Best phones under Rs 30,000 (Nov 2021): Mi 11X 5G, OnePlus Nord 2 to Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G

Once again, all the handsets on our list of the best phones going for under Rs 30,000 are 5G-compliant. And somehow, the list is even more impressive than last quarter’s. You get some serious processing power, sleek designs, vibrant displays, higher-than-usual refresh rates, impressive cameras and more. Without wasting any more time, let’s meet the best options available for under 30K this month. Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India

Xiaomi Mi 11X 5G

The price of Xiaomi’s Mi 11X 5G has dropped over the last month or so, making it an even better deal. And now you get its 8 GB RAM variant easily in this budget. It boasts of a powerful Snapdragon 870 SoC and has 128 GB internal storage. Its display is one of the finest around, not just in terms of sharpness but also colour accuracy. You get a 6.67-inch Super AMOLED Full HD+ display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ compliance and 1300 nits of peak theoretical brightness. It is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and so is the phone’s glass back. [caption id=“attachment_9709731” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  Xiaomi Mi 11X 5G. Image: Tech2/Jaison Lewis[/caption] It scores high on style quotient too with an impressive design and less than 8 mm thickness. Camera department consists of a 48 MP primary camera, along with an 8 MP ultra-wide shooter and a 5 MP macro camera. You also get a 20 MP front camera for selfies and video calls. Its 4,520 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use comfortably. The bundled 33 W fast charger promises to juice up the phone fully in under an hour. Mi 11X 5G runs Android 11 with MIUI 12 on top. Xiaomi Mi 11X 5G price in India: Rs 26,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Motorola Edge 20

The Motorola Edge 20 may not have the processing muscle of the Mi 11X but has a lot else going for it that no other phone in this list can brag about. Firstly, it is less than 7 mm thin; an incredibly rare virtue in midrange phones. Secondly, its large 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display flaunts a 144 Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ compliance and has the capability to display a billion colour shades. There’s Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches too. [caption id=“attachment_9892221” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  Motorola Edge 20. Image: Motorola[/caption] Thirdly, the camera department is helmed by a 108 MP primary camera. The support cast is also strong here, with a 16 MP ultra-wide shooter and an 8 MP telephoto camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS) that offers you 3X optical zoom. Not to forget the 32 MP selfie camera that is quite solid too. Though it doesn’t have an 8-series Qualcomm SoC, it is powered by a reasonably potent and recent Snapdragon 778G that is also 5G-compliant. You get 8 GB RAM with 128 GB internal storage in this budget. Its 4,000 mAh battery suffices for over a day of moderate use and supports 30 W fast charging. And last but not the least, like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface. All said and done, the Motorola Edge 20 is one impressive all-round package that deserves to be better known than what it is currently. Motorola Edge 20 price in India: Rs 27,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Realme X7 Max 5G

Realme’s X7 Max 5G is powered by the popular and powerful Mediatek Dimensity 1200 SoC, and is a great all-round device. You get two variants of this phone in this budget with either 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage or 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. Its 6.43-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120 Hz refresh rate claims to reach 1000 nits brightness, and is vibrant and fluid. The rear texture is quite interesting with a combination of matte and glossy finish, making the phone eye-catching. [caption id=“attachment_9746551” align=“alignnone” width=“1024”]  Realme X7 Max. Image: Tech2/Chandrakant Isi[/caption] The Realme X7 Max 5G has three cameras at the back, starting with a 64 MP primary camera that does a good job in various lighting conditions. It is accompanied by an 8 MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP macro camera. A 16 MP front camera is more than decent for selfies and video calls. The 4,500 mAh battery lasts well over a day of moderate use and the bundled 50 W fast charger juices it up in quick time. The phone runs Android 11 with Realme UI 2.0. Realme X7 Max 5G price in India: Rs 26,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage; Rs 29,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage

OnePlus Nord 2

The OnePlus Nord 2 is also powered by a Dimensity 1200 chip and ticks a lot of boxes, in addition to packing powerful processing hardware. This 5G-ready phone has a vibrant 6.43-inch Full HD+ Fluid AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. It is protected by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the protection extends to the phone’s glass back as well. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. This phone runs the new OxygenOS 11.3 based on Android 11, which is another key feature of this device. [caption id=“attachment_9980231” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”]  OnePlus Nord 2. Image: Tech2[/caption] The star of the rear camera department is a 50 MP main camera with OIS and Sony’s new IMX766 sensor that does a good job in different lighting conditions. Support cast includes an 8 MP ultra-wide camera and a 2 MP monochrome camera. The 32 MP front camera is good enough to keep the selfie crowd happy. The OnePlus Nord 2 has a 4,500 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 65 W fast charger charges it insanely quickly, in just over half an hour. OnePlus Nord 2 price in India: Rs 29,999 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage

Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G

The Samsung Galaxy A52s is an enhanced and 5G-ready variant of the A52 that flaunts certain features Samsung generally reserves for its more expensive flagship models. You get IP67-rated ingress protection that’s rare in this segment. The 6.5-inch Super AMOLED display with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 now has a 120 Hz refresh rate. The processor has also been bumped up to Snapdragon 778G from the Snapdragon 720G chip on the A52. You get 8 GB RAM along with 128 GB of internal (expandable) storage. [caption id=“attachment_10154741” align=“alignnone” width=“2709”]  Samsung Galaxy A52. Image: Samsung[/caption] The camera department here is quite versatile with a 64 MP primary camera with OIS, another rarity in this budget for Samsung phones. Giving it company are a 12 MP ultrawide shooter, a 5 MP macro camera and a 5 MP depth sensor to capture some quality photos in various modes. A 32 MP selfie camera embedded in a tiny punch-hole at the top of the screen will have the selfie enthusiasts interested. A 4,500 mAh battery can keep the phone powered beyond a day of moderate use, and the bundled charger promises to recharge half the battery in half an hour. The Samsung Galaxy A52s runs Android 11 with One UI 3.1. Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G price in India: Rs 29,990 for 8 GB RAM/ 128 GB storage