 "Best Midrange Smartphones of 2024 in India")
After having explored the best flagship phones and their killers of 2024, we now draw our attention to some highly competent devices that do not cost a bomb. Simply put, we now look at the best midrange phones of 2024. Midrange is a broad term that can encompass anything priced between Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. Before we look at the top options in that range, I would like to add that the true star of this segment has been Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip that has enabled some great options this year in this budget as you will soon see.
Best Midrange Smartphones of 2024
Google Pixel 8a
Though from the previous generation, the Google Pixel 8a released in mid-2024 offers exceptional value starting at just Rs 34,999. The phone is powered by Google’s previous flagship Tensor G3 chip that also powers the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro. It sports a compact but sharp 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED HDR display with 120Hz refresh rate and 2000 nits peak brightness. The phone has a sturdy build and an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance.
You get the purest version of the latest Android 15 with the Material You design language and a promise of 7 years of software updates like its more expensive Pixel cousins, which is great. Other than speedy OS updates, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Pixel 8a is no different. It delivers admirably in that department courtesy of two cameras at the back. You get a 64MP primary camera with OIS and a 13MP ultra-wide camera with 120-degrees FOV. They do a great job in different lighting and modes; among the very best in the segment.
Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is a larger and fully loaded device for those who prefer a near-stock Android UI. It offers some cool back panel options and sports an IP68 rated ingress protection. This phone has a curved 10-bit 6.7-inch P-OLED display with higher than Full HD resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate, 2500 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ compliance. This is the first of many phones in this list to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB internal storage.
You get three cameras at the back that are quite versatile and cover all the key bases. It has a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS that offers 3X optical zoom and a 50MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus, which doubles up as a quality macro camera. And not to forget the 50MP front camera with auto-focus to thrill the selfie enthusiasts. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra runs Android 14, and the company has promised at least three more major Android updates for this device.
Realme GT 6/ Xiaomi 14 CIVI
The Realme GT 6 and the Xiaomi 14 CIVI have a lot in common and it’s hard to pick a winner between the two. Both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC and offer some great features and performance. You get ample RAM and up to 512 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage options in both. Both flaunt sharp and bright AMOLED displays with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection.
The similarities don’t end there. Both phones offer two 50MP cameras at the back with the primary module sporting OIS, while the other being a telephoto unit that offers 2X optical zoom. Their performance is comparable. While the Realme GT 6 has a single 32MP front camera to impress the selfie crowd, Xiaomi 14 CIVI doubles down in this department to thrill them further. The Realme does better in the battery department with a larger battery and faster charging.
Impact Shorts
View AllBoth phones run Android 14, the CIVI with HyperOS and the GT 6 with Realme UI 5.0. While Realme has promised three major OS updates for its phone, there’s no such official commitment from Xiaomi for the CIVI, though one can at least expect Android 15 on it soon. That gives the GT 6 a slight edge.
Poco F6 5G
The Poco F6 5G offers exceptional value by bringing the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC to the sub-25K segment; the above phones with that chip are priced closer to 40K. It is coupled with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage. You also get a variant with more RAM and double the storage for a little more. Photography department is more than decent with a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter manning the rear, with a 20MP front camera taking care of selfies and video calls.
The Poco F6 5G has a vibrant 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a higher than Full HD resolution and support for 12-bit colour, 120 Hz refresh rate, 2400 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. Its 5000 mAh battery can last over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 90W turbo charger can take it from empty to full in about 40 minutes. It runs Android 14 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS with 3 major Android updates to follow.
OnePlus Nord 4 5G
Last but not the least, we have the OnePlus Nord 4 5G, another excellent option in the sub-30K segment. It is one of the rare phones with a metal back that adds to the aesthetics. The Nord 4 has an aluminium unibody that looks elegant and feels sturdy, yet keeps the thickness of the phone down to 8 mm. It also sports an IP65 rating for dust and splash resistance. The phone is powered by a highly competent Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 chip with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage. We hope to see more phones with that SoC in 2025.
The Nord 4 has a HDR10+ compliant 6.74-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a higher than Full HD resolution, 10-bit colour depth, 120 Hz refresh rate and 2150 nits peak brightness. In the photography department, the 50MP primary camera with OIS does a very good job, and is supported by an 8MP ultrawide camera with 112 degrees FOV and a 32MP front camera that should please the selfie enthusiasts.
Its 5500 mAh battery lasts for well over a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 100W charger juices it up fully in less than 30 minutes. The OnePlus Nord 4 5G runs OxygenOS 14 based on Android 14, and the company has promised 4 years of OS and 6 years of security updates going ahead, which should keep this phone relevant and secure for long, thus adding to its value quotient. We strongly considered the OnePlus 12R that is a little better overall but the Nord 4 offers better value, and hence, we stuck with it.
That completes our lists of best phones of 2024. Wishing you a very happy 2025!
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