Aspirations of Young India are growing and so are the aspirations on smartphone manufacturers in India. Smartphone makers are now more confident about hitting the 25K ceiling, while tier 1 brands continue to trickle down flagship features to higher mid-range devices.
With a slew of options available under Rs. 25,000 it sometimes get messy for users to zero down to ‘that’ particular device with least compromises involved. To assist our readers in finding best value for money phone under 25K we have drafted a list top 5 phones under 25,000 available in India, which shall address the needs of most conventional buyers out there.
Also Read: Best Smartphones under 13,000 INR [February 2016]
Lenovo Vibe X3
Lenovo Vibe X3 is one of the rare phones which ticks almost all the right boxes. The Lenovo Vibe X3 promises stellar multimedia experience with powerful audio oozing from dual-frontal speakers. Lenovo’s ‘Theatremax‘ for theatre-like VR experience is also baked in the software.
Besides the Vibe X3 offers capable innards, which makes it apt for all classes of users. If you have 20K rupees in your pocket, you can invest it on Lenovo Vibe X3 and you won’t regret it.
Pros:
- Powerful Audio hardware
- 5.5-Inch full HD display
- Good camera hardware
- Powerful chipset
Cons:
- Hybrid 2nd SIM card slot
- A bit heavy
Key Specifications and Features of Lenovo Vibe X3
| Model | Lenovo Vibe X3 |
| Display | 5.5 Inch Full HD |
| Processor | 1.7GHz Snapdragon 808 quad-core |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB, expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android 5.1 Lollipop based Vibe UI |
| Primary Camera | 23MP Sony IMX230, PDAF, LED flash, 4K Videos |
| Secondary Camera | 8MP |
| Battery | 3500mAh, QuickCharge 2.0 |
| Others | 4G LTE, dual SIM, Powerful Audio hardware with Dolby Atmos certification, Fingerprint Scanner, IR Blaster, TheatreMax |
| Price | 19,999 INR |
Xiaomi Mi 5
Since its inception, Xiaomi has decided to shed its ‘budget smartphone maker’ image and step up into the big boyz league. After having a dull 2015, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has come out with its costliest device in India till date – the Mi 5.
Xiaomi Mi 5 is the first smartphone to bring Qualcomm’s best, the Snapdragon 820, to India and that too for a very reasonable price. Yes, the one selling in India is the lowest of the three available Mi 5 variants, but the difference isn’t very well pronounced for basic users. Other enticements include capable camera with 4 axis OIS, a beautiful and compact design and fast UFS 2.0 internal storage.
Pros:
- Powerful processor
- Great camera hardware
- Great design
- NFC
- Rapid charging Support
Cons:
- No microSD expansion
- Non-removable battery
- No FM radio
Key specifications and features of Xiaomi Mi 5:
| Model | Xiaomi Mi5 (32GB) |
| Display | 5.15 Inch, Full HD, 3D curved glass |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, Adreno 530 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB, UFS 2.0 type storage |
| Software | Android Marshmallow based MIUI 7 |
| Primary Camera | 16MP sensor, dual LED Flash, PDAF, F2.0 aperture lens |
| Secondary Camera | 4MP Front-Facing Camera, F2.0 aperture lens, 80 degree wide angle lens |
| Dimensions and Weight | 144.55×69.2×7.25mm and 129 Grams |
| Battery | 3000 mAh, fast charging |
| Others | Dual SIM, 4G LTE and VoLTE, Fingerprint sensor, NFC, USB OTG, USB Type C |
| Price | 24,999 INR |
OnePlus 2
OnePlus won thousands of fan with its very first device, and has successfully retained their loyalty ever since. In 2015, company launched OnePlus 2 as its ‘2016 flagship killer’ which is frankly holding well even today. It isn’t a flagship killer by any yard stick, but still has enough meat to make it to our list.
OnePlus 2 have lots of things going right. It has got elegant looks with capable innards, Fingerprint sensor, OIS, cool swappable back cover options, which helps it nudge past other competitors. Also, the recent price cut works as icing on the cake.
Pros:
- Accurate finger-print sensor
- Type-C USB connector
- 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
- Good battery capacity
Cons:
- No microSD,
- Missing NFC
- No fast charging
- Laggy home button
Also Read: Best smartphones Under 20,000 INR [February 2016]
Key features and specifications of OnePlus 2:
| Model | OnePlus 2 |
| Display | 5.5-Inch Full HD |
| Processor | 2.1 GHz Octa Core Snapdragon 810 Soc with Corning Glass 4 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal Storage | 64GB (16GB variant is also available) |
| Software | Android 5.1 Lollipop based OxygenOS |
| Primary Camera | 13MP autofocus with dual LED flash |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP |
| Battery | 3300mAh |
| Price | 22,999 INR |
Honor 7
Another highly recommended cool phone under the budget of 25,000 INR is Honor 7. It is a child of Huawei sub-brand Honor which doesn’t evoke same emotions among fans like its compatriot OnePlus and Xiaomi but has crafted a niche for itself with impressive smartphones.
Honor 7 is one such example of their dexterity. It has got a well thought-out design, decent cameras (selfie camera has its own flash), an accurate fingerprint sensor and customization options on EMUI (updated to Android Marshmallow) makes it a value for money smartphone.
Pros:
- Excellent camera hardware
- Powerful Processor
- Android Marshmallow based EUI
- Strong built quality
Cons:
- Mediocre battery Life
- No 4K support
Key specifications and features of Honor 7:
| Model | Honor 7 |
| Display | 5.2-Inch, Full HD |
| Processor | 2.2GHz Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 935; Mali-T628 MP4 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB, expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android Marshmallow based EUI 3.1 |
| Primary Camera | 20MP sensor, dual LED Flash, PDAF, F2.0 aperture lens |
| Secondary Camera | 8MP Front-Facing Camera |
| Dimensions and Weight | 143.19 x 71.9 x 8.5mm and 129 Grams |
| Battery | 3100 mAh, Non-removable battery |
| Others | Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Fingerprint sensor, NFC, USB OTG |
| Price | 22,500 INR |
Samsung Galaxy A8
Samsung has been ruling the roost in Indian smartphone market for some time now. Consumers value Samsung branding and the south-Korean giant obliges with an extensive portfolio spread across all price ranges.
This option will make sense if you are looking for a universally recognized brand. Samsung Galaxy A8 offers a premium and ergonomic design, impressive camera performance, remarkable battery backup and a fingerprint sensor.
Pros:
- Excellent display
- Capable camera
- Decent battery backup
- Good performance
Cons:
- Hybrid second SIM slot
- Warms up during charging
Key specifications and features of Samsung Galaxy A8:
| Model | Samsung Galaxy A8 |
| Display | 5.7-Inch, Full HD AMOLED display, 386ppi |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Octa-core Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615; Adreno 405 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB, expandable up to 128GB |
| Software | Android Lollipop based TouchWiz UI |
| Primary Camera | 16MP sensor, dual LED Flash, PDAF, F2.0 aperture lens |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP Front-Facing Camera |
| Dimensions and Weight | 158 x 76.8 x 5.9 mm and 151 Grams |
| Battery | 3050 mAh, Non-removable battery |
| Others | Dual SIM, 4G LTE, Fingerprint sensor, NFC, USB OTG |
| Price | 25,990 INR |
