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In the final smartphone buying guide of the current batch, we will look at premium phones priced up to a lakh Rupees. This is sufficient money to get pretty much anything one needs, be it great features, performance, camera output or style. Even better, this time you may not have to blow up your full budget to get our shortlisted phones, most of which were priced closer to a lakh or higher just a quarter ago. Here are your best options under Rs 100,000 at the moment.
Best phones to buy under Rs 100,000 in India
Apple iPhone 16/ iPhone 16 Plus
You get not one but two options from the latest Apple iPhone 16 series to choose from. You can opt for either the iPhone 16 or the iPhone 16 Plus, both with 256 GB storage. Both phones have the exact specifications barring the display and battery capacity. The iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2556 x 1179 pixels, 2000 nits peak brightness and HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliance. The 16 Plus has a larger 6.7-inch screen with a higher resolution of 2796 x 1290 pixels. Other display features are identical.
The iPhone 16 feels better in hand due to its compact size and lower weight, but the iPhone 16 Plus has a significantly larger 4674 mAh battery that lasts a lot longer than the 16’s 3561 mAh unit. Both phones have IP68 rated ingress protection and support wireless charging. These devices are powered by Apple’s A18 chip and have a USB-C charging port. The Apple iPhone 16 and 16 Plus run the latest iOS 18 with more OS updates to follow over the years.
Camera department hasn’t seen a major change from the iPhone 15 series on paper. You get a 48MP main camera with dual-pixel PDAF and optical image stabilisation (OIS). The secondary 12MP ultra-wide camera now gets auto-focus, and thus, macro capabilities; a welcome addition. The 12MP front camera here has been around for a few generations now. The performance in photography and videography is excellent, as one expects from an iPhone. And you also get the new physical Action button that offers a few new tricks.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOne can even get the 512 GB variant of the iPhone 16 under a lakh, but we would advise against it given the Rs 20,000 premium for just the extra storage.
Apple iPhone 16 price in India: Rs 79,999 for 256 GB storage
Apple iPhone 16 Plus price in India: Rs 89,999 for 256 GB storage
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
One of the absolute top phones of 2024, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is now available for an even better price. From raw performance to a stacked photography department to the versatile S Pen, this is a true flagship device in every sense. It is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC and you can get its 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant comfortably in this budget. It handles everything effortlessly, be it day-to-day apps or gaming or photo editing with a dash of AI, without overheating or lagging.
The showstopper of the photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is a 200MP primary camera with multi-directional PDAF and OIS. Giving it company is a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom and a second 50MP periscope telephoto camera for 5X optical zoom. There’s also a 12MP ultra-wide camera with dual-pixel PDAF. The cameras do a stellar job across the board in photography and videography both and can record videos in up to 8K resolution.
The S24 Ultra has a sharp and vivid 6.8-inch QHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone launched with OneUI 6.1 based on Android 14, and Samsung has committed to seven more years of OS and security updates, keeping this device secure and relevant for a long time. A 5000 mAh battery keeps it powered for well over a day of moderate use and supports both wired and wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra price in India: Rs 84,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Moving on from one flagship phone of the year to another, the Pixel 9 Pro can now be purchased under 90K without any credit card hacks. The phone is packed with great features and AI tricks that seem to get better with time. It is powered by Google’s current flagship Tensor G4 processor and you get 16 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage to go with it. It sports a sharp 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with HDR10+ compliance, 2856 x 1280 pixels resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate and 3000 nits peak brightness. The screen as well as its glass back are protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
This phone too sports an IP68 rating to keep it safe from dust and water ingression. As you expect from Pixel phones, you get the purest version of Android 15 with the Material You design language. Just like Samsung, Google too promises an incredible 7 years of OS and security updates for this phone, keeping it fresh and secure for long. Other than speedy OS updates, Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Pixel 9 Pro is among the very best camera phones on the planet.
You get a 50MP primary camera with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS and a 48MP ultra-wide camera with 123-degrees FOV and dual-pixel PDAF that lets you capture some excellent macro shots in addition to its primary functionality. And let’s not forget that excellent 48MP periscope telephoto camera with OIS that sets it apart from its non-Pro variant and provides 5X optical zoom. The cameras do a stellar job across different lightings and modes.
Google Pixel 9 Pro price in India: Rs 89,999 for 16 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Vivo X200 Pro
The Vivo X200 Pro is not just a powerful phone but one that has managed to take on the Big 3 in the photography game too. Just competing with them is an achievement but beating them in certain areas is just incredible. The photography department here, assisted by Zeiss optics, consists of a 50MP primary camera with Sony’s LYT-818 sensor, one of the most versatile 200MP periscope telephoto cameras around with Zeiss colour correction and a 50MP ultra-wide camera.
Collectively with Vivo’s V3+ image processor, they do a phenomenal job across the board, be it regular, low-light, macro photography or clicking some great portrait shots and more. And its video quality is comparable to that of the latest iPhones; that’s saying something! While that would have been enough, Vivo hasn’t left other bases uncovered either. The X200 Pro is powered by a flagship Mediatek Dimensity 9400 chip with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage and also has one of the best displays around.
Its 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance, 4500 nits peak brightness and a resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels is mighty impressive. In addition, its 6000 mAh battery provides ample battery backup and charges briskly. While the above phones offer IP68 ingress protection, the Vivo X200 Pro goes a step further with an IP69 rating which lets you do some underwater photography too. It runs Android 15 with four major Android updates expected.
Vivo X200 Pro price in India: Rs 86,999 for 16 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage