 "Best phones under Rs 50,000 (Sept 2024): Samsung Galaxy S23 5G, Xiaomi 14 CIVI to Google Pixel 7 Pro")
Our list of phones under Rs 50,000 this month is completely different from the one we compiled last quarter. Interestingly, it isn’t packed with newly released midrange phones but with several previous generation flagship devices from the likes of Samsung, Apple and Google. Of course, we have a couple of recent releases too. Needless to say, they are all powerful phones with excellent cameras, and well worth your consideration. Here are our top picks under Rs 50,000 in India at the moment.
Best phones to buy under Rs 50,000 in India
Samsung Galaxy S23 5G
Let’s start with Samsung’s previous flagship, the Galaxy S23 5G. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s last-gen powerhouse, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and you get its 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage variant under 50K now. This phone is fairly compact and has IP68-rated dust and fluid resistance. It sports an aluminium frame and a glass back with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 at the front and back for protection against scratches and cracks.
The photography department consists of three rear cameras starting with a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and optical image stabilisation (OIS), a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. One can record videos in up to 8K resolution on this phone. The camera performance is still among the best, as you would expect from a Samsung S series phone.
The Samsung Galaxy S23 5G has a 6.1-inch FullHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a peak brightness of 1750 nits, HDR10+ compliance and 120 Hz refresh rate. The phone launched with Android 13 and Samsung’s One UI 5.1 and can be updated to Android 14 with One UI 6.x. One can expect more software updates in the future.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSamsung Galaxy S23 5G price in India: Rs 47,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage
Google Pixel 7 Pro
We didn’t see this coming despite the launch of the Pixel 9 series. Google’s previous flagship smartphone, the Pixel 7 Pro, is currently selling under 45K. The phone is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 processor and offers 12GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It has a curved 6.7-inch QHD+ AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and 1500 nits peak brightness. The HDR10+ compliant screen is protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, and the phone is IP68-rated dust and water-resistant.
You get a fluid Android experience on this device, thanks to the purest version of Android with the Material You UI. It runs Android 14, and one can expect many more updates in the future. The Google Pixel 7 Pro is great at photography too courtesy of its three rear cameras. You get a 50MP primary camera with OIS, along with a 48MP telephoto camera with OIS for up to 5X optical zoom and surprisingly good 30X digital zoom. The 12MP ultra-wide camera with auto-focus is equally impressive and doubles up as a quality macro camera. They do a great job in different lighting and modes.
Google Pixel 7 Pro price in India: Rs 44,999 for 12GB RAM/128GB storage
Apple iPhone 13
Yes, you can get a decent iPhone in this budget and that too before the mega festive sales. With the launch of the iPhone 16, we expected its predecessors to become a lot more affordable, and the Apple iPhone 13 is not a bad option at all under 50K. It is pretty much identical in design, features and specifications to the iPhone 14, with the exception of RAM. You get its 128 GB variant in this budget.
It has a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with a resolution of 2532 x 1170 pixels and compliance with HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The phone feels great in hand due to its compact size, and this too has an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. The iPhone 13 is powered by Apple’s former flagship A15 Bionic chip, which remains quite powerful for most tasks.
There are two 12MP cameras at the back with the primary unit offering OIS, and the secondary capable of capturing ultra-wide shots. The performance in photography and videography is still very good, as one expects from an iPhone. The Apple iPhone 13 now runs iOS 17, with more OS updates to follow over the next three years at least.
Apple iPhone 13 price in India: Rs 49,900 for 128GB storage
Xiaomi 14 CIVI
If you don’t like the rather miserly storage space offered by the big three, you should consider the Xiaomi 14 CIVI. And it’s not just about storage; this is a powerful phone that packs impressive features. You get a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2750 x 1236 pixels. It is HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliant, with a peak brightness of 3000 nits and support for up to 68 billion colour shades. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Xiaomi 14 CIVI is powered by Qualcomm’s recent Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC, and you get 12 GB RAM along with 512 GB UFS 4.0 storage. The cameras on this phone have been designed in collaboration with Leica. You get three modules at the back, with a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter with 120-degrees FOV and a 50MP telephoto camera that provides a modest 2X optical zoom.
This phone targets the selfie enthusiasts with two 32MP front cameras that are quite good at solo as well as group selfies. The phone’s 4700 mAh battery lasts for a day of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger promises to juice it up fully in less than 45 minutes. The Xiaomi 14 CIVI runs the latest Android 14 with the company’s HyperOS UI.
Xiaomi 14 CIVI price in India: Rs 47,999 (Rs 44,999 using credit/debit cards) for 12GB RAM/512GB storage
Vivo V40 Pro 5G
The new Vivo V40 Pro 5G is a very good camera phone that does not lag behind in other departments either. At its core is a powerful and flagship-grade Mediatek Dimensity 9200+ chip, and you get its 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage variant in this budget. This phone has a 10-bit 6.78-inch HDR10+ compliant AMOLED display with a resolution of 2800 x 1260 pixels and 120 Hz refresh rate. It can get up to 4500 nits bright. The phone runs the latest Android 14 with FunTouch OS 14.
The Vivo V40 Pro 5G is studded with four 50MP cameras with Zeiss optics, starting with the primary camera with OIS, and accompanied by a telephoto camera with OIS for 2X optical zoom and an ultra-wide camera with auto-focus that provides macro capabilities too. Lastly, let’s not forget the 50 MP selfie camera that does a commendable job. The phone’s 5500 mAh battery lasts over a day and a half of moderate use, and supports 80W fast wired charging.
Vivo V40 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 49,999 (Rs 45,999 using credit/debit cards) for 8GB RAM/256GB storage
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