 "Best phones under Rs 40,000 (Aug 2025): Realme GT 7, Poco F7 5G to OnePlus Nord 5")
If you have a budget of Rs 40,000 for a smartphone, processing power is not something you should worry about. You get phones with plenty of it, including the top variants of some of them with 512 GB storage. And of course, you get excellent displays and high quality cameras to go with it. But there are quite a few of them to choose from. But worry not! Here are your top 5 smartphone options under 40K in India at the moment.
Best phones to buy under Rs 40,000 in India
Realme GT 7
The Realme GT 7 is a great all-round option in this budget. Claimed to be the first phone in India to be powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 9400e SoC, this handset has some serious processing muscle. You can get its 8 GB LPDDR5X RAM variant with 256 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage under 40K. You can further Rs 3,000 off with most credit cards. It has IP69 rated ingress protection, which makes it beyond rain-proof.
The phone features a 6.78-inch 1.5K 10-bit LTPO AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 6000 nits peak brightness. The HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant screen is protected against scratches by a layer of ArmorShell glass. The rear camera department features two 50MP cameras with the primary module sporting Sony’s IMX 906 sensor and OIS, while the other is a telephoto unit that offers 2X optical zoom. You also have an 8MP ultra-wide camera to complete the pack. In addition, there’s a 32MP front camera to appeal to the selfie crowd.
A massive 7000 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for over two days of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger promises to juice up half of it in less than 15 minutes. The Realme GT 7 runs Android 15 with Realme UI 6.0, with the company promising four major OS updates going ahead.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsRealme GT 7 price in India: Rs 36,999 (effectively) for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Poco F7 5G
If you want comparable processing power and double the storage for a lot less money, the fairly new Poco F7 5G is a great option. This phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC and is coupled with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.1 storage. The photography department here consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide shooter at the back, with a 20MP front camera taking care of selfies and video calls. The phone runs Android 15 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 and boasts of IP68-rated ingress protection.
The Poco F7 5G has a vibrant 6.83-inch AMOLED screen with 1.5K resolution and support for 12-bit colour, 120 Hz refresh rate, 3200 nits peak brightness and HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 7i. The phone has a monstrous 7550 mAh battery that keeps it running for well over two days of moderate use, and the bundled 90W turbo charger promises to juice it up briskly. The phone also supports reverse wired charging and can be used as a powerbank to charge smaller devices like wireless earphones.
Poco F7 5G price in India: Rs 33,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage
iQOO Neo 10
‘Big power and bigger battery’ seems to be the flavour of the season, and the iQOO Neo 10 ticks all the boxes to board that bandwagon. This phone too is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC with 12 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.1 internal storage. It is a great option for gamers as it claims to support 144 FPS in gaming and has a large vapour chamber cooling to keep things comfortable during long gaming sessions. The phone hosts a huge 7000 mAh battery that can power extended hours of gaming and last over two days of moderate use. The bundled 120W fast charger claims to recharge half of it in just 19 minutes.
The iQOO Neo 10 has a 6.78-inch 10-bit OLED HDR display with 1.5K resolution, 144 Hz refresh rate and 5500 nits peak brightness. Photography is handled by two rear cameras consisting of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and an 8MP ultra-wide snapper. You also get a 32MP front camera for selfies and video calls. The phone runs Android 15 with the company committing to 3 major Android updates and 4 years of security updates for the device. The phone has IP65-rated ingress protection.
Pro Tip: With the right credit cards, you can even get its 16 GB RAM + 512 GB storage variant under 40K.
iQOO Neo 10 price in India: Rs 35,998 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
OnePlus Nord 5
The latest and the most powerful from the Nord series is also a good option in this budget. The OnePlus Nord 5 is powered by a last-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, which is still a potent option, and you can get the phone’s top variant with 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage comfortably in this budget. The phone has a 6.83-inch 10-bit Swift AMOLED display with a 1.5K resolution, HDR10+ compliance, 144 Hz refresh rate, 1800 nits peak brightness and Gorilla Glass 7i protection.
The photography department is helmed by a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a very good job and is supported by an 8MP ultrawide camera with 116 degrees FOV. But it is the 50MP selfie camera with auto-focus that will have the selfie enthusiasts interested. This phone too has a high capacity 6800 mAh battery that keeps the phone powered for over two days of moderate use, and the bundled 80W charger promises to juice it up fully in under an hour. The OnePlus Nord 5 runs Android 15 with OxygenOS 15, and the company has promised 4 major Android updates for this device.
OnePlus Nord 5 price in India: Rs 31,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 37,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage
Motorola Edge 60 Pro
The Motorola Edge 60 Pro may not be as powerful as the above phones but remains a solid all-round device for those who prefer a clean and near-stock Android UI. The phone looks quite elegant courtesy of its eco-leather back and an IP69 rating makes it dust and water resistant. It has a curved 10-bit 6.7-inch 1.5K P-OLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate, 4500 nits peak brightness, HDR10+ compliance and Gorilla Glass 7i protection.
The Motorola Edge 60 Pro is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8350 Extreme SoC with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB UFS 4.0 internal storage. You get three cameras at the back that cover more bases than other phones in this list. It has a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 10MP 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 let’s not forget the 50MP front camera capable of clicking quality selfies and recording 4K videos.
Its sizable 6000 mAh battery can power the phone for close to two days of moderate use and the bundled 90W turbo charger promises to charge it fully in under 45 minutes. The Edge 60 Pro runs Android 15, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface. The company has promised 3 major Android updates for this device going ahead.
Motorola Edge 60 Pro price in India: Rs 37,999 for 16 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage