Best phones under Rs 50,000 (Dec 2023): Samsung Galaxy S22 5G, Google Pixel 7a to Nothing Phone (2)

We thought the festive sales were over by now. While that may be the case for budget phones, there are some great offers on premium phones even now. And with newer models already here or on the horizon, some of the former and current flagship devices have seen price cuts in recent times. We cannot be certain if the cuts are permanent, but why not make hay while the sun shines? After considering a lot of options, here are the top 5 smartphones to buy under Rs 50,000 at this moment. Best phones to buy under Rs 50,000 in India Samsung Galaxy S22 5G Samsung’s previous flagship phone is currently selling under 50K and offers a great mix of features and performance. The Samsung Galaxy S22 5G has an IP68 rated ingress protection along with a compact design. This phone sports an aluminium frame and glass back with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection at the front and back. It has a 6.1-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1300 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate. [caption id=“attachment_13468902” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Image Credit: Samsung[/caption] This Samsung smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and you can get its 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage variant in this budget at the moment. A 3700 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for a day of moderate use and supports 25W fast charging as well as 15W wireless charging. It launched with Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1, and an Android 13 update with One UI 5.x is available. The photography department on the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G is mighty impressive as we have come to expect from their S series phones. You get a 50MP primary camera with dual-pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS that provides 3X optical zoom. The camera performance is flagship grade, and it can record videos in 8K resolution too. Samsung Galaxy S22 5G price in India: Rs 49,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage Google Pixel 7a At first we considered the Google Pixel 7 but the Pixel 7a offers most of its features for significantly less money; a difference of Rs 9,000 currently to be specific. Like other phones in the Pixel 7 series, the Pixel 7a is powered by Google’s previous flagship Tensor G2 processor and offers 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. It sports a compact 6.1-inch Full HD+ OLED display with 90 Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The phone has an IP67 rated ingress protection. [caption id=“attachment_13468922” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Image Credit: Google[/caption] As you expect from a Pixel phone, you get the purest version of Android 13 (with more updates to follow) with the Material You design language. Other than speedy OS updates, the Pixel phones are known for their camera capabilities, and the Google Pixel 7a delivers strongly 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 that do a great job in different lighting and modes. Software tricks like the Magic Eraser and Camouflage are great additions. Google Pixel 7a price in India: Rs 40,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage iQOO 11 5G The iQOO 11 5G is easily the most powerful of the lot courtesy of Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. It is accompanied by 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 4.0 storage. This phone has a sharp 10-bit 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant E6 AMOLED display with a resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels and 144 Hz refresh rate. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone runs Android 13 with FunTouch OS 13. [caption id=“attachment_13468932” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Image Credit: iQOO[/caption] The rear camera department consists of a 50MP primary camera with a Samsung GN5 sensor and OIS, accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 13MP telephoto camera that gives you 2X optical zoom and also doubles up as a portrait camera. The 16MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well. The iQOO 11 5G’s 5000 mAh battery lasts for a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 120W fast charger promises to charge 50 per cent of it in just 8 minutes, and fully in about 25 minutes. iQOO 11 5G price in India: Rs 49,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage Nothing Phone (2) Nothing’s current flagship phone is a significant upgrade on most fronts over their first phone. While it retains its unique design with transparent back and LEDs, the Nothing Phone (2) offers a lot more. The Glyph lights at the back are not just cosmetic but provide a ton of functionality and customisation. Nothing has equipped the Phone (2) with ample muscle too courtesy of a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip. It is accompanied by 12 GB RAM and a choice between 256 GB and 512 GB internal storage. It has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ 10-bit LTPO OLED display with a peak brightness of 1600 nits, HDR10+ compliance and a variable refresh rate ranging from 1 Hz to 120 Hz. The photography department on the Nothing Phone (2) consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide with auto-focus. The camera performance is impressive across modes, especially in good light. The 32 MP front camera will have the selfie enthusiasts interested. [caption id=“attachment_13468972” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Image Credit: Firstpost | Mehul Reuben Das[/caption] A 4700 mAh battery keeps the phone powered for well over a day of moderate use. It supports 45W fast charging as well as 15W wireless charging. However, no charger has been provided with the phone and needs to be purchased separately. A good 45W USB-PD/PPS charger can juice it up fully in under an hour. The phone runs Android 13 with Nothing OS 2.0, and the company promises 4 years of software updates. Nothing Phone (2) price in India: Rs 44,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage; Rs 49,999 for 12GB RAM/512GB storage Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G Last but not least, the former Xiaomi flagship is currently selling for a great price, and it is still a powerful device. The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G is packed with great features starting with a 6.73-inch LTPO 2.0 10-bit AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a QHD+ resolution of 3200 x 1440 pixels. The screen is compliant with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision and can get up to 1500 nits bright. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC, and you get a choice between 8 GB and 12 GB RAM along with 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage. The price of the 12 GB variant is significantly higher, and the 8 GB variant offers far better value. The rear camera department has three 50MP cameras with the primary module offering OIS, the ultrawide providing you with 115 degrees FOV and a telephoto camera facilitating 2X optical zoom. The 32MP front camera is quite good for selfies. [caption id=“attachment_13469032” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Image Credit: Xiaomi[/caption] The Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G also boasts of features like a quad-speaker system tuned by Harman Kardon and superfast charging. Its 4600 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 120W charger claims to charge it fully in just 18 minutes. The phone also supports 50W fast wireless charging. The phone launched with Android 12 with MIUI 13, and can now be updated to Android 13 with MIUI 14. Xiaomi 12 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 41,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage