs smoothly and you will face no lag whatsoever.

The 128GB UFS 2.1 storage also adds to the performance, the application will load faster and the speed on file copy/paste is swift.

The Android 11 OS is what you get right out of the box – it’s a pure Google stock Android with no ads, no bloatware.

Display

The Pixel 5 5G has a dual-camera setup at the back consisting of a 12.2MP primary lens and a 16MP ultra-wide lens.

These 2 lenses are capable of beating those smartphones with a triple and quad-camera setup.

The daylight photos come out exceptional but the results in nighttime photography are even surprising.

Photos clicked at night are visible with no noise and the colour looks vivid. The main sensor has OIS support so you can record stable videos.

The 8MP selfie camera provides excellent selfie results with enough details, sharpness, and accurate colours.

Battery Life

The Pixel 5 5G is powered by a 4080mAh lithium battery that provides a screen on time up to 12 hours on a full charge.

The bundled 18W power adapter will juice up the battery level from zero to full in 2 hours or less.

Verdict

If you need a premium device with a clear user experience and the price is not a barrier then buying the Pixel 5 5G is the best decision you can make.

It has exceptional camera quality and offers good everyday performance for the price of Rs.66,849.

2. Motorola Edge 20 Pro

Runner-up Pick

• Powerful Snapdragon 870 5G SoC
• Wide-viewing 144Hz OLED display
• Glass-sandwich design

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Motorola flagship category smartphones are truly insane in terms of performance but due to a lack of marketing tactics the company fails to sell its smartphone to a large audience.

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is top of the line model of the Edge series and is priced at Rs.36,999.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has a glass sandwich design. The in-hand feel of this smartphone is awesome but the glass does capture fingerprints so make sure to use a case cover.

The camera bump is quite noticeable so it is wise to use a case for protecting the camera bump from scratches and other damages.  

Motorola has significantly brought down the weight of this smartphone to 185 grams without compromising on the battery life.

Like Realme GT 5G, this one does not have an audio jack so you need to use a Type C to 3.5mm converter fr plugging in your normal wired earphones.

Display

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro sports a 6.7-inch 144Hz OLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

The display is slightly broader than the other smartphones we have seen and due to narrow bezels it feels like holding a premium Xiaomi smartphone.

If you love watching movies and videos on a big screen then Motorola Edge 20 Pro will not disappoint you.

Also, it has a support of HDR10 and up to 1B colours. Thanks to this configuration, the visuals look vivid and there is no pixelation.

The 144Hz refresh rate offers butter-like smooth user experience when you interact with the panel.

Processor and Performance

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 5G SoC.

This chipset is better than 865+ and with its high clock speed of 3.2GHz it offers excellent performance.

The variant we listed here comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

You will get to enjoy a lag-free performance from this smartphone and it is not just hardware, the stock Android OS also reduces a lot of load, like pre-rolled ads and bloatware.

Camera

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro has a triple rear camera consisting of 108MP primary, 16MP ultrawide and 8MP periscope telephoto lens.

The 108MP takes good photos, there’s nothing out of the ordinary but you do get clean and colourful photos.

You take macro shots using an ultrawide sensor and photos clicked from ultrawide sensors have a good amount of detail and colours.

The periscope telephoto lens delivers up to 50x zoom but we don’t think people will use that one but the image taken from its 5x optical zoom will have rich details and colours.

This device can record 8K/24 videos, and 4K videos can be recorded at 60fps.

The 32MP front facing camera takes clean photos in broad daylight and bokeh selfies are also commendable.

Battery Life

The battery inside the Motorola Edge 20 Pro is a 4500mAh lithium battery and it will last up to an entire day with normal use and with intense use you can expect it to last up to 8 hours or less.

Motorola needs to upgrade its charger – you will only get 30W which is not bad but other brands provide 44W and 65W for the same price.

Verdict

The Motorola Edge 20 Pro is for the media enthusiast and gamers who need a smartphone clean UI experience that has no ads or bloatwares.

Under the price of Rs.40,000, this smartphone is not a bad deal but there are some minor exceptions which you have to consider only if you think they bother you.

3. Lava Agni

Stock Android 5G Smartphone

• Powerful MediaTek Dimensity processor
• Pixel-rich FHD+ 90Hz display
• Decent battery life

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Lava is an Indian manufacturer known for its affordable smartphones. The Agni from Lava is its first smartphone launch in the mid-range budget segment.

The Lava Agni is the Lava’s first 5G smartphone powered by the MediaTek chipset, retailing for just Rs.19,999.

Design and Build Quality

Lava Agni has a polycarbonate back and thanks to the premium machining process, it looks like glass.

In terms of design, this device is on par when compared to similarly priced smartphones from Realme and Redmi.

Weighing at 204 grams, we’d say Lava Agni has reasonable weight considering its form factor and battery size.

Coming to its physical overview, this device has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner. The bottom frame includes a USB-C port, audio jack, primary microphone and speaker grille.

The volume rockers are located at the left side of the frame and the top frame is where the noise-cancelling microphone is positioned.

Display

The Lava Agni sports a 6.78-inch Full HD+ 90Hz IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels.

Thanks to the high refresh rate, the visuals and on-screen animations look smooth and pleasant. 

The colour reproduction of this display is also good and side viewing angles are great, thanks to the IPS technology.

The display is protected with the Corning Gorilla glass 3, so you don’t have to worry about the display getting scratches from everyday objects such as keys.

With a decent pixel density of 396ppi, this display looks detailed and vibrant enough for an immersive media consumption experience. 

Processor and Performance

The Lava Agni is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 810 5G SoC designed on 6-nm architecture and is extremely power-efficient.

You will get excellent performance on everyday use and multitasking, thanks to the 8GB RAM.

Regarding storage, the Lava Agni smartphone comes with 128GB on board with the provision to expand the memory further, thanks to the dedicated SD card slot. 

Gaming is possible on this smartphone but keep in mind that you might have to lower the graphics to have a smooth experience. 

This device comes pre-installed with the Android 11 OS and there is no custom UI on top, so the performance is always fluid . 

Camera

The Lava Agni features a quad-camera setup that consists of 64 MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro and 2MP depth sensors.

The main camera takes good quality photos with enough details and decent colours. The ultrawide lens takes decent photos in broad daylight.

The depth sensor works fine most of the time and we suggest that while taking bokeh photos, use the manual focus to get the best portraits.

The 16MP front shooter deserves the praise. It captures good quality selfies that one would love to post on their social media profiles.

Battery Life

The Lava Agni is powered by a 5000mAh lithium battery and is rated to last up to an entire day and a half with normal use.

The bundled 30W fast charger will juice up the battery completely in under 1:30 hours.

Verdict

The Lava Agni is a made in India smartphone and Lava is the first Indian company to release a 5G ready smartphone.

If you are in the market for a 5G smartphone with stock Android UI, the Lava Agni is a good choice.

4. Google Pixel 4a

Best Budget Android Smartphone

• Gorgeous FHD+ AMOLED display 
• Excellent camera output quality
• One day battery life

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The Google Pixel 4a was launched in the International market almost over a year ago with a lot of excitement behind it.

This smartphone has been officially launched in India just recently ironically following the latest Pixel 5 launch overseas. 

Priced at Rs.29,990, is the Pixel 4a still a winner in the sub. Rs.30,000 price segment? Let’s check out.

Design and Build Quality

The Pixel 4a has the most minimal designs we have ever seen on a premium mid-range smartphone to date. 

The unibody plastic construction weighs just 143g and feels extremely lightweight and easy to use.

The fit and finish as expected from Google are top-notch but obviously, the extensive use of plastic makes the overall structure a tad bit rigid than those devices with metal frame and back.

The power button and the volume rockers are located on the right side of the frame and offer excellent tactile feedback to the presses. 

There is a 3.5mm headphone jack up top for wired audio connectivity while the USB type C charging port and the loudspeaker can be found at the bottom. 

This device comes with a single nano-SIM slot and with the help of an e-SIM you can use two numbers at the same time. 

Even though this smartphone comes with an AMOLED display, Google has resorted to the tried and tested physical fingerprint scanner on the backside. 

Display

As we mentioned above, the Pixel 4a by Google features a 5.81-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels.

This 19.5:9 aspect ratio display comes with a punch-hole camera towards the left side and has a screen to body ratio of 83.3%.

With a relatively smaller display and FHD+ resolution, this panel has an impressive ~443ppi pixel density with sharp and clean visuals and text reproduction. 

Thanks to the OLED technology, the colours look bright and vivid and the dynamic range remains impressive as well.

If you are a media consumption enthusiast, you will love this panel for its colour accuracy and sharpness. 

Do note that this is a standard 60Hz refresh panel, unlike the other smartphones in its price segment with high refresh rates. 

Processor and Performance 

The Google Pixel 4a is very modest when it comes to processor firepower. 

Even though this device retails around Rs.30,000 in India, it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G octa-core processor found on devices almost half the price. 

This octa-core processor coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB of UFS2.1 storage runs the stock Android 10.0 OS very well without any lags or stutters.

Even gaming feels smooth and lags free but during multitasking with resource-heavy applications running in the background, a few occasional stutters are happening in between.

This device doesn’t come with an SD card slot, so remember 128GB is all you get in terms of storage. 

Camera

This is one area where Google is possibly the best in terms of hardware as well as software.

The Pixel 4a features a single 12.2MP sensor assisted with a flash in the rear. Thanks to the complex image processing algorithms running in the background, the image and video output from this single-camera put to shame those devices with triple and quad cameras.

The images turn out to be very colour accurate, detailed and with excellent dynamic range. 

Even the low light photos come out vivid and bright and the bokeh mode photos have excellent edge detection simulating artificial depth effect without a dedicated sensor. 

Thanks to the OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), the videos and still photos remain largely shake free.

In the front, there is a single 8MP sensor with auto HDR capability for selfie shots with good dynamic range and white balance. 

Battery Life

The Google Pixel 4a is powered by a relatively smaller 3140mAh Li-Po battery. This will last you for a day comfortably with moderate to heavy usage.

This smartphone supports 18W fast charging and the battery gets juiced up pretty quickly as well.

Verdict

If you want a smartphone with pure stock Android, excellent camera quality and decent everyday performance, the Pixel 4a is a great choice for a budget under Rs.30,000.

5. MOTOROLA G60

 Best Mid-range Smartphone

• Gorgeous 120Hz FHD+ display
• Stock Android 11 out of the box
• Long-lasting battery life

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Motorola was lagging behind the competitors in the smartphone market once Lenovo acquired it from Google.

The all-new Motorola G60 is a sign of Motorola trying to up its ante against brands like Xiaomi and Realme to capture the lost foothold in the market.

Design and Build Quality

Motorola has improved the design a bit with the all-new G60 – the back panel feels like the glass back but it is plastic actually and the in-hand feel of this phone is amazing.

However, the smartphone is very heavy or you can say it weighs the same as a Poco X3. Weighing at 225 grams, you will feel the heft in your pocket.

The camera design of this smartphone is similar to that of its younger sibling – the G40 Fusion and the fingerprint scanner is located on the rear side with the “M” logo stamped on it. 

On the right side frame, there is the tactile power button, volume rockers along with the Google Assistant button which is not necessary for our opinion.

Using the SIM ejector pin you can pull out the SIM tray from the left side of the frame and it is a hybrid setup. This means you can either use a dual SIM or a single SIM and a micro SD card.

The audio jack is placed at the top frame whereas the USB Type-C port is located at the bottom frame.

Display

The Motorola G60 sports a 6.8-inch 120Hz Full HD+ IPS Max Vision display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 and a pixel density of 396-PPI.

This display has an aspect ratio of 20.5:9 and an 85% screen to body ratio. The taller aspect ratio provides a pleasant media consumption and gaming experience.

The colour reproduction is good and there is no noticeable shift when viewed from an angle, thanks to the IPS technology.

It’s a high refresh rate panel that gives you a fluid experience when you scroll through the screen and it will enhance your gaming skills.

This panel has HDR10 support, what it does is that it will enhance the colours and contrast so you can have a vivid experience while consuming visual content.

Processor and Performance

Inside the Motorola G60, there is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G octa-core processor clocked at 2.3GHz paired with 6GB RAM.

The performance of this smartphone is smooth as butter. This device can handle multitasking without breaking a sweat.

You can game on this device undoubtedly – most of the battle royale games will be playable at 40-45 fps and 2D games will run like a charm.

The 128GB UFS 2.1 storage will be sufficient for most users as nowadays many people love to stream content online. 

Since it’s Motorola in terms of UI all you can expect is stock android. This is the USP of the smartphone as it has no third-party applications pre-installed and most of Google’s apps can either be removed or disabled.

The Android 11 is what you get on this device and the user interface is easy to understand and there is no lag or stutter while playing with the UI.

Camera

The Motorola G60 has a 108MP main camera followed by an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP depth sensor.

The primary lens is much improved from the previous G-series smartphones. It captures sharp and detailed photos with a good dynamic range and natural colour tones.

The results in daylight are satisfactory and there is a night mode in the camera app which helps you take photos at night but it is not great as expected.

The ultrawide sensor also works as a macro lens and it takes decent quality photos in most of the use cases.

In portrait mode, you can adjust the depth manually and portrait photos come out good.

The 32MP selfie camera on this smartphone works exceptionally well. The selfies look bright, clear and the skin tone remains close to nature.

Also, there is a flash in the front but is not easily visible to everyone because it is placed under glass and if you wish to take the photos at night you can use that flash.

Battery Life

The 6000mAh battery inside this smartphone is responsible for its increased heft. However, it can last you a day and a half on a single charge with normal to heavy use.

The bundled 20W charger comes with the Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 technology; which will juice up the battery from 0-100 in 2 hours.

Verdict

The Motorola G60 is for those who hate seeing ads everywhere while using their smartphones normally and for people who need a great performance with excellent battery life.

Except for the weight, this smartphone from Motorola G60 is worth checking out.

6. MOTOROLA G40 Fusion 

Feature-rich Smartphone

• 120Hz higher refresh rate display
• Powerful Snapdragon 732G CPU
• Long-lasting battery life

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Motorola is a well-known smartphone manufacturing brand, now owned by the Chinese company Lenovo. 

The G series devices from Motorola created a revolution in the Indian smartphone market when it launched but later failed to gain traction, mainly due to the lack of proper foresight from the company. 

However, with the all-new G-series, Motorola is back on track and gives a tight competition for Xiaomi and Realme in terms of the value for money prospect with the G40 Fusion smartphone, priced at Rs.15,999. 

Design and Build Quality

The back panel of the Motorola G40 Fusion is made out of polycarbonate plastic. Since it comes with a glossy back finish, it easily attracts fingerprint marks and smudges.

A transparent case cover is provided in the box so make sure to put that on the device if you want the device to look pristine. 

The design of this smartphone resembles some of the OnePlus devices, which is quite a positive thing in our opinion.  

The rear portion of this smartphone houses the horizontal camera bump along with the physical fingerprint scanner. 

This smartphone has a water repellent coating on top that prevents water droplets from sticking on the phone when faced with splashes.

This device has a noise cancellation microphone and an audio jack at the top, the speaker output, USB Type-C port, and primary mic located at the bottom section of the frame. 

On the left side is where the power button, volume rockers and the dedicated Google assistant button resides. 

Display

The Motorola G40 Fusion features a large 6.8-inch 120Hz Full HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1080 x 2460 pixels.

The stock Android UI with a high refresh rate is a delight to use. Be it visuals or simply scrolling through the UI, everything looks buttery smooth. 

This IPS LCD covers about 85.3% of the front section, assuring you an immersive visual experience. With a pixel density of 395ppi, the visuals and text appear sharp and detailed. 

This is an HDR10 certified panel with punchy and vivid colours and excellent dynamic range that will let you watch movies and TV shows in great detail.

Processor and Performance

The showrunner of the Motorola G40 Fusion is the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 732G octa-core SoC.

The 4GB RAM onboard provides a smooth multitasking performance on a day to day use as well as with multitasking. If the latter is your concern, we suggest you go for the 6GB version of the G40 Fusion. 

Speaking of gaming performance, you can play almost all modern games without noticing much lag or stutter, and with the higher refresh rate, you will enjoy the experience much better than on a standard 60Hz panel. 

The 128GB UFS 2.1 storage offers good read/write speeds and performs faster when it comes to app loading. 

The device comes pre-installed with Android 11 out of the box. The interface is stock with no ads or bloatware at all. Motorola promised the 2-year software updates and the device is most likely to rock the Android 12 shortly as well.

Camera

The Motorola G40 Fusion has a triple camera system in the rear consisting of a 64MP main camera, 8MP ultrawide lens, and 2MP depth sensor.

The photos coming out from the main lens appear sharp and detailed. The colours look natural and when shot in daylight doesn’t have the over-saturated processing issues that are common among mid-range smartphones in this segment.

The portrait shots from this smartphone look stunning – the edge detection is precise in most cases and there is no over softening of the skin tone. 

Both the front and rear camera supports 4K video recording at 30fps. EIS (electronic image stabilization) is only available up to FHD resolution. 

The 16MP front-facing camera performs excellently in broad daylight as well as in artificial lighting conditions. 

Battery Life

The Motorola G40 Fusion is powered by a large 6000mAh battery that will easily last you for a day and a half with medium to heavy usage. 

The bundled 20W charger takes almost 2.15 hours to juice up the battery levels from 0-100%.

Verdict

The Motorola G40 Fusion is an excellent smartphone loaded with cutting edge features for a budget under Rs.20,000. 

The powerful CPU onboard, stock Android UI and the gorgeous 120Hz FHD screen makes this device well worth its asking price.

7. Motorola G31

Best Economical Smartphone

• MediaTek Helio G85 processor
• Good camera performance
• Amazing AMOLED FHD+ display

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Motorola is the subsidiary of Lenovo who is a popular laptop manufacturer and Motorola smartphones are widely known for providing stock Android UI.

The Motorola G31 is an affordable smartphone with an OLED display priced under Rs.15,000.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola G31 has a plastic back with a textured finish. The design of this smartphone is not that aesthetically appealing, it’s decent, we’d say.

Weighing at 181 grams, this device does not feel hefty in hands – you can conveniently use this smartphone with a single hand.

The fingerprint scanner with the Motorola logo is positioned at the backside and if you don’t want to use that, you can also set up face recognition.

The G31 sports a USB-C cable and audio jack, since the device speaker output is not great it is better to use earphones or headphones.

It comes with IPX2 water resistance rating. You can take this device outdoors and it will survive minor drizzles and water splashes. 

Display

The display is one of the strong forte of Motorola G31. It features a 6.4-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

Having an FHD+ AMOLED panel for a budget under Rs.15,000 is a rarity in this price segment. 

The gorgeous colour reproduction with deep blacks and excellent contrast ratio will make your media consumption experience immersive. 

Processor and Performance

The Motorola G31 is powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor manufactured on a 12-nm fabrication process.

The 6GB RAM onboard provides smooth performance with everyday use and it does not break a sweat when it comes to multitasking.

You can also play games like BGMI or COD: Mobile 30fps without noticing too many frame drops.

As for the storage, the variant listed here is loaded with the 128GB internal storage and since this device comes with a hybrid SIM slot, you can either use two SIM cards or a SIM card and an SD card. 

The Motorola G31 comes pre-installed with the Android 11 OS and it’s a stock Android smartphone. There are no ads or too many bloatwares to ruin your experience. 

Camera

The Motorola G31 houses a 50MP main sensor, 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro sensor at the backside of the smartphone.

The primary camera performs quite well in broad daylight. The photos turn out to be okay for the price you pay for this smartphone. 

The ultrawide lens also takes good photos – it captures a wide field of view in a single image and we love the colours, however, sharpness is not pitch-perfect.

The macro sensor takes decent close-up photos. The camera app has portrait mode which allows you to take quality bokeh pictures.

The 13MP front shooter clicks sharp selfies with natural skin tones.

Battery Life

The Motorola G31 has a 5000mAh lithium battery inside that is rated to last up to an entire day with heavy use.

The bundled 20W charger takes almost 1 hour 40 minutes to recharge the battery completely.

Verdict

The Motorola G31 is an affordable Android smartphone that delivers a decent everyday performance, an immersive multimedia experience and excellent battery life.

8. Micromax IN Note 1

Value for Money Smartphone

• Powerful MediaTek Helio G85
• Dedicated memory expansion slot 
• AI quad camera

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Micromax was one of the popular Indian smartphone players back in the day until Chinese brands came in and dominated the market ever since.

The Micromax IN Note 1 is touted as a Made in India smartphone that is pitted against the likes of Redmi and Realme smartphones.

Design and Build Quality

Micromax has come a long way forward in terms of the design of this smartphone. The X-factor gradient design on the backplate makes this device stand out from the rest of the competitors. 

The polycarbonate back panel feels durable and premium. The curved panel feels ergonomic and comfortable to hold the phone in hand. 

The button placements on this smartphone are similar to that of most other smartphones. The USB Type-C charging/data syncing port and the 3.5mm audio jack is positioned on the bottom frame whereas the power and the volume rockerz is on the right side. 

The rear section houses the quad rear camera setup and the physical fingerprint scanner. The overall fit and finish of this smartphone feels durable and well built for the asking price. 

Display

The Micromax IN Note 1 features a 6.67-inch Full HD+ punch-hole display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels.

With a pixel density of 395ppi, this display offers sharp and clean visuals as well as text, without any noticeable pixelations. 

The colours appear vivid and punchy, providing an enjoyable media consumption experience. 

This panel can get adequately bright indoors as well as outdoors but under direct sunlight, you might face some difficulties. 

Processor and Performance

What runs the show beneath the Micromax IN Note 1 is the MediaTek Helio G85 which is a gaming-centric chip designed for budget gaming smartphones.

To be fair, even with the 4GB RAM onboard don’t expect this smartphone to run games at constant high frame rates, however, you can effortlessly play the recent battle royale style games with decent graphics settings. 

In day to day usage, you won’t feel any lags or stutters with this smartphone. One of the main incentives of purchasing this phone is indeed the stock Android UI. 

Camera

The Micromax In Note 1 has an AI quad-camera setup consisting of a 48MP primary lens, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor.

The primary lens works fine as expected. The photos have enough details with good colours and dynamic range. 

The ultrawide lens captures decent images with a lot of subjects but with a slightly warmer colour tone. The macro and the depth sensor does their job but nothing impressive enough to write about. 

The 16MP punch-hole camera in the front provides decent results in daylight conditions but as the lighting condition deteriorates, noise creeps in. 

Battery Life

The Micromax In Note 1 is powered by a 5000mAh battery which is rated to last for up to one and a half days of moderate to heavy usage. 

Micromax has included an 18W fast charger in the box that juices up the battery from 0-100% in less than two hours. 

Verdict

The Micromax In Note 1 is a well-built budget Android smartphone that rivals the likes of Redmi and Realme smartphones in the price bracket of around Rs.12,499.

9. Nokia 5.4 

Smartphone for Regular Users

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 SoC
• Decent HD+ display
• Lightweight and comfortable to use

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Nokia was used to being the best brand when it comes to mobile phones but they didn’t adapt to modern smartphone technologies which is the reason why the brand has failed.

However, after being acquired by HMD global the brand made a comeback with its Android powered smartphones.

The Nokia 5.4 is a budget smartphone that offers a good value for money user experience for a budget under Rs.15,000.

Design and Build Quality

The Nokia 5.4 fits conveniently in hands and it has a physical dimension of 161 x 76 x 8.7 mm.

This device is lightweight at 181 grams and comfortable for one-hand use.

The back panel is made out of polycarbonate material and it has a hatch line design printed on it – it’s not a textured finish and has a glossy finish that attracts fingerprints easily.

Thankfully, a protective transparent case cover is provided inside the box so make sure to put it on the smartphone to keep the pristine look.

The audio jack is at the top section of the middle frame, on the right, you will find the power button and volume rockers.

It’s good to see that this smartphone features a USB-C port. On the left-hand side, you will notice an extra button for one-click Google voice assistant access.

Display

The Nokia 5.4 sports a 6.39-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720 x 1560 pixels.

The quality of this display is fine – it’s bright, clear, and has a decent colour reproduction.

Except for the bottom chin, the bezels on the other three sides are slim resulting in an immersive wide viewing experience.

What we don’t like here is the branding of Nokia at the bottom chin, like who does that in today’s time? Instead, it should have been removed and made the bottom chin slimmer.

This is a standard 60Hz panel that is decently touch responsive.

Processor and Performance

This budget device is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 octa-core processor based on 11-nm architecture.

The 4GB RAM onboard will easily handle running your social media and productivity applications.

In terms of gaming, you can play light games without a problem but heavy games such as BGMI will face lags and stutters. 

With the 64GB storage, you can store a decent amount of files offline and if you think it’s not sufficient then there’s a dedicated slot for a microSD card so make sure to use it.

Nokia has opted for the stock Android and the case is no different with the Nokia 5.4.

It runs on Android 10 OS and the upgrade for Android 11 OS is already out so make sure to upgrade it. It has no ads or bloatware, therefore, you will be getting a clean experience.

Camera

The Nokia 5.4 comes with the quad-camera setup which includes a 48MP main, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor.

The image processing of this smartphone is decent – the main sensor clicks colourful shots but it lacks sharpness. You don’t even have to zoom to check it, just click a photo and you will see that image is not that sharp.

The ultrawide sensor is good for taking group and destination photos.

The 2MP depth sensor helps with the portrait but the bokeh photos look soft and the result from the macro lens is just okay for the price.

The 16MP selfie camera does capture a good quality image by maintaining the skin tone natural and background colours vivid.

Battery Life

The Nokia 5.4 is powered by a 4000mAh lithium battery that provides battery backup for an entire day with normal use.

The 10W bundled charger will juice up the battery levels from zero to full in 2-2:30 hours.

Verdict

The Nokia 5.4 is for people who are sick of ads and extra apps on their current smartphones.

This stock Android smartphone provides a good everyday user experience and is affordable as well.

10. Micromax IN 2B

Made in India Smartphone

• Good everyday performance
• Good battery life
• Ergonomic design

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This entry-level smartphone from Micromax aims to compete with entry-level Xiaomi and Realme smartphones available in the market as of now. 

The Micromax IN 2B is priced at Rs.9,499 and it offers a good performance for the price.

Design and Build Quality

The Micromax IN 2B has no big change in terms of design compared to its predecessors and the body is made out of the same material as well which is polycarbonate.

The device weighs 190 grams and doesn’t feel heavy in the hands.

This smartphone has a USB-C port at the bottom, volume adjustment and power button are positioned on the right frame and the top frame is completely flat.

The physical fingerprint sensor in the rear works fast and there is also an option to set up face recognition.

The one thing we don’t like about this smartphone is that the speaker is at the back and sound output is nothing out of the ordinary, so we recommend using earphones for the best surround sound experience.

Display

The Micromax IN 2B sports a 6.52-inch HD+ IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels.

With a peak brightness of 400 nits, you will be able to use this smartphone comfortably indoors and outdoors.

The colour reproduction is decent for the price and the visuals look sharp without noticeable pixelation.

The thin bezels around the display make it ideal for media consumption. 

Processor and Performance

The Micromax IN 2B is powered by a Unisoc T610 octa-core processor. You may have never heard of this processor but as far as the performance is concerned, it is smooth.

This budget Android smartphone from Micromax comes with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage capacity.

Out of the box, the device is running Android 11 OS and it’s a complete stock Android so you will find no ads or bloatwares.

Camera

The Micromax IN 2B features a 13MP main sensor and a 2MP depth sensor at the back.

The main camera captures good quality images but the only issue is that clicked images have shadow effects on corners but we guess it will be fixed with future software updates.

Also, lighting conditions play a crucial role while taking pictures and low lit photos aren’t too impressive.

The 2MP depth sensor helps taking beautiful bokeh photos and edge detection is decent.

The 5MP selfie camera takes decent selfies photos, however a bit more colour saturation and improvement in skin tone colours should have made them better.

Battery Life

The Micromax IN 2B is powered by a 5000mAh lithium battery that will last for a day worth of heavy use.

The bundled 10W charger will juice up the battery from 0 – 100% in 2:30 hours.

Verdict

Priced under Rs.10,000, the Micromax IN 2B offers a clean stock Android OS experience combined with decent everyday performance and camera quality.

11. Lava Z6 

Best Affordable Smartphone

• Power-efficient MediaTek G35 SoC
• Decent camera output
• Simple design and robust build

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Lava is an Indian company that manufactures budget smartphones at a very attractive price and competes against the brands like Redmi and Samsung.

The Lava Z6 is the latest offering from the brand, equipped with the MediaTek processor priced under Rs.12,000 in the Indian market. 

Design and Build Quality

The design of Lava Z6 is simple and minimal and the device feels quite comfortable in the hands. 

The entire construction of this smartphone is using polycarbonate materials including the middle frame. However, the quality of construction can be termed as decent for the price. 

The device has a textured finish on the back with a vertical glossy strip with the camera unit and the LAVA branding. 

The loudspeaker is located in the rear section which is unfortunate. If you keep the smartphone on a flat surface, there is a chance to get the sound output through the speakers to get muffled. 

Weighing at 190 grams, this device does not feel too heavy in hands and you can use it with a single hand.

Surprisingly, Lava has included a USB-C port on this device for charging and data transfer.

Display

The Lava Z6 features a 6.5-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels.

The panel is excellent for multimedia consumption and there is no noticeable pixelation or colour shift.

Regarding the brightness, you can effortlessly use the Lava Z6 indoors but under direct sunlight, you’ll find it a bit difficult.

Thanks to Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 protection, this display can withstand minor rough usage without getting scuff marks or scratches that easily.

Processor and Performance

The processor inside the Lava Z6 is the MediaTek Helio G35 which is an octa-core chipset clocked at 2.3GHz.

This power-efficient chipset performs decently well without sacrificing power efficiency.

The variant we have listed has 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. The 6GB of onboard RAM is well enough to handle everyday usage and multitasking without much lags or stutters. 

However, with heavy gaming, expect minor frame drops and freezes here and there. 

This budget Android smartphone from Lava runs on stock Android 10 with minimal modifications. 

Camera

The Lava Z6 features a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 13MP primary camera, 8MP ultrawide, and 2MP depth sensor accompanied by an LED flashlight.

The photos taken in daylight from the primary camera appear sharp and detailed with good colours.  

The ultrawide lens clicks decent images with acceptable colour saturation but turns out to be less sharp when zoomed in on the details. 

The depth sensor helps to capture portrait mode shots with decent background blur and edge detection. 

The depth sensor will help blur the background and provide amazing portrait photos.

The rear camera can record FHD videos at 30fps but since there is no stabilization whatsoever, the footage will be jittery if not shot properly with a steady hand. 

The 16MP selfie camera delivers decent results and packs the AI beauty mode which enhances the skin tone for enhanced saturation in your selfie photos. 

Battery Life

The Lava Z6 is powered by a 5000mAh battery which will easily last for a day and a half even with heavy usage. 

The bundled 10W charger takes almost 3 hours to juice up the battery and it is unfortunate that Lava hasn’t included a fast charger in the box or added fast charging support.

Verdict

The Lava Z6 is a made in India smartphone with entry-level hardware that offers good performance and better battery life under an affordable price bracket.

12. Motorola E7 Power

No-frills Smartphone

• Decent everyday performance
• Water repellent design
• Stock Android UI

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Motorola is a subsidiary of Chinese multinational technology company Lenovo is well known for its smartphones with stock Android UI.  

The Motorola E7 Power is an affordable entry-level Android smartphone powered by the MediaTek SoC and comes pre-installed with the Android 10.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola E7 Power has a polycarbonate back with a sleek finish that provides a comfortable in-hand experience.

This device has a water repellent design that protects it from splashes and raindrops.

The fingerprint sensor with the Motorola branding in the rear flawlessly as it should. This sensor is ergonomically placed where the finger naturally rests so that you don’t have to move the finger around much to unlock the device. 

The Motorola E7 power sports the modern USB Type-C charging port at the bottom and the 3.5mm audio jack is located on the top frame. The power button with a textured finish and the volume rockers along with a dedicated Google Assistant button is positioned on the right side of the middle frame. 

Overall the fit and finish of this smartphone are very satisfactory for the asking price.

Display

The Motorola E7 Power features a 6.51-inch HD+ LCD IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 720 pixels.

This 20:9 aspect ratio tall display has a pixel density of 269ppi, which is quite adequate for media consumption and casual browsing. The visuals and text look decently sharp at a distance. 

This display appears to be bright enough for effortless indoor usage, even under artificial lighting conditions. 

Processor and Performance

The Motorola E7 Power is powered by the MediaTek Helio G25 octa-core processor clocked at 2GHz.

This is a 4GB RAM 64GB storage variant offering a decent performance on daily use and ample space to store files and media offline. There is an option to increase the storage capacity further with the help of an SD card. 

Note that this device comes with a hybrid SIM slot. You can either insert two SIM cards or a single SIM and an SD card for memory expansion. 

The GE8320 GPU rated at 650MHz is capable of processing low and medium-sized games but is not efficient to run high-end battle royale games.

Motorola E7 Power comes pre-installed with the Android 10 OS. The good thing is that it is a complete stock UI with zero bloatware. This means the UI is smooth and lag-free as it is not burdened with a resource-heavy custom skin on top.

Camera

The Motorola E7 Power houses a dual-camera setup at the rear and a single camera at the front.

The 13MP main camera works just fine, delivering decent looking still images with natural colours and ample details. 

The 2MP macro camera onboard lets you click close-up pictures but the level of digital noise in such pictures makes it less desirable. 

Speaking of the video, both the front and the back cameras can shoot FHD videos at 30fps. 

The 5MP selfie shooter with an aperture of f/2.2 is just okay. Selfies taken in broad daylight look decent but the dynamic range needs a little improvement.

Battery Life

The Motorola E7 Power is powered by a 5000mAh battery that is good enough to last you for a day and a half with moderate usage. 

The bundled 10W charger takes 2:30 to 3 hours to juice up the smartphone battery from 0-100%.

Verdict

The Motorola E7 Power is an excellent smartphone with the robust build quality and decent hardware with stock Android UI as a cherry on top.

13. MOTOROLA G10 Power 

Honourable Mention

• Good for multimedia consumption
• Good for multimedia consumption
• Water repellent design

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Motorola G series is up for a revival with the all-new smartphones that stacks up well against the rival offerings from brands such as Realme and Xiaomi. 

The G10 Power from Motorola is the most affordable G series smartphone that is available for purchase in the Indian market.

Design and Build Quality

The Motorola G10 Power has a plastic back and glass front with a plastic frame in the middle. 

The textured design on the back helps hide the fingerprint smudges quite easily even when used without a case. 

The overall fit and finish of this smartphone feel quite good with no noticeable cost-cutting measures on the chassis. 

The water repellent coating over this smartphone makes sure water droplets will not make it wet enough.

Weighing at 220g, this smartphone is in no way lightweight, but the heft can be attributed to the large battery inside. 

Motorola has made sure to include the modern Type-C port and 3.5mm headphone jack on this phone as well. 

Display

The Motorola G10 Power sports a 6.5-inch HD+ IPS dewdrop notch display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels.

This panel has a 20:9 aspect ratio panel with a respectable 270ppi pixel density. The visuals and texts appear reasonably sharp and clean without any pixelations when viewed from a distance. 

Being an IPS panel, the colour reproduction is decent and the viewing angles are wider than it is on a TFT panel. 

The minimal bezels around the display and the waterdrop notch provides this display with an 81.6% screen to body ratio that’s adequate to have an immersive visual experience. 

Processor and Performance

The Motorola G10 Power is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 octa-core processor coupled with 4GB RAM.

The performance of this smartphone is fine with everyday usage and you won’t notice too many lags or stutters even with light multitasking. 

Do note that this is not a gaming smartphone. Even though you may be able to run modern games, there will be a lot of frame drops and lags. 

The 64GB onboard storage with the hybrid SIM slot makes sure that there is an option to expand the storage if you are using only a single SIM.

Camera

The Motorola G10 Power has a quad-camera setup at the back. It houses 48MP primary sensor, 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensor.

The main camera takes decent photos in broad daylight. The colour reproduction is good but the images lack sharpness.

The ultrawide lens requires much improvement – it is good for wide perspective photos but images turn out to be soft.

The primary shooter can record 1080 videos at 60fps and with EIS for shake-free footage.  

The camera app has tons of features such as HDR, manual mode and RAW mode photography. 

Speaking of the selfie camera, the 8MP front shooter takes decent selfies. Sometimes in direct sunlight, the skin tone looks a little reddish.

Battery Life

The Motorola G10 Power is powered by a 6000mAh battery and it’s the main USP of this smartphone as many people want their smartphone battery to last longer.

You can expect the battery to last about a day or a half with normal to heavy use on a single charge.

The bundled 20W power adapter will juice up the battery levels from 0 – 100% in 2 hours.

Verdict

The Motorola G10 Power is one of the best affordable stock Android smartphones available in the market for a budget under Rs.12,000.

These are our picks for the thirteen best smartphones with stock Android UI in India.

If you have any queries regarding the content posted here, let us know in the comments below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. 

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