Best 5G smartphones under Rs. 25,000 in India
5G connectivity is taking longer than expected to show up in India but if all goes according to plan from here, we should have 5G in India sometime in 2022. So, if you are looking to buy a new smartphone, you may want it to be 5G ready. Of course, all 5G phones are backward compatible with the current 4G network, in case you were worried. Despite the unavailability of 5G network in India, quite a few phones released over the past year or two have been compliant with the technology. Initially, there were just the flagship devices that flaunted 5G support, but it didn't take long for the mid-range phones to catch up. And now, we have quite a few handsets that are not just 5G ready but also offer some great features like solid processing power, impressive cameras, and sharp displays. Here, we have handpicked five such phones within a budget of Rs. 25,000 that we believe offer the best value for money in the segment.
iQOO Z5 5G
Let us start with the phone that has most bases covered in this budget and is currently selling for an even lower price than usual. The Z5 5G from Vivo's sub-brand iQOO combines a powerful processor, a sharp, high refresh rate display and good cameras. It is powered by Qualcomm's new upper mid-range Snapdragon 778G SoC and you get the 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant comfortably in this budget. Thanks to Amazon India offering an additional Rs. 3,000 discount on this product (at the time of writing), you can even get your hands on the 12GB RAM/256GB storage variant under Rs. 25,000. The iQOO Z5 5G has a 6.67-inch Full-HD+ LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate for flicker-free scrolling in compatible apps. Battery capacity stands at 5,000mAh and lasts for a day and a half with moderate use. The bundled 44W fast charger promises to charge up to 50% in just 23 minutes. Photography is handled by three cameras at the back consisting a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP selfie camera is located in a punch-hole at the top of the screen. The Z5 5G runs Android 11 with Funtouch OS 12 on top and the company has promised two major Android updates and three years of security updates for this device. iQOO Z5 5G price in India: Rs. 20,990 for 8GB/128GB model and Rs. 23,990 for 12GB/256GB variant (discounted price on Amazon India).
Realme GT Master Edition
Next up is the Realme GT Master Edition, which in many ways is similar to the iQOO Z5 5G. Two departments where they are almost identical are processing hardware and photography. This phone too is powered by the Snapdragon 778G SoC, and thanks to the flat Rs. 4,000 discount by Flipkart on all debit and credit card transactions, you can get the 6GB/128GB and 8GB/128GB variants of the phone under under Rs. 25,000. This Realme phone has a 6.43-inch Full-HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and can get up to 1000-nits bright. The rear camera module has a 64MP primary camera that does most of the heavy lifting. The main sensor is accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro camera. The phone has a 32MP front camera that should interest selfie enthusiasts. The Realme GT Master Edition has a 4,500mAh battery that lasts well over a day of moderate use, but the best part is the bundled 65W charger that takes it from 0-100% in a little over half an hour, making it one of the fastest around. The phone runs Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0. The company has a good track record of software updates and you can expect quite a few on this smartphone. Realme GT Master Edition price in India: Rs. 21,999 for 6GB/128GB model and Rs. 23,999 for 8GB/128GB variant (effective price on Flipkart).
Motorola Edge 20 Fusion
The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is a very interesting device. It may not have the processing muscle of the above two phones but it has a lot going for it. Having said that, the MediaTek Dimensity 800U chip that powers this phone is a pretty decent performer too. You get a choice of either 6GB or 8GB of RAM along with 128GB of internal storage to go with it. The phone has a 6.7-inch Full-HD+ OLED screen with HDR10+ compliance that is capable of displaying over a billion colors. Add to that a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling significantly smoother than the standard 60Hz. The camera department is one of its key attractions, especially the 108MP primary camera. The support cast is modest with an 8MP ultra-wide lens and a 2MP depth sensor. Up front, there is a 32MP selfie camera that is pretty good. The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion has a 5,000mAh battery that suffices for over a day and a half of moderate use and supports 30W fast-charging. And last but not the least, it runs Android 11 with a clean and near-stock user interface — a key feature of most Motorola phones. Motorola Edge 20 Fusion price in India: Rs. 20,999 for 6GB/128GB variant and Rs. 22,999 for 8GB/128GB model on Flipkart.
iQOO Z3 5G
If you do not wish to stretch your budget beyond Rs. 20,000 for a good 5G phone, worry not, we have you covered. The iQOO Z3 5G is arguably the best 5G handset you can get your hands on currently under 20K. Its specifications and features are almost as impressive as the Z5. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 768 SoC, which is only marginally slower than the Snapdragon 778. You generally get the 6GB RAM/128GB internal storage variant under Rs. 20,000, but thanks to Amazon India's Rs. 3,000 discount, you can also get the 8GB RAM/256GB storage variant in this budget at the moment. The iQOO Z3 5G has a vibrant and smooth 6.58-inch Full-HD+ LCD screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10 compliance. Rear camera department is identical to the above mentioned iQOO Z5 5G and so is the 16MP selfie camera, just that it is located in a waterdrop notch instead of a punch-hole. The phone runs Android 11 with Funtouch 11 UI, and just like the Z5, you can expect two major Android updates and three years of security updates. A 4,400mAh battery keeps the phone powered for well over a day of moderate use and you get 55W charger with this phone to recharge it quickly. iQOO Z3 5G price in India: Rs. 16,990 for 6GB/128 model, Rs. 17,990 for 8GB/128GB version, and Rs. 19,990 for 8GB/256GB variant on Amazon India (discounted price).
Realme 8s 5G
Frankly, it is a little hard to look beyond the iQOO Z3 5G in this budget at its current price, but it is always good to have options. The Realme 8s 5G is also a good alternative under Rs. 20,000. It is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 810 SoC, and you get either 6GB or 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage in this budget. It has a 6.5-inch Full-HD+ LCD display with up to 600-nits of peak brightness and a 90Hz refresh rate. You get three cameras at the back comprising a 64MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor. A 16MP front camera located in a tiny punch-hole at the top of the screen takes care of selfies and video calls. The Realme 8s 5G has a 5,000mAh battery that lasts for a day and a half with moderate use, and you get a 33W fast-charger in the box. The phone runs Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0. Realme 8s 5G price in India: Rs. 17,999 for the 8GB/128GB version on Flipkart, including Rs. 2,000 off on all transactions via debit or credit cards. We would like to mention a couple more handsets that can also be considered under Rs. 25,000. The first option being the OnePlus Nord CE. Mind you, it isn't among the best OnePlus phones to have graced this planet, but it is certainly their most inexpensive at the moment. And OxygenOS still remains one of the best Android UIs around. And lastly, the newly-launched Redmi Note 11T 5G is another good option under Rs. 20,000, only if you have the patience for those annoying flash sales.
