Those looking for the best balance of value and performance from a smartphone in the sub-Rs. will get 25,000 segments attractive. This is one of the most interesting segments in 2022, mainly because new launches in this segment have received maximum new hardware features. There are phones with good low-light camera performance and optical image stabilization (OIS). Designs are also the main focus of this segment, but charging speeds have improved with some smartphones on our list offering 44W, 60W and even 120W chargers in the box.
The Motorola Edge 30 has recently received a price cut and has now entered this segment. Our latest addition to the list is the Moto G82 5G. It has an IP52-rated design and a camera that also has OIS. The price of Samsung Galaxy A52 has been reduced recently. Realme 9 Pro+ is another power-packed smartphone that offers really good stereo speakers and a flagship-grade main camera.
Here are the best phones from Gadgets 360 under Rs. 25,000 in India, in any particular order. We’ve reviewed all the phones on this list and tested them thoroughly, including raw performance, camera capabilities, software and ease of use, physical design, battery life, and charging speed. There’s also the Xiaomi 11i 5G which we haven’t tested, but the 11i is similar to the Hypercharge ( review ), so its price makes it onto our list.
Rs. The best phone inside. 25,000 to buy in India
| Phones under 25,000 | Gadgets 360 Rating (out of 10) | Price in India (Recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Moto G82 5G | 8 | Rs. 21,499 |
| Motorola Edge 30 | 8 | Rs. 24,999 |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 | 8 | Rs. 23,999 |
| Realme 9 Pro+ | 9 | Rs. 22,999 |
| iQoo Z5 | 8 | Rs. 23,990 |
| Xiaomi 11i 5G | , | Rs. 24,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy A52 | 8 | Rs. 24,999 |
Moto G82 5G
Motorola’s Moto G82 5G is the most expensive G-series smartphone you can buy. Fortunately, it also packs enough value to make it a solid offering if you’re willing to stretch your budget a bit beyond Rs. 20,000. That additional Rs. 2,000 gets you a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, a 120Hz high refresh rate display, a large 5,000mAh battery and an IP52-rated design that can withstand water splashes. Camera performance is also a strong-point with the G82 5G as its primary camera packs OIS, which is good for sharp low-light photos. Of course, the cherry on the icing is its near-stock Android 12 software with only one pre-installed third-party app.
Motorola Edge 30
The Motorola Edge 30 is a very slim and light 5G smartphone with a thickness of 6.79mm and a weight of just 155g. Its lightweight design can be attributed to its polycarbonate frame and acrylic rear panel which feels very premium and is IP52-rated for dust and water resistance. Its 6.5-inch OLED display offers a 144Hz refresh rate and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC with it also makes it great for gaming. Its rear camera setup offers OIS on the primary camera and you also get 3X telephoto. The camera performance is good overall but the battery life is a little worrying as it lasts for a day on a single charge.
OnePlus Nord CE 2
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is a good update of the original and is basically a cheaper Oppo Reno 7 5G (Review) without the spammy apps, which isn’t bad at all. The Nord CE 2 offers a premium design, good performance, solid battery life, super fast charging, and cameras perfect for still photography. Video recording isn’t its strongest suit, but other than that, it’s hard to complain. OxygenOS remains one of the best Android skins and one of the reasons why OnePlus smartphones are easy to use. While not everyone is in favor of Oppo’s influence on the brand these days, the fact that OnePlus has promised two years of Android updates even for its cheapest phones is another reason to note.
Realme 9 Pro+
If you are looking for bonkers value for money offers under Rs. 25,000, the Realme 9 Pro+ is really hard to beat at this point. Along with expected features like current-gen 5G SoC, great display and very fast charging, the 9 Pro+ is one of the few (if not the only) smartphones in this segment to have a flagship camera sensor (Sony IMX766). With optical stabilization. The result is fantastic looking pictures and videos when shooting day and night. If you ask us, the real annoyance is that Realme UI ships with too many apps, most of which you’ll never use. Overall, the Realme 9 Pro+ is a high-quality smartphone at a very aggressive price.
iQoo Z5
The design of the iQoo Z5 is a slight improvement over its predecessor, making it more comfortable to hold and use. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC which performs very well in games and multitasking. You get a 6.67-inch LCD panel with a 120Hz refresh rate as well as stereo speakers, which work well for both watching movies and playing games. The camera performance is good in daylight but not so good in low light. Battery life is excellent and the phone supports 44W fast charging, which is quite fast. The iQoo Z5 might not be a huge improvement over the iQoo Z3, but it’s still a good step up and worth considering.
special mention
Xiaomi 11i 5G
The Xiaomi 11i 5G gets a special mention because although we didn’t review it, we did review its nearly identical sibling, the 11i Hypercharge ( review ). For all intents and purposes, both the phones should be identical in terms of software, general performance, gaming and camera quality. The main difference is in the fast charging speed: the standard 11i supports 67W fast charging, while the 11i HyperCharge supports 120W. The battery capacity is also slightly different but the company still promises good battery life. If you’re okay with slightly ‘slower’ charging, the Rs. 24,999, the 11i packs a lot of features for the price. It has a 108-megapixel main camera, a 120Hz AMOLED display, stereo speakers, a powerful 5G SoC and a great design.
Samsung Galaxy A52
The Samsung Galaxy A52 has come down in price which is why we are offering our sub-Rs. We have moved on from above. 30,000 list here. Samsung has officially listed the 6GB variant at Rs. 24,999, but you can get it for less on platforms like Amazon. The phone still looks young and, shall we say, fashionable. It also offers great features like an IP67 rating, stereo speakers and a 90Hz AMOLED display – a combination that’s hard to come by in this segment. Despite using the lower-tier Snapdragon 720G SoC, we found its overall performance to be solid. OneUI has some bloatware to deal with, which we’re not big fans of. The cameras, while solid during the day, fall a little short in low light. Barring these issues, the Galaxy A52 is still an attractive offering as you get a good set of features.
