6 Best Phones Under ₹30,000 (September 2025)

Update: We last checked this article for new phones on September 2nd, 2025.

Remember when a good phone was, like, under ₹15,000? Yeah, good times. Now, thanks to inflation and a million options, most people are looking in the ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 range. That’s where the magic happens – premium features without the flagship price tag. If you’re shopping for best phone under ₹30,000 today, we’ve got you covered. We’ve tested dozens of devices, and here are our top recommendations.

Best Phones to Buy Under ₹30000

1. Poco F7 – Best Battery Backup Phone

Want the best possible phone under ₹30,000? The Poco F7 is the one for you. Powered by the new Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, it offers performance similar to the S24 Ultra. It has an AnTuTu score of more than 2 million, making it the most powerful phone in the segment.

Furthermore, it’s paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Unlike other phones, you get UFS 4.0 on all storage variants. On the front, there’s a large 6.83-inch flat display, which is perfect for watching your favourite TV shows. And just like premium flagship phones, you get an aluminium finish and glass back panel.

It also comes with an IP68+IP69 rating, so you can take the phone with you for those occasional swims. To top it all up, there’s a massive 7500mAh battery. This is the largest battery available on a phone right now. And there’s also 90W wired charging, and it doubles up as a powerbank, letting you charge your friend’s phones.

Overall, Xiaomi has loaded this best phone under ₹30,000 with impressive hardware. However, there are some weak points. It has a few preinstalled apps, uses a virtual proximity sensor (rather than a physical one), and the cameras are just good for the price.

Software Updates: Ships with Android 15, with 4 years of major Android updates (up to Android 19) and 6 years of security updates guaranteed.

Price: ₹31,999 for 12/256GB, ₹29,999 for 12/256GB (₹2000 off with offers)

2. Moto Edge 60 Pro – Software Bliss

Motorola has been making waves in the ₹20-30K segments lately. In fact, it’s one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands, with an impressive 82% year-on-year increase in shipments. Phones like the Motorola Edge 50 Pro are a big reason why.

The main reason why the Edge 50 Pro is the best phone under ₹30,000? It’s software. The phone runs Motorola’s Hello UI based on Android 15. It’s clean, close to stock Android, and has no bloatware or ads (except for Facebook, which you can uninstall). Plus, it has a bunch of handy features like Moto Actions, Ready For, and more.

The Edge 50 Pro packs the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage, and 8GB or 12GB RAM options. It’s not a gaming phone, but it offers balanced performance with lightweight software for everyday use.

You get a 6.7-inch, 144Hz curved pOLED display with Widevine L1 support for high-quality streaming. It’s also the only phone in this segment to offer flagship features like wireless charging and reverse wireless charging. An IP68 rating is a bonus.

The cameras are pretty good too. There’s a 50MP main camera, a 10MP 3x telephoto lens, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a 50MP selfie camera. It captures good-quality photos suitable for social media in most lighting conditions. However, the camera can be a bit laggy at times, even with the decent hardware.

The battery is only 4,500mAh, so don’t expect it to last a full day, but that’s compensated for by the super-fast 125W charging. And yes, the PD charger is included in the box, which you can also use to charge other devices like your laptop.

Software Updates: Launched with Android 14, currently running Android 15, with 3 years of Android updates (up to Android 17) and 4 years of security updates promised.

Price: ₹27,999 for 8/256GB, ₹29,999 for 12/256GB

3. OnePlus Nord 5 – Best Overall Phone

The OnePlus Nord 5 is the much-awaited successor to last year’s best phone under ₹30,000, the Nord 4. It’s a bit of a mixed bag with some upgrades, sidegrades, and rather weird downgrades. Starting with the design, OnePlus has ditched the stainless steel back in favour of a glass panel.

Starting with the upgrades, it’s powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 paired with upto 12GB of RAM. It’s a slight upgrade over the 7 Plus Gen 3 from last year’s Nord 4. Another upgrade is the display, which now measures 6.83 inches and has Gorilla Glass 7i for protection.

Coming to the list of downgrades, the Nord 5 gets slower UFS 3.1 storage instead of UFS 4.0 found on the Nord 4. This will result in slower app opening/ closing speeds. Thankfully, you still get 4 years of OS and 6 years of security patches. With OxygenOS 15, it’s a solid software experience overall.

Another upgrade is the battery, as the Nord 5 packs a massive 6,800mAh one. However, OnePlus has sacrificed on the charging speeds as the phone supports 80W instead of 100W like its predecessor. For optics, you get a 50MP primary and an 8MP ultrawide-angle sensor. Sadly, there’s no telephoto lens here, and the camera output isn’t the best in the segment.

Software Updates: Launched on Android 15. It will receive four Android OS updates and six years of security updates.

Price: ₹31,999 for 8/256GB, ₹32,999 for 12/256GB (₹2,000 off with offers)

4. Realme 14 Pro Plus – Value Pick

Realme has lately been on a spree to launch as many phones as they can. Honestly, I’ve forgotten the count, but some phones stand out from the crowd. Realme 14 Pro+ is best phone under ₹30,000 for its immersive quad-curved display and powerful camera system.

You’d first notice the phone’s massive 6.83-inch Super AMOLED display, which curves on all four sides, similar to the recently launched OnePlus 13 and Vivo V50. Plus, the back panel features a temperature-sensitive color-changing design.

Powering the device is the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, which is just a notch below the 7 Gen 3, in line with Qualcomm’s naming scheme for toned-down versions of the same processor. The base model itself costs ₹29,999 and comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GBof storage.

There’s a 50MP main + 50MP 3x periscope telephoto + 8MP ultra-wide setup on the rear. The main lens captures ample detail, and even the telephoto images are sharp and detailed. The ultrawide, however, is very basic and does not capture as much detail, nor as good color exposure or HDR, as the main shooter. Oh, and yes, it has three separate flashlights on the rear. Selfies are managed by a 32MP front camera with autofocus, which helps avoid blurry shots.

All of this is fueled by a respectable 6,000mAh battery with support for 80W SuperVOOC charging. However, the battery efficiency is not so great, and the speakers don’t sound as good as other devices on the list.

Software Updates: Launched with Android 15, it will get 2 years of Android OS updates and 3 years of security patch updates.

Price: ₹29,999 for 8/128GB, ₹31,999 for 8/256GB, ₹34,999 for 12/256GB

5. Vivo V50 – Best Camera Phone

The Vivo V50 is one of the best phone under ₹30,000 as it offers the best cameras in its segment. Vivo has always been known for its cameras, and I’m personally a fan of their X-series. The V-series bridges the gap between Vivo’s affordable line and the flagship X-series, meaning it understandably inherits some features from the more expensive models.

The Vivo V50 comes with a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a 50MP ultra-wide sensor on the back. For selfies, you get a 50MP front camera. The main camera uses Zeiss optics. The large ring on the back acts as a flashlight with a customizable color tone, similar to the previous Vivo V40.

The phone packs a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for the base model we’re discussing here. Vivo has added a vapor chamber cooling system to prevent the phone from overheating.

Games and movies can be enjoyed on the large 6.77-inch quad-curved AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 1,300 nits of global peak brightness, and HDR10+ support. This is complemented by dual stereo speakers, like the older model. A 6,000mAh battery with 90W FlashCharge fast charging powers the device.

Other features include an IP68 + IP69 rating, Diamond Shield glass protection (built in collaboration with Schott, makers of Schott Sensation glass protection), and Funtouch OS 15 on top of Android 15.

Software Updates: Launched with Android 15 and has been promised 3 years of Android OS updates and 4 years of security updates.

Price: ₹34,999 for 8GB/128GB, ₹36,999 for 12GB/256GB, and ₹40,999 for 12GB/512GB (the base model is currently available for around ₹33,000 with card discounts).

6. iQOO Neo 10: Best Phone For Gamers

Want a best phone under ₹30,000 that doesn’t heat up and can last all day? Meet the iQOO Neo 10. It uses the same Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor as the Poco F7. This means you can expect the same flagship-grade performance but without any heating issues. The plastic body not only looks stylish with a dual tone finish but also helps in cooling the temperatures considerably.

Another similarity that it shares with the Poco is a flat panel. You get a 6.78-inch 1.5K panel that is sharp and vivid. And there’s also LTPO to dynamically adjust the refresh rate, apart from a smoother 144Hz refresh rate compared to the F7. But it compromises slightly on durability as you get an IP65 rating instead of the IP68+IP69 on the Poco F7.

Another area where you need to sacrifice is the software updates. The Neo 10 offers only 3+4 years of updates compared to 4+6 on the Poco F7. Another noteworthy consideration is that if you buy the 128GB model, you will get UFS 3.1 instead of UFS 4.1 found on the 256GB and 512GB variants.s

What you won’t miss out on is great battery backup. The iQOO Neo 10 packs a huge 7,000mAh battery that can easily last two days on a single charge. Furthermore, you get faster 120W wired charging compared to 90W on the Poco F7. That being said, if you prioritize better display and gaming performance, the Neo 10 seems like a better deal.

Software Update: Launched with Android 15; It will get 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches

Price: ₹31,998 for 8GB+128GB | ₹33,998 for 8GB+256GB (₹1,000 with offers)

You May Also Check the Nothing Phone (3a) Series

Nothing launched its Nothing Phone (3a) and Nothing Phone (3a) Pro as the best phone under ₹30000. Both smartphones feature a quirky design, the Glyph interface, a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 processor, and large 5,000mAh batteries with 50W fast charging. In fact, they are among the most unique and eye-catching devices in this segment.

The Phone (3a) starts at ₹22,999, while the larger 3a Pro starts at ₹27,999, including bank offers. Check out our Nothing Phone (3a) series review for a detailed look.

Phones You May Want to Avoid

Now let’s talk about some of the best phone under ₹30,000 that you should avoid. Here are the once hot-selling Google Pixel 7a, now available for about ₹30,000 on Flipkart, should be avoided. The Tensor G2 processor heats up considerably and throttles easily, especially in Indian summers. Additionally, the after-sales service is inconsistent. It only has a 90Hz display (with noticeable bezels), abysmal battery life, and no telephoto lens.

Another phone that you should not consider as the best phone under ₹30,000 is the Redmi Note 14 Pro Plus. While it might seem decent, it has proximity sensor issues, the camera app lags, and software updates are slow (particularly considering it launched with Android 14 and has yet to receive Android 15).

Beyond these specific examples, avoid phones with low RAM (get at least 8GB; avoid 6GB), outdated processors, and poor software support. Look for AMOLED displays with a 120Hz refresh rate. Choosing newer phones with newer software also means you’ll likely get a fair share of AI features, which many older phones, even at a discount, won’t offer. So, choose wisely.

Which Phone Should You Pick?

Given the vast myriad of options for best phones under ₹30,000, finding the best phone can be a bit difficult. Here is the best phone for you based on your needs:

• For Battery Backup: Nothing beats the Poco F7 when it comes to battery since it packs a massive 7,500mAh cell.
• For Processor: For those looking for the best performance, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 in the iQOO Neo 10 is perfect. Not only can it handle the latest AAA games but can also glide through all the daily tasks.
• For Software: Nothing beats the OnePlus Nord 5 when it comes to software experience. It is the one of the few phones in this range to provide 4 years of OS updates.
• For Camera: If you want great cameras, you should take a look at the Vivo V50 since it offers great camera tuning and uses the more expensive Zeiss optics.
• For Value For Money: The Realme 14 Pro Plus is a great all-rounder despite the newer Realme 15 Pro as it features a triple camera setup on the back.

Best Phones Under ₹30,000 Specifications Showndown