BEST MOBILE PHONES

The iPhone 16 Pro Max adds more screen real estate and offers one of the best battery life we have ever recorded in an iPhone. The new Camera Control is a fun addition and makes using the camera handy. Apple Intelligence features look promising, though some wait for that as it is not here. Cameras are a big step up, and it offers a stunning display. If you're still using the iPhone 14 Pro Max or older models, then the 16 Pro Max makes total sense.

The iPhone 16 Plus is for those who want the latest iPhone under a lakh but do not want a smaller screen and compromise on the battery front. The 16 Plus should appeal to heavy multimedia users who love to be on their phones while on the go. The battery performance is amazing, and this one can handle anything and everything thrown at it during everyday use. The cameras are solid and overall, the 16 Plus is the iPhone to consider this year under a lakh, which can offer pro features without actually buying one. 

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro XL has a premium design made from glass and aluminium with well-rounded corners. It’s also IP68 rated for dust and water resistance and manages to pack a vapour chamber cooling system and wireless charging coil despite its slim appearance.

It has a flat display which gets really bright and can tackle direct sunlight well all while showcasing natural-looking colours. The software experience is top notch and the AI features are very capable and also useful depending on what you want to use.

Overall performance is quite solid for daily use and also for gaming. Camera quality is very impressive and the Video Boost feature sure works wonders to improve video recordings.

The Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with nearly the same battery capacity as its predecessor and so will remain a one-day smartphone for power users. Charging speeds have improved provided you can get your hands on Google’s proprietary charger.

The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra has a compact design that finally gets an IPX8 rating for water resistance. There’s a brand-new hinge which makes its design more compact and the hinge more reliable.

The practical cover display has now grown bigger and comes with some new tricks including the ability to access Google’s Gemini AI model for all sorts of queries. Simply put, a lot of tasks can be accomplished without ever opening the main display.

Performance is not a problem when it comes to daily use and even for some 3D gaming. The phone can handle it all, but gets hot when using the camera, particularly when recording video.

Battery life is as good as it can possibly get with a slim and stylish foldable. But charging too has gotten faster. The phone can also charge fast wirelessly but needs a proprietary charger to accomplish that.

Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro has a design which uses aluminium for its frame, its proprietary Armour glass for its cover display and glass fibre for its rear panel that results in a foldable that weighs as much as a regular smartphone.

Its hinge and displays work smartly together offering a design that’s not just slim and light, but also allows for an IPX8 rating for water resistance. The phone also offers true AOD mode which turns the phone in a table clock when not being used.

There’s plenty of raw performance that can easily match regular bar-shaped flagships and Vivo has also added a vapour cooling system to keep the phone cool when stressed.

Still camera performance is very good in all types of lighting conditions. The software experience has a few annoying niggles, but comes with the latest Android 14 base. Battery life is top-notch both for a foldable and a regular smartphone. 

The Realme 12 Pro+ offers a vegan-leather design for its rear panel and also has a very watch-like fluted metal ring around its revamped cameras. The phone isn’t just about a fancy design, but also packs in a solid IP65 rating for dust and water resistance.

Its processor offers more than enough capability to handle day to day tasks and multitasking, but also offers decent gaming performance. The phone also offers the latest Android 14 software but comes loaded with bloatware, which thankfully isn’t intrusive and does not affect the software experience.

Apart from its design, the phone’s biggest highlight are its cameras. While the primary camera performs well in all types of lighting conditions, the telephoto camera is the showstopper, offering excellent capability at native focal lengths in all types of lighting conditions.

Battery life is top notch and the phone easily lasts a day and half with regular use. Charging speeds are also relatively good.

The Oppo Find X7 Ultra packs everything one would expect from an ultra-premium smartphone apart from a price tag. It has a premium design that feels fresh thanks to its use of metal, glass and vegan leather, all in an IP68-certified package.

Performance is top notch both for software and for gaming. Display performance is excellent especially when it comes to games and is well-optimised for touch response. The phone handles heat well whether its gaming or camera usage.

Software lacks many generative AI features found in competing smartphones, but comes with the latest updates. Battery life is on par with the competition and charging is quite fast, both in wired and wireless modes.

Still image performance is top notch and the same can be said about video recording. The camera is less geared towards zoom capability but more focussed on delivering ultra-wide to telephoto performance.

The OnePlus 12’s design uses premium materials like glass and aluminium for its construction and also offers an passable IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. Its 3D curved edge display shows vibrant colours and also offers a QHD+ resolution, which offers good sharpness.

The phone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, which has enough power to handle anything one throws at it. The large vapour chamber cooling system also ensures that the phone remains cool at all times.

Its camera setup is similar to the one offered on the OnePlus Open and offers solid telephoto performance up to 6X zoom. Ultra-wide photos and selfies do leave a lot to be desired in terms of low light performance.

The phone comes with OxygenOS 14 and Android 14 out of the box. Battery life is excellent and charging is really fast. The phone also offers fast wireless charging as well. 

The Vivo X100 Pro has a metal and glass design which looks different from the model it replaces because of its new and larger camera layout. The phone runs the latest Funtouch OS 14 which is based on Android 14.The display’s resolution remains the same as before, but is now a lot brighter, reaching 3,000 nits of peak brightness when needed. It still maintains the same 3D curved edges which can be a bit distracting when viewed outdoors.Image quality is top notch and video quality too seems to have improved. Vivo’s unique floating periscope telephoto camera lets users shoot portraits from a lot closer than what’s currently possible on most smartphones, which is a nice addition to its overall impressive camera performance.The phone allows for a day and half of usage on a single charge thanks to its large battery and charging is pretty fast as well.

The iQOO Z9s Pro brings a lot of improvement to the Z-series. The latest smartphone from the brand offers a sleeker design language and is available in different finishes. The handset also packs a punch in terms of performance and gives you a good value-for-money proposition under Rs 30,000. The cameras have also improved from its predecessors, and the phone is capable of clicking some good photos in different lighting conditions. The iQOO Z9s Pro also brings a good battery life, lasting one full day with moderate to heavy usage. That said, if you are looking for an all-around package, then consider this smartphone. 

Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a very slim design for a foldable both when closed and open. It has flat sides with a metal frame and rear and front panels made of glass. The design is IP rated but only for water.

Performance is just fine. But software seems to be optimised for battery savings and so is not a buttery smooth experience. Google 7 years of software and security updates along with the phone’s numerous AI features sweeten the deal. The phone comes with several image editing and image generation features which work well.

Camera performance is a bit below average given the phone’s price. The same applies to video recording which is also quite poor.

Battery life is a bit below average considering that the competition manages better. The same applies to wired and wireless charging speeds which are quite slow.

Vivo’s V40 Pro has a slim design which uses a polycarbonate frame sandwiched between two glass screens with curved sides. The device also offers a top-notch IP rating and finally offers stereo speakers. The phone has a curved edge display which gets really bright and has a thin bezel.

The device offers enough raw performance to easily handle day-to-day tasks. Gaming is also not a problem as the phone can easily handle high end games. The device, despite its slim design, surprisingly manages to pack in a vapour chamber cooling system which keeps its performance in check when under stress.

Camera performance of the primary and camera is good and the same goes for the phone’s telephoto camera, but the ultrawide camera’s image quality leaves a lot to be desired. Battery life is impressive and will easily last beyond a day of heavy usage. Charging speed albeit only wired is also quite fast.

The Nothing Phone 2a Plus is carved out from the skin as Nothing Phone 2a. The device offers the same Glyph interface, which is interesting to use and offers a transparent back panel for a unique design element. The handset also has an updated processor that performs well at this price segment. The Nothing Phone 2a Plus also brings a clean user interface that definitely stands out from the rest of the competition. The camera capabilities are good, and you also get some good battery life. That said, the cameras offer better performance as compared to the Nothing Phone 2a, but it still needs some improvements. So, if you are looking for a mid-range Nothing phone with some improvements, you can consider Nothing Phone 2a Plus.

The CMF Phone 1 has interesting features and specifications that make it stand out. The swappable rear panels are a unique thing that you will find in this price segment nowadays. The phone also has an IP65 rating, good enough for minor spills. The handset also delivers decent performance in this price segment. The gaming is handled reasonably, and so does everyday tasks. Moreover, the phone brings a custom user interface that gives a unique look and feel. The phone also brings good camera performance in different lighting conditions. However, there is no support for a wide-angle lens or telephoto lens. The battery life is solid for this one, and the charging speed is good enough. 

The Moto G85 5G is a mid-range smartphone that is desiged to combines a modern design with reliable performance. It boasts a large curved display with a high refresh rate for smooth visuals and vibrant colours that enable users to watch content on a range of applications.

Powered by a recently launched midrange processor, the Moto G85 handles multitasking and gaming efficiently and comes with enough memory and internal storage, which are both expandable as per your needs.

For photography, the Moto G85 features a dual-camera setup with optical image stabilisation (OIS). It also has a high-resolution front-facing camera for selfies. The It packs a large battery with support for fast charging, ensuring all-day use.

Running on Android 14, the Moto G85 5G includes useful software features and security updates but comes with some bloatware and notification spam. Its practical design includes a plastic frame and back, and the phone has an IP54 dust and splash resistance rating.

The Realme GT 6 sports a 6.78-inch curved AMOLED display offers a resolution of 1264x2780 pixels. The triple rear camera setup includes a 50-megapixel primary camera, another 50-megapixel camera, and an 8-megapixel camera. For selfies, there’s a 32-megapixel front camera. Running on Android 14, it’s powered by a 5500mAh battery with SuperVOOC fast charging support. You can choose from 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM, along with 256GB or 512GB storage options. It runs on Realme UI 5, based on Android 14. Plus, it’s IP65-rated for dust and water protection .

Xiaomi 14 Civi is here to shake things up in the sub-Rs. 50,000 price segment. Its slim design, Leica camera prowess, solid performance credentials, and decent speakers make it a solid package worth considering in this price category. On the downside, the missing IP68 rating is a much-needed feature at this price point, and random app notifications from installed apps may sometimes bother you. Nevertheless, it's a noteworthy addition to the sub-Rs. 50,000 smartphone portfolio and is an excellent value proposition.

The Honor 200 Pro has a stunning design that makes it stand out from the crowd, a crisp display that makes multimedia consumption a breeze, and a flagship-grade performance with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset.

However, the Honor 200 Pro's camera sets it apart from the competition. It takes some perfect photos in both daylight and low-light conditions. The portraits came out to be sharp and crisp, full of details from the rear sensor.

The front camera performance is decent, and you get good shots in daylight and low-light conditions. The Honor 200 Pro also packs a decent battery life. Overall, if you are looking for a reliable camera-centric smartphone with no budget constraints, you can consider the Honor 200 Pro. 

The Honor 200 offers a stunning design, which makes it stand out from the crowd. The handset offers a crisp display, making it an ideal multimedia device. The Honor 200 also brings decent performance, though looking at the competition, it may appear to be an underdog. However, the camera is where the Honor 200 stands out from the competition. The phone takes some perfect photos in both daylight and low-light conditions. The portraits came out to be quite good from the rear sensor, while the selfies look good, though they are a bit over-styled. The device also packs a decent battery life that can easily last one whole day with medium usage. That said, if you are looking for a sleek phone with good camera capabilities, then you can consider the Honor 200. 

The Pixel 8a has a fresh new design that will remind many of the premium offerings in Google’s smartphone lineup. Its design still uses a plastic back but now has a more premium feel thanks to its soft, frosted finish.

The phone also offers a solid IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. Its Tensor G3 brings plenty of new AI features once reserved for the premium Pixels to the A series. Performance is still not its strong point, but it offers decent performance for everyday app usage.

Still, the camera performance is pretty solid, and the same can be said about the rear camera’s low-light performance, which works well on both primary and ultrawide cameras.

Battery life is not great but will last most users a day. Charging speeds are still quite slow and the same applies to the Qi standard wireless charging the phone offers.

iQoo’s Z9x takes a practical approach to design by going with a plastic rear panel and frame. While it looks like a regular budget smartphone, it offers an IP64 rating which offers proper protection against dust but basic protection against water.

The phone offers good performance for a budget smartphone at this price point and is also good for some mid-level gaming as it can handle 3D games.

Camera performance is average for a smartphone at this price point but the iQoo Z9x has only one user-accessible rear-facing camera. Software performance is good but there’s plenty of spammy notifications and preinstalled third-party apps.

Battery life is very good. The phone easily lasts two days on a single charge with casual usage and more than a day with heavy usage as well. Charging speeds are impressive and the bundled charger quickly charges the large battery.

The Moto G64 5G is a minor update over last year's Moto G54 5G. It comes with a slightly faster MediaTek Dimensity 7025 SoC, which is paired with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. The phone is fast enough for most tasks and you can also play most games on it without any heating issues or lag. However, you'll need to run high-end games on lower settings. You get a dual rear camera setup with a main 50-megapixel sensor with OIS, and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide sensor. Photo quality is good in daylight conditions, but lowlight performance isn't that good. The phone also packs a 6,000mAh battery that can easily last two days with normal usage. A 33W fast charger is available in the box. The Moto G64 5G, while it doesn't offer major upgrades over its predecessor, is still good value for money and easy to recommend.  

The OnePlus Nord CE4 has an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. It has a frame made out of polycarbonate that is supposed to be very durable and is able to sustain drops. The rear panel too is made of polycarbonate.

The phone offers good performance for the casual user, but is not ideal for gaming. Its display can get really bright outdoors and is also HDR10-certified. While it offers a high refresh rate, its touch sampling rate or sensitivity comes up a bit short while playing FPS games

The Nord CE4 comes with OxygenOS 14, which is based on Android 14. It is highly customisable and offers some handy new features like Fluid Cloud. Some of these features are AI-enabled.

Overall camera performance is quite average for its segment and video recording quality isn’t great either. Battery life is excellent and the phone offers fast wired charging.

Motorola's Edge 50 Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, a 50-megapixel triple rear camera setup, and a 4,500mAh battery with up to 125W fast charging support. The phone offers some world first features such as a Pantone validated display and cameras. The Edge 50 Pro has a premium design and is available in three colour options. It is offered with up to 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. You also get an IP68 dust and water resistance rating. The phone has a 6.7-inch pOLED curved display with 1.5K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 2,000 nits. It has a stereo speaker setup with Dolby Atmos support, 3 microphones, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. 

Vivo continues to explore mid-range possibilities with the camera-focused V30 Pro. The phone has a sleek design and decent specifications like a 3D curved-edge display that is bright in broad daylight as well. 

Its daylight camera performance is notable, but low-light photography leaves room for improvement. 4K video on both, the rear cameras and the front camera is quite good. Zeiss lens filters are a good addition to the V series and can make the shooting experience a bit more fun.

The IP54 rating for dust and water resistance is disappointing for a smartphone in this price range and the latest AI features are also missing on this one. Raw performance is far from the best in class, but the phone offers a smooth software experience with the latest updates.

The Vivo V30 Pro could be an option for those prioritising camera capabilities and style in a premium smartphone, but be aware of its limitations.

The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is the mid-variant in the new Galaxy S24 lineup, but offers more upgrades compared to last year. Although the design is mostly similar to the Galaxy S23+, you get a newer Exynos 2400 SoC, a larger 4,900mAh battery with 45W fast charging support, and a slightly bigger 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED 2x display. The display now also offers QHD+ resolution, which the predecessor lacked. In the camera department, the hardware remains mostly the same. You can expect excellent photos in daylight conditions from all four cameras on the phone. Lowlight photos also come out good. The ultra-wide camera still lacks autofocus, unfortunately, but can still deliver good photos. Performance is flagship level and you can play any game at full settings, but the phone does tend to heat up. If you don't want to spend your money on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, then you should consider the Galaxy S24+ as it comes close to the Ultra in terms of specifications. 

The Oppo Reno 11 Pro offers a slim and rounded design which appears quite premium despite being made out of polycarbonate and glass. However it lacks an official IP rating of any sort and still does not offer a stereo speaker setup.

The new Dimensity processor is powerful enough for handling regular smartphone tasks and can even handle heavy 3D games. Oppo offers the latest Android 14 software out of the box but it packs in plenty of bloatware and double apps.

The phone offers a very flexible camera setup among which its primary camera offers the best imaging performance followed by the telephoto camera which is good for snapping portraits. Its ultra-wide camera is quite weak and the same can be said about the phone’s video performance in general.

Battery life is quite solid for a slim design-focussed smartphone but charging is very quick. 

The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ offers a great mid-range smartphone experience. The device has a stunning design with a vegan leather back and a curved display that makes it comfortable to hold and provides a perfect one-hand grip. The display is a 6.67-inch 3D Curved AMOLED with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and it gives a stunning display for most multimedia needs. The Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is powered by a 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7200-Ultra processor clocked at 2.8GHz and is excellent for multitasking. The primary camera is solid, and the battery life is good. The device has cons like unnecessary bloatware, unreliable ultra-wide and macro cameras, and Android 13 out-of-the-box. Overall, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is an excellent smartphone for the price if you can overlook some caveats.

iQoo 12 is a dual-SIM handset that runs on Android 14-based Funtouch OS 14. It features a 6.78-inch quad-HD LTPO AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1,200Hz instant touch sampling rate. The display supports up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness and 2,160Hz PWM for low light dimming.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and iQoo’s Q1 chip for enhanced gaming. It has up to 16GB LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. It also has a 6,010 sq. mm vapour chamber with four cooling zones.

The iQoo 12 has a triple rear camera setup: a 50MP primary camera with a 1/1.3-inch OmniVision OV50H sensor, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a 120-degree field-of-view, and a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 100x hybrid zoom. It has a 16MP selfie camera with a wide-angle lens and f/2.5 aperture.

The iQoo 12 supports 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, GPS, NFC, infrared blaster, and USB 2.0 Type-C. It has an accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, and ambient colour sensor, and an under-display fingerprint scanner. The phone has a 5,000mAh battery with 120W FlashCharge support and an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance.