The bottom end of the mid-range segment has always been about good value and balanced performance. We have generally seen a greater focus on design in the next bracket, which is the sub-Rs. 30,000 segments, but lately there have been a few design-focussed entries in the lower-end of the mid-range too. From optically stabilized primary cameras to OLED displays, it’s easy to justify their price tags over some high-end budget smartphones too.
One of our recent additions is the Poco X5 Pro 5G, which gets a slim and light design, along with a good dose of mid-range performance thanks to its Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC, which makes it an attractive choice for gamers. The latest Realme 10 Pro+ 5G has now been replaced by Realme 11 Pro+ 5Gbut it still offers excellent value and is one of the few devices to get a curved-edge AMOLED panel.
Here are Gadgets 360’s picks of the top phones under Rs. 25,000 in India, in no particular order.
| Phones under Rs. 25,000 | Gadgets 360 rating (out of 10) | Price in India (as recommended) |
|---|---|---|
| Poco X5 Pro 5G | 8 | Rs. 23,999 |
| Realme 10 Pro+ 5G | 8 | Rs. 24,999 |
| Samsung Galaxy M53 5G | 8 | Rs. 24,900 |
| Motorola Edge 30 | 8 | Rs. 24,999 |
| iQoo Z5 | 8 | Rs. 23,990 |
| Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G | 8 | Rs. 25,999 |
Poco X5 Pro 5G
The Poco X5 Pro 5G It offers a great multimedia experience, solid performance, and good battery life. The design is subjective and if you ask us, we’re not big fans of the way it looks. However, the lightweight and slim design might attract many buyers.
The primary rear camera and the front camera offer good daylight performance and decent low light images, but the other two have some room for improvement. Meanwhile, its Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G also makes it a great smartphone for gamers. Battery life from its massive 5,000mAh battery is quite good and so is its 67W fast charging support. All in all, if you want a phone that offers good performance and is a decent overall package, the Poco X5 Pro 5G can certainly be considered.
Realme 10 Pro+ 5G
The Realme 10 Pro+ 5G has now been replaced by the recently launched Realme 11 Pro+ 5G, but it will still find a few takers given its slightly lower price tag. The new Realme 10 Pro+ 5G goes big on style and performance. Realme’s ‘Hyperspace’ design language makes the phone both light and thin, while looking leagues better than its predecessor and to some its successor as well.
Inside, there’s a MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC, which offers enough performance for day to day tasks and is good for gaming as well. It is one of the few smartphones in this price bracket to offer a 120Hz curved-edge AMOLED display. It gets a 108-megapixel primary camera which sadly, doesn’t offer OIS, but delivers good overall performance. The 5,000mAh battery combined with 67W charging offers good battery backup as well. While the software experience is smooth and you do get Android 13, the phone is loaded with bloatware which we hope gets fixed with updates.
Samsung Galaxy M53 5G
The Samsung Galaxy M53 5G Recently received a price cut for the 6GB RAM variant, which is now available at around Rs. 24,900 in India. At this price, you get Samsung’s punchy Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, which should be good for some mid-level gaming and entertainment. The phone is made out of polycarbonate but sure looks premium with its matte-finished back panel. Samsung is also promising two years of Android OS updates and four years of security updates which is helpful for those who don’t upgrade their smartphones frequently.
The Galaxy M53 5G also sports a 108-megapixel primary camera which offers good daylight performance, but its low-light performance isn’t the best we have seen in this segment. There’s a 5,000mAh battery which offers good battery life, but is limited to just 25W fast charging and takes a while to charge fully. Samsung doesn’t include a charger in the box either.
Motorola Edge 30
The Motorola Edge 30 has now been replaced by its recently launched Edge 40 Smartphone, but it still offers an interesting balance of design and performance. It has a super-slim design that uses a frame made out of polycarbonate and a rear panel made of acrylic instead of glass. This makes the phone quite light at just 155g and also thin at 6.79mm. Performance is taken care of by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ SoC, which is good enough for routine tasks and gaming.
In terms of software users get two years of Android OS updates and three years of security updates sans any bloatware or third-party apps. The triple rear camera setup includes a 50-megapixel primary camera with OIS, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and even a 3X telephoto camera, making it well-equipped in terms of photography. Battery life isn’t best foot forwards, but the 4,020mAh battery should give most users a full-day’s worth of charge.
iQOO Z5
Despite being replaced by the newer Z7 series, the iQoo Z5 still comes out on top in terms of value. It’s not as flashy as the other smartphones in this segment and takes a more practical approach to design with a matte-finished polycarbonate rear panel. The iQoo Z5 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G SoC which is good for daily tasks and gaming.
The base storage variant is offered with 8GB of RAM and there’s a 5,000mAh battery which can be charged quickly using the 44W bundled charger. It’s the only smartphone in this list to have an LCD display but it offers a 120Hz refresh rate which is good for regular use and gaming. While the rest of its specifications are on point, its 64-megapixel camera is not the best one around and struggles quite a bit in low light.
Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G
The Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G is now available at a lower price of Rs. 25,999 for the 8GB RAM variant. The phone’s highlight is clearly its 120W wired charging but the rest of the package is also quite good. There’s a MediaTek Dimensity 920 SoC which is not only good for casual usage but also for some mid-level gaming. There’s a 108-megapixel primary camera which offers good daylight performance, but decent low-light images. Also present is a 120Hz AMOLED display, dual symmetrical stereo speakers, and even a 3.5mm headphone port. It also looks and feels premium with its smooth, anti-glare glass back.
