Best phones under Rs 30,000 (Feb 2023): iQOO 9 SE 5G, Poco F4 5G to OnePlus Nord 2T

Not too long ago, certain phones in this segment were termed as flagship killers as you could get flagship-grade features and performance at a reasonable price. Though that moniker isn’t as commonly used these days, the rest holds true for the phones in this list. One can expect high quality AMOLED displays with high refresh rate, powerful processors, impressive cameras with features like optical image stabilisation (OIS) and more. It’s a given that all handsets in this list are 5G ready. Time to meet the top 5 phones that we believe are the best under Rs 30,000 this month.

Best phones to buy under Rs 30,000 in India

iQOO 9 SE 5GHere’s a surprise entry in this collection. The iQOO 9 SE 5G is currently selling under Rs 30,000, though its price has been fluctuating between 29K and 31K in the last few days. It is powered by Qualcomm’s previous flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, which is a fantastic option in this segment. You can get the phone’s base variant with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage in this budget. It has a 6.62-inch HDR10+ compliant Full HD+ AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1300 nits and 120 Hz refresh rate.

The rear camera department consists of a 48MP primary camera with OIS, along with a 13MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. The 16MP front camera does a good job with selfies and video calls. The iQOO 9 SE 5G has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 66W fast charger promises to charge it fully in under 40 minutes. The phone runs Android 12 with FunTouch OS 12. One can expect more OS updates in the future.

iQOO 9 SE 5G price in India: Rs 29,990 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Poco F4 5GPoco F4 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, which is a fairly powerful chip itself. You can get even the top variant of this phone with 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage with this much money. It has an impressive 6.67-inch AMOLED Full HD+ screen with 120 Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance. The display has 1300 nits peak brightness and is protected against scratches by a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

The Poco F4 5G has an attractive design with a glass back, and is quite slim at just 7.7 mm in thickness. Photography is handled by a 64MP primary camera with OIS, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP macro camera. The 20MP front camera is quite good for selfies and video calls. Its 4500 mAh battery lasts over a day of moderate use, and the bundled 67W fast charger can juice it up fully in less than 40 minutes. This phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13, and is one of the rare phones to offer a 2-year warranty in India.

Poco F4 5G price in India: Rs 29,999 for 12GB RAM/256GB storage

OnePlus Nord 2TThe OnePlus Nord 2T remains arguably the best value-for-money phone from the company in the whole of 2022. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chip that’s not a bad option at all in this segment. You get the 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage variant in this budget. This 5G-ready phone has a sharp 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90 Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ compliance. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and the protection extends to the phone’s glass back too.

The rear camera department consists of a 50MP primary camera with OIS that does a good job in different conditions. Giving it company are an 8MP ultra-wide shooter and a 2MP monochrome camera. The 32MP front camera is good enough to have the selfie enthusiasts interested. The OnePlus Nord 2T has a 4500 mAh battery that lasts close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 80W Super VOOC charger juices it up fully in just 33 minutes. It launched with OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12, and an Android 13 update with OxygenOS 13 was released recently.

OnePlus Nord 2T price in India: Rs 28,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage

Redmi K50i 5GRedmi K50i 5G is another phone with a powerful processor and ample storage, and primarily targeted at gamers. It is powered by a Mediatek Dimensity 8100 SoC that is found in more expensive phones like the OnePlus 10R. The performance is comparable to a Snapdragon 888 chip, and you get 8 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.1 internal storage comfortably in this budget. The photography department comprises a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide snapper and a 2MP macro camera. A 16MP front camera handles selfies and video calls quite well.

The Redmi K50i 5G has a 6.6-inch Full HD+ Liquid FFS display that’s HDR10 and Dolby Vision compliant. It is protected against scratches by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It supports 144 Hz refresh rate for a smooth experience in compatible apps, and should be handy in certain games too. A 5080 mAh battery keeps the phone running for close to a day and a half of moderate use, and the bundled 67W turbo charger claims to charge it to 50% in just 15 minutes. This Xiaomi phone runs Android 12 with MIUI 13.

Redmi K50i 5G price in India: Rs 26,999 for 8GB RAM/256GB storage

Motorola Edge 30The Motorola Edge 30 continues to sell under 25K currently but is an excellent all-around device that can hang with the best in this list on multiple fronts. This phone is powered by a Snapdragon 778G chip and comes with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage. It may not have the most powerful processor in this budget, but it more than makes up for it in the display, photography and software departments.

Its 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display flaunts a 144 Hz refresh rate along with HDR10+ compliance and the capability to display over a billion colour shades. The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection against scratches. This phone runs Android 12, and like most Motorola phones, you get a clean and near-stock user interface, which many prefer. An Android 13 update is expected soon.

The photography department on the Motorola Edge 30 is impressive too, courtesy of two 50MP cameras, with the primary offering OIS and the secondary camera letting you capture some high-quality ultra-wide shots. A 2MP depth sensor completes the pack. The 32MP front camera will interest selfie enthusiasts. Its 4020 mAh battery lasts for a day of moderate use and supports 33W fast charging.

Motorola Edge 30 price in India: Rs 24,999 for 8GB RAM/128GB storage