Skip to content
Our entire list of phones under Rs 25,000 this month is 5G ready. And the goodness doesn’t end there. We have phones with 108MP cameras, powerful processors, AMOLED screens with high refresh rates, and more to appeal to a broader audience. Choose the one that ticks the most boxes for you—time to meet the bunch.
Best phones to buy under Rs 25,000 in India
The iQOO duo retains their spots on our list. The iQOO Z5 5G and Z3 5G aren’t very different and offer impressive features and performance. The top variant of the iQOO Z3 5G with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage can be comfortably purchased in this budget. Amazon India is currently offering a further Rs 1,500 discount. Qualcomm’s mid-range Snapdragon 768 SoC powers it.
It has a sharp 6.58-inch Full HD+ LCD screen with HDR10 compliance and a 120 Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling incompatible apps. Three cameras handle photography at the back comprising a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide snapper, and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP selfie camera is located in a drop notch at the top of the screen. A 4400 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over a day of moderate use. You also get a 55W fast charger in the bundle to juice it up in quick time.
The iQOO Z5 5G offers small but significant upgrades over the Z3. It has a faster and more recent Snapdragon 778 SoC. Internal storage has been upgraded to a faster UFS 3.1 standard from version 2.2. It has a larger 6.67-inch Full HD+ LCD screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Battery capacity has been bumped up to 5000 mAh, but you get a relatively slower 44W fast charger, which promises to charge 50% of the battery in 23 minutes.
You generally get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. Still, because of a Rs 3,000 instant discount on Amazon India, you can also get the 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant under 25K while the offer lasts. Each phone runs Android 11 with FunTouch UI, and the company promises two major Android updates on both devices. While the Z3 ships with FunTouch UI 11.1, the Z5 offers the newer version 12 out of the box. The camera department is identical on both phones.
iQOO Z3 5G price in India: Rs 21,490 to Rs 22,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
iQOO Z5 5G price in India: Rs 21,990 to Rs 23,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage; Rs 23,990 (with discount) for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Samsung, for a change, has a great option in this budget, and without going overboard with the thickness or weight. The Samsung Galaxy M52, 5G to, is powered by a Snapdragon 778 SoC and is accompanied by 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal (expandable) storage. It has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display with a 120 Hz refresh rate. Despite the larger display and a 5000 mAh battery, it weighs under 175 grams and is quite slim at just 7.4 mm thickness.
The camera department is versatile with a 64MP primary camera, 12MP ultrawide shooter, and a 5MP macro camera to capture quality photos in various modes. The 32MP selfie camera embedded in a tiny punch hole at the top of the screen will interest selfie enthusiasts. The Samsung Galaxy M52 5G runs Android 11 with One UI 3.1.
Samsung Galaxy M52 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
The relatively recent Xiaomi 11i 5G is closely the photography enthusiasts would like to look at, courtesy of its 108MP camera. The supporting cast consists of an 8MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP macro camera. The 16MP front camera is good enough for selfies and video calls. A Mediatek Dimensity 920 SoC powers this 5G phone, and you get 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage that can be expanded further with a microSD card.
The Xiaomi 11i 5G has a 6.67-inch Full HD+ HDR10 compliant Super AMOLED display that can get up to 1200 nits bright. This supports a 120 Hz refresh rate for a flicker-free experience incompatible apps and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. A 5160 mAh battery keeps it running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W turbocharger claims to take it from 0 to 50% in just 13 minutes. This Xiaomi phone runs Android 11 with MIUI 12.5.
Xiaomi 11i 5G price in India: Rs 24,999 for 6 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion is the second phone on this list to flaunt a 108MP camera, one of its key selling points. The supporting cast consists of an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Not to forget the 32MP front camera that does a great job with selfies and video calls. This phone is powered by a modest Mediatek Dimensity 800U chip, and you get a choice between 6 GB or 8 GB RAM along with 128 GB internal (expandable) storage.
This phone has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ HDR10+ compliant OLED screen that can display over a billion color shades. A 90 Hz refresh rate makes scrolling significantly smoother than standard 60 Hz displays. The Motorola Edge 20 Fusion has a 5000mAh battery that can go on for over a day and a half of moderate use and supports 30W fast charging. And given that this is a Motorola phone, it runs Android 11 with a clean and near-stock user interface, which is another plus.
And finally, we have the most inexpensive OnePlus smartphone in this country, the Nord CE. We have included this phone in this list mainly for one reason – OxygenOS, which we believe is still one of the best Android UI around (before version 12). The OnePlus Nord CE runs Android 11 with OxygenOS 11. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 750G SoC, which may not be as powerful as some of the chips above, but is good enough to keep things smooth here.
Speaking of smooth, this phone has a 6.43-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate. You get 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. The camera department is operated by a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, and a 2MP depth sensor. Its 4500 mAh battery can keep the phone running for well over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 30W charger gets it back up quickly.
OnePlus Nord CE price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage
